Twins 4, Angels 0: Tyler Mahle Suffocates L.A's Bats

[DocBauer]

Not directed to anyone in particular, just in general.

Mahle looked great! Ran in to some trouble in the 6th and got out of it. Great start! So many complaints about 4-5 IP...mostly about only 4 which I totally get...and we can't be happy with an outstanding 6 inning performance? 

There are but a handful of pitchers in ALL of MLB that consistently toss 7 full innings in a game, much less average that per. Like it or not, the game has changed. For decades RP were like fill-in guys and long guys. Then RP became LOOGY'S and set-up men and closers. And then the entire "closer" mentality changed to having FIREMEN for high leverage because a 3 run lead save against the bottom of a lineup didn't mean as much as first perceived. 

Forget the steroid era for a moment, though it had a pronounced affect on pitching changes. Today's ML position athlete trains and lifts weight and works on hitting year round. There is technology assisting batting stance and swing and upper cuts and exit velocity, etc, etc. Pitchers throw harder than ever, but the game has changed. Option and basic power I football has changed in college, and we're decades beyond 3 yards and a cloud of dust in the NFL. I do believe, 100%, that there is room in baseball to "retro fit" the game somewhat to integrate speed again, and to greater value the high BA/OB player. 

But the game has changed. 5-6 quality IP is the norm now, not just the Twins. Little birdie of Rocco to a Gleeman comment offered recently was something to the fact that with "crunch time" coming that monitoring innings to this point may allow more free reign going forward. We'll see. The starters still need to produce. But I'd take a solid 6 IP most any day. The occasional 7 only helps mitigate the 5 IP starts, and helps the pen. Interesting that Baldelli has commented just recently about the need for a "length" arm or two in the pen. IMO, he's not talking 3-4, but rather, a good TWO innings arm or 2. 

Fulmer and Lopez add and deepen the pen. But the issue is the middle 3 spots, not Mahle, Gray, and Ryan throwing 6, with the hopeful occasional 7. And believe it or not, Bundy has lead the team in IP most of the year thus far. Hopefully, it's time now for Archer to start delivering 5 IP each time with health, experience, and savy. But it comes down, a lot IMO, to those last 3 spots in the pen. I DON'T like sticking with Pagan as a 2 IP option because we just know how that turns out. I don't know that Sands is ready. I think Moran is needed. Injuries are really cramping options right now, and that imits and stinks. We don't need stud 6-7-8 arms, though that would be nice and the objective. But with injuries factored in, the question/problem is what is the best 1-2-3 the Twins can find over the next month and a half to fill the 6-7-8 spots in the pen?

[Matt Braun]

8 hours ago, USAFChief said:

Concur. This is precisely why at it's best, TD kicks the regular media's butt. Hard. 

Can you do all the game recaps, Matt? 

I nearly dumbfounded at the support for my pretentious baseball ramblings. I'll do as many as I can!

[Karbo]

On 8/13/2022 at 9:02 AM, USAFChief said:

Did you watch the game? 

Yes actually. I'm old school though so I probably would have let him start the 7th with an arm warmed and ready just in case. Was shocked Rocco didn't pull him when he came out in the 6th. Must have listened to Bell when he told him he gets stronger as he goes longer. Maybe Rocco could apply that to a couple of other pitchers, so long as they are pitching well. Might save some arms in the pen!