ALDS Game 3: Astros (Javier) v Twins (Gray), 10/10 @ 3:07pm CT

[Brock Beauchamp]

1 minute ago, SwainZag said:

The bats need to show up as well.  Continually failing to drive in runs will not win games either. 

The pitching put the Twins down but the bats knocked them out of the game. So many opportunities to score and one run. Consecutive innings with bases loaded and less than two outs when the game was still within reach.

[BiggestRoccoFan]

Solano at first tomorrow, Catch Vazquez because Jeffers is playing just as awful as Kiriloff is.

I am playing Castro instead of Wallner tomorrow as well.

 

 

[Brock Beauchamp]

1 minute ago, BiggestRoccoFan said:

Solano at first tomorrow, Catch Vazquez because Jeffers is playing just as awful as Kiriloff is.

I am playing Castro instead of Wallner tomorrow as well.

Hard to disagree with anything here, really. 

[2wins87]

It's been a decent postseason run, but now it's time to see if this team can respond to adversity.

Need more than half the lineup to show up, and need Ryan to avoid the long ball somehow.

This would be a good time for the young core to really show up. Hopefully they've learned a little from the postseason experience so far.

 

[BiggestRoccoFan]

3 minutes ago, 2wins87 said:

It's been a decent postseason run, but now it's time to see if this team can respond to adversity.

Need more than half the lineup to show up, and need Ryan to avoid the long ball somehow.

This would be a good time for the young core to really show up. Hopefully they've learned a little from the postseason experience so far.

 

They look overmatched. Especially Jeffers, Kiriloff and Wallner.

[Schmoeman5]

No one produced today. No one! Lewis stranded 7 runners alone. Kepler 5. Wallner walked twice as did Julien. So when one hands out blame, make sure it's apples to apples. I agree that perhaps a lineup shakeup might be in order. But sometimes that gives off the perception of panic. But it's win or go home

2 minutes ago, BiggestRoccoFan said:

They look overmatched. Especially Jeffers, Kiriloff and Wallner.

 

[USAFChief]

30 minutes ago, SwainZag said:

If AK doesn't whiff on the ball at 1st, you probably don't give up the 4 runs.  Either way, a lot of blame to go around today.  Royce had some awful AB's.

The key AB in the 1st wasn't the error on Alvarez.

It was the hanging breaking ball to Abreu.

 

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

28 minutes ago, Schmoeman5 said:

What's a DM?

[BiggestRoccoFan]

2 minutes ago, Schmoeman5 said:

No one produced today. No one! Lewis stranded 7 runners alone. Kepler 5. Wallner walked twice as did Julien. So when one hands out blame, make sure it's apples to apples. I agree that perhaps a lineup shakeup might be in order. But sometimes that gives off the perception of panic. But it's win or go home

 

Those 3 have been overmatched the entire series and not just today.

The 3 have 1 hit in 3 games.

[2wins87]

1 minute ago, BiggestRoccoFan said:

They look overmatched. Especially Jeffers, Kiriloff and Wallner.

I definitely agree with Kirilloff. Hasn't worked the count, and has fouled off fastballs down the middle and just rolled over on other pitches.

Wallner is harder to judge because Ks are always part of his game. I think he's been better at working the count, but ultimately he's just been whiffing on breaking stuff too much.

Watching Jeffers I genuinely do think he's having good at bats. You can't scout a statline in such a small sample. He had a barrel to dead center and another 110 mph ball almost through the infield today. And two hits off Verlander. I honestly think he's taken better at bats than Lewis, Lewis has just ambushed a few pitches, which speaks to his talent.

I would have expected Vazquez to be a defensive replacement by now at some point, but I still feel much better with Jeffers in the lineup.

[RpR]

Kansas City took 4 of 5 from the Astros, so there is no honest excuse if they lose.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

Rocco actually went there in the presser, about the shadows. Ugh. 

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

Well then blame St. Peter for not scheduling more 2:30pm games in August and September. So you have the chance to practice hitting under those conditions 

[USAFChief]

1 minute ago, Hosken Bombo Disco said:

Rocco actually went there in the presser, about the shadows. Ugh. 

Not a prime time MLB manager

 

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

Or maybe just require these guys to actually take BP more often. Gladden just said Houston got up early this morning for early BP. 

[Schmoeman5]

 

6 minutes ago, RpR said:

Kansas City took 4 of 5 from the Astros, so there is no honest excuse if they lose.

What's that got to do with the playoffs? NOTHING. 

[RpR]

Just now, Schmoeman5 said:

 

What's that got to do with the playoffs? NOTHING. 

Everything, no excuse for not beating Houston, simple as that.

[Schmoeman5]

2 minutes ago, RpR said:

Everything, no excuse for not beating Houston, simple as that.

You're a regular encyclopedia brittanica 

[Parfigliano]

34 minutes ago, Brock Beauchamp said:

Hard to disagree with anything here, really. 

Disagree on this point: Vasquez over Jeffrrs

[SwainZag]

20 minutes ago, USAFChief said:

The key AB in the 1st wasn't the error on Alvarez.

It was the hanging breaking ball to Abreu.

 

If AK makes the play you don't put Gray in that situation to begin with.  Even knocking the ball down and getting the out at 1st is worlds different than 2nd and 3rd with only 1 out.  

Yes, Gray hung that pitch badly to Abreu and that is completely on him, but the error played big in setting that up.

[Schmoeman5]

16 minutes ago, BiggestRoccoFan said:

Those 3 have been overmatched the entire series and not just today.

The 3 have 1 hit in 3 games.

So do you expect more with Taylor, Solano, and Vasquez tomorrow if that's the case? Let's hope that's so if Rocco goes in that direction 

[BiggestRoccoFan]

2 hours ago, Schmoeman5 said:

So do you expect more with Taylor, Solano, and Vasquez tomorrow if that's the case? Let's hope that's so if Rocco goes in that direction 

I expect them to be able to make some sort of contact with the ball. Not as many swing and misses.

[insagt1]

The k's have totally reduced the Twins offense to zero. 14 more today. The stage was big today and all the Twins totally fell off of it. Pitching was terrible right from the start. Hitting when opportunities were presented totally failed. When you are out of the game so early, there is no air in the stadium. (Orioles suffering the same fate. They are getting slaughtered again and have been totally outplayed in every aspect of the game. The series has been a classic mis-match) I can't think of a series I have less interest in than Texas vs Houston.

Twins have one more shot to see what they have left. Besides Lopez, the pitching has been brutal.

But I am most disappointed in all the strikeouts. When contact was needed, it wasn't there. And to rub total lye into the open wound, when contact was made, it was a GIDP..thank you Jeffers)

Todays game couldn't have left a worse taste in our mouths if they had poisoned our food. This is not the way the Twins need to end their season. Tomorrow is another day. Hope its not the last.

[insagt1]

5 hours ago, RocRedWing said:

my man it is the second inning. breathe

It never got better. Sometimes you just 'know' when a game has lost its way.

[insagt1]

5 hours ago, Jerr said:

So many "quitters and its ovah posters" today, guess they are watching their first baseball game.

9-1. Not our first rodeo. They stunk from the first 5 batters till the very end. And you could see it coming. Somehow Houston saw the ball enough to put the game out of reach. Our guys just continued to flail away.

[Brock Beauchamp]

11 minutes ago, insagt1 said:

It never got better. Sometimes you just 'know' when a game has lost its way.

No, you don't. Only blinding yourself through hindsight would make you believe such a thing.

Just three or so days ago, the Twins were in the identical position and stormed back in the seventh to make it a game.

[insagt1]

4 minutes ago, Brock Beauchamp said:

No, you don't. Only blinding yourself with hindsight would make you believe such a thing.

Just three or so days ago, the Twins were in the identical position and stormed back in the seventh to make it a game.

Sorry..sometimes you DO..hindsight or not. And Twins didn't win that game. Come on Brock--we're FANS. We want the Twins to win and we are grossly disappointed when they play like this. Give us that please. We're entitled to be totally frustrated. This isn't a clinic. Its baseball. More often than not when a game starts like that in the playoffs, it usually doesn't end well. Especially when your hitters can't hit the ball and the pen gives up more runs. Yeah, there are exceptions, but thats what they are...exceptions. I didn't see any clear path to victory after that 1st inning, and the way our hitters continued to strike out early. Could have been wrong. But wasn't today. It was no fun watching this game...as a FAN. Thats the way I feel and I'm probably not alone and I make no apologies for that. If the Twins came back and scored 9 in the 9th to pull this one out...well wouldn't that have been something to write home about. But that wasn't going to happen today.

It was darned disappointing to be home and down 4-0 before the first sip of beer! Against the defending champs pain-in-the-neck Astros, who know how to win a game or two.

Yesterday we had our ace, who was a stopper. Our 1st guy out of the pen gave up 2, before Duran shut things down. Doesn't seem like we have anyone else who can stop the bleeding...but maybe we do. Hope so.  But criticizing the way another fan feels about a game or his team only diminishes you my friend. What do you expect to gain? You're a smart guy. I expect better from you. Criticize the team not the posters who make up this forum. WE are all Twins fans.

[ashbury]

34 minutes ago, insagt1 said:

And you could see it coming.

I trust you also could see coming the two wins last week against Toronto?

[Brock Beauchamp]

11 minutes ago, insagt1 said:

Sorry..sometimes you DO..hindsight or not. And Twins didn't win that game. Come on Brock--we're FANS. We want the Twins to win and we are grossly disappointed when they play like this. Give us that please. We're entitled to be totally frustrated. This isn't a clinic. Its baseball. More often than not when a game starts like that in the playoffs, it usually doesn't end well. Especially when your hitters can't hit the ball and the pen gives up more runs. Yeah, there are exceptions, but thats what they are...exceptions. I didn't see any clear path to victory after that 1st inning, and the way our hitters continued to strike out early. Could have been wrong. But wasn't today. It was no fun watching this game...as a FAN. Thats the way I feel and I'm probably not alone and I make no apologies for that. If the Twins came back and scored 9 in the 9th to pull this one out...well wouldn't that have been something to write home about. But that wasn't going to happen today.

It was darned disappointing to be home and down 4-0 before the first sip of beer! Against the defending champs pain-in-the-neck Astros, who know how to win a game or two.

Yesterday we had our ace, who was a stopper. Our 1st guy out of the pen gave up 2, before Duran shut things down. Doesn't seem like we have anyone else who can stop the bleeding...but maybe we do. Hope so.  But criticizing the way another fan feels about a game or his team only diminishes you my friend. What do you expect to gain? You're a smart guy. I expect better from you. Criticize the team not the posters who make up this forum. WE are all Twins fans.

Love this post. LOVE IT.

And, yes, I'm right there with you. I'm not "giving you it" because I'm right there with you. But we didn't know what would happen because this team has played well, unlike previous seasons.

It may be hard to let go of 18 years of frustration - trust me, I know more than most having run sites for so long - but we can't predict anything in baseball. It "feels" a way until it doesn't. And this team has shown those lingering feelings don't really have a place anymore. The Minnesota Twins are just a "postseason team" now. They may win, they may lose. But they're no different than any other team.

[sampleSizeOfOne]

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