Game Thread: Twins @ Brewers PM 4/3/2024

[Twins_Fan_in_NJ]

18 pitches for Jax - does he go back out for the 9th? Twins can make it moot with a couple of runs in their half...

[Twins_Fan_in_NJ]

Just now, Mike Sixel said:

On the plane. Have a great day everyone. 

Safe travels...

[cheeseheadgophfan]

So is Jax coming out for a 2nd inning???  If so, he's probably unavailable for the home opener?  Or are you going to let someone with no closer experience try to get 3 outs in the 9th?   That's why i don't understand the Stewart move in the 7th?

[nicksaviking]

Let's go into the bottom of the 9th up five.

[USAFChief]

1 minute ago, Mike Sixel said:

On the plane. 

So you claim.

[Aggies7]

1 minute ago, cheeseheadgophfan said:

So is Jax coming out for a 2nd inning???  If so, he's probably unavailable for the home opener?  Or are you going to let someone with no closer experience try to get 3 outs in the 9th?   That's why i don't understand the Stewart move in the 7th?

Getting a win today stops a potential losing streak. You’d hope Lopez can give you 6 tomorrow. Stewart would still be available as would alcala and Johnson. And okert 

[cheeseheadgophfan]

Looks like Okert....I'll go on the record (in advance instead of hindsight) that I don't like it.  

[mrtwinsfan]

As bad as team looks  - ROCCO-- coming home 3-2 with our mad Scientist at the helm, Not all bad but look out for them Roaring Tigers , gotta keep pace !!

[Aggies7]

2 minutes ago, cheeseheadgophfan said:

Looks like Okert....I'll go on the record (in advance instead of hindsight) that I don't like it.  

Also our actual closer is hurt so it’s always going to be a mish mash of who closes games

[Twins_Fan_in_NJ]

Until the Tigers play a team with a pulse, I'll remain skeptical...

[USAFChief]

6 minutes ago, cheeseheadgophfan said:

So is Jax coming out for a 2nd inning???  If so, he's probably unavailable for the home opener?  Or are you going to let someone with no closer experience try to get 3 outs in the 9th?   That's why i don't understand the Stewart move in the 7th?

I can live with Jax vs 2-3-4 and somebody else 5-6-7 if it turns out that way.

[Twins_Fan_in_NJ]

Jeffers!

[stringer bell]

Brewers have lots of speed and good defenders, but Yelich doesn't have a great arm and the Twins took advantage of it.

[sampleSizeOfOne]

Does Jax come back out for the save opportunity?

[USAFChief]

A little insurance is always a good idea.

 

[sampleSizeOfOne]

I like scoring too

[MMMordabito]

Oh, I see, Okert was saved for Frelick.

[stringer bell]

No free passes!!

[USAFChief]

Oh FFS, Okert.

[IaBeanCounter]

4 minutes ago, USAFChief said:

I can live with Jax vs 2-3-4 and somebody else 5-6-7 if it turns out that way.

I agree!  Stewart was used for shutdown inning after taking the lead and Jax for the top of their order

[USAFChief]

Looks like I'll miss the home opener. A couple months ago I saw a robbery go down at an Apple store. I have to testify in court tomorrow. 

...

That's right. I'm the prosecution's key Iwitness.

[chpettit19]

17 minutes ago, cheeseheadgophfan said:

So is Jax coming out for a 2nd inning???  If so, he's probably unavailable for the home opener?  Or are you going to let someone with no closer experience try to get 3 outs in the 9th?   That's why i don't understand the Stewart move in the 7th?

If the Twins don't have anyone outside of Jax and Stewart in the current pen that can get 3 outs in the 9th with a 4 run lead their pen isn't any good. Or even 3 runs if the Twins hadn't added on.

[MMMordabito]

Dunn and Done!!

[USAFChief]

winnah!

[mrtwinsfan]

Nice ---  win  boys

[Twins_Fan_in_NJ]

3-2. Perhaps my gloom and doom was a bit unwarranted, but game days do not know rational thoughts!

[cheeseheadgophfan]

3 minutes ago, chpettit19 said:

If the Twins don't have anyone outside of Jax and Stewart in the current pen that can get 3 outs in the 9th with a 4 run lead their pen isn't any good. Or even 3 runs if the Twins hadn't added on.

It worked.....but there is a HUGE difference getting 3 outs in the 9th versus the 7th.  That's why closers make so much $$$$$$.  The insurance run in the 8th was nice, but Okert was coming in regardless.  He walks the first guy and got behind the second guy before getting a gift strike.  If that game is closer, his butt-cheeks are tightening....I guarantee it.  In addition, the 7th inning was 8-9-1 for the Brewers including at least one left-hand hitter (maybe 2???). It makes way more sense to bring in Okert there.....I'm sorry but Rocco drives me nuts (PH for Julien, Pitch-running for AK on 3rd base).   Rant over LOL

[chpettit19]

1 minute ago, cheeseheadgophfan said:

It worked.....but there is a HUGE difference getting 3 outs in the 9th versus the 7th.  That's why closers make so much $$$$$$.  The insurance run in the 8th was nice, but Okert was coming in regardless.  He walks the first guy and got behind the second guy before getting a gift strike.  If that game is closer, his butt-cheeks are tightening....I guarantee it.  In addition, the 7th inning was 8-9-1 for the Brewers including at least one left-hand hitter (maybe 2???). It makes way more sense to bring in Okert there.....I'm sorry but Rocco drives me nuts (PH for Julien, Pitch-running for AK on 3rd base).   Rant over LOL

The game wasn't closer, though, so why does that matter? The Twins had a 3 run lead when they brought Stewart in to face 2 righties and a lefty, but the Brewers responded by pinch hitting so it turned into 2 lefties. Had Okert been in they would've likely let the righty hit to start the inning, then pinch hit for the lefty and had the 2 righties at the top of the order up. Okert wouldn't have faced a single lefty until Yelich. As others have pointed out it was very important to have a shutdown inning after they took the lead. I think it's awfully reasonable to go with your 2nd best current reliever instead of your lefty specialist who wouldn't face any lefties until his 5th batter of the inning.

I did strongly dislike the pinch hitting decision. But the pinch running one made sense since they were going to put Martin in for a defensive replacement in the next half inning anyways. Why not add the extra speed on 3rd instead of waiting to just put him in on defense?

[cheeseheadgophfan]

1 minute ago, chpettit19 said:

The game wasn't closer, though, so why does that matter? The Twins had a 3 run lead when they brought Stewart in to face 2 righties and a lefty, but the Brewers responded by pinch hitting so it turned into 2 lefties. Had Okert been in they would've likely let the righty hit to start the inning, then pinch hit for the lefty and had the 2 righties at the top of the order up. Okert wouldn't have faced a single lefty until Yelich. As others have pointed out it was very important to have a shutdown inning after they took the lead. I think it's awfully reasonable to go with your 2nd best current reliever instead of your lefty specialist who wouldn't face any lefties until his 5th batter of the inning.

I did strongly dislike the pinch hitting decision. But the pinch running one made sense since they were going to put Martin in for a defensive replacement in the next half inning anyways. Why not add the extra speed on 3rd instead of waiting to just put him in on defense?

Just think you've got to have a closer (or a guy who's done it before) in the 9th.  You want to bring in Holt in the 7th?  Fine.  Than Okert in the 8th.  The 7th seemed to be the better matchup for a lefty pitcher.  It worked, so Rocco will continue to do it.  

Question for you....does Rocco pitch run for AK if it's a 1 run game????  I think so because his moves all seem to be pre-determined.  If the Brewers tie that game up, we have Austin Martin looking for his first MLB hit in the 10th instead of a guy having a career day and the hottest hitter on the team.  

[chpettit19]

1 minute ago, cheeseheadgophfan said:

Just think you've got to have a closer (or a guy who's done it before) in the 9th.  You want to bring in Holt in the 7th?  Fine.  Than Okert in the 8th.  The 7th seemed to be the better matchup for a lefty pitcher.  It worked, so Rocco will continue to do it.  

Question for you....does Rocco pitch run for AK if it's a 1 run game????  I think so because his moves all seem to be pre-determined.  If the Brewers tie that game up, we have Austin Martin looking for his first MLB hit in the 10th instead of a guy having a career day and the hottest hitter on the team.  

Brock Stewart has 2 career MLB saves. Griffin Jax has 6. You're putting an awful lot of weight into 6 saves in 4 years. And, as I pointed out, the lefty pitcher wouldn't have faced a single lefty in the 7th so I'm not sure how you think that's a better matchup for a lefty pitcher.

It wasn't a 1 run game. At this point you just seem to be trying to find ways to confirm your Rocco bias and are creating situations that didn't actually happen in an attempt to be mad at him.