Pirates 10, Twins 9: The Twins Keep Finding Ways to Lose

[Hunter4848]

14 hours ago, JD-TWINS said:

IMO, the PROBLEM was the Sun! 2nd inning - should have been 3 outs on a simple fly ball right at our left fielder …….. unfortunately, as happens 2-3 times per season, the ball got lost in the sun and that gave the Pirates another out to work with & Ober couldn’t make the big pitch to stop the onslaught in the 2nd. 

Then, snake bit Twins get a Catcher’s interference call against Caratini and it pushes a runner to 2B …… he then scores on a single to LF ……… pretty solid play by Larnach but tag was 1/2 second too late.

MARTIN has to have the day off Sunday and they Seriously need to consider DFA for Outman and Gonzales back up to play some corner OF, as needed. Martin is in a spiral and batting 4-5 times per game, mostly against RH pitching is fruitless…….Kreidler/Outman in CF with Clemens in right & Larkin in LF with a right handed starter ……. gotta do it before Martin is mentally broken v. RH pitching.

Funderburk can’t consistently throw strikes. more specifically he walks too many guys! His stuff isn’t good enough to routinely get him out of trouble - not sure he’s got the Major League make-up. Looks frustrated or anxious way too often on the mound. Looks great in spots but if Team needs 4 outs the results need to be better from him!

5 runs from the Sun ball & 1 from the interference - tough to win when those things happen.

Last I checked the Pirates had to play in the exact same sun...

 

[FlyingFinn]

11 minutes ago, Hunter4848 said:

Last I checked the Pirates had to play in the exact same sun...

Not according to the Twins radio announcers. They said there was a 10 minute window where the sun was terrible in that area (stadium not blocking it).

[FlyingFinn]

1 hour ago, USAFChief said:

However, IMO that doesn't excuse extremely poor baserunning. Keaschall should have scored easily on Buxton's ball off the top of the wall in right. Run in, runners on 2nd and 3rd.

You can't excuse poor baserunning simply because it was overcome by events. Poor baserunning is poor baserunning.

Certainly true but the posters first point was that it was all Keaschall's fault that the game wasn't tied. And that really wasn't the case.

You could fault Caratini and the catchers interference with 2 outs and, I believe, 2 strikes on the batter. That essentially lost Ober's best chance to get through the inning and may have moved the bullpen usage up more, forcing us to use Klein. But this is certainly speculative as maybe Ober doesn't get out of the 5th anyway.

[Hunter4848]

2 hours ago, FlyingFinn said:

Not according to the Twins radio announcers. They said there was a 10 minute window where the sun was terrible in that area (stadium not blocking it).

Loser mentality 

[RpR]

[mluebker]

23 hours ago, karcherd said:

…I want the Twins to build toward being a winning team…

I think everyone here wants that—I sure do—but it’s pretty clear that’s not going to happen this year. And maybe not next year either, while the CPA gets negotiated and a possible lockout looms. So my point is that we might as well be pragmatic and accept that these are the 2026 Twins and find whatever positives we can in the roster they have. (Until the trade deadline, I suppose.)

[karcherd]

15 minutes ago, mluebker said:

I think everyone here wants that—I sure do—but it’s pretty clear that’s not going to happen this year. And maybe not next year either, while the CPA gets negotiated and a possible lockout looms. So my point is that we might as well be pragmatic and accept that these are the 2026 Twins and find whatever positives we can in the roster they have. (Until the trade deadline, I suppose.)

If they are not going to put the best out there in 2026 and also look to the future, that is management malfeasance.  They can't stop and run status quo just because of a potential work stoppage.  And actually the moves I am suggesting will actually help the team be prepared for when baseball resumes again whether at the beginning of next season or mid season.  I am not accepting mediocrity and just standing still when you are running players out there that have no business being in the major leagues.

[mluebker]

14 hours ago, karcherd said:

If they are not going to put the best out there in 2026 and also look to the future, that is management malfeasance. 

Unfortunately, they ARE putting the best they have out there, and it IS management malfeasance. And while the like to pretend they care about fans’ opinions, it’s pretty clear they have zero interest in what any of us are willing to accept. Our choices are 1) take it or 2) leave it.