Guardians 5, Twins 2: Another Lackluster Performance

[LastOnePicked]

Well, the dream of a plucky WC contender was fun while it lasted. But it looks like gravity is still gravity. One more loss in this series should do it.

[knothole61]

Baseball is a streaky game...streaky like no other. Part of the reason is the 162 games. It's hard for even the most dedicated players to keep their edge sharp and their bodies uninjured over a six month period of playing nearly every day, and the 2026 Twins are certainly no exception. The Chutes and Ladders picture someone posted seems especially apropos for the current crop of players as their ups and downs have been especially pronounced.

Coming out of the break so cold is very sad indeed...but I have a feeling that getting back home and not playing the likes of the Cubs and Guardians for a while will prove very beneficial. Let's win at least one of the remaining games in Cleveland and then come home and start the playoff run in earnest. Hey, so little was expected of this team back in April that it's really all gravy at this point.  

[D.C Twins]

This was never a good team.

Regression of the record to properly match the talent level is a blessing in disguise.

It prevents any crazy ideas of 'buying' at the deadline. 

Again, better that the inevitable regression happen NOW and not AFTER retaining players at the deadline that need to be traded and/or.... gulp... trading prospects for rentals. 

[D.C Twins]

2 hours ago, knothole61 said:

Baseball is a streaky game...streaky like no other. Part of the reason is the 162 games. It's hard for even the most dedicated players to keep their edge sharp and their bodies uninjured over a six month period of playing nearly every day, and the 2026 Twins are certainly no exception. The Chutes and Ladders picture someone posted seems especially apropos for the current crop of players as their ups and downs have been especially pronounced.

Coming out of the break so cold is very sad indeed...but I have a feeling that getting back home and not playing the likes of the Cubs and Guardians for a while will prove very beneficial. Let's win at least one of the remaining games in Cleveland and then come home and start the playoff run in earnest. Hey, so little was expected of this team back in April that it's really all gravy at this point.  

(Narrators Voice)... Losing to playoff teams proves that we would not belong there.... winning against crap teams proves nothing

[Hunter4848]

6 hours ago, Parfigliano said:

Underperforming?  He (Bell) is leading the team in RBI.

 

Wow the person with the most at bats on the team and often hits clean up has the most RBIs, how impressive...

He's a butcher in the field and his bat isn't good enough to be a good DH. He's another classic Twins retread blocking the future 

[big dog]

9 hours ago, Mike Sixel said:

Their success wasn't sustainable, at least many thought that. Hoping to be wrong, but it looks like they should sell. 

They absolutely should sell but the Pohlads are holding out for too much money.

Oh wait you meant something else?

[Patzky]

9 hours ago, JD-TWINS said:

TWINS A.L. leading offense since winning Friday …… 2 - 1 - 4 - 2 runs over last 4 games. Starting pitching hasn’t kept the game close 2-3 times over that stretch. Cannot expect to win games if they don’t score at least 4 runs per game - 5 is probably more realistic.

Need Cole Sands back and in form ASAP. IMO, Rojas should be used just like Morris - 1 inning at a time, 3-4 days per week. Gotta be able to handle that 40-70 pitch regimen per week! Parades was running out of gas …. pitched well (was effective) for 2 plus innings.

As Prielipp & Sands come back over next 5-10 days, who gets demoted from current PEN?

 

The bats are more important to this groups success than the once a week relief arms. Put up more than three runs please.. we will win both of these next two games if you get five

 

[chinmusic]

9 hours ago, thelanges5 said:

Outscored 34 to 9 in the four game losing streak. 

Ouch!

[HarmonK03]

8 hours ago, TommyLasordaAteSpaghetti said:

Comments on the Skipper,s well stocked Bar in the ClubHouse?

Hmmmmm????

Are you watching the games, my question is how often does he have to restock it.

[Riverbrian]

9 hours ago, JD-TWINS said:

TWINS A.L. leading offense since winning Friday …… 2 - 1 - 4 - 2 runs over last 4 games.

The 2 1 and 2 occurred against left handed starters. 

The 4 occurred against a right handed starter. 

Our Twins are 37-34 against Right Handed Starters and 12-19 against Left Handed Starters

[HarmonK03]

8 hours ago, mikelink45 said:

Lewis 3 - 16 last five games - has he really learned his lessons or are we just over valuing him?

Players do go thru these stretches, are you expecting him to never have a slump.  This feels a little quick to say this.

 

8 hours ago, mikelink45 said:

Is Rojas really a starting pitcher?

He is a bulk guy, they won't make a decision of where he fits so they ride the middle ground which is maddening to everyone.  Put him in the bullpen and be a one inning guy.

 

8 hours ago, mikelink45 said:

Bring up Jenkins - give us something to root for. 

Absolutely agree!!!

[CRF]

They're just not ready for prime time. They'll probably get swept. I was hoping this series would show us that they maybe could put something together and give Cleve a fight. It's not gonna happen. 

[c24]

9 hours ago, DJL44 said:

I didn’t think I would get a thumbs down for taking advantage of nice weather and walking my dog. People are weird.

It would depend on what kind of dog

[DJL44]

4 minutes ago, c24 said:

It would depend on what kind of dog

I think it is interesting that my original question was about people’s first impressions of Anderson but apparently nobody was paying attention to that part of the game.

[mikelink45]

35 minutes ago, HarmonK03 said:

Players do go thru these stretches, are you expecting him to never have a slump.  This feels a little quick to say this.

 

He is a bulk guy, they won't make a decision of where he fits so they ride the middle ground which is maddening to everyone.  Put him in the bullpen and be a one inning guy.

 

Absolutely agree!!!

I know players go through down weeks, but Lewis has not produced over a sustained time period in over a year.  233. 237. 218 over the last three years.  OPS+ this year 91 and last year 85.  In his rookie year he looked like a star.  I know injuries have held him back, but with the prospects knocking is he still a must start player?

[Mike Sixel]

1 hour ago, big dog said:

They absolutely should sell but the Pohlads are holding out for too much money.

Oh wait you meant something else?

That too!

[HarmonK03]

1 minute ago, mikelink45 said:

I know players go through down weeks, but Lewis has not produced over a sustained time period in over a year.  233. 237. 218 over the last three years.  OPS+ this year 91 and last year 85.  In his rookie year he looked like a star.  I know injuries have held him back, but with the prospects knocking is he still a must start player?

I think they give him this year and if he can't keep sustained production for over the last two months then that conversation is a fair conversation.  But the talent is still there and I think he has that intangible of rising to the moment in there.  Not every player has that, but I do understand it has to start showing on the field.  And it may be that it happens with another organization.  But I do believe they need to give him the rest of this season, especially since we are not reasonably contenders.

[Whitey333]

People clamoring to get rid of the veterans for the prospects make some sense.  But many of the veterans are what is driving the team.  I do agree that we need to get Jenkins and a couple of other prospects up to the Twins to get their feet wet and see what they can do.

[Vanimal46]

1 hour ago, DJL44 said:

I think it is interesting that my original question was about people’s first impressions of Anderson but apparently nobody was paying attention to that part of the game.

I’m not sure if Anderson is good. But I do know he’s not awful like Luis Garcia and Justin Lawrence. Just needed 1 time watching them to know they weren’t MLB caliber. 

[AceWrigley]

10 hours ago, Hunter4848 said:

It's not sad when you get rid of underperforming veterans...

This mentality holds the Twins back

I wouldn't consider Josh Bell's season as underperforming. Yes you would want your DH to hit more but what were you expecting from Bell. He's 33, leads the team in RBIs, and has acquired the most WAR (0.6) in a season since 2022. Seems pretty much in-line with expectations.

[AceWrigley]

10 hours ago, DJL44 said:

I didn’t think I would get a thumbs down for taking advantage of nice weather and walking my dog. People are weird.

Maybe your dog peed on his lawn?

[HarmonK03]

19 minutes ago, AceWrigley said:

I wouldn't consider Josh Bell's season as underperforming. Yes you would want your DH to hit more but what were you expecting from Bell. He's 33, leads the team in RBIs, and has acquired the most WAR (0.6) in a season since 2022. Seems pretty much in-line with expectations.

Well considering he was signed to be the starting first baseman, it feels like he is clogging the roster by being the full time DH.  And we are a sub .500 team with him leading the team in RBI's.

[thelanges5]

46 minutes ago, HarmonK03 said:

Well considering he was signed to be the starting first baseman, it feels like he is clogging the roster by being the full time DH.  And we are a sub .500 team with him leading the team in RBI's.

I like Josh Bell. I don’t have a problem with Josh Bell, but he should not be a contending teams number three or number four hitter. Probably 6,7,8

Twins haven’t had a true number three or four hitter since Nelson Cruz was traded, IMO.

[Aggies7]

Been streaky all year, no surprise.

[Hunter4848]

1 hour ago, AceWrigley said:

I wouldn't consider Josh Bell's season as underperforming. Yes you would want your DH to hit more but what were you expecting from Bell. He's 33, leads the team in RBIs, and has acquired the most WAR (0.6) in a season since 2022. Seems pretty much in-line with expectations.

Wow .6 WAR!!!!! Hang the World Series banner!

It's okay for Twins fans to hope for a little more out of their players than that...

[HarmonK03]

1 minute ago, Hunter4848 said:

Wow .6 WAR!!!!! Hang the World Series banner!

It's okay for Twins fans to hope for a little more out of their players than that...

Be careful when you ask for quality, people on here get attached to the under achieving and AAAA type players.

[soyouresayingtheresachance]

Bullpen game against a quality Lefty starter? Went about as expected. 

[Hunter4848]

19 minutes ago, HarmonK03 said:

Be careful when you ask for quality, people on here get attached to the under achieving and AAAA type players.

Is that a shot at my boy, Krielder, future MVP!!

[knothole61]

23 hours ago, D.C Twins said:

(Narrators Voice)... Losing to playoff teams proves that we would not belong there.... winning against crap teams proves nothing

DC, Winning against crap teams can be very helpful! I'll take all that I can get...