Twins 4, Royals 3: Kody Clemens Turns Disaster Into Miracle With Walk-Off Grand Slam

[Mike Sixel]

1 minute ago, Hubie29 said:

You can't count on rookies to improve this lineup. We need an established hitter or two. I also said we need another SP which would help keep us out of the scenario you proposed.

So, next year don't play rookies again, because we can't count on them? When do you call up players?

[Mike Sixel]

52 minutes ago, Czelgert said:

I’ll be the wet blanket here but the Twins haven’t hit a lick since the ASG.  If you take out a three error game and a four error game by Twins opponents they’d be averaging 2 runs a game since the ASG and many of those opponents were bad.  Walker Jenkins is the only top 7 2023 pick not to get promoted to the big leagues.  It’s time for him to get promoted to The Show because this team needs a shot of adrenaline.  Alex Jackson, it’s been real.  

Twins won't call up Jenkins for three more weeks. All the other teams are wrong, clearly. 

[RpR]

1 hour ago, JD-TWINS said:

Larnach is expendable??

Wallner is at AAA - Roden is barely hanging on to a roster spot - Kreidler has stuck do to an absolute NEED at SS!

Lewis is finally healthy and he’s learning to deal with having to play every day and how to handle adversity. He’s still got solid upside.

Larnach is the 2nd best hitter on the Club ….., Jeffers missed 60 games & Buxton misses all the time …. estimating he’s missed 35 games. Those are the other two guys Larnach would be compared to this year. Not sure what he needs to do to get people here at TD off his back.

Lewis has his moments but that is all but pitchers , now, cannot get him with the same pitch every game; now his glove work is no better than it has ever been but at 1st, he rarely has to throw the ball to try to make an out so he is OK there.

Still wears an iron glove too often.

[Maybebaby]

Holy, moly!

[RpR]

9 minutes ago, Mike Sixel said:

So, next year don't play rookies again, because we can't count on them? When do you call up players?

You call them up if new equivalents of Fedko, Julien cause little harm, which is not now.

[Vanimal46]

20 minutes ago, Hubie29 said:

You can't count on rookies to improve this lineup. We need an established hitter or two. I also said we need another SP which would help keep us out of the scenario you proposed.

We relied on 3 rookies to win a playoff series in 2023. I think we can handle 1 rookie this year. 

[Peter]

Holy 💩💩💩what a win!!! 💪💪💪

[ashbury]

I was otherwise occupied today, and missed the best ending of the season.

So far.

[tony&rodney]

26 minutes ago, Hubie29 said:

You can't count on rookies to improve this lineup. We need an established hitter or two. I also said we need another SP which would help keep us out of the scenario you proposed.

An established hitter would be nice. Who is available and what can we send in a transaction?

[Old Twins Hat]

I tr;y not to get too excited when walking off the worst team in the American League to take two out of three at home, after nearly being shut-out two games in a row.

But "ra-ra".

They sure aren't there yet, wherever they are going.  But belief is a powerful thing, and the Twins' players believe in something.

We will see what management believes in over the next four days.

I, for one, am going to put on a helmet.

[Galen]

3 hours ago, RpR said:

Wallner and Roden , no great loss, the others have no reliable replacement.

Well, who is Krieder?

I think Clemens could play 1st.

[Mortimerkenny21]

6 hours ago, USAFChief said:

"Go crazy folks! Go crazy!"

You crazy boss! I'll a little crazy too 

[soyouresayingtheresachance]

1 hour ago, tony&rodney said:

Apparently people have not noticed that Bell is the leader on this team. He is not just popular but is also adequate as a DH. Yes, I want Yordan Alvarez but Bell isn't going anywhere this season. Sorry to those people who think he is an anchor.

FWIW, I was not pleased at all that the Twins signed Bell, but they did and now he is on the roster. I will agree that there should be a better DH but Bell it is. 

Im not sure what your definition of adequate is, but if a below average .711 OPS for the season is adequate for a DH to you, then we have massively different expectations for an offense only player. 

He had a fun hot streak to him a month ago and that is long over. 

[jkcarew]

4 hours ago, HarmonK03 said:

In the last week he has played 3 games at 1B and 3 at 2B, doesn't sound like the every day first baseman.  And he is being moved off of 1B by Jackson and Caratini, not exactly elite first baseman.

And one of the games that he played 2B, when they did their musical chairs in the later innings, Clemens ended up at 1st and Lewis at 2B.  So once again pick a position for him.  If he maintains what he has been doing since coming back, he will be fine at 1B.  Yes he needs to continue it for the remainder of the year, but let's give it a chance.  There is no one on the roster to replace him.

Why is it so important that Lewis be given a constant position, but not Clemens? Lewis is firmly in a be-happy-I’m-in-the-lineup status with this team, as is every other guy save Jeffers and Buxton.

[Permanent Twins Fan]

3 hours ago, JD-TWINS said:

Larnach is expendable??

I think the reason that Larnach is considered expendable is because of all the outfielders waiting in AAA. I am not in favor of trading him unless they are blown away because of how much he means to this years club. Trade him this offseason. We need his bat this year. The value they will get won't be that different now or in the winter. 

[tony&rodney]

1 hour ago, soyouresayingtheresachance said:

Im not sure what your definition of adequate is, but if a below average .711 OPS for the season is adequate for a DH to you, then we have massively different expectations for an offense only player. 

He had a fun hot streak to him a month ago and that is long over. 

Apparently you didn't read what I posted. Yes, give me Alvarez but we have Bell. He takes decent PA and he is who the front office signed. Well-liked and popular, Bell is the DH when Buxton or Jeffers are not. We don't get to pick the team. Of course we want a .900+ OPS, but the Twins could do worse; Bell is adequate. I'm especially glad that Bell is not the everyday first baseman too. Sign a guy and they are going to play.

A ton of people run down the RBI stat and it is true that players cannot get many RBIs without guys on base in front of them. The Twins could really use any of the players that are on the leader board for RBIs.

[knothole61]

Easily a top-ten moment in my 65 years watching this team...easily.

The utter improbability of a team with one hit in 8 and two-thirds innings winning it with a walk-off grand slam (on an 0-2 count at that) has me stunned. It was quite a day...not only the miracle ending to the game but that equally stunning view of Chief's legs and lovely green patterned garment.

Mojo rising baby...have a great road trip! 

[JDubs]

I saw through this entire ****ing game until the Jeffers at bat when I turned it off in disgust. To say I was confused when I was online later seeing everyone rapturously discussing the game would be a gigantic understatement.

[David HK]

Yoiks! I actually managed to fall back to sleep (later innings after 3am at my house), with the Royals radio on. I woke up sometime during the post game lament, and had to catch the replay, on the KC TV feed.  It was like the old days of the Hawk: 

"In the air, deep right center..... (Pause)... Unbelievable. (Pause, pause)... Absolutely unbelievable." (Silence all the way around the bases).

Boy, Kody really meth-cooked that slider from a pitcher with the haircut of a guy who looks like he knows how to score Sudafed in bulk... What a win!

[UK Twin]

Just read that apparently Clemens is the 2nd player in MLB history to hit 3 HR's in a game, record a strikeout as a pitcher and hit an ultimate GS. The other player.....Babe Ruth. 😆

[HarmonK03]

8 hours ago, jkcarew said:

Why is it so important that Lewis be given a constant position, but not Clemens? Lewis is firmly in a be-happy-I’m-in-the-lineup status with this team, as is every other guy save Jeffers and Buxton.

Lewis has the talent to be a cornerstone if he can unlock it.  He has been healthy and is showing glimpses of it.  It is up to him to unlock the talent but the coaches  have to help with that as well.  And one way is let him get settled and comfortable at one position.  Regardless of talent they should be doing that at all positions.  This Little League  baloney of having players playing different positions every day is getting ridiculous.  Take the spreadsheets away from the analytic nerds and set a lineup.

As for Clemens, he has been a key contributor but do not consider him a cornerstone player or middle of the lineup fixture.  He is one who can play different positions and be average or above, he is the perfect super utility guy who can get 400 AB's.

[mikelink45]

I suspect a lot of people like me have become real Kody Clemens fans - I looked at BR and checked his career stats.  He has really found something here in MN.   I hope he can keep it up. 

[mluebker]

11 hours ago, tony&rodney said:

Apparently people have not noticed that Bell is the leader on this team. He is not just popular but is also adequate as a DH. Yes, I want Yordan Alvarez but Bell isn't going anywhere this season.

I think that’s good. They’ll probably will need him against the Dodgers.

[Saxophone Joe]

9 hours ago, tony&rodney said:

He takes decent PA 

Yeah, JB's walk might've saved the season*. Dude was locked in -- 2 of those balls were very close to being strikes. 

*I write that knowing full well there have been at least 25 moments since the Cardinals series that have "saved the season."

[Hubie29]

12 hours ago, Mike Sixel said:

So, next year don't play rookies again, because we can't count on them? When do you call up players?

Next year, not for a playoff push. Or bring them up this year to deepen the bench. All I'm saying is we need proven ability and major league experience for the playoff push. I would rather have a Neto and T. Hernandez than a rookie. Go for it! Are we going to be serious contenders or not?

[Hubie29]

11 hours ago, Vanimal46 said:

We relied on 3 rookies to win a playoff series in 2023. I think we can handle 1 rookie this year. 

I agree, 1 rookie and Neto, and T Hernandez. That's all I'm saying. Go all in.

[Hubie29]

11 hours ago, tony&rodney said:

An established hitter would be nice. Who is available and what can we send in a transaction?

Many available. Neto, T Hernandez etc etc. I'm not management, I don't know who they want to get rid of. You want Abrams? Let's get him. How serious are we going to be?

[David Maro]

Clemens was on MLB Central and DeRosa said he was going to go deep in the game and he did.

It was a great win and everyone should be excited. This teams biggest problem though is can't hit LH pitching. They stack the lineup with RH bats and are just not getting it done. If they want to get a playoff spot this will need to change.

[Scott51104]

Just visited the Royals' version of Twins Daily. The responders seemed unhappy.

[Ruven]

17 hours ago, Permanent Twins Fan said:

The Twins bullpen in this series went 9 innings, allowing zero runs and striking out 10.  The bullpen and the rotation really saved the Twins in this series. If they gave up a couple more runs, neither of the two walk-offs happen. 

Conversely the Twins scored 1 run against KC starters in the series. It’s a pretty good bet the Royals won’t have another series like that this season. And that includes the Twins in KC next week.