Twins 7, Orioles 5: Twins Keep Punching Back in Series-Clinching Victory

[mnfireman]

3 minutes ago, HarmonK03 said:

You can't take his bat out of the lineup.  He has to play everyday and we have to live with his defense.  He should never have been put in CF when there was another viable option.  But Gray was more important to have up here than Jenkins.

[ashbury]

Minter and Morris with clean innings - very welcome.  The bullpen has done well but I don't see enough completely clean innings to instill confidence.

[HarmonK03]

10 minutes ago, ashbury said:

Minter and Morris with clean innings - very welcome.  The bullpen has done well but I don't see enough completely clean innings to instill confidence.

Gomez is the RH version of Eddie G.

[Church of Kreidler]

40 minutes ago, mnfireman said:

Even longer. Twins batting statistics since May 1:

#	Name	Team	G	PA	HR	R	RBI	SB	BB%	K%	ISO	BABIP	AVG	OBP	SLG	wOBA	xwOBA	wRC+	BsR	Off	Def	WAR
1	Gabriel Gonzalez	MIN	1	4	0	1	0	0	50.0%	0.0%	.000	.500	.500	.750	.500	.571	.422	279	-0.1	0.8	-0.1	0.1
2	Byron Buxton	MIN	53	228	17	34	34	6	7.0%	22.8%	.298	.279	.269	.329	.567	.379	.372	145	0.2	12.0	-1.5	1.9
3	Ryan Jeffers	MIN	35	144	6	20	20	0	12.5%	15.3%	.218	.278	.266	.361	.484	.368	.344	137	-0.9	5.3	1.3	1.2
4	Luke Keaschall	MIN	81	310	5	44	20	7	12.3%	14.5%	.114	.327	.287	.401	.402	.361	.328	133	0.4	12.1	-6.7	1.7
5	Trevor Larnach	MIN	74	272	9	36	33	1	8.1%	17.6%	.171	.307	.272	.339	.443	.344	.323	120	0.1	6.5	-3.7	1.3
6	Josh Bell	MIN	85	343	13	38	54	1	7.0%	22.2%	.190	.303	.259	.313	.449	.331	.325	112	-2.2	2.5	-8.6	0.6
7	Royce Lewis	MIN	66	276	10	36	32	9	8.3%	25.0%	.190	.308	.254	.319	.444	.330	.321	111	2.4	5.8	-3.2	1.3
8	Alex Jackson	MIN	29	69	1	11	5	0	1.4%	33.3%	.106	.452	.303	.333	.409	.327	.220	109	-0.3	0.4	-1.6	0.1
9	Kody Clemens	MIN	83	342	17	48	47	4	5.3%	21.1%	.246	.252	.237	.284	.483	.327	.319	108	1.0	4.4	-1.0	1.6
10	Brooks Lee	MIN	86	354	12	40	45	5	7.1%	15.5%	.181	.262	.245	.300	.426	.316	.271	101	-0.2	0.3	-0.1	1.3
11	Victor Caratini	MIN	65	230	6	20	25	0	9.6%	22.6%	.131	.271	.227	.317	.359	.301	.308	91	-2.1	-4.6	3.5	0.7
12	Kaelen Culpepper	MIN	4	17	1	2	2	0	5.9%	35.3%	.231	.143	.154	.294	.385	.300	.257	90	0.0	-0.2	-0.7	0.0
13	Orlando Arcia	MIN	19	50	1	6	2	0	4.0%	16.0%	.083	.308	.271	.300	.354	.290	.245	83	-1.6	-2.6	1.4	0.1
14	Austin Martin	MIN	79	244	2	30	16	8	9.8%	18.4%	.085	.268	.221	.311	.305	.283	.291	78	-0.7	-6.9	-0.4	0.1
15	Ryan Kreidler	MIN	70	191	3	24	21	4	4.7%	20.4%	.122	.288	.238	.277	.359	.280	.276	76	-1.4	-6.7	2.4	0.3
16	James Outman	MIN	25	41	0	3	3	0	7.3%	43.9%	.108	.368	.189	.268	.297	.256	.216	59	-0.4	-2.4	0.3	-0.1
17	Alan Roden	MIN	23	61	0	5	9	0	11.5%	14.8%	.019	.222	.192	.279	.212	.232	.313	43	0.1	-3.9	-1.4	-0.3
18	Tristan Gray	MIN	49	130	1	9	16	2	5.4%	31.5%	.058	.296	.207	.246	.264	.229	.239	40	0.1	-8.9	-1.0	-0.5
19	Matt Wallner	MIN	7	26	1	2	3	0	0.0%	46.2%	.160	.250	.160	.192	.320	.224	.247	37	0.0	-1.9	-1.2	-0.2
20	Kyler Fedko	MIN	14	19	0	1	1	0	10.5%	42.1%	.000	.000	.000	.105	.000	.073	.166	-68	-0.4	-4.1	-0.1	-0.4

Thank you for sharing this! Especially after how much time was spent in today's game chat talking about how we need to get rid of Jackson. The stats tell a different story!

[Church of Kreidler]

I'm an idiot

[Church of Kreidler]

Who should have checked if I was double posting

[DocBauer]

I was working and couldn't watch the game, so take some of my comments with a grain of salt. 

Matthews was, I believe, something like 6 of 8 starts as quality with 2 bad outings. And then he developed his cut/blister on his foot and hasn't been as good since. But the cupboard is basically bare now so he HAS to pitch. I'm guessing he was really gutting today's game out. Would anyone else agree to that?

Really, really needed to take this series. The Twins are probably in the toughest part of their schedule right now. You don't get a W in your record for giving the Brewers all they could handle and probably giving that series away. The Phillies and Braves are no picnic. But something around .500 wouldn't be bad. CLOSE doesn't get you very far. But maybe they understand they have the ability to win some of those games if they just play clean ball?

IIRC, the Twins actually have a winning record against AL teams. And once the Padres series is done, the rest of their schedule is all AL teams with the exception of a 3 game series against the Giants. And the vast majority of those games are against ALC teams. That means if they don't choke away the next couple of series, they really control their destiny for a WC, or even the ALC banner. 

Now, if they could just find a voodoo priest to remove whatever hold KC has over them this season....

[tony&rodney]

2 minutes ago, DocBauer said:

I was working and couldn't watch the game, so take some of my comments with a grain of salt. 

Matthews was, I believe, something like 6 of 8 starts as quality with 2 bad outings. And then he developed his cut/blister on his foot and hasn't been as good since. But the cupboard is basically bare now so he HAS to pitch. I'm guessing he was really gutting today's game out. Would anyone else agree to that?

Really, really needed to take this series. The Twins are probably in the toughest part of their schedule right now. You don't get a W in your record for giving the Brewers all they could handle and probably giving that series away. The Phillies and Braves are no picnic. But something around .500 wouldn't be bad. CLOSE doesn't get you very far. But maybe they understand they have the ability to win some of those games if they just play clean ball?

IIRC, the Twins actually have a winning record against AL teams. And once the Padres series is done, the rest of their schedule is all AL teams with the exception of a 3 game series against the Giants. And the vast majority of those games are against ALC teams. That means if they don't choke away the next couple of series, they really control their destiny for a WC, or even the ALC banner. 

Now, if they could just find a voodoo priest to remove whatever hold KC has over them this season....

The Twins have 15 games against AL Central clubs. These series should decide the division. Some team should get relatively hot. The White Sox, by virtue of leading now, are the favorites. Hopefully the Twins play well in these next tough games versus the NL squads.

Zebby Matthews is supposed to be a pitcher who has both command and control. He left too many pitches in the zone again today and his misses were often noncompetitive pitches. Matthews did make it through five innngs, so we can say he battled. I'm guessing Zebby loses his starting spot if he continues to need 90-100 pitches to finish five innings and give up four runs. Kendry Rojas has looked good in his last two Saints outings. One of Matthews or Rojas needs to pick up the Twins by putting up quality starts.

[darwin22]

Baseball is a funny game.  Guessing like many fans---my blood pressure/anxiety level was skyrocketing  after Gomez's 1st nine pitches in the 9th inning.

To recap for those who missed it:

1st pitch:  HR by Taveras to cut the lead to 7-5

My reaction:  After long sigh..."ok--we still have a    2-run lead with O's 8-hole rookie hitter---Christian Franklin, who I've never heard of, up next.  Note:  Franklin just got picked up by Orioles from Nats and was 1-12 in his short MLB career going into today's game.

Pitches 2-5:  Gomez gets to a 2-2 count.

Me:  Ok---Gomez---go after him here!  Making him swing the ^$%# bat!

Pitch 6:  Ball 3 on 85mph sweeper

Me:  Are you kidding me!  Challen  ge this kid!

Pitch 7:  95mph 4-seam fastball for.....BALL FOUR.

Me:  String of multiple cuss words.

Pinch hiitter Cowser for 9-hole hitter.

Pitch: 8:  Sinker....not close--Ball 1

Pitch 9:  Sweeper low------Ball 2

Me:  Has Ron Davis invaded Gomez's body/arm?

And this is the point where a game/result can suddenly turn on one pitch.

Pitch 10:  Cowser rips a 97mph heater destined for a basehit to CF----but by the luck/ good graces of the baseball gods---his sceaming liner is snared by Gomez, who turns to double off Franking for an easy DP!!

Me:  Holy s***----did that just happen??? Wow--we still have a 2-run lead, but now with the bases empty and 2 outs.....and before my thinking can turn back to the negative with Henderson coming up.......need that elusive 27th out.........................

Pitch 11:  Henderson hits a feeble little groundball to Gomez---over to Lewis----GAME OVER!

I cannot remember a 9th inning that started off so horribly----Gomez's first 9 pitches----to two pitches later to be walking off with a W shaking hands.

Felt like actor Danny Glover's character-- Sgt. Murtaugh (Lethal Weapon movies)......."I'm getting to old for this s----!"

 

 

 

[Maybe Next Year]

Where are all the experts on Twins Daily who said Lewis and Lee are total busts who can’t hit and can’t play a position? Just asking. 

[Church of Kreidler]

33 minutes ago, DocBauer said:

Matthews was, I believe, something like 6 of 8 starts as quality with 2 bad outings. And then he developed his cut/blister on his foot and hasn't been as good since. But the cupboard is basically bare now so he HAS to pitch. I'm guessing he was really gutting today's game out. Would anyone else agree to that?

...

Now, if they could just find a voodoo priest to remove whatever hold KC has over them this season....

Definitely think Zebby's foot issue is part of it - but also want to add that since Ryan is both on the IL and in his annual Post All-Star Slump, and Prielipp is going to be hitting his inning limit soon, if he doesn't go on the IL Zeb's probably going to be around until the end of the season. If they can continue to provide him run support like they did today it's not quite as terrifying of a prospect, but considering how mercurial our bats are it's certainly going to be a risky bet...

And your referring to the Royals with KC, right? I'm getting so confused with both KC being Kansas City and Kaelen Culpepper now 😵‍💫😅

[RpR]

2 minutes ago, Church of Kreidler said:

Definitely think Zebby's foot issue is part of it - but also want to add that since Ryan is both on the IL and in his annual Post All-Star Slump, and Prielipp is going to be hitting his inning limit soon, if he doesn't go on the IL Zeb's probably going to be around until the end of the season. If they can continue to provide him run support like they did today it's not quite as terrifying of a prospect, but considering how mercurial our bats are it's certainly going to be a risky bet...

And your referring to the Royals with KC, right? I'm getting so confused with both KC being Kansas City and Kaelen Culpepper now 😵‍💫😅

Should be RC , rookie Culpepper.

[DocBauer]

19 minutes ago, Church of Kreidler said:

Definitely think Zebby's foot issue is part of it - but also want to add that since Ryan is both on the IL and in his annual Post All-Star Slump, and Prielipp is going to be hitting his inning limit soon, if he doesn't go on the IL Zeb's probably going to be around until the end of the season. If they can continue to provide him run support like they did today it's not quite as terrifying of a prospect, but considering how mercurial our bats are it's certainly going to be a risky bet...

And your referring to the Royals with KC, right? I'm getting so confused with both KC being Kansas City and Kaelen Culpepper now 😵‍💫😅

You are correct about the Royals vs Culpepper. My bad! Since CJ Culpepper is a solid pitching prospect, I usually refer to Kaelen Culpepper as K-Pepper. It's also a really fun nickname, IMO.

[Church of Kreidler]

31 minutes ago, RpR said:

Should be RC , rookie Culpepper.

I can only think of one thing when I see RC...