Angels 5, Twins 4: Twins Come Back but Fall to Angels in Anaheim

I am so sick of Griffin Jax.  I realize the counter argument is: who else is there for that third guy after Duran and Lopez? And there doesn’t seem to be a great answer to that.  Stewart’s been a pleasant surprise.  Give De Leon more chances?  Change Sands role a bit til he proves he can’t do it?

Your outfield hitting summary:  0-11 with 7Ks

For the love of all baseball, get Buck into CF already (and then Kirilloff could have started at DH!)

I know everyone is probably getting tired of me pointing this out, but I promise not as tired as I am watching Buck be a permanent DH. 

Who's on first  , whats on second and I don't know who's on third  ...

12 strikeouts , this is ridiculous  , if Joe Ryan  was pitching against the twins tonight  it would have been a no hitter ....

This team has no harmony  , no vision , no clue what the right approach is other than swing for the homeruns and strike out  .... 

Someone help Larnach  , he has trouble with the curve ...

4 hours ago, D.C Twins said:

Your outfield hitting summary:  0-11 with 7Ks

For the love of all baseball, get Buck into CF already (and then Kirilloff could have started at DH!)

I know everyone is probably getting tired of me pointing this out, but I promise not as tired as I am watching Buck be a permanent DH. 

I couldn't agree more! 

They say the bullpen is “taxed “, so why pull Ryan after 6?   

With Jax having thrown 33 pitches last night, it means he is most likely unavailable today.  What does that do to the Win Probability Chart for today's game?  😉

Jax needs to be in St. Paul. Pagan needs to be DFA. Try Balazovic in the pen, and see if De Leon can continue to pitch well. He should not have been pulled for Pagan against LA. On June 1, the Twins and several other teams will try to pry Chapman away from KC. I read somewhere that the Rangers are targeting Chapman. 

No real surprises.  But huge disappointments.  This continues to be just an average team in a lousy division.  If the bullpen is "taxed" it's because of very poor management.  From the FO stocking the pen to Roccos Continual mismanagement of it.  How can they be taxed.  They had Thursday off.  Looks like the pen took Friday off too.  Yes Jax is becoming the latest reliever that's failing.  He, just like Pagan and Colome before him just keeps getting sent out there day after day to lose games.  Pathetic starting lineup as well.  The lefty from Angel's has a higher batting average against lefties.  Yet of course we stock the lineup with right handed stiffs like Garlick who shouldn't even be on the roster.  The Twins will have some very good stretches of wins this year but I believe many more stretches of poor play and losses.  They are what they are.  Just an average team.

1 hour ago, rwilfong86 said:

Jax is becoming the 2023 version of 2021 Colome and the 2022 Pagan.

I pointed this out last week. Everyone can see it BUT THE MANAGER. 3 years in a row now we've watched Rocco blow games using a pitcher that clearly doesn't "have it" when the game is on the line. Why does the pitcher in the bullpen who has been performing the worst for the team have the most pitches in the last 5 days? Because Rocco is a poor Manager. Would someone hold him accountable. He NEEDS to go.

Sloppy play in the field and the worst manager I can remember since Billy Gardner.  Ray Charles could use his pitching staff better.

My concern with Jax is that most of his pitches are in the same relative area. The old maxim of pitching in and out, up and down are not in use when Jax pitches. Ryan gets a ton of strike outs high in the zone because he moves the batters' eyes on every at bat. Additionally, Jax seems to throw his fastball only for a waste pitch, again in the general zone where he wants his slider to go. The hitters dismiss all of his pitches and are able to tune into one area. 

Jax and Pagan are positive points for opponents batting averages. I'm not sure what the options are at this time. Pitch selection and location?

4 minutes ago, tony&rodney said:

My concern with Jax is that most of his pitches are in the same relative area.

Thank you. Jax needs to use the whole strike zone, not just one corner. A slider down and away is a good pitch but it can't be your only pitch.

2 hours ago, rwilfong86 said:

Jax is becoming the 2023 version of 2021 Colome and the 2022 Pagan.

It feels much more like Rogers in 2020 to me.  The peripherals say he's been unlucky, and a lot of times weak contact has done him in. Hes not giving up bombs like Pagan and Colome.

But at the same time he's laboring through every appearance. Hitters are spitting on his K pitch. Maybe he's been somewhat unlucky, but when he was good last year luck didn't matter.

It seems like hitters have adjusted to his one trick approach. The sweeper is still effective on contact and when hitters chase. I think he's had a tough time when teams have been looking for it and able to hold back out of the zone.  The strange thing is how ineffective his fastball has been when he's added velocity and it seems like hitters are sitting on the breaking pitch. I have wondered a little bit if he has been tipping the fastball, but I feel like someone on the Twins would have picked up on it and fixed it by now.

He and the team clearly feel similarly about needing to switch up the approach as they tried to mix in a cutter last night. At this point he has to be moved down the pecking order while he works it out though.  Not great options. I would put Stewart into his current role, who's pitches have been effective in the zone, and it seems like he might be getting the walks a bit more under control.

They've really missed Thielbar lately though

Unfortunately we have what is one of the worst group of coaches to go along with a terrible Manager. If Tingler was so good why did SanDiego get rid of him? Maki got the pitching coach job only by default when WJohnson left and Popkes has to have hitters get sent down to AAA to get their swing back because he doesn't seem to be able to do his job either. Outside of the games where they hit 3 or more HR this team can't score enough runs to win due to the Manager and Coaches unwillingness to manufacture runs. 2019 was a fun season but continuing to play games the same way since, without the juiced ball, has been a half-a$$ approach to winning. Appears to me that Rocco hasn't figured that one out yet either. Who decided to use Buxton only at DH? The Manager, the FO, or both? It's another bird-brain decision especially when his last 2 injuries didn't happen in the outfield. Seriously, these guys don't know what they are doing.

2 minutes ago, rv78 said:

Unfortunately we have what is one of the worst group of coaches to go along with a terrible Manager. If Tingler was so good why did SanDiego get rid of him? Maki got the pitching coach job only by default when WJohnson left and Popkes has to have hitters get sent down to AAA to get their swing back because he doesn't seem to be able to do his job either. Outside of the games where they hit 3 or more HR this team can't score enough runs to win due to the Manager and Coaches unwillingness to manufacture runs. 2019 was a fun season but continuing to play games the same way since, without the juiced ball, has been a half-a$$ approach to winning. Appears to me that Rocco hasn't figured that one yet either.Who decided to use Buxton only at DH? The Manager, the FO, or both? It's another bird-brain decision especially when his last 2 injuries didn't happen in the outfield. Seriously, these guys don't know what they are doing.

Try a different type of coffee and your morning will unfold more smoothly.

Just now, tony&rodney said:

Try a different type of coffee and your morning will unfold more smoothly.

We all have opinions. Mine stands until they prove to me they can win meaningful games in October. (If they can even get there).

1 minute ago, rv78 said:

We all have opinions. Mine stands until they prove to me they can win meaningful games in October. (If they can even get there).

True. I get the frustration and there are others thinking of October too. I just hope people don't let their team ruin a beautiful day. I watch the games and have my opinions but like to turn the page after the final out. The attendance this season will be a sort of comment by the general public.

8 hours ago, h2oface said:

Management loves the predictive stats, and loves to quote them as reasons to spend on them and use them, even if they consistently don't perform when the heat is on. Don't ya love the mantra of "the advanced stats say that it will take care of itself, and they are really better than how they perform."

Stop calling them “predictive stats”!  They clearly aren’t. I know what I’m seeing with my own eyes.  I saw Jax lose his 6th game. That’s half of the bullpen’s 12 losses. If he has options, they should be used. Also, why is Correa swinging at pitches in the dirt in the opposite batter ‘s box???

We have a pretty unseasoned BP, Not too many seasons under their belt, especially since Theilbar is out. An accomplished veteran would be nice so someone like Jax could be lowered in the pecking order until he gets his stuff together. Pagan needs to stay on the bottom.

Jax leads baseball - all of baseball - in the Fangraphs stat known as "meltdowns." That means he's had the most appearances where he cost the team more than 6% win probability. A lot of guys could do worse, but their managers don't keep running them out there. Blame the manager for putting him in or the front office for not providing a better alternative, but he is really, statistically, costing this team wins.

10 hours ago, USAFChief said:

-Wasted good starter outing, made to look a little worse with shoddy defense, check.

-Approach 50% of team's outs via K, check

-winless opponant starter with ERA near 5 and WHIP over 1.5 carries no hitter into middle innings, check 

-team somehow grabs lead, only to see pen cough it right back up, check

You’d post this every game recap and it would accurate more often than not. 

The injuries are mounting and what's left of the bullpenis starting to implode.

Baldelli is letting  the starters go 7, but even that is not helping. Time to get bullpen help and mandate nobody swings at high fastballs ever again or this season will be a repeat of last year.

4 hours ago, mikelink45 said:

ax	13	11	0	0	33	57
Stewart	28	17	0	0	11	56
Morán	0	25	15	0	0	40
Pagán	18	0	14	0	0	32
De León	0	0	28	0	0	28
López	26	0	0	0	0	26
Durán	18	0	0	0	0	18
Sands	0	0	0	0	0	0

Jax had to pitch because the BP was taxed????  If I read the chart right Moran, Pagan and DeLeon did not pitch on the day off. Lopez, Duran, Sands not only did not pitch on the off day, but Lopez and Duran had no pitched for three days. And Sands is obviously there to keep the BP coach company because he has no innings on the chart. Jax is lost - this is not his year.  We have sent down pitchers for less, but the issue is the continual use of the ineffective as others have stated with Colome and Pagan.

Ive been waiting for a response like this. Lopez nor Duran have pitched since Monday. And yet Stewart and Jax have thrown in 3 of the 5 games. Jax lost a lead earlier in the week as well. Stewart has been fine. So why not Stewart for the 7th Lopez for the 8th and Duran to close it out? Are they saving their 2 best relievers for something?