HOU 2, MIN 0: Failure to Launch

I've about had it with Rosario. I get that he's a free spirit and that's part of what makes him good, but he plays with his head up his arse way too much.

I've also about had it with Taylor Rogers. The guy is just about incapable of having a clean outing. He gives up at least one baserunner in about 90% of his appearances since last July. Usually Hildenberger and co. bail him out, but not tonight. 

Need to practice hitting homeruns around the leftfield foul pole.  Come on.  Basic.

I’m trying to come up with a scenario where it makes sense to bring in Rogers to face Correa.

This one gets chalked up to Verlander doing Verlander things. This is why he's one of the best in the game. Our pitching was good enough to win, but we just couldn't figure out how to get that one timely hit. If all three games of this series are close like this one, I'm reassured in that it means our guys can hang with the big boys.

Hildenberger's "usually" was all last year. This year and spring training he has been horrible. Time to warm up in AAA if you ask me. It should have been Russell there, anyway.
 

Who?

The Lomo to Rondell White comparison was brutal and brought back nightmares.

Why is a lefty FACING a talent like Carlos Correa in a 0-0 ballgame?

Particularly Rogers?

E-manager.

100% agreed. Going back to the 2nd half of 2017, Rogers has been one of the Twins' worst relievers. The Twins aren't short on bullpen arms, I also have no idea why anyone else wasn't pitching to Correa.

Rosario: he hasn't been smooth out there, but the guy wants to win and CAN hit. Remember that throw a couple of nights ago in Pittsburgh? C'mon, give him a break.

Sano striking out 3 times: barf. The Twins offense in general: terrible.

Silver linings: Buxton has gone 0-4 his past two games but has NOT struck out in any of those at bats. He's putting the ball in play, that's huge. Those grounders are going to turn into singles real soon gang.

Lynn: Hey, we'll take it.

LoMo: Remember the Kendrys Morales experiement?  This feels way too familiar.  LaMarre & Grossman should be splitting at bats at DH right now. Get Kennys Vargas warmed up down there in Rochester.

Option Eddie

Bench LoMo

Start using Pressly in high-leverage instead of Hildenberger

Buxton has hit some balls very well, with little luck. He will be fine. Rosario can be frustrating, but the talent is obvious. Ichiro had a couple balls fall also that he would have normally caught. Sano couldn't get the ball out of his glove. EE missed a GB. The Astro RF totally lucked out on the ball at the fence, eyes closed. Part of it is baseball, and a lot of it is playing baseball in winter. Ugh

Who?

Addison Russell/Addison Reed????

Last year, what, Houston scored 40 runs over three games in Minnesota?

I like our team. But we didn't have a good night.

Rosario is fine on defense. Last week he won a game in Baltimore with one throw.

I wish he would not have swung at the first pitch to him in the 8th. If it's a curve, let it go on the first pitch. Houston was hoping he'd do that with the bases loaded.

But, the one that got me, the one that I screamed on was Mauer's swing and miss against Verlander. One thing about Joe, he does not swing at balls out of the zone, and it was a fastball that started out of the zone and went down from there. He hits Verlander pretty good usually.

Then Sano gets screwed by the umpire, three pitches outside the zone and he's down 1-2.

Liked our chances against the world champs with their ace on the mound.

Keep fighting boys.

All I know is that wins and losses are all that matter now. As I said in another thread, the Twins' identity for 2018 will be established by the end of the month so lets just say they are 4-4 and need a win tonight to avoid a losing streak.  Individual player's stats don't mean much yet but wins and losses do and a 7-5 home stand (minus the Seattle postponement so I'll take 6-5) is what needs to happen. Just go out and win tonight. Unless Cleveland breaks away the Central should remain with a bunch of teams right around .500 for most of the season so just hang in there.

Addison Russell/Addison Reed????

Ok that makes sense. I was going paranoid when I couldn't find a pitcher named Russell anywhere in the organization

Granite for Eddie - i'm good with that. [Eddie may make a nice 4th outfielder... ] 

Buxton will come around... he's gotta warm up

Lomo is a routine guy... so once he starts taking BP he will be fine... but, it has to warm up!!!!