Make It Official! Twins 5, Mariners 3: Larnach Saves the Day As Twins Overcome Misplays

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to watch the game at all due to work today. (Usually get to see at least part of the games). We had a great road trip, won all 3 series, and gained ground on Cleveland. So I DON'T want to sound like I'm being a downer, and you simply can't and won't win every game...but...it does appear we just gave away a couple games on the road trip and that just shouldn't happen as much as it seemed to this trip.

Ryan is a hell of a pitcher, smart, and a good athlete. So in the world did he make so many fielding mistakes not in the game, but in ONE INNING? I'm sure it was just a blip, but I agree some general fielding practice for reminder sake might be in order.

Sands certainly didn't lose the game for us, and he's been pretty solid most of the year, but I am confused that he was in the game instead of Staumont in the 7th. Staumont didn't pitch Saturday, Monday is an off day, and he's been largely very good. So why Sands? 

Can we finally just accept that Larnach has "figured it out" after some injuries and adjustments. He's having a very solid season. But he might also be the unluckiest Twins hitter. Even when he's "slumped" he's been hitting the ball very hard. A couple days ago...Arizona maybe?...he went hitless and every batted ball was over 100mph. He's got a .268 BABIP on the season which is CRAZY for how hard he hits the ball. Any sort of progression to the norm and he's poised for a big second half!

I've said before and will say again, if 1 of Larnach, Kirilloff, and Wallner "gets it figured out" it's a win. Wallner is always going to K around 30%, but with decent BB numbers and tremendous power. We can nit pick some of his numbers at AAA right now, but he's basically been destroying AAA right now. If we get 2 of those LH OF "figuring it out" we are SET with dangerous production and depth. Now that Kirilloff's wrist is no longer an issue, IF he can get past his sore back and FINALLY avoid injuries and follow the Larnach path of "figuring it out" the Twins will actually have a WEALTH of quality/dangerous LF OF/1B bats that I dare to dream of. And that's not even including the eventual debut of Rodriguez and the possibly undervalued Keirsey looking for a shot.

I digress and apologize. But if even ONE of Wallner and AK can establish themselves along with Larnach's development....WOW! All three might be a dream, but it's a dream I'd like to see happen.

Lastly, I do think the DH rule has to be re-examined in today's game. Especially now that is ML wide. I'm OK with losing the DH if you PH...though that also should be looked at...but if an injury happens to a DH, I don't believe the team should lose the DH for the game. It just feels unfair and not right in today's game.

4 minutes ago, stringer bell said:

I disagree. Seattle didn't have to put their DH in play, but chose to because....catchers. Seattle had been carrying two catchers plus Garver, but decided they should go with two catchers and risk what happened today. 

Sorry my friend, we hardly ever disagree on things, but I'm going to have to argue with you on this one point.

I'm a little out of my element here, but I believe college has had the DH in affect for some time now. And I honestly can't recall about MILB, but I believe the DH has been in affect for some time as well, even for NL clubs. And now, the DH is in full affect for all ML teams. It's been established as a lineup position. I can appreciate an "old school" idea that the DH is a "substitute" for the pitcher having to bat. And while I have questions going forward in MLB as to whether or not the DH should be considered a POSITION where you can substitute or not...different arguement for a different day...I do believe if a DH is removed due to injury, said team should be allowed to substitute. I mean, considering roster constraints, we're probably talking the last man on the bench kind of substitution, but we're still talking about an injury sub. 

POTENTIALLY, that might even weaken a team all the more from a bench move later in the game! But IMO, you should be able to replace an injured player at any point.

17 minutes ago, SwainZag said:

I agree.  That's the risk you take when you DH one catcher and start the other.  

Again, I'm not saying you or @stringer bellare wrong. I've been a Twins fan for 50 years but grew up watching a TON of Cubs, Braves, and Mets through cable TV as a younger man. I've seen decades of NL old school baseball. And I've SO MUCH of pitchers bunting and striking out and killing rallies, etc, etc. 

But that's just the way it was for decades.

MLB has been SO SLOW to adapt to ANYTHING from the game on the field to marketing. And they are STILL behind almost every other league in so many ways. Again, a different topic for another day.

I actually love inter league play. It's just FUN to see different teams and different players and match ups. And I'm glad that we finally have the DH universally. Not only was it a weird imbalance, but spending decades watching pitchers TRYING to hit was boredom if not infuriating at times. 

But the DH is universal now. I'm glad that it is. And I can fully understand and appreciate the idea that you can't PH for the DH. But IMO, when someone gets HURT, in any sport, including MLB, you get time to see if that player can continue or not.

I just don't see an issue with replacing a HURT DH with someone else. We're not talking about PH for an advantage. I'm just saying if a DH is actually injured, why should a team have to give up the DH spot and make a pitcher hit...especially since pitchers aren't even supposed to ever hit any longer with the universal DH...when the team with the injured player could offer up a sub?

1 hour ago, stringer bell said:

I have been thinking about this for a couple weeks. Wallner and Kirilloff disappointed for the Twins this year and Larnach has stepped up. I'm not willing to say he's "figured it out", but he has sustained decent performance for 40% of a season, but then again Wallner did that too. In shorter stretches Kirilloff has also looked like an accomplished major league hitter.

The Twins absolutely need decent production from one of the three players this year and might need two guys to establish themselves in 2025 with the probable exit of Max Kepler. The three guys are an interesting compare and contrast. Wallner has big power and the best speed along with an elite throwing arm, but he seems to have the most problems making contact consistently. Kirilloff was the highest draft choice and seemed to possess the best bat-to-ball skill. He's left handed and has been regarded as a potential first baseman since he was drafted. Larnach doesn't have the arm, power or speed that Wallner has, but he's a capable outfielder who excelled in college and presents as a decent power hitter.

Larnach is getting big league time and hasn't squandered it. He's reduced his chase rate and his strikeouts and has hit the ball hard. He's done well the last two years in RBI situations and seems to have modified his approach enough to be a decent major league hitter. Wallner probably and Kirilloff possibly will get another chance this year. Maybe they'll make the jump, maybe not. The Twins don't have enough left handed hitting upside to just give up on any of these three. Emma Rodriguez and Walker Jenkins are in the pipeline. One would think they are surer bets than Larnach, AK or Wallner, but there's room for two or three to thrive and help the Twins.

I think we're speaking the same language. IMO, Rodriguez won't be ready opening day 2025, but sometime later. Right now, I'm higher on Wallner than AK. I can live with a 30% K rate if there's enough actual contact and HIT ability along with a decent BB and tremendous power from Wallner. I actually believe he's improved defensively as an OF, and can get better. I think he showed that last season in LF, even though he's normally been a RF previously. JUST MY OPION but if he stuck in RF, he might be at least average there. His wheels aren't bad once he gets going. And the arm is a cannon. IMO, he has a hard time "reading" the ball off the bat and is better the more he plays one position.

1 hour ago, ashbury said:

Larnach and Wallner are examples of how a small-budget team needs to operate.  They aren't identical players but to a great extent fill the same role on a roster.  Both still have minor league options.  So in principle, they are a good use of the 40-man roster, and whichever one is performing better is the one who should be on the 26-man.  If by some chance both are performing great, the manager will figure out how they coexist (Wallner in right, Larnach in left).  But for a team that's not rebuilding, and not willing to simply discard overpaid vets and let the youth take over by default, it's a nice combination to have.  (Whether the player consigned to AAA an putting up great numbers is going to be happy, that's a different problem that management has to factor in.)

I wish they had more of this kind of roster flexibility, instead of veterans like Farmer and Margot who suddenly got old.

The problem is they are stuck between NOW and 2025.

Kepler will be gone next year. Larnach is starting to figure it out, IMO. Wallner is looking like the prospect he was in 2023 just begging to come up and make a difference again and potentially be a fixture.  And we're still not sure about Kirilloff. But you also mentioned Margot. The problem there is, the Twins are a contending team and Margot has suddenly been the player they thought they were acquiring. In fact, he's been even better through June. 

So do you hold on to Margot instead of a LH younger OF for now? Are Margot and Martin redundant? Do you send Martin back to AAA even though he might not deserve it? 

How amazing would it be for Lee...or Julien when he forces the issue...to play 2B and let Castro do what he does best, which is be a great player ALL OVER?

But that means Farmer is gone, or Martin gets sent down. 

The offense is actually one of the best in MLB since about May 1st. One of the best against LHP which we haven't seen since 2019. And still good against RHP. But it feels like they could really use another LH bat for the remainder of the season.

Who???

I know this sounds crazy as we're still trailing Cleveland and there is this sort of "whoh is me and we aren't good enough" attitude after the horrible start to the season. But if you take a step back and realize how good the offense has been the past couple of months you'd realize the Twins are actually in a bit of a roster crunch. 

I would have let Margot go a month ago and just let Martin get ML time. But Margot has suddenly been good. Farmer hasn't been anything close to good, but he's been much better the past 30 days. So do you just jetison him now for Lee? Maybe you do. Not sure the FO feels that way.

CRAZY as it sounds, the offense is clicking and there is ACTUALLY a roster crunch in regard to NOW, and who might be part of 2025 and beyond.

That's a good thing. 

2 hours ago, Doctor Gast said:

I'd like you to know Doc that I think highly of you. You like to write all-inclusive statements & I whole heartly agree with at least 90% of what you write but sometimes you throw something at the end that I strongly disagree with & I find it hard to give you a thumbs up. I'd like to give you many more thumbs up than I do to let you know that I respect everything that you say. Even though we don't agree 100%

Hey, I generally agree with a lot of your comments and perspectives as well.

THANK YOU for your kind words. HONESTLY appreciated. 

I DO try to look at the big picture of everything. 

But it's 100% OK to "like" and still disagree with me and offer up a different opinion. 

I BOW to anyone who offers praise. :)