Rays 2, Twins 1: López Is Brilliant, but the Offense Remains Cold

What we went through last night and again tonight I think we all voiced our say on twins daily today ...

Nothing more to repeat except Pablo  pitched very well  ...

Would someone tell the players and coaches that it's not nap time ...

Trying to maintain positive mental health, I must admit I didn't watch the entirety of the game. 

A few remarks after tonight's edition of Ground Hog Day.

1.  Another solid/excellent SP start (Lopez owed the team this) wasted.

2.  5 runs scored in last 5 games.  

3.  5th games this season that fell into the "L" column when our pitchers allowed 2 runs or less.

4.  Last 20 games:  W-L record of 8-12. Since May 15th

Number of games scoring 3 runs or less:  12/ W-L record:  1-11

Games scoring 4+ runs= 8/ W-L record:  7-1

5.  Question asked:  Is this the worst offensive version of Correa's career right now?

Answer:  YES!  His last 10 games----continue to mirror his inept bat all season.

8-37 (.216) 3 doubles, 0 HRs, 6 BB's and 1....yes..... 1 RBI over that span with a .297 slug %.

If he's injured----there's a BIG DIFFERENCE between pain and injury---then put him on IL and move Lewis to SS in the interim with Farmer going to 3B.  That would allow for Wallner's recall to move Kepler to the bench....where he belongs.

🤮 mostly. Also:

1. Lewis rocks.

2. Even a diehard Twins fan like me paying Fubo bucks is going to drop "watch the twins" as a top of mind priority with an offense like this.  They really suck offensively. If the batting coach lasts the year I personally will buy every* Twins fan a Tom Brunansky Topps folder at Ax Man (*while supplies last).

3. Duran's a stud and I don't care about the homer from a performance perspective. 

4. Uff da.

Round ball proves difficult for bats. Rough stretch.

Our offensive issue demands action- fire our hitting coaches. Time to place blame. This is ridiculous. Rocco needs to be next- things are not ok and they won’t get better if we don’t get an attitude change and learn to compete.

Ugh starting to feel more and more like last year....trotting out the C lineup nightly with the few starters left underperforming. Has become very frustrating to watch.

I can't help the feeling that treating your players like they're made of glass becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Seems like the injury issues last two or three years go beyond bad luck.

Heartbreaking/gut wrenching/horrible loss. WTF is wrong with our team? .500 first time this season/corria is horrible and buxton can’t stay healthy. The offence is beyond bad-Rocco needs to get mad/light fire under team-hitting coach needs to be fired. Who would’ve thought a split with Cleveland ended our season. It’s panic time!!! 

Hey, the Saints continue to score, 48 runs in the past 6 games. There's this guy named Wallner that is on fire!

16 minutes ago, FlyingFinn said:

There's this guy named Wallner that is on fire!

We don't need him. 😃

Correa's postgame comments are alarming. This is becoming a mental issue for this team, and they are losing faith, fire and drive. Rocco is again completely incapable of providing a distraction, a spark or a redirection. Should have been fired in 2021, but certainly after 2022. Changes need to be made now. Like right now.

Yes, this team has bigger issues. They need a new FO and new organizational philosophy. But this season can perhaps be salvaged with a new voice in the dugout.

This team is a joke.  And people still simp for Falvine like they’re beyond reproach. I’m not seeing any signs that they know how to compile a serviceable roster.  It’s the same thing every year now.  A constant quest to beat the system and find “value” in these obscure analytics darlings that can’t actually play baseball.  Then, it falls apart after about a month of decent ball, and everyone is shocked.

Can you imagine the reaction in a real baseball market if they ran a guy like Max Kepler out there after hitting .150 with no power for what’s now about a full season.  And he stunk for 2 years before that?  Not only that, but sending down a top prospect down who’s in the middle of a 1.500 OPS fire storm to make room for him?  Or, taking one of the best defensive center fielders in the history of the game and making him a DH to try and milk 50 extra hobbled ABs out of him?  Or, burning Bailey Ober’s innings in AAA for the zombie corpse of Kenta Maeda?  All while watching guys like Spencer Steer, Luis Arraez, Tyler Wells, Yanier Cano, and a number of others absolutely flourish. It’s a parody of how a baseball team should be run at this point.  Every decision they make is the wrong one.  They are bad at this.

27 minutes ago, FlyingFinn said:

Hey, the Saints continue to score, 48 runs in the past 6 games. There's this guy named Wallner that is on fire!

Wallner update since his demotion on May 29th (As most know this was after Wallner went 6-6 over his last 2 games prior to being sent to AAA)

Games played:  8

AVG:  .424 (14-33)

EBH:  9......5 doubles, 1 triple and 3 HRs

RBI:   12

Total Bases:  30

Slug Pct:  .909

I could possibly/maybe understand Wallner toiling away at AAA if Max Kepler resembled ANYTHING close to an average MLB hitter.  That is NOT the case as evidenced by Kepler's performance over that same eight game span:

GP:  8

AVG:  .115 (3-26), which includes 7 K's and 1 BB

EBH:   Take a wild guess?  ZERO!

RBI:     1 (same number as Correa--in his last 10 games)

Total Bases:   3

Slug Pct:  same as his average--an unsightly .115

Lewis starting the game 7th in the lineup (inexplicably behind Kepler) and platooning Kirilloff in the middle of the game for the ever so scary LHP is all anyone needs to know about the ineptitude of the decision makers on this team.  Kepler twiddling his thumbs when he should've been advancing to second base on the double steal should earn him a spot on the bench tomorrow at the very least also.

 Why this team sends down or benches hot bats (Wallner this time) is a mystery.  I thought this year's team had promise but here we are in familiar offensive doldrums.   The Twins plodded through last season and this feels like a repeat.  Last year I would think -- well, just imagine if we didn't have Arraez...  I don't know if plantar fasciitis has been contributing to Correa's woes all season, but clearly something is amiss.   Bench Kepler, his heart isn't in it. 

32 minutes ago, darwin22 said:

Wallner update since his demotion on May 29th (As most know this was after Wallner went 6-6 over his last 2 games prior to being sent to AAA)

Games played:  8

AVG:  .424 (14-33)

EBH:  9......5 doubles, 1 triple and 3 HRs

RBI:   12

Total Bases:  30

Slug Pct:  .909

 

I could possibly/maybe understand Wallner toiling away at AAA if Max Kepler resembled ANYTHING close to an average MLB hitter.  That is NOT the case as evidenced by Kepler's performance over that same eight game span:

GP:  8

AVG:  .115 (3-26), which includes 7 K's and 1 BB

EBH:   Take a wild guess?  ZERO!

RBI:     1 (same number as Correa--in his last 10 games)

Total Bases:   3

Slug Pct:  same as his average--an unsightly .115

 

 

Or, ahem...Garlick.

I hold the following truths to be self-evident: 

1. Correa and Buck not playing up to their capabilities is the BIGGEST problem this season. If our stars played like stars, we would be in a much better position.

2. As I've said repeatedly for 2 years, Rocco won't last through the offseason. He will get 'promoted' to a front office job. He will never manage another MLB team. 

Leadership matters and he is not a natural born leader. 

3. Keppler needs to be DFA'ed . I would much rather see a prospect struggle and grow, if not excel. 

4. Wallner playing in AAA while the Twins 'Offence' continues, is the biggest FO malpractice since the Sano in the outfield fiasco  (last FO of course)

Nothing is going to change until the fans force a change.  If ticket sales plummet, and franchised merchandise sales drop, maybe the FO will listen.  Unfortunately, corporate ticket sales and the tv revenue contract will keep some teams afloat.

This team is a slap in the face of loyal fans.  They are being shown an inferior product, with no chance of change in sight.  Fans are being taken for granted.  It needs to stop.

According to Gleeman, Kepler informed the Twins he is not willing to play CF anymore.

If Falvine had any self-respect, they would have told him that Kepler would play any position the Twins deemed most helpful to the team, otherwise he could attempt to find employment with one of the other 29 teams.

Also, Popkins (at a minimum) needs to go.  Now.

Looks like the AL Central winner could have the 10th best record in the league… behind everyone else but Oakland and the AL Central also-rans.  

The Minnesota Lollygaggers.  

Clearly we need chicken bone amulets and more offerings to Jobu.

(link SFW)

Is that 4 straight games scoring 1 run or less? Incredibly anemic, I don't know how anyone could have a remote sense of optimism. Even with Lewis and a healthy Buxton, there's just not enough talent on offense - even when firing on all cylinders. The only good stretches have come when guys like Solano, Farmer, and Castro are playing out of their minds, which is pretty telling. 

Unfortunate that the FO couldn't ever unstick themselves from the belief that Kirilloff and Larnach were the next comings of Mauer and Morneau. I think most of us saw the writing on the wall 2 years ago but it looks like the front office must have still been expecting that to happen. Don't really know any other way to explain the construction of this team from an offensive standpoint. 

I'll watch them lose 7-6, but this 2-1 and 1-0 stuff isn't worth staying inside on a beautiful summer night. 

If anything I hope they sell at the break. A complete teardown is in order. Unfortunately, being in this god-awful division might set them back a few more years. 

7 hours ago, Cap'n Piranha said:

According to Gleeman, Kepler informed the Twins he is not willing to play CF anymore.

 

If Falvine had any self-respect, they would have told him that Kepler would play any position the Twins deemed most helpful to the team, otherwise he could attempt to find employment with one of the other 29 teams

This is what breaks the deal for me with Kepler. Bench, trade  or DFA and call up Wallner, nothing else is acceptable. 

Edit: If these rumors we've been hearing for the last couple of years are true. 

6 hours ago, shabbos1 said:

Lewis starting the game 7th in the lineup (inexplicably behind Kepler) and platooning Kirilloff in the middle of the game for the ever so scary LHP is all anyone needs to know about the ineptitude of the decision makers on this team.  Kepler twiddling his thumbs when he should've been advancing to second base on the double steal should earn him a spot on the bench tomorrow at the very least also.

This was my thought too ...

Kepler needs to sit  , he isn't unlucky he is just plain bad , head isn't made for major league ball ...

A good short, painful and factual account of last night's display of hitting ineptness from our diamond team. Game after game of uninspired baseball. This club is being led into the depths of the weak division again.....Love this team, but they might not win playing the Saints, or Wichita. Something big needs to happen with this team to ignite. I doubt our upper management will attempt that. Good luck the rest of the way. I'll watch and from time-to-time cheer when we manage to strike out less than ten, score more than 2 and get at least 8 hits. I won't hold my breath. 

GO TWINS!

Twins Geezer...........out

Twins only mustered 3 hits, and against a bunch of no-name relief pitchers! The Rays weren't even using one of their good starting pitchers. I guess they'll save those for the better teams.  Not an encouraging week for the Twins.