Twins 4, Yankees 2: Pitching, Defense, Timely Hitting Lead to Victory

Nice to see a Twins win against the Yankees.  I'm wondering....

Should the Twins start contemplating rotating Polanco around the diamond.  His hitting is way down.  I have to wonder if playing exclusively at SS has something to do with it. He just doesn't look that good there.  Maybe start rotating some with Dozier?  Dozier at DH for a game or 2 to keep him fresh?  Would really like to see Escobar's playing time stay consistent while he's hitting.

Is Mejia the real deal?  Or can he be?  I can't find any stats on this, but he seems to get pulled around the 5th inning every game.  I was hoping he'd be more of an innings eater.

What's wrong with Duffey?  

Has Rosario figured it all out?

Think back to Kepler last August and that is Polanco right now. Kepler come out of it and so will Polanco.

Mejia is averaging 5 IP per start, not bad for a rookie. He easily could be a solid starter for years but it will be a few years before he will be classified as an innings eater.

Duffey is what he has been his whole career. Steady is not how you would define him.

Rosario is maturing some at the plate. Frustratingly slow for me, I would want a rookie to have at least as much discipline as he does but he has already broke his career high for unintentional walks by 4. His D seems to have hit a plateau though.

For me it is just sit back and enjoy the fact that when you turn on a game it is not with dread. 

I wasn't that surprised about Mejia being pulled, pitch count notwithstanding - from where I was sitting, the Yankees started making much more solid contact the second time through, and I wouldn't have wanted to risk letting too many of them having a third look at him.

I remarked yesterday how defensive lapses have possibly lead to all three of our last losses so would be remiss to point out that defense saved the game yesterday.   This team has shown a lot of resiliency to this point.

Anyone else think Dozier's play at the plate should have been challenged?   It was extremely close but also Dozier did not have anywhere near a clear path to the plate.

Duffey is an odd case.  He looks good out there and passes the eye test.  But his numbers and situational pitching have just been plain bad.  The other day against the Astros he loaded the bases and had to be bailed out by Rogers.  Yesterday night he blew the win (for Mejia) and once again had to be bailed out by Rogers. 

This isn't a recent trend, this has been going on for at least a month with Duffey.  His ERA is skyrocketing.

At this point, if the game is close it seems that he should be in for 1-2 batters max. Don't send him out there again if he finishes an inning.  Otherwise, maybe he's better suited for mop-up duty at this point.  Maybe Hughes and Duffey can switch roles.   Very disappointed in Duffey lately and I think he's almost becoming a weak spot for the Twins.

Polanco....hmmm.  He's pressing.  I saw a swing against the Astros a few days ago where the ball almost hit him in the shins, and he still swung (and missed).  He's just out there hacking and everything, trying to do too much.  When's the last time you saw him take a walk?  When was his last 2-hit game?

Escobar's the man! 

Too bad Buxton's out.  I can see why the Twins kept Granite in the minors so long, even though he's been doing well in AAA.  The guy looks like a 12 year-old out there.  Like Jose Altuve but without the pop. 

Loving Mejia lately.  He's definitely a solid #3 right now (for the Twins, anyway). 

I'm dreading Santiago's return....

I think Escobar is a good major league player. He can play multiple positions if the team needs. He is NOT UTILITY PLAYER BY DEFAULT. He should have consistent playing time at his most comfortable position. I think he is the most underrated and underappreciated player on this roster.

Rosario's OPS in 2017 by month:

April ..... .660

May ...... .810

June .... .860

July ...... .859

 

There is no team in baseball that wouldn't take that from their corner outfielder. His D isn't as flashy as Buxton's or Kepler's, but it is still pretty solid defense. We are quickly getting spoiled.

Good for us!

Rosario's defense has actually been pretty brutal this year. 

I wouldn't call Rosario's defense brutal.   He's very athletic and seems to often takes chances that he shouldn't or bad routes because of that (plus he just doesn't seem truly comfortable in Center).  

I don't believe he'll ever win a Gold Glove, not a "bad" defender though.  

But I will agree with the sentiment that he is beyond frustrating at times

Rosario, as a rookie, had a ton of assists.

Have not seen him make a good throw in a long time now.

He's got the arm, just not making good throws.

I totally agree with you. 

This year, Rosario has been... well, I think only good way you could say his defense has been is, off.  He's got the physical tools and athleticism to excel as a MLB outfielder.   However, as we have all seen on multiple occasions, his confidence in his own abilities seems to extend into the realm of reckless.

My comment really stems more from the, most likely misguided, hope that he somehow can overcome his headstrong and often reckless play style.

 

 

Too bad Buxton's out.  I can see why the Twins kept Granite in the minors so long, even though he's been doing well in AAA.  The guy looks like a 12 year-old out there.  Like Jose Altuve but without the pop. 

 

Loving Mejia lately.  He's definitely a solid #3 right now (for the Twins, anyway). 

 

I'm dreading Santiago's return....

Altuve without the pop equals Puckett rookie year.   I would take that in a heart beat but I don't think Granite is that.    Then again, the jump to the majors isn't just the next level.   Its starting over with all that it brings.   Nerves, confidence, stress.    I am fine with him out there for the time being.

Anyone else think Dozier's play at the plate should have been challenged?   It was extremely close but also Dozier did not have anywhere near a clear path to the plate.

I don't think it would have been overturned, but it seemed worth the challenge being that it was a crucial run and already late in the game. When you challenge, does anyone know if you can you specifically ask that they look at whether the catcher was blocking the plate? I think that would be the only reason to overturn as I didn't see compelling evidence that the tag was not applied.

I don't think it would have been overturned, but it seemed worth the challenge being that it was a crucial run and already late in the game. When you challenge, does anyone know if you can you specifically ask that they look at whether the catcher was blocking the plate? I think that would be the only reason to overturn as I didn't see compelling evidence that the tag was not applied.

I doubt they can challenge plate blocking. That's a judgement call.

I wouldn't call Rosario's defense brutal.   He's very athletic and seems to often takes chances that he shouldn't or bad routes because of that (plus he just doesn't seem truly comfortable in Center).  

 

I don't believe he'll ever win a Gold Glove, not a "bad" defender though.  

 

But I will agree with the sentiment that he is beyond frustrating at times

I said his defense has been brutal THIS year, which is true based on just about any metric. I don't doubt that he has the tools to be a good defender because he has been in the past. 

The bad defense he's played this year counteracts the positive strides he's made at the plate, which is unfortunate. 

I doubt they can challenge plate blocking. That's a judgement call.

It was also a judgement call for Dozier on where to slide. Feet first straight into the plate will make catchers stop doing that.

On what basis do you say he is better than shown once he hits the show?

On what basis do you say he is better than shown once he hits the show?

One might point to an absurdly low .118 BABIP as an indicator of horrendous luck. On the other hand, it seems like every ball he hits is on the ground. Although the actual ratio is about 2 GB to every FB. Even with his speed that will result in a lower than normal BABIP. .118 is absurdly low though.