Twins 5, White Sox 4: Twins Rally to Stun and Sweep the White Sox

What a comeback!!! Down 3-0 in 9th then get 3 in bottom of inning to tie it up then win in 12th !!! This is huge huge huge massive massive massive win!!! 3 game lead in division-

11 hours ago, Brandon said:

Especially since we have so many more games against opponents with losing records over the ones with a winning record.  We have one of the easiest schedules for the 2nd half which should help us in the standings.  Because of the ease I would be surprised if we couldn’t go 35-26 to close out the season putting us at 88 wins on the season.  

I'm going big, 39-21. Twins make three big trades for Royce Lewis, Caleb and Brock, to fill the three biggest needs on the team. RH bat, check. Solid lefty bp arm, check. Flame throwing righty bp arm, check. Also, Keith Law put out his new top 60. Three twins in the top 25. Lee, ERod and Jenkins. 

I was at the game.  Body language on the Pale Hose, Anderson, Graveman, Robert, just terrible.

If those guys were on my team, I would just give up already.  No life in them.  At all.

The ball Wallner hit off the right field wall, that was a bullet.  Haven't seen a ball hit like that since Cruz was on the team.

Terrible base-running by Wallner though.  He's fast enough, just way too conservative.  He and Gallo should spend more time together.  You put saddles on those two guys, they could carry the team.

I know this will be an unpopular opinion as he is everyone s darling but Julien is flailing the last couple of days. He’s always had plenty of swing and miss in his game and it’s showing up now. Hopefully temporary. 

38 minutes ago, mikelink45 said:

My first reflection is on the WPA ratings.  Gallo third???  He is a ghost runner and not a good one.  He comes home when the inept White Sox fielder falls down.

I think WPA gives him credit for getting to 2B.

42 minutes ago, Linus said:

I know this will be an unpopular opinion as he is everyone s darling but Julien is flailing the last couple of days. He’s always had plenty of swing and miss in his game and it’s showing up now. Hopefully temporary. 

Yes he has scuffled the last 2 games with 6 strikeouts and an 0 fer Saturday. He did show some life Sunday with a walk and a hit late. I think they were working him in with breaking balls, hopefully he'll adjust. 

Wallner has a track record of hitting either handed pitcher similarly in the minors. In a very small sample he has a 293 OPS in the bigs. 

Doesn't happen very much that a team that has been shut out for 8 innings and trailing by more than 1 run, scores enough in the 9th to tie it up. I'm thinking the pre-ASG Twins probably would have hung their heads and accepted defeat. Winning begets winning. Also Sox probably had to feel good getting that sacks loaded no outs DP, so Jeffers GWH was even sweeter.

Most of us here have screamed for Pagan to get unloaded this season. But he has really pitched well lately. Almost effectively. In tough situations. Wow. The planets have re-aligned

Comment on Gallo pinch running for Solano in the 10th. Even though I have never thought of Gallo as a particularly fast runner I suspect Solano is slower. But beyond that base running is about more than just speed. For example, Tom Kelly has said that Kent Hrbek was a good base runner because he had good baseball instincts and was a good judge of his own speed. Gallo scoring on the sac fly in the 10th inning is a play that some players don't make. He knew he needed to go all out from the base when the ball was caught just in case something weird happened and as a result he was in position to score.

6 minutes ago, Steven Trefz said:

That was my thought too, that we found a glitch in the statistical matrix with extra inning rule changes. If Kirilloff can't get above that with the game saving hit in the 9th, then the stat loses its "stat-ness" for me.

The fact that WPA completely ignores defensive contributions makes it useless for me. It tells the story of game events but it is terrible at assigning value to players.

3 hours ago, Linus said:

I know this will be an unpopular opinion as he is everyone s darling but Julien is flailing the last couple of days. He’s always had plenty of swing and miss in his game and it’s showing up now. Hopefully temporary. 

Ill personally be going with the previous 5 years dating back to his college days vs 2 games.

1 hour ago, Nine of twelve said:

Comment on Gallo pinch running for Solano in the 10th. Even though I have never thought of Gallo as a particularly fast runner I suspect Solano is slower. But beyond that base running is about more than just speed. For example, Tom Kelly has said that Kent Hrbek was a good base runner because he had good baseball instincts and was a good judge of his own speed. Gallo scoring on the sac fly in the 10th inning is a play that some players don't make. He knew he needed to go all out from the base when the ball was caught just in case something weird happened and as a result he was in position to score.

Gallo has a sprint speed of 26.7 ft/sec. and Solano is 25.4.  Over 90 ft that's about .2 seconds.  I doubt Solana would have even tried to score on that play.

8 hours ago, Riverbrian said:

I agree with ya. 

WIth the long view in my mind. Young left handed batters need exposure to left handed pitchers because what exactly are you developing if you don't. 

If they don't get that exposure.

1. You need to pinch hit Vazquez for them. Rocco has no choice but to pinch hit Vazquez. 

He has been keeping our left handed hitters from left handed pitchers all year long. Vazquez has been getting exposure to left handed hitters all along. 

Matt Wallner has 3 AB's vs LH. 

Julien has 21 AB's vs LH.

Rocco is going to Vazquez because he hasn't been preparing them for these moments. 

2. Occasionally, you will get painted into a corner late in the game. There are only 4 bench moves, When pink eye strikes there may only be two bench moves available. Sometimes Vazquez isn't available to pinch hit when the opposing manager brings in a LHP late in the game.

Instead of letting your young left handed hitting getting a look at left handed pitching in the early innings... you starve them of the opportunity. Then you need them late in the game when the game is on the line!

IMO this is backwards... they should get looks at left handed pitching early in the game when there is plenty of game left to go... instead of getting a look they don't normally get... with the game on the line. 

3. Occasionally... injuries will get you painted into a corner late in the season. With the importance of September games during a pennant chase and the obvious importance of the playoffs to follow. Injuries to your right handed hitters will force you consistently start your left handed hitter against left handed starters in the playoffs or with playoffs on the line. Hey... haven't let you face left handers all year... but... I guess I need you now my right handed guy is unavailable.    

4. I'd rather that they develop players like Julien. Kirilloff and Wallner into something more than Joc Pederson. 

Anyway... Rocco was going to pinch hit Vazquez. He has been starving left handed batters consistently.

Game on the line, season on the line is an unfortunate time to change that approach. 

 

I agree with this, though I do understand the importance of going for the win and substituting players just not all the time.  

34 minutes ago, Brandon said:

I agree with this, though I do understand the importance of going for the win and substituting players just not all the time.  

So in other words, a manager should make only the right moves and never the wrong moves.