VivaBomboRivera!

This statement appears to miss the point of the article.

Consistent hitting remains an issue - just 7 for 33 and a walk today. To score the same number of runs in yesterday's disaster took 11 H and 3BB in 37 ABs. Stronger pitching, two for three RISP (2 LOB) and the fact that the Royals hit just as poorly made the difference. The broken-and-then-almost double play, followed by the bang-bang-game over double play together made this one well worth the price of admission.

Two words: Goofy. Next.

We watched a replay from the Royals game last week - a 2-out walk, a clutch RBI hit and the dam breaks. 6 for 31 hitting is pathetic. Adding three walks only gets OBP up to .265. When you have this many call-ups, the veterans (Polanco, Donaldson, Cruz and Sano) should be leading by example. But just barely - they hit a collective .200. ? If the team cannot sweep Kansas City this weekend and get its act together, then the season is truly baked. A dried-up, overdone turkey, to be precise.

CURTAIN!

Back to some bad habits. Call in the hypnotists, exorcists and and therapists so they can bounce back and take the next two.

Does this mean I’m ghost writing for you? ?

"... Berríos is a middle of the rotation arm (low-2/high-3) who likely wants to be paid like a frontline guy" Aye, there's the rub! There are three possible outcomes here: Berríos improves to the point where the Twins can accommodate him (possible, but not likely) Berríos falls apart (less likely) Berríos' performance gradually falls off as he ages out of the League (most likely) Assuming scenario 3, considering a trade makes sense. The next problem is not what the team could get, but what the team needs. Surveying the positions, the question is, who is/could be on the market who represents an improvement? A 1 - 1 trade for Berríos would probably not deliver bigger talent at catcher, corner or middle infield than what the team has now Outfield? The need for a bigger bat and better range is obvious, but which team will be selling a proven veteran that the Twins can swap into their assemblage of journeymen and walking wounded? Any names come to mind? Pitching? Clearly the need is greatest here; but this is also the tightest market. A true closer who instills fear and doubt in the opposing lineup cannot be had for Berríos alone A journeyman long relief horse is more likely Or, if management decides the team can no longer contend this season, do they bargain for a busload of prospects and sort through them for the next 3 - 5 years before we know if the deal was worth it? If Berríos alone were not enough in exchange for the talent the team wants, could Sano be made part of the package? Management has assuredly already asked all these questions. Assuming the Twins are pulling out of their tailspin, if Berríos is traded for a reliever before mid-June we'll know that management is sticking to it's guns. If he's still part of the club in July, then they either believe he's a piece of of a post-season drive or they still think they have negotiating leverage.

Matters less what you get for him if there is a viable replacement ready to fill his role and perform at/above his level. That day may now be on the horizon.

Look out! He's a replacement, eating into Buxton's WAR! Oh, and fire this editor on principle: "...easing the strain on a lineup hamstrung in recent days" ?

Miguel Sano is the best option the Twins have for a slugging corner infielder until a better one comes along. Even after his horrible start and four more strikeouts in today's game, he has contributed 8 HR (team 3rd behind Cruz and Buxton), 19 walks (2nd between Donaldson and Arraez), 19 RBI (4th), an OBP of .303 (now 9th thanks to those 4 Ks) and 47 TBs (tied for 7th with Arraez). His defensive performance at first is fine, and he is an acceptable substitution at third. The difference this year is that Sano now has an understudy, one who partly due to youth has a greater potential up side than he does. This means that Sano will have to solve that consistency issue and keep demonstrating that he's improving his game. If not, then sooner or later it will be the the trading block. Sano himself still has potential upside. He could have a revelation, or could make a resolution to be better that yields dividends. At age 28, however, time now works against him rather than for him. Up or out. In this game, and on this team, there's nowhere else for him to go.

Folks - we have solved Miguel Sano. He starts Spring Training a month earlier than the rest of the team.

Manfred ordered squirrel repellent applied at all ball parks?

The platoon performance of Astudillo/Kiriloff/Sano at first has also served the team well thus far. All three position themselves well to receive throws and pick balls out of the dirt routinely. Sano's coordination with the other infielders improved as he got used to the right corner, and he's showing some Herbie-esque ability to go horizontal and snag liners. Now we need to teach him those wrasslin' moves for laying tags...

"In what is already a lost season..." Fat lady has not yet taken the stage. Enough things can still go right for the Twins to find a berth in October, but they are going to have to claw and bash their way back. Very nice to see them seize on one of their dwindling opportunities today. Every out is precious now. So write this down, "We’ve got to play them one day at a time.”

Asking only the league minimum I've come looking for a job But I only get optioned And a come-on from the groupies in the bus leagues... I do declare! There were times I swung so badly That I spent the season there La la lalalalaa...

At third base stands a runner A hard slider by his trade And he carries the reminders Of every glove that tagged him out Or rundown, 'til he cried out In his anger and his shame: "I am stranded; I'm not scoring!" , so the runner still remains... Lai la lai! Lai la lai lai, lai la lai Lai la lai! Lai la lai lai lai la lai lai lala lai! Here's hoping this is bottom.

Disagree here. I was proud of the bats for not lying down yesterday. The Twins still have a RISP problem and a relief problem, but the hitters have not stopped working.

Well, everybody was clamoring to see Alcala in a higher-leveraged situation. Trying to hold a tie certainly qualifies. Clearly left room for growth, and the way the entire staff is performing, it looks like he'll be getting a few more opportunities to learn.

First five letters of his name say it all: A stud

Much more satisfying than win by rainout

Non sequitur. The higher the cheque, the higher the expectations. At $5 million per year, an amount awarded based on past performance, everyone (likely including himself) is looking for superior results. Conversely, the Twins granted Romo free agency last year on the expectations that they could no longer expect $5 million worth of results. It is a fair guess that the Twins will not exercise their option for next season if Colomé continues to pitch as he has thus far.

So that would make your eye, "dead-on balls accurate...?" But yes, your eyes were like the rest of ours, peering from between fingers in fearful anticipation that someone was about to make hard contact with one of those 32 tosses. Fortunately, nobody did. If that builds the man's confidence and makes his stuff nastier next time, bring it on. But until he brings it, I'll be missing Clippard and May.

At first, 32 pitches to get 6 outs looks great, but then you see he only threw 18 strikes and walked two (2K/2BB), including one batter on 4 straight pitches. For what he's paid, fans and his teammates have a right to expect more.

Broken Record Department: The Twins are scoring an average of 4.72 runs/game (137/29). This would be enough if they were consistently scoring above that 4-run tipping point, but they have failed to do that in 16 games, 14 of which were losses. BA and OBP alone can tell the story. Once again today the Twins hit less than .250 (8/34) and managed only two walks. There are three 0-for-4s in the bottom of the order today. If Polanco, Kepler, and Simmons had each scratched out a hit (or even a walk), the lineup's average soars to .323 and it's likely they post a win instead of another miserable loss). Every player can't have a great day every day, but the lineups need to be much more consistent to deliver wins