insagt1

watching this team hit with runners on is a total exercise in frustration. Our so-called power hitter pops out and then the guy who did hit the unexpected HR strikes out. and so it goes.

can't hit, can't pitch..every aspect of their game has gone south right now.

an the Twins response....one two three and back on the field. The Vasquez HR was clearly a huge mistake. Other than that, this team looks totally disengaged out there.

and another 'k' for Buck. He just looked at the pitch and walked off. He looks like a guy who dearly doesn't want to be in the game right now.

Ego? No. But should he go to St Paul...somehow...yes. His AB's are painful to watch. He is completely lost. Maybe a mistake, long bomb will pop the scab, but right now, he shouldn't be in a lineup that has 8 others who can barely make contact anymore as well. Is he hurt? 'disrespectfully' for him thats like saying the sun comes up every morning. He's always been hurt. I don't think thats exaggeration at all. His body appears to be unable to take the grind at the level he wants to play at...which is all out. Looking more and more like that won't change. And thats a darned shame because a more exciting player one could never find, when he was 'on'. If Twins want to win this division, they have a lot of tough decisions to make. The team is in a pretty deep trough and so far no one seems to be able to step up and change things around. For a fleeting game or so, it looked like Correa was that guy, but he has also stepped back into the shadows. And Gallo is clearly playing for his job right now. His leash has to be snugged up tight.

the 'k' is the most useless out in baseball. k's occur a whole lot more than GIDP's and sometimes the DP does result in a run. A k almost never does unless the ball gets by the catcher. Its boring to watch hitter after hitter fail to make contact as much as the Twins do. If you have one slugger on your team who k's a lot, you can get by; but not a whole lineup of them. I think they miss Arraez helping them on the importance of making contact. So far that trade has been a huge fail for Minnesota...but I'm willing to give it more time. The pitcher they coveted has not been very special, yet. But the bat they lost, has been glaringly obvious. If Gallo can't hit the ball, remove him. If Buck can't figure out why they need to find a way to put him back on the IL to get him to St. Paul for a couple weeks, they need to do it now.

no logic for Oakland, who was 12-50 to sweep Milwaukee last week, then beat TB twice. Except that the games are still played on the field, not in the stat book. Twins suddenly, as a team have stopped not only hitting but making contact. The k's have been very discouraging. Two guys who should be leading the way offensively (Buxton and Gallo) are leading the way in ks...in record numbers, Twins can't hit with bases loaded. They collectively are in a huge funk. So far the rest of the division isn't going anywhere either but eventually teams like Cleveland and Chicago will wake up and leave Twins in the dust, unless they figure out how to make contact with the ball.

Nice to see Hicks get a fresh start with the O's. He is really starting to hit again and the players really like having him around.

Buxton and Gallo are k'ing just about every AB these days. And the end doesn't seem in sight for it to stop. Gallo always strikes out and Buxton is completely lost this season. Is he hurt to the extent he can't hit anymore? Or even make contact? Might be just two options for him: send him to AAA for awhile to either regain his stroke or his confidence. He may really not like it but if the guy has any integrity he will recognize he's hurting the team. Can't hit, field or run. What am I missing? 2nd option is simply to shut him down for the season and see if its remotely possible for him to heal. We have seen zero evidence of that over his career, but it might save his career. Is this over-reacting? Look at what he's done this year...especially in May and June. Its just plain ugly. Gallo--he should be released, sooner the better. On a team where just about everyone strikes out too much, the two above mentioned players lead the way. I'd like to see the Gallo Experiment end. He's a bad fit. If Kepler can be traded for something that can help the team, he needs to go too. If they promise to never use Pagan in any game on the line situations, he can stay I suppose. Celestino won't be much of an improvement. He can't hit either. Is Miranda likely to get another chance this season? Neither Vasquez nor Jeffers can hit and they are at best average catchers. Polanco will be out for a lengthy period of time. Same with Gordon apparently. This team may need a flush of sorts. The just completed mess with Detroit was very ugly. Will they ever improve? Time will tell.

Buxton is becoming a real concern. His AB's are awful. Could he use some time in St. Paul to reset?

Buxton's return to the lineup has been less than stellar. I have to wonder if the guy is ever going to be the guy he was supposed to be. Its pretty sad watching him flail away, while he also can't play the field. I'm thinking give him rope until he sinks under .200...then sit him down, send him down (probably can't but maybe should) or (I don't have another option at the moment) Then there is Gallo. Another of the mighty K-Boys on a team loaded with them.

some here might be ancient enough (like me!) to remember the fightin' A's of the 70's...you know the team that won 3 straight world series! They seemed to hate each other and their owner, the owner hated them, and it was a circus. 3 world series rings. Guess you just never know, huh. (sidenote: I attended one of those WS games with my navy buddies...walked up to the window day of the game and bought tickets for around $10 bucks or so...maybe a tad more) Twins pen is pretty bad in long relief. If Bass is out there, maybe give him a shot? I think the Jays and MLB blew that whole 'issue' way out of proportion. Guy said some things, was told uh-uh and he apologized (probably didnt mean it either) The world didn't end, nor should it have. Baseball stick to baseball. Pitch, catch, throw, hit, field...fans cheer or boo, have a dog and a brew and go to games to get away from the stress of the world, not add on to it.

What is most frustrating is that as a DH, Buck isn't performing adequately. He is prone (a lot) to long batting slumps where he will go over 20 AB's without a hit. His k rate hasn't improved either, so he isn't making productive outs with runners on. I too would be satisfied if he could improve his offense, then let him DH until or if his body can ever heal to point where he can play the field. Right now sad to say, his real value to the team in 2023 isn't very much, unless you are happy with a DH hitting around .220 or worse, with a k every 2 1/2 AB's or worse. He may be the most frustrating problem facing the team right now. With Pagan, Kepler or Gallo, they all can be removed if needed. Not so with Buxton. I really hope the young man gets it fixed because he is such a gamer.

when you pinch run for a guy who is playing well, in a game where you need 1 run...he better be stealing. So doesn't matter if the world knew Castro was running. Speed is a weapon Twins have forgotten about for many seasons. I can think of many times when Buck was on 1st in that situation, and he never ran and often the GIDP followed. (another of Buxton's tools that have been retired from his toolbox) I suppose the worst that could have happened was Castro gets tossed at the plate and Solano takes 2nd. So now you have 1 out and still a runner in scoring position. Glad it didn't go that way though because of the inordinate number of k's the Twins hitters have been getting. Glad to see the stolen base making a comeback. Last week Rochester was nursing a 1 run lead in the 8th inning, runners on 1st and 3rd 2 outs. Pitcher paid no attention to the runner at 1st and he waltzed uncontested to 2nd. So now a base hit not only ties the game, the lead would change. And thats exactly what happened. Cautionary tale. Wings lost a game because they ignored the runner. Stolen bases are an exciting part of the game.

I have zero confidence that Gallo can help the Twins. Unless the whiff rate decreases dramtically I expect to see him gone by the ASG. This isn't just a bad year..it has been his norm for many seasons. Kepler needs a change of scenery and I think he has trade value. Needs to be done. Twins roughed up one of the top closers in the business last night. Shows they can't be perfect all the time. (even Mariano lost a game 7 in the WS, incredibly) Any guess how Buck will be used when he is reactivated? His bat is too weak to be the regular DH (at least so far) and within one week of playing CF, his knees will give way, or something else that will sideline him indefinitely.

Didn't get it done in the 8th but a real nice 9th. Actually the way the Twins have failed to hit in the clutch lately I don't blame Castro for taking a chance to score that tying run. Could have easily ended up with 3 k's against this tough closer. Well--they blew a tough one Sunday. Won a good one tonite, Thats baseball!

probably the last guy you want up in that spot is someone who strikes out once every 2 AB's. And he watches a pitch right down the middle, showing you how little confidence he brings this season. Visions of Sano in similar situations. It is the rare game this year when the Twins strike out fewer than 10 times. Their lineup just doesn't work. I wish Farmer had a chance to hit. This team is pretty frustrating

This is what happens when too many stats clutter the landscape. You get some real crazy results, and some just are not congruent. When you go to the games, do you enjoy watching him play...both defensively and at the plate? If so you are happy with what he contributes. If not, you are going to want him gone. Right? Are you excited when he comes to the plate? Are you giddy when the ball is hit in his direction? This is the kind of stuff that the fan who goes to games looks for. He doesn't spend inordinate amount of time talking launch angle, exit speed, WAR, peace, detente, whatever. When I went to games in Montreal and Vlad Sr was up, everything else stopped. You couldn't wait to see him hit. When Buck is healthy (hardly ever happens anymore) didn't you love watching him patrol CF..making all those plays. How does Kepler fit those criteria when watching him play? Is he helping the team win, or has he become a liability? For me then, I would say based on watching the Twins on TV only...I wouldn't cry if Kepler and Pagan were let go. They aren't guys I can't wait to see when I watch the Twins. Hate to say it but Buxton is starting to trend that way and I never ever thought I'd feel that way.

We are enjoying how the robo ump is doing this year in Rochester. During weekday games the robot is energized. A real ump still calls balls and strikes, but each team gets I believe 5 challenges if they think the ump blew it. They then refer to the robot and it tells them what the pitch was. Not positive on how many challenges you get, or what happens when you are wrong too many times. I think you just lose the right to challenge. Anyway it is being used at AAA with the idea that it will eventually be brought up to MLB. So far not too many missed calls.

Some of the oldies threw the ball pretty hard...Nolan Ryan, Bob Feller, Drysdale, Koufax, Pedro M, and of course many others. However lets agree that today all the starters seem to want to throw the ball thru a brick wall. Has that helped the game? Or the athlete? Is it necessary? Do the fans enjoy k after k after k? I'd sure like having starters go 8 and 9 innings again. Sidenote: when I was much younger a guy named Steve Dalkowsky pitched briefly for the Red Wings. Saw him throw a few games. His fastball was about 110 mph and nobody had a clue where it was going. Joe Altobelli was assigned to room with him on the road. He had a BUNCH of stories to tell. The guy was a legend but couldn't control his pitches.

I miss Arraez. Trading a current batting champ and then watching him try to hit .400 down in the anonymity of Miami hurts. The guy we got for him hasn't set the world on fire yet...hope he eventually does. Buxton apparently can't play CF anymore. His body just won't allow it. Worse, his offense is only mediocre at best as DH. He still fans too much and has too many long stretches where he gets zero hits. The bloom has gone off that rose. He is hurt all the time. Every season.

it was disappointing that our pitcher couldn't retire hitters 7 8 and 9 in that spot for sure. I think having watched baseball for over 60 years, that starting pitchers have devolved (or managers are afraid to use them like they used to) The complete game is gone gone gone. If a starter goes 6 innings anymore, thats news. Pitchers can't seem to get guys out anymore unless they are throwing 100 mph. No wonder you don't see relievers being able to pitch as much. The whole pitching dynamic has changed. I watched the O's 4 starters each win 20 games one season. They pitched a ton of innings. Bullpens weren't stressed as much when a starter completed 20-25 games. You rarely heard of a reliever being 'not available' to pitch in any game. Some pitchers (like hitters) thrive in high pressure situations. (I know the metrics folks will argue thats not true but I always use the eye test..works for me) Pagan just seems to 'find' spots where he doesn't succeed. Yesterday he really failed. When you blow a 6-1 lead people notice. Overall the Twins have battled incredible amounts of injuries this season. They really are nothing more than a .500 team and the Central Division hasn't caught up yet. But they will. And too many of the 'regulars' who do play are having poor seasons so far. When healthy, guys like Buxton, Correa, Gallo etc have to be better. Its a long season and so far Twins have gotten away with mediocrity. Chew on this one: the Brewers just got swept by the A's...who were 12-50 coming in. Think they will be mad as hornets taking on the Twins? Pagan aside, Twins have a lot of other issues to deal with. For me, the big one is trying to keep players off the IL. Then the 'k' problem, which is huge. Then what to do with Buxton, who is becoming just a less than stellar liability due to his fragile body. If the guys are still in 1st by the ASG, I'll be happy.

Baseball 101,,game on the line two outs in 9th tying run at 3rd...you just cannot get called out on strikes on a close pitch. You have to be prepared to swing. thats the lousiest way to end a game and Twins are striking out far too much. I wonder when Gallo comes back what they plan to do with him. He is Sano's clone. HR or k..with mostly k. At least Sano did hit over .200 most the time. Gallo has been below the Mendoza Line in several seasons. I can't see him helping the team like this.

honest--as soon as I heard Pagan was coming in I immediately switched this game from W to L. His track record as a Twin is just horrifying overall. Bad loss. Real bad loss.

Pagan is useless. He was useless last year and he is useless again this year. Why the Twins still see value in this guy is way beyond me. A simply miserable performance.