Jump to content
Can the Twins close out a game against the Reds and get back in the win column? Join the conversation! ×
Twins Daily
  • Create Account

darwin22

Verified Member
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    623

  • Joined

  • Last visited

 Content Type 

Profiles

News

Minnesota Twins Videos

2026 Minnesota Twins Top Prospects Ranking

2022 Minnesota Twins Draft Picks

Minnesota Twins Free Agent & Trade Rumors, Notes, & Tidbits

Guides & Resources

2023 Minnesota Twins Draft Picks

The Minnesota Twins Players Project

2024 Minnesota Twins Draft Picks

2025 Minnesota Twins Draft Pick Tracker

Forums

Blogs

Events

Store

Downloads

Gallery

Everything posted by darwin22

  1. darwin22
    Complete embarrassment.
  2. darwin22
    Glad to see the bats come alive tonight! I must admit I didn't watch as I needed a serious "mental health break" after watching every minute of the last 3 games. Will be interesting to see how long Headrick stays up considering the recent command issues that Moran has suffered.
  3. darwin22
    Echoing the comments of many as prior to this series I would've been elated with a split considering our horrendous record over the years vs. the Yanks. Saying that, pretty deflating last 2 games---scoring 1 run. This offense, collectively, is not very good as evidenced by the fact that they rank 12th in the AL with 63 runs scored--outscoring only the A's, Tigers and Royals. Being in 1st place just shows how strong our starting pitching (minus Mahle) has been. Today marked the 7th game (of 16) that the offense has produced 2 runs or less. Overall, 10 of 16 games (62.5%) with 3 runs or less. Getting Gallo back this week and hopefully Polanco within the next 10 days will spark the offense. Got to believe that Miranda will get his bat going soon. Buxton looked totally clueless the last 2 games. Just brutal. As for Kepler, what is there to say? I know just off the DL, but 2-22 (.091) speaks for itself. Time to move onto Boston and find a way to win a series.
  4. darwin22
    Thanks for your information and insight. Hopefully Gordon can get "it" figured out. Its getting late early concerning his future in this organization.
  5. darwin22
    Agree with your assessment of replacements--namely Kepler replacing Wallner and Gallo replacing Garlick. My follow up question is who to demote when Polanco is ready to be activated? IMO, the easy answer is Castro or Julien. Saying that, how much longer does Nick Gordon have to get going? Does he have an option remaining? If so, I think the front office has to give serious consideration to sending Gordon down to find his stroke/ getting his confidence going. Gordon is now 4-40 on the season. 4 for 40. I know Castro doesn't offer much more.....hitting .118 (2-17) and is the likely player to gets demoted to SP when Polo is deemed healthy. Saying that, IF Gordon has a option remaining, he's in desperate need of a "system reset" at St. Paul. Gordon needs a 10-14 day stint in AAA getting consistent (and productive) ABs. Although Castro offers little more than Gordon offensively, he can revert (soon) to being a bench player. Assuming Gordon can get his batting stroke worked out at SP, he can easily brought back with Castro taking his place at SP.
  6. darwin22
    12-8-1-0-0-0 For those wondering what those numbers mean----it was Pagan's line tonight: 12 pitches 8 strikes 1 K------Volpe on swinging strike three to end the inning 0 hits allowed 0 BB 0 Runs As much as criticism as I've voiced (rightfully so) about Pagan's failures----tonight--at least tonight in Yankee Stadium of all places he was very successful and worthy of being a key contributor to a Twins win.
  7. darwin22
    I agree with the majority of opinions expressed as its far too early to become overly concerned with Correa's slow start. As mentioned he experienced a similar start last season in April. Saying that, I do believe its important to note that despite an excellent end to his season in September--.345/.405/.600 with 7 HRs and 18 RBI---by that time the Twins had fallen out of contention as CLE took control of the division as the Twins floundered down the stretch. What many fail to point out was what Correa did during the months of July and August when the Twins were still leading the division and trying to hold onto their lead with a plethora of injuries. Correa's stats over July and August 2022: AB: 179 Hits: 42*/ 31 of which were singles .AVG: .235 EBH: 11 Slug %: .369 With the current rash of injuries---this team cannot afford Correa to have a ANOTHER mid season 2-month slump if they have any desire to play meaningful games in September or October.
  8. darwin22
    Considering we had a "C" team (not even JV) lineup against Cease, I was surprised to lose by 1-run. Sure didn't think by 10th game of season we'd have a lineup missing 4 starters that were in opening day lineup. Other than a center cut spinning slider that Alberto crushed for a 3-run bomb, I thought Maeda pitched ok. Despite some command issues, I was pleased to see Moran throw 2 shutout innings. Hopefully certain players are healthier and rested and in lineup tomorrow night.
  9. darwin22
    I hope your correct as Moran has "the stuff" to be a key component in our pen. His issue (as with most younger pitchers) is command and consistency. None of the potential bullpen arms in SP right now---Dobnak, Winder (hurt), DeLeon, Rodriguez or Headrick (only LH)---are that appealing.
  10. darwin22
    Hope that is not the case, but with ANOTHER day game on Monday, I doubt Baldelli uses Duran as threw 19 pitches Friday and then had to reload in the pen as Moran was unraveling in the 9th. Assuming Mahle can go 5+ (hopefully more) tomorrow, I can envision Baldelli going to Alcala first followed by Thielbar. If that can get us into the 8th, then a combo of Jax (25 pitches) and Lopez (22 pitches last two games, but only 8 today) to finish what is hopefully another W.
  11. darwin22
    Agree with your assessment 100%! Saying that I've been a fan of Moran since I saw him pitch for the Wind Surge in Wichita a couple of years ago. He has a fantastic changeup, but has struggled with his consistency. That was evidenced today as he got Alvarez to fly out in the 9th and then whiffed Tucker after Abreu's infield single. Really disappointed he failed miserably in the match up with Pena, who had been struggling to make contact all day. Just wondering at this point how many more outings Moran will get should his struggles continue. IMO we absolutely need another LH in the pen beyond Thielbar. Should Moran get demoted soon is Megill his replacement? Cant say I'm excited by that.
  12. darwin22
    Lots of hits left in that bat---I'm hoping as Correa took another collar (0-5) today with 3 Ks. Am I in the minority camp of being concerned about him? Everyone likes to point to his excellent September last season--and it was very good. Saying that, not much of any mention is made of his AWFUL numbers post ASB through the end of August. That just happened to be the time period when we really needed his bat with Buxton (and others) out injured.
  13. darwin22
    Ugh! Very deflating end to this road trip after a 4-0 start. On the positive side I was very impressed with the outing of Lopez. Also, Larnach continues to be a key part of lineup getting the game-tying hit off of Luzardo. On the flip (negative) side a couple of things: #1 Easy to lay blame on Thielbar for giving up go ahead run and then the game-ending BOMB by Soler. Thielbar has demonstrated his effectiveness for a long period and got a huge 2nd out whiffing Arraez. Saying that, am I the only Twins fan wondering why our BEST RP---Duran was not brought into the game to face Arraez? Duran hasn't pitched since opening day. I know he was unavailable in KC on Sunday, but hadn't heard anything that would've kept him out today. I would've preferred to see Duran against Arraez and DeLaCruz instead of Thielbar. #2 I know only a small sample size-------but in 4 of our 6 games this offense has only produced 6 runs. Collectively in those 4 games the following numbers are horrible---remember 2 of those were against Zack Greinke & Jordan Lyles Avg: .184 (24-130) EBH: 3---------2 doubles (Buxton & Jeffers) 1 triple- Buxton HR-0 Slug Pct: .215---------yes .215-----that is beyond awful! LOB: 26 K's: 34*--including 12 today with every batter whiffing at least once. Our starting pitching has been excellent all season. Bullpen, other than today, has been very good. Buxton, Gallo and Larnach need our other "core hitters"----namely Correa, Miranda and Kepler---to get their bats going. Those 3 have combined to go 10-61 (.163) with only 5 RBI and 2 extra base hits.
  14. darwin22
    Game script was fairly easy to predict especially with Buxton & Kepler out of the lineup. Alcantara is an absolute stud, who proved it tonight. Just thankful we don't have to face him again this season. Not the Cardinals have struggled over the past few seasons, but looking back on it now I bet they wished they had held onto him----as well as Zac Gallen--- when they traded for Marcel Ozuna in December 2017. Very encouraged by Maeda's start tonight and hopeful his arm issue is nothing serious. I know Ober is waiting in the wings at SP, but his first start wasn't too successful. With all our main BP arms rested with an off day TH, I would think Rocco will be aggressive in pulling Lopez at the first hint of trouble. Saying that, I expect Lopez to be ready to roll giving us a strong 5-6 IP. The key is getting Luzardo's pitch count up early to get into Marlins bullpen. I'm assuming Rocco will rest Kepler, which will likely keep Gordon in the lineup in LF. I would fully expect Donovan Solano to start at 2B as he's 4-7 (.571 avg) against Luzardo. Buxton will be back tomorrow. Would be great to see the bats heat up early allowing Lopez to take control.
  15. darwin22
    Nate: Excellent summary of the game tonight! I realize its only game #4, but its been very satisfying the last two games seeing our hitters "add on" runs after taking a lead. Far too many games last season when the failure to do that resulted in a loss. Seriously tough match up tomorrow for our hitters tomorrow vs. Alcantara. Will be interesting to see how Rocco alters the lineup (leadoff) if Kepler is unavailable. I could venture a guess that Gordon could leadoff starting in LF with Larnach moving over to RF. If that happens, either Castro or Solano could get the start at 2B as Farmer is 0-6 against Alcantara. Will be interesting to see what Maeda can deliver tomorrow night. I'm hoping for 5 IP with 3 or less runs. Will need multiple bullpen arms to cover the last 4 (or more) innings. Hate to quote the immortal Ebbie Calvin LaLoosh----but....."Man, I love winning! It's like better than losing" Go Twins!
  16. darwin22
    Count me in the minority here----thats fine, but if, as fans, we're going to be forced into watching Max Kepler's continued ineptitude at the plate----can we at LEAST see him moved down to the bottom third of the batting order? Kepler is 0-13. This is not a knee-jerk reaction to three bad games. His hitting woes have been well documented over the past two years. I realize Kepler is not the only regular not hitting (Correa 2-13, Miranda 2-11 as well as others), but a move down in the lineup MIGHT get him going. If this team has aspirations of playing meaningful games in September, how long is the leash for Kepler being our everyday RF?
  17. darwin22
    I wasn't surprised to see Lopez get the 8th inning as he only needed 8 pitches yesterday to lock down the 9th inning. I was pretty certain that neither Jax nor Thielbar would get called on. What shouldn't be surprising was Rocco going to Pagan in the 9th. The time has long passed to have to spoon feed Pagan's confidence level. It took Pagan only 4 pitches to serve up a ringing double and a scorched line drive for a single to force Rocco to get Jax warming up. Pagan did recover, but luckily it was the Royals at the bottom of their lineup. Hopefully, somebody in SP bullpen will pitch well enough over the next month to force a roster move resulting in Pagan getting dfa'ed.
  18. darwin22
    Seth: Thanks for the insight/breakdown of the Wind Surge roster. As most fans are, I'm most excited to see how Lee develops this season. I'm hoping he gets off to a strong start and forces management into moving him up to SP by the middle of July (or earlier). Also quite interested to see the progression of Festa as I saw him pitch in Cedar Rapids last year. Wil Holland is also high on my list. Great speed and bat made strides last season. Keirsey and Soularie need an injury free season as both could be realistic MLB options by 2025. The most pivotal player, imo, career wise is Sabato. His OBP has been good along with the occasional power production, but his propensity to whiff at a "Sano-esque" rate is alarming. Another poor season could result in a DFA.
  19. darwin22
    Accurate comment as he's 7-19 (.368) with 2 HRs......but would ask if the majority of those hits came in Kepler's fraud of a season in 2019?
  20. darwin22
    A few observations after today's 2nd straight shutout win: 1. Totally non sustainable, but a 0.78 team WHIP is beyond impressive---mostly due to 7.2 shutout IP from our bullpen. 2. Great seeing Jorge Alcala back. I'm guessing Alcala will be eased back into high leverage (after 6 innings) situations. IMO, a healthy and effective Alcala is the "X" factor in our bullpen. 3. Sonny Gray needs to back up his words with his actions. Gray was VERY fortunate to escape situations with RISP. His command was poor. Far too many walks (4) and inability (other than the 1st inning) to put batters away with 2 strikes. 4. Absolutely need a strong 6+ IP start from Joe Ryan tomorrow. Even with yesterday's off day, I would be shocked to see Rocco use Thielbar or Jax and to a lesser extent Lopez tomorrow. I base that on no "off day" on Monday with road series looming in MIA. That leaves 4 to cover tomorrow. Sands: ugh Pagan: no comment. But if forced to, it would be along the lines of: "Unless its a blowout (6+ runs) no #$%%^#$ way! Moran: I'm good with. Would love to get 2 IP from him. Duran: Of course----that would be a good. Now for (offensive) offense: 1. Would be interesting to know the last time a MLB team started 2-0 with a team slugging % of .324? 2. If we're forced into having to watch Kepler hit---can it at least being in lower third of lineup? In case you weren't aware-------Kepler is a goosegg for 9. Not good. 3. Joey Gallo: 6 ABs---4 whiffs. His big defensive play TH (starting 3-2-4) DP saves him (for now) from further criticism. 4. Buxton: Realize his time in CF isn't coming any day soon even with Taylor not hitting (1-7), but can our training staff get some bubblewrap for him on the bases? Will be interesting to see lineup tomorrow. I would like to see the following changes: Gordon to LF with Larnach moving over to RF. Kepler riding pine. Farmer getting start at 3B with Miranda moving to 1B. Gallo to bench Jeffers getting start at C giving Vasquez a break. I know Vasquez is hitting well, but at some point I see Rocco wanting to give Jeffers a start.
  21. darwin22
    2 games in: 0-6 with 4 whiffs against a KC pitching staff that is NOT good.
  22. darwin22
    Nice to see the Saints bats come alive today with a big power display! Impressive because it proved to me that IT REALLY IS ALLOWED to hit the ball out of the park. Forgot that after watching the Twins flail away the last 2 games in KC. Will be interesting to see how long management commits to Kepler (now a goose egg for 9) if Wallner's bat has a hot start at SP. A rough day for Julien (maybe he borrowed a few of Gallo's bats), but his performance in AZ fall league, WBC and ST warrants a possible callup in May. That assumes he hits and Buxton can return to CF duty at least 3-4 games per week. Finally, count me in the camp of rooting for Dobnak to have a strong start tomorrow. Dude is due for good fortune after the last 2 years of misery. Twins are going to need a long man in bullpen as the season progresses. IMO, Dobnak can be that guy if he pitches well at SP. Not much confidence in Maeda holding down the 5th SP slot for long. Ober, assuming he can pitch better than yesterday, will need a handoff if he takes over for Maeda.
  23. darwin22
    Agree with your assessment 100%. IMO (and possibly others), Celestino desperately needs a full year at AAA to prove he can hit-----which he never has done because he basically bypassed SP in 2021. Not overwhelmed with addition of Taylor, but his defensive attributes far outweigh what Garlick offered with his waffle iron of a glove.
  24. darwin22
    If Hrbek is unavailable for this (ice fishing), I'm sure Matt "cheeseburger" LuCroy could fill in.
  25. darwin22
    Uh, not to be snarky, but my post was being sarcastic-------No way do the Halos trade Drury now------I was maintaining that our "braintrust" (using that term lightly) should've signed Drury before the Angels did.
×
×
  • Create New...