h2oface

I guess Romo doesn't make the top 4 cut, eh?....... and..... are they really the best, lately? 3 of them gave up 6 runs in 3 innings, and May and Duffey both gave up 2 in .2 innings on Saturday, with May giving up a dinger in his last two outings.

I had to laugh at the MLB site with the headline "Twins' bats awaken, but losing streak hits 6". 5 hits. All of 5 hits. In a 9 inning game. That's how many hits pitchers used to give up in complete game shutouts. And 13 Ks. That is awake? And two of the runs (more?) came from 3 errors by the White Sox. Hey, sure, Kepler missed that fly, and the 3 runs are scored as unearned, but your closer has to step up and be a closer. There was one out, and a runner on first. Big deal. He could have walked him. No biggy. He proceeded to give 3 hits. Again. He really ins't fooling anyone. Rogers fall has been like watching Molitor keep calling on Perkins at the end of 2015 and every one knows what is going to happen, and it is not going to be good. Can he get it back? Did Wes break him? Can he fix him? At least Perkins was hurt. Rogers ERA even went down for this game! How is that for a good thermometer of his performance. Extra outs. Right. One. He is the guy that needs to be able to weather that. Cleveland brings up yet another farmed pitcher (Triston McKenzie), and he Ks 10 against Detroit right out of the gate. Why can't we have nice things like that? Maybe the pitching success at Cleveland had nothing to do with Falvey. I don't see that happening with our farm. I really don't think any of this is on the Manager. I think the boys got fat heads, and need to focus and wake up. This is really ugly to watch. I wish they would call up a couple prospects. One just might be fearless. Not ready you say? Well, are the boys playing now ready? They have had about 7 plus weeks now to get ready, and it doesn't look like it.

Looks like they read on TD that they were an automatic for the playoffs after their 10-2 start, and decided that was it. But you have to play the games. 10-13 since, with 4 game and 5 game losing streaks. MOY needs to light a fire. You still have to play the games.

Less travel, less varied exposure in the grouping. There is a virus that will shut things down in a wink, after all. Seems smart to me.

All tied up now. And Cleveland and Chicago even have greater run differentials by 8 and 6. This team can't win on predictions and what it looks like on paper. Going 5-5 against KC, and performing like they did in the later innings the last two games against Cleveland and I am not near so optimistic. And now two more double headers with Detroit. No fearsome offense to be seen and they need luck. I would take 18-10 for sure.

I watch the Twins ...... for a special form of punishment. To be disappointed and get angry and scream at the screen..... and I do it over and over and over, all my life. I am glad people put this game in perspective, and speak out about what is really important in the world. Come to baseball to ESCAPE? I don't know what anybody is talking about. I skydive to escape.

The sooner the Twins move away from more Thorpe, the better. Just an opinion.

Not really out hit. In fact, equal number of hits by games end, and starting the bottom of the 8th, the Twins had 10 hits to Cleveland's 7. The bottom of the 8th brought 3 hits, 2 more walks (to make the total 6 given) and a HBP. 6 walks killed us. 2 scored, and the 3 run homer off Berrios was by an inch or two distance and 10 inches from being foul. Timely hitting, maybe. But the 7 extra base runners given to Cleveland by the pitching put several more runners in scoring position. These are the type of games that show what a team has, not the ones playing Detroit. This is what a team has to overcome to become serious contenders, and advance in the playoffs. What we are seeing with Taylor blowing Maeda's gem, and these last two in Cleveland, are a team not ready, again, for the prime time and the bright lights. They hae some time to get there, though. And Baldelli seems to be playing the slow game and trying to make sure the team that is ready for post season is the healthy team we want to field, instead of this team.

"....it certainly wasn’t his best effort, but it wasn’t a terrible outing either and he gave his team a chance to win, which is all you can really ask for." I think most want and ask for the Ace to be smothering and totally shut down..... at least more that once a month. They ask that of themselves, too. Just giving your team a chance to win.... well, those teams don't usually win it all. And it takes more than one pitcher. I have always felt Romo is a risk in the back end of games and have been pleasantly surprised a bunch. I fear this type of outing will be seen more often. Sure hope this "fearsome" offense becomes one. 0-2 for the second half of this short season.

Hold the lead in the 6th or 9th? Alcala in the ninth instead of Duffey and there is less pressure? Alcala just wasn't up to it today. To bad, too. We had beaten Bieber up to that point, until we put Alcala in. He would have been a loser or a no decision at best if Alcala holds that inning. Alcala needed to hold, and set up Duffey. Man, was he serving the meat to Lindor. I wish these guys were ready when they come in. Poppen walked the first two as well. Hill was pulled at the right time. Especially with his rehabbing. This game was not sacrificed. Alcala had to step up, and Baldelli was right to give him a shot based on his success. Kudos. Alcala just wasn't ready. Sure, like others, I was giving Cleveland this game in a 2-1 series win for the Twins. But after you have Bieber beat, it is a real bummer to go back to that for comfort. Our line-up is pretty weak right now. We even have Wade in.

Day two was cruel. Damn baseball.

3 K's on the second night for Jeffers (and Wade pinch hit and struck out for him, too). Gushing is fun, and I was one that was wanting him in there, and still do. Especially over Astudillo. But that must have stung and much as the first night brought the joy. Littell I saw coming and was and am hoping for Duran. I don't think Littell will ever have a run like he did at the end of last year. I think that was his shine.

Lynn didn't do any favors to the Yankees in the last part of the season in 2018 either. Must have just been the year from hell for him. He had to be motivated to perform well because it was a "contract year" for him again. I was surprised that Texas gave him the 3 year respectable contract after all that, but they have been rewarded for doing so. I still don't want to see Lynn again, and I would consider him a good pitcher, at times, but never a "great" pitcher. I would much rather see Duran. Forward only. Not backward. I certainly don't want to trade good young players in this weird COVID year.

Odd lineup. Kepler hitting 8, Sano (he has been heating up) in clean-up, Gonzalez leading off and Cave hitting 2.... no Polanco..... but cast off Ildemaro Vargas... and Ehire Adrianza 6,7. Not the lineup that was picked to finish 1st in the AL Central. To be fair..... we also lost 3 in a row to KC, so Cleveland took care of business while this team did not. Plus, Detroit is hitting like the Twins were supposed to. Chicago is rising, too. This is gonna be an interesting next 6 weeks.

Good for Tatis. Sometimes baseball players are real babies. It is a game, after all. A good bunt IS a hit. It is a great hit. It is a smart hit. No mater when or in any circumstance.

Ata buddy, Jose! That's what I'm talkin' about. Bring it.

So very happy for Jeffers. So glad the Twins were smart enough to bring him up instead of Astudillo. Really key to keep the new blood rising.

NO NO NO NO. No Lance Lynn on the Twins ever again. He was a infectious attitude, and not in a good way. Let him pitch for losers.

And the winner is ..... JEFFERS!!!!

Rogers and LaTroy, too.

I hope it is Jeffers. Astudillio is a horrible catcher. Plus, I think the spark would come from the youth, and not the mediocre Astudillio. I would love to see Duran, and he is already on the 40 man roster. I am really tired of the Thorpe outings. After 72 pitches tonight, he isn't available for a few days anyway.

Taylor Rogers is on the mum about this. I haven't seen a statement from him anywhere.

Ah.... the Connie Mack rule. The rules' predecessor was any ball tipped and caught was an out. Foul tip at any point. First or second strike, too. No, I don't advocate changing the current rule in place, at all. https://peoplepill.com/people/connie-mack/ In addition to verbally needling batters to distract them, he developed skills such as blocking the plate to prevent base runners from scoring and faking the sound of a foul tip. (He was probably responsible for the 1891 rule change requiring that a batter must have two strikes against him in order to be called out if the catcher caught a foul tip.) It would be nice to see Duffey get some shots in the ninth. He seems to be the most on his game of those in the pen. But I think Baldelli is trying some things, and still winning 2 out of 3 games. It really is pretty amazing to me. I mean, I certainly would not have picked Theilbar to come in at that stage of this game.

Kenta Maeda got "deGrom'ed".

How does the song go? "And it's one, two, three strikes you're out at the ol' ball game." I believe that is the foundational principle of the sport. That is why there is even a song about it that is sung during the 7th inning stretch of every game. Should those lyrics be changed to include the - except if the batter is so fooled he swings at a pitch that even the catcher can't catch, and then he has the opportunity to run to first base and even though the play is still ruled a strikeout, if he gets there before the ball gets there he is safe? Think “innocent until proven guilty”? I know that's not really true. Not in practice, anyway. Propaganda. I think there is now even a 3 strikes and you are out law. Think "three strikes and you're out". And all the other strikes count as one of the three strikes whether the catcher catches it or not. Maybe the rules of football should be changed. I mean, you can fumble the ball after you cross the goal line as part of a continuation of the motion, like after a third stike has been completed, and the play is over..... once they ball crosses the plate.... er, I mean, goal line. I will always hate that rule. Was it always a rule? From the very beginning of baseball? Or was it added as a rule somewhere after the foundational very first rule book? And if so, there must have been a reason. But like the height of a pitcher's mound, and the distance from the mound to home plate, rules can change. https://sabr.org/journal/article/the-dropped-third-strike-the-life-and-times-of-a-rule/ I'm glad Kepler was able to get to first tonight, though. I am a hypocrite when it comes to the Twins winning.