Western SD Fan

I understand that Raleigh is likely faster than Rowdy Tellez was, but he should have been able to get Raleigh out there.

What is this sorcery of taking advantage of another team's misakes?! I thought this was a gentlemen's game!

Do you walk the bases loaded and force Wallner to beat you?

Starting to believe that more and more with listening to the report that Correa had with the coaches. Where is Rocco on this? Why is Rocco not requiring fielding practice after the disastrous weekend against Milwaukee? Running the bases? Why is it that Correa has to bring this up?

I like that Ober is generating ground balls tonight for a fly ball pitcher. RISP with nobody out! LET'S GO!!

I also like how he has responded to embarrassing himself on Saturday by not running out the strikeout for the last out of the game.

Ober is susceptible to giving up the gopher ball. Another thing to look for is Ober's velocity and to see if he is still below his career average or if they have done something to help his hip from his last start.

This is looking more and more like a desperation attempt to further baby the back end of the rotation. We (fans) are measuring how deep the start or appearance is by number of innings pitched and the Twins staff is measuring by the number of at bats that pitcher faces. If we compare the other pitchers that have been through the pipeline during their first two years at the MLB level, we seem to get similar results. I included Joe Ryan even though he was an almost finished product when he came to the Twins and Paddack, since up until this year, he has not been a pitcher that goes deep into ballgames. SWR 2022-2025 (1 start in both 2022 and 2023): 41 games and 18.4 AB/game Festa 2024-2025: 21 games and 17.9 AB/Game Ober 2021-2022: 31 games and 18.3 AB/Game Ryan 2021-2022: 32 games and 20.0 AB/game Paddack 2024-2025: 32 games and 20.8 AB/game As stated above, Ryan was a nearly finished product when he was traded here. Paddack is my control as a back of the rotation starter since he is a veteran. As we can see, Paddack gets more run, likely because of his veteran status than the younger pitchers listed above. IMO, Ober is the only pitcher here who has graduated the pipeline, and his AB's/game was below SWR's at a similar time in their respective careers. The concept of never trusting a young pitcher seems to just be the Twins way. Ober and Ryan in 2021-2022 were not the "bulk" pitcher with an opener in front of them. They were allowed to start and figure it out. The difference is that the team wasn't expected to compete in 2021 and 2022, especially when they faded so badly in 2022, whereas the expectation to compete in 2025 has brought added pressure to do something to save the season. I personally think they should ditch the opener. They don't have a reliever capable of going multiple quality innings like other teams when they use an opener. The other issue of the opener is that when it doesn't work, as in the opener seeing 6+ batters in the inning, you're really stuck as to 1) leaving them out there to rot to get out of the inning, 2) bringing in your "starter" in the middle of an inning, or 3) waste another reliever to get out of the inning. They also don't run into teams that suddenly turnover their lineups after the opener is out of the game (right Rocco?). Starters just need to be more efficient with their pitches and this solution searching for a problem goes away. When you have a batter 0-2 and then throw another 6 pitches to finally get them out, the starter is going to wear out quicker.

Let's hope today's start is a new chapter for SWR. He was finally allowed to pitch the third time through the order today. Starting in the 3rd inning (halfway through the 2nd time through the order) to the 6th inning, he only allowed one baserunner and was efficient with his pitches in 8,8,16, and 11 for his last 4 innings. I realize he gave up 4 runs (3 earned), but given the pitching woes as of late, that's a victory. SWR is supposed to be a back of the rotation starter, and he is giving you what you would expect from a back of the rotation starter. My more immediate concern is why the rest of the staff has all of a sudden slid back and can't seem to get out of the 5th inning.

I will give Rocco a rare compliment amongst all of the bad play this past week. Whether he was forced by a battered bullpen or not, he actually let SWR go a third time through the order and SWR responded with his best pitching of the afternoon in that spot. He gave what I would call a back end of the rotation quality start, 6 IP and 3-4 runs, essentially kept us in the game. Unfortunately, the offense thought it was just too hot out there to stand on those bases and didn't help him out.

I wouldn't call any lefty that can channel the Ghost of Jamie Moyer through an Ouija board in the same breath as the pitchers you just named above. See Patrick Corbin, Colton Gordon, Brandon Walter, Abbott, and Nick Lodolo. Those are just the lefties we have faced in the last two weeks and each of them have embarrassed us.

Was 103 where I live today and that is what is coming to Minnesota. Oh yes. And Minnesota has humidity!

Like a banana being duct taped to a wall modern art?

Worst part about the way Wentz is pitching right now is that someone has to pitch the ninth inning. Maybe they'll score another run or two. Bride should have his arm back by now.

I apologize. I didn't realize you were a TV personality. /s

That gives a lot more context to my post right above you.

Only thing scarier than TV personalities doing math are lawyers doing math.

I like your enthusiasm Trev, but it's over. Have we been watching the same game? They seem to be going through the motions tonight.

I was hoping that Pat Murphy would channel his inner Rocco and take the kid out with six innings but only 80 pitches. He's back out there!

If this disaster is finished for the Twins, he would be the third youngest in the NL to throw a perfect game and would be the second youngest in the AL only to Catfish Hunter.

Much closer than it should have been. Had to go to replay to get the call. Wheels on the bus are coming off.....

And with only 63 pitches through 5, he may yet get a CG opportunity if he gets another quick inning.

Did he hire Angel Hernandez to run the place?!?!

I thought they just put it on the TV screen that he just set the record for hitless innings for a starting pitcher with 9.

One thing with Joe Ryan that is beginning to concern me is the outward reaction to pitches that aren't getting called. For better or worse, I can see umpires not giving him anything close due to his antics on the mound. That runs his pitch count up and now we see that he will barely be a 5-inning pitcher when we really need 6-7 out of him more often than not.