mikelink45

Wonderful to win in a game like this. Both pitchers s named Lopez have had it long bad streaks. We need Pablo especially to get out of this funk. Time to stop celebrating the contract and get back to work. And I agree with everybody who wants to bring back Wallner.

Wallner should be up. Look at the production from our current OF. Balazovic still not productive. Time for Thielbar to come back.

I loved this game - maybe the best of the season. Varland has proven he belongs in the major league rotation. I do agree I would have let him go to the 8th and if a shut out the 9th. To have offense and pitching both clicking is great. Too bad Lopez had to implode. I have never seen a worse appearance. But it is not a single event. Look at his last games. He threatens to become this years Pagan. After a poor second half last year what is our confidence level. The BP needs help. Last 5 Games Date Tm Opp Result App,Dec DR IP H R ER BB SO HR HBP WP IBB PO BK BF Pit Str StL StS GB FB LD PU Unk GmSc IR IS WPA aLI cWPA acLi RE24 2023-05-31 MIN @ HOU W 8-2 8-8 1 0.0 2 2 2 1 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 4 16 9 0 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 -0.029 0.14 -0.02% 0.14 -2.982 2023-05-29 MIN @ HOU W 7-5 (10) 8-8 1 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 3 6 4 1 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.029 0.52 0.02% 0.52 0.478 2023-05-27 MIN TOR W 9-7 9-9 3 0.0 3 3 3 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 4 22 14 2 1 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 -0.136 0.66 -0.08% 0.61 -2.974 2023-05-23 MIN SFG L 3-4 7-7, BL 1 1.0 2 2 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 5 18 11 2 1 1 2 1 1 0 0 0 -0.359 1.56 -0.22% 1.61 -1.537 2023-05-21 MIN @ LAA L 2-4 7-7 0 0.1 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 12 6 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 1 -0.276 1.58 -0.19% 1.84 -2.066

Because I work all over North America I bought the MLB.com package a couple years ago and was hit with blackouts even when I was in the midst of the Maritimes and in the waters of Alaska. I really hope things work out or I will not purchase any packages. Even Audacy will not bring me radio in other markets.

The problem is - it is not a bad stretch - it is his best stretch and we are 1/3rd of the way through the season, not opening month.

I was sorry to see them go - Mahle's health record was a red flag. Now I root for them to succeed in their new roles and I think the Reds will be really pleased. Look at Mahle's history. What made us think he was a star? 017 22 CIN NL 1 2 .333 2.70 4 4 0 0 0 0 20.0 19 6 6 0 11 1 14 4 0 1 92 168 4.01 1.500 8.6 0.0 5.0 6.3 1.27 2018 23 CIN NL 7 9 .438 4.98 23 23 0 0 0 0 112.0 125 68 62 22 53 7 110 3 0 1 507 84 5.25 1.589 10.0 1.8 4.3 8.8 2.08 2019 24 CIN NL 3 12 .200 5.14 25 25 0 0 0 0 129.2 136 82 74 25 34 0 129 6 1 2 556 91 4.66 1.311 9.4 1.7 2.4 9.0 3.79 2020 25 CIN NL 2 2 .500 3.59 10 9 0 0 0 0 47.2 34 21 19 6 21 0 60 4 1 2 201 137 3.88 1.154 6.4 1.1 4.0 11.3 2.86 2021 26 CIN NL 13 6 .684 3.75 33 33 0 0 0 0 180.0 158 78 75 24 64 0 210 10 0 4 759 125 3.80 1.233 7.9 1.2 3.2 10.5 3.28 2022 27 TOT MLB 6 8 .429 4.40 23 23 0 0 0 0 120.2 104 61 59 16 43 0 126 2 1 3 503 100 3.87 1.218 7.8 1.2 3.2 9.4 2.93 2022 27 CIN NL 5 7 .417 4.40 19 19 0 0 0 0 104.1 91 53 51 12 39 0 114 2 1 3 440 102 3.60 1.246 7.8 1.0 3.4 9.8 2.92

Ted, are you hired to make the mess look like a success? 5 for 20 - also 5 Ks. -149 WPA. And how much are we paying him to be a superstar? No we have the right to criticize Date Tm Opp Result Pos AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS IBB GIDP SF SH ROE BOP WPA aLI cWPA acLI RE24 PO A 2023-05-30 MIN @ HOU L 1-5 SS 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 3 -0.013 0.74 -0.01% 0.76 -0.477 1 2 2023-05-29 MIN @ HOU W 7-5 (10) SS 5 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 -0.118 1.12 -0.07% 1.12 -1.354 2 9 2023-05-28 MIN TOR L 0-3 SS 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 -0.099 1.24 -0.06% 1.22 -0.877 1 1 2023-05-26 MIN TOR L 1-3 SS 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0.070 1.19 0.04% 1.18 0.655 5 4 2023-05-22 MIN SFG L 1-4 SS 4 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0.011 0.65 0.01% 0.66 0.194 2 2

We should be impressed with mediocracy? We are 10 - 6 in our division which features a KC team that is kept off the MLB bottom by the A's We are 6 - 1 versus the Royals. Remove that and we are 22 - 25 in the weakest division in the AL. We lead the league in Ks - that is our offense - we strikeout more than any other team. Our BA leader is Buxton at 221. We are 24th in team BA - 234 and 19th in team OPS. Nice try Matt, but this is not the time to be impressed. I am impressed by the SP, but it ends there.

I agree, except Correa has been in th3e 3 spot too long. Make him earn it with a 7 spot.

I think it is time for Correa to take a seat for a couple days or at least be dropped down in the lineup.

Insert Wallner at 4. And I would stay with Julien at 2B, but Farmer would be fine too.

Wallner showing the team it was a mistake to send him down.

I have been against the DH in the HOF since the beginning. Just as I am reluctant to put in RP. That standard is easy for me to support.

Buxton only play half the game - DH, not defense means to me he should only get credit for 1/2 game each time he plays. I know that is unpopular, but look at the total package. Taylor and Buxton - one can't hit, one isn't playing defense but that is two players for one position and the options for lineup are substantially weakened.

How did a hit become a weak grounder? How many of his HRs have been with men on base?

And what is the result when he strikes out?

As his constant critic I want him to make contact with the ball when we have runners on base.

I find it sad. Gallo has a reputation that I do not understand with Twins writers. Yes his cumulative Slg looks good, But was early season success when he piled up 7 HRs in April. In May he had 4. His OBP in April was 349 in May it was 326. OPS in May was 1.066 in April it was 706. . In April he batted 226, in May 183. He struck out 21 times in April and 32 in May. I can do without him. If he is going to be gone next year I say good riddance, Kepler batted 263 in April and 142 in May. And we send Wallner down? OBP April 343, May 234. SLG 491 - 381. OPS 835/615. I hate the justifications of these players without looking deeper. In April they were contributors in May they were Albatrosses ( I hate to denigrate the bird).

Thanks for the review. Interesting to see the prospect list. There seems to be some guys who are going to have to drop down or off the list with the next revision. Soon Lewis will not be eligible and if the Twins are smart Wallner will also move up and off the list. The pitchers - Balazovic and Headrick and Richardson are not blossoming - so who is next to be a call up?

Okay - the young guys are doing what the vets have not - so why Gallo and Kepler and not Wallner? That is my only complaint, I know they contributed 5 Ks to keep us in the league lead, but seriously are these the batters we want when we need a hit, a runner????

I know we had a retrospective on Aaron Hicks. Good player not great. Retrospectives are important for judging decisions so considering how important the BP is - wouldn't it be nice if it had Hendriks, Pressly, Graderol, Taylor, Cano? How about a look back at these moves and the question comes to mind is how we could miss Cano and Hendriks. What has happened to them that the Twins could not fix? I am also interested in the rotation rankings. I think Gray is our number one and wonder why we have not extended him. Ryan is 1A and I love to see him pitch. Then the question is for number three is it Ober over Lopez? His performance has outshown Lopez since he has been called up. Varland is easily the number 5 in this group. And will Maeda force him out of the rotation or will we use Kenta in the BP?

I would give the batting MVP to Farmer. He has come through in a variety of ways not just the three true outcomes.

My prediction is that Kepler will look the same as he always has and that Gallo will lead the K happy team to new heights as they continue to lead the leagues in strike outs.

It's really hard to find something new to write about. It seems like each week we blunder into the same kind of poor performance following a hopeful one. This week our young players look like they're ready to go and then immediately after they get sent down for a player like Kepler who has disappointed for the last few years. The bullpen now has Jax, Pagan, and Lopez shaking our faith. And Stewart and Duran giving us our only two reliable arms. Good night

Yesterday we actually scored runs - of course we didn't today and what is wrong with Ober, doesn't he know he has to throw a shut out if he doesn't want to lose? And Wallner goes down because Kepler comes back? Wallner 369/520 - 1.099 OPS, Kepler 212/298 - 742. Makes sense. Well we won 1 of 3 - is that a victory?