BallseyBall

I really had low expectation for this team at the start of the season-- predicted they would finish 71-91. BTW, the team has a worse record in games Buxton has played than in those he did not, so his absolutely unsurprising string of ouchies cannot be used as an excuse any more this year just like the others. I do not consider the second half to be a collapse since, as mentioned, they were under .500 at the AS break. I am not displeased with the FO moves to bolster the pen. Thought for sure Jeffers, Larnach and Bell would go at the deadline, but can understand why the FO kept them at the time. As they say, anything can happen once you make the playoffs so why not take advantage of a horrible AL and try to sneak in? I will have more to say at the end of the year, mostly about Buxton but also Joe Ryan. Two fan favorites for sure, but not able to get the job done.

Taj pitched very well for the most part, but I have noticed lately that he oftentimes does not bear down and relaxes with two outs. Several times there are two early outs with no one making hard contact and he gives up two or three bad at bats, oftentimes to guys low in the lineup or who otherwise have been slumping. Even in innings where he gets out of it he spends 8 or 9 extra pitches trying to nibble or keep off-stride guys who can't touch his good stuff even when they know it's coming.. Some of that I blame on Caratini's pitch calling in those situations, although he mostly does a good job. Anyway, thanks for the immaculate inning-- hopefully that carries forward with confidence to just go after guys and stay focused.

Hopefully so. Then again, he once more went 0-2 with runners in scoring position, stranding three. Take the bad with the good I guess.

Per ESPN, Buxton is hitting .156 with runners in scoring position. And when it really counts--- 2 outs and RISP- he is 2-34 for an abysmal .059 BA. Again, that's .059 in the clutch, during which he struck out more than 40% of the time. Yeah, stay healthy Buck, the Twins can't afford to lose that kind of production when it counts.