Twins

[dutchboy]

Seems like these guys make an error every game lately. It was Lee at shortstop today. Didn't cost them this time.

[dutchboy]

Jax implodes in the 8th, Twins trail 3-1.

[dutchboy]

2nd baseman Royce Lewis hit 3 run bomb to go ahead 4-3 bottom of 8th. 

[dutchboy]

Twins win 4-3, tied with KC again. Ober very good today.

[Gunner55]

Yeah, it was great to see Lewis get the big hit as he's been struggling. I think that was the worst I seen Jax look all year, hope he gets over that real quick. A much-needed win, on to Tampa for 4. SWR goes today @ 5:50.

[dutchboy]

Twins win 5-4. Larnach & Lee homer. They pounded out 10 hits. Cleveland and KC are playing each other in a 4 game set so there is opportunity to make up ground if they can keep winning.

[Gunner55]

Both starters had a lot of pitches that were up & out over the plate. Would've been nice to see SWR go at least 5 but a W is a W. KC lost their 6th in a row 4-2 & the Twins are up a game on them now. Festa goes today, @ 5:50 again.

[Gunner55]

The pitching was good enough to win but they were 0-5 w/RISP & left 7 on base. Henriquez is opening in a bullpen game today, 5:50 again.

[dutchboy]

Little league baseball tonight at the Trop. Twins give up 8 in the 4th. Trail 8-0. Varland was left in to take the beating.

[dutchboy]

9-4 final, Twins lose.

[Steve-o]

So Twin-o-philes... What do y'all think of the move putting Royce at 2nd at this point in the season?

[dutchboy]

No option. Rocco needs all the bats he can get with Buxton and Correa out. The Correa injury has had the biggest impact IMO. They'll keep plugging along and make the play-offs where anything can happen.

[Gunner55]

Little league baseball tonight at the Trop. Twins give up 8 in the 4th. Trail 8-0. Varland was left in to take the beating.

Yeah, that got real ugly real fast & it was Varland's pick-off attempt that got it all started. Lewis had to hurry his throw home as they were going on contact. Besides, I think Vasquez will even say it was a tough play, but he should've caught it or at least blocked it. A good game from Pablo today & they can still get out of there with a split. It's 12:10, 1st pitch today.

[Steve-o]

Reading today that Royce isn't happy about playing 2nd base.  I'm sure he was feeling pressure from committing all those errors at 3rd, but I can see his point about not wanting to learn a new position at the time of the year when there is no margin for error.  I see he is DH today.

[dutchboy]

Julien homered, Lopez must have been pretty good. Twins win 4-3. 4 back of Cleveland and 1/2 game (right now) ahead of KC.

[Gunner55]

Lopez had a great FB yday, consistently hitting 97-98 with some good late movement, & he didn't miss Jeffer's glove more than maybe 2-3 times all game. His sweeper was really good too with a lot of late break. I don't think he liked his change-up much as he didn't throw many that were strikes, but his sinker was working pretty well too. He threw 91 pitches & 62 were strikes, that's 68+%. 

[Gunner55]

  Seen it described as an injury scare for Santana at the end of yday's game & I see nothing about him on the IL. Zebby goes tonight @ 7...................Apple TV+ exclusively though.

[Steve-o]

I read Buxton had more soreness after his ejection the other night - and it wasn't just his ego.  More time on the IL.   

They needed help in their bullpen at the trading deadline, and (again) they did next to nothing.  But maybe they knew...  Maybe they saw how Buxton and Correa were breaking down and thought, "You know...  unless these guys are healthy, we aren't going anywhere anyway."

[Gunner55]

  Yeah, they struggled for 2-3 weeks after the ASG, but the Twins bullpen currently has 40 saves & that is good for 7th in all of MLB. The only playoff contending teams better than that is Cleveland(46), the Brewers(45), LAD(45), & the Orioles(42). 

[dutchboy]

There still is a chance that the Twins miss the play-offs. If they were to get swept in KC this weekend they will be in real trouble. Seems Correa and Buxton won't be a factor anymore this year which beyond the loss of their bats also hurts the defense which has been shaky lately anyway. Castro is really struggling also. They need some big starts by the starters and windmill Watkins not to get anybody thrown out at home or third base. Tall order for the team this weekend.

[dutchboy]

Game 1 goes to the Royals 5-0.

Zippy fills the strike zone and the Royals pound out 10 hits.

Reagans and the rest of the Royals give up 4 hits.

Reality of what this team is without Correa, Buxton, Ryan & Paddock is starting to set in.

Gunner will fill us in but if the Twins are still facing Wacha & Lugo this weekend they are in trouble.

[LPS]

In our family pool I predicted 82 wins for the Twins.  I am the lowest.  One brother said 83, another said 88, my sister said 91.  Maybe I have a chance now.  About 20 games left.

[Gunner55]

Marsh, a 26 y/o RH with a 4.70 ERA goes today against Ober, db. Fox has it today too, 1st pitch is scheduled for 6:15. It's Wacha & SWR tomorrow @ 1:00. Even after yday's loss ESPN says the Twins still have a 92.7% of making the playoffs, while they say KC sets at 87.4%. Everybody has a lot of guys hurt & nobody is playing their best baseball of the year. So, I still like our chances for a WC. Going to need Correa & Buxton to do anything in the playoffs IMO though.

[dutchboy]

Baldelli F'd this one up again.

Ober had 15 in a row and only 83 pitches after 7 and a 2-0 lead. 8th inning here comes Duran and now he needs to haul Jax into the 2-1 game. No matter how the game turns out Ober should have gone out for the 8th.

[dutchboy]

4-2 KC after 8.

Thanks Rocco. 

[Gunner55]

   

[dutchboy]

Have the players quit?   

[Gunner55]

  I think it's just the opposite, db, they all are trying to do too much. Kind of back to their old bad habits, swinging at stuff that they shouldn't. Hence, they only had 14 hits in the series, but they had 30 K's. The team that took the field in KC this weekend looked nothing like the 1 that played Opening Day in KC & that certainly doesn't help either.

[Steve-o]

I like your glass is half-full attitude, Gunner, but it sure sounds like no one is happy.  Rocco refused to answer questions, called the team out for playing a non-professional series, and had a closed-door meeting.   

Lewis ain't happy about being asked to play 2nd.  Is is attitude wearing off on the other players?  Is it justified?  Do they see what he sees?

No Buxton.  No Correa.  I ain't sayin those guys are milking injuries, but they ain't helping the team either.  The Twins are middle of they major leagues in terms of days lost to injury, but it always seems to be guys they are counting on to lead the team.

I read a blog post identifying 5 players that won't be on the team next year, headlined by Max Kepler.  You may love him or think he is overrated, but this type of talk on the street at the end of the season when they need to win games can only be a distraction - especially when there are so many other factors that say the team ain't goin' anywhere.

I always say I don't know nothin' about nothin', but I do wonder how it sat with the players that ownership would not invest in "them" at the trading deadline when they were poised to make a run at the division.  Yeah, playing hard despite not getting everything you want is why you are called a professional, but sports are played with emotion and right now nothing seems to be looking up for the Twins. 

[dutchboy]

It was known last season that this would be his last as a Twin unless he had a monster year. In which case he signs elsewhere for more money anyway. The Kepler thing isn't a distraction. The Rocco playing everybody vs the best 9 going down the stretch is IMO although nobody will say anything. No matter what you think of Falvey and Rocco they have complete control over what gets to the press.