Twins 2020

Donaldson out. Kiriloff called up.

Let’s do this!

That throw by POLANCO has me wanting to puke. He could have walked over and touched second himself.

The streak may continue

Play all year and then do that poop. They should kick his ass off the team

What ever you do, don’t stick with May or Rodgers after they just got through their inning in 10 pitches!! Go with a guy who hasn’t pitched yet, no idea how he’ll react and throw today. It’s the playoffs@!@!@! Its not the damn Royals in game 158.

Different year same crap. They’ve all turned into a bunch of damn Mauers taking fastball down the middle and fastball down the middle. Horrible approach. Polanco is showing his true colors in the field. Trade him and get Lewis up here to begin the year next year. It’s obviously not over but it’s so ugly.

17 straight postseason losses.

17 straight postseason losses….. that’s pretty embarrassing!!

Almost makes me kind of laugh…their second pitcher made them all look like Serrano from major league with his curveball..

You are seeing the product of preaching launch angle with this team. They CANNOT score runs in any other fashion than the long ball. They go deep in counts but still try and hit the ball as far as they can instead of just trying to get a single. Can’t get on base, can’t move runners over, can’t score runs. I’d be surprised if they win next game. It’s embarrassing. Glad to hear Gladden get fired up on the post game about this team not teaching any fundamentals. It definitely shows.

mahtofire14 wrote:

You are seeing the product of preaching launch angle with this team. They CANNOT score runs in any other fashion than the long ball. They go deep in counts but still try and hit the ball as far as they can instead of just trying to get a single. Can’t get on base, can’t move runners over, can’t score runs.

Give me a break. Is that what you actually think? Cmon. What was last year when the entire roster had breakout years then? That wasnt from “preaching launch angle”? And this year is? Such a boring, poorly educated take. Sorry mahto, but you know better. Let me guess, tomorrow they should be bunting runners over and pitching to contact? Watch the Royals if you like that garbage.

Twins got incredibly unlucky to only score 1 run. They had 6 of the hardest 7 balls hit today but only 2 landed for hits. They’ve been bad vs lefties all year. Blessing in disguise Valdez went today and didnt start game 2. I couldnt believe Baker pulled him out of the ‘pen today. Astros score winning run on two chip shot singles, a terrible error, and a terrible walk with the bases loaded.

tbro16 wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>mahtofire14 wrote:</div>
You are seeing the product of preaching launch angle with this team. They CANNOT score runs in any other fashion than the long ball. They go deep in counts but still try and hit the ball as far as they can instead of just trying to get a single. Can’t get on base, can’t move runners over, can’t score runs.

Give me a break. Is that what you actually think? Cmon. What was last year when the entire roster had breakout years then? That wasnt from “preaching launch angle”? And this year is? Such a boring, poorly educated take. Sorry mahto, but you know better. Let me guess, tomorrow they should be bunting runners over and pitching to contact? Watch the Royals if you like that garbage.

Twins got incredibly unlucky to only score 1 run. They had 6 of the hardest 7 balls hit today but only 2 landed for hits. They’ve been bad vs lefties all year. Blessing in disguise Valdez went today and didnt start game 2. I couldnt believe Baker pulled him out of the ‘pen today. Astros score winning run on two chip shot singles, a terrible error, and a terrible walk with the bases loaded.

So, the Twins lost, right?

Good thing we made up a new lineup to throw them off!

tbro16 wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>mahtofire14 wrote:</div>
You are seeing the product of preaching launch angle with this team. They CANNOT score runs in any other fashion than the long ball. They go deep in counts but still try and hit the ball as far as they can instead of just trying to get a single. Can’t get on base, can’t move runners over, can’t score runs.

Give me a break. Is that what you actually think? Cmon. What was last year when the entire roster had breakout years then? That wasnt from “preaching launch angle”? And this year is? Such a boring, poorly educated take. Sorry mahto, but you know better. Let me guess, tomorrow they should be bunting runners over and pitching to contact? Watch the Royals if you like that garbage.

Twins got incredibly unlucky to only score 1 run. They had 6 of the hardest 7 balls hit today but only 2 landed for hits. They’ve been bad vs lefties all year. Blessing in disguise Valdez went today and didnt start game 2. I couldnt believe Baker pulled him out of the ‘pen today. Astros score winning run on two chip shot singles, a terrible error, and a terrible walk with the bases loaded.

They did score more runs via HR’s than any other American League team in the post season. So it definitely can be an issue if they don’t hit HR’s. Unfortunately I don’t think 2 games will be a big enough sample size to use for analytics when the post season is over.

Good pitching stops good hitting.
Good pitching stops mediocre hitting.
Good pitching stops the Twinks dead in their tracks.

Twins bullpen will blow more then they can possibly win if they don’t hit.

Pailofperch wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>tbro16 wrote:</div>

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>mahtofire14 wrote:</div>
You are seeing the product of preaching launch angle with this team. They CANNOT score runs in any other fashion than the long ball. They go deep in counts but still try and hit the ball as far as they can instead of just trying to get a single. Can’t get on base, can’t move runners over, can’t score runs.

Give me a break. Is that what you actually think? Cmon. What was last year when the entire roster had breakout years then? That wasnt from “preaching launch angle”? And this year is? Such a boring, poorly educated take. Sorry mahto, but you know better. Let me guess, tomorrow they should be bunting runners over and pitching to contact? Watch the Royals if you like that garbage.

Twins got incredibly unlucky to only score 1 run. They had 6 of the hardest 7 balls hit today but only 2 landed for hits. They’ve been bad vs lefties all year. Blessing in disguise Valdez went today and didnt start game 2. I couldnt believe Baker pulled him out of the ‘pen today. Astros score winning run on two chip shot singles, a terrible error, and a terrible walk with the bases loaded.

So, the Twins lost, right?

Of course I do. It’s not lazy, it’s just obvious. Leading the majors in home runs doesn’t do you much good when they are all solo home runs. They couldn’t win last year when they didn’t hit home runs either. You can’t win in the playoffs on home runs and approaching at bats by swinging for the fences on every pitch. It flat out doesn’t work. 2 hits a game, low BA with RISP and the inability to move people around the bases will lose to good fundamental baseball every time.

If losing to a sub 500 team is good, then by all means let’s keep doing what we’re doing.

Oh and by the way, those chip shots that beat us were because those hitters understood the situation and WERENT TRYING TO HIT GD HOME RUNS WITH TWO STRIKES. Pitching to contact has always been a horrible strategy. I’m talking hitting.

Also I didn’t think analytics took luck into account…..but I’m sure they’re looking to add more stat categories to bog the sport down……

mahtofire14 wrote:

They CANNOT score runs in any other fashion than the long ball.

I believe it was earlier in the broadcast today they said the Twins scored the fewest non-HR runs in baseball this year.

mahtofire14 wrote:

those chip shots that beat us were because those hitters understood the situation and WERENT TRYING TO HIT GD HOME RUNS WITH TWO STRIKES.

I’ll give you that. Their hitters were happy to take what the pitcher gave them. They knew a slider was coming from Romo, Just stick the bat out and hope for the best. Just happened to work out for them.

I agree with you in the sense that the Twins are not getting enough runners on base. When they finally do get runners on base they arent getting any hits either (Rosario SMOKED that ball in the first inning for an out w/ the bases loaded). I just do not agree with you that the issue is because the focus on launch angle or that they’re only focusing on HRs. Despite what you think, its very possible to have both.

Of the 10 teams to make the WS in the last 5 years, each had an above league average launch angle. They also had an above league average OBP. Nine of those ten teams were in the top half of the league in HRs that year too. Last year the Twins lead the league in launch angle, HRs, and were 6th in OBP. This year? 6th in HRs and 20th in OBP. Ouch.

Either way, cant wait to see what Berrios we get tomorrow. Twins shouuuuld be able to get to McCullers who has been awful on the road this year. We’ll see

Here is what I understand.
51% of their runs came via homeruns during the season.
They were near the bottom of the American League in runs scored.
They loaded the bases against Greinke in the 1st inning with less then 2 outs and didn’t score. After that he mowed them down like a little league team.
They had 2 runners on against the reliever and didn’t score. After that he mowed them down like a little league team.

Springer, Bregman & Correa will tee off on Berrios the third time around. I suggest a Twins launch angle party the first 4 innings or they will be able to get tee times for the weekend.

The ‘Stros burnt up their 2 best pitchers from a sub .500 team to squeak out a win following some dumb plays and questionable managerial decisions. If the Twinks cannot pull this off at home today, then the entire franchise is doomed for much more than 16 years of winless postseason baseball.

tbro16 wrote:

Its a shame we haven’t had the “trade Suxton for a bucket of baseballs” crowd speak up in awhile.

wRC+ 130 (30% more production than the average hitter)
Defensive WAR of 1.1 (3rd among the league, 1st among outfielders)
10 defensive runs saved (15+ is gold glove caliber over the course of 162 games)
Hitting .340 since returning from short IL stint
Oh, and the Twins are 25-12 when he plays and 9-10 when he doesn’t.

And Buxton is out today.

These Astros pitchers are exceptionally poor vs R handed hitters and phenomenal vs lefties. Of course Donaldson and Buxton, Twins top two R handed bats are both hurt. This team is cursed. I swear.

Saw somewhere on Twitter hes showing concussion symptoms again. ML debut for Kirilloff today.

It’s all of MN sports. Gets old, doesn’t it???

Year 4 of pretending La Machina is an ace should be the end of that convo I think.

He’s a #2 or 3. When the manager takes you out after 5 innings of a 1-1 do or die play-off game you aren’t a #1.

Dusty Baker did the same thing with Grienke yesterday, but lucky for them they had a good guy for long relief.

I was really hoping to see a comment from Mahto regarding the Astros’ run they scored that wouldn’t have happened if they didn’t have the shift on.

Lol Rosario just got tossed for swearing at the ump in Spanish. Adios amigo!

Well Rosario kicked out. These umpires have been wildly inconsistent. For both sides. I think the futility frustration is boiling over.