Tonight the Twins won 4-3 by virtue of two ninth-inning errors by the Red Sox. However, I am actually going to try to put a positive spin on this win since I am so tired of complaining about this team.
While it wasn't the most impressive victory in the world, I try to look at it this way: the Twins put themselves in position to win. After falling behind 3-0 early, the Twins were looking like their usual One Hit Wonder selves against David Wells. Then, in the sixth inning, their offense came out and strung together a bunch of hits (all singles) and tied the game. From then on, they had a few opportunities to take the lead, but they failed to take advantage. The most notable of these was when Justin Morneau came up with runners on first and second, and he hit a hard liner that would have snuck through between the first and second basemen and scored a run had baserunner Matthew LeCroy been watching the ball. Instead the ball hit Matthew and he was out.
In the 9th inning, Michael Cuddyer hit a grounder to third, and Bill Mueller's throw sailed over the first baseman's head allowing Cuddy to move up to second as the winning run. Nick Punto came up next, and - of course - bunted. It was a nice bunt, but pitcher Mike Timlin was there in plenty of time to make the play to first. He picked it up, took his time, and made a terrible throw that went into right field, allowing Cuddyer to score. It was hardly a run that the Twins earned, but they could have scored a few times in the preceding innings had they not made bone-headed mistakes themselves.
Boston, meanwhile, has looked really bad defensively in both of the games they have played at the Dome so far. Last night of course they had the first inning play in which they turned a double-play ball with the bases loaded into a bases-clearing double, and tonight they gave the Twins the winning run by failing to execute on routine plays. Know what the difference might be between this year and last year's World Series champs? Doug Mientkiewicz.
Saturday, August 06, 2005
Friday, August 05, 2005
Offense?
Good lord. Something amazing has happened. Don't look now, but the Twins scored runs. Lots of them. And yea, against an important contending team, the Boston Red Sox. A 12-0 blowout was the result of Friday nights game and based on the resulting traffic I dealt with exiting Minneapolis at 10:30, I'd say people were excited to see them win. Brad Radke had an impressive start and despite a bad start to the first, with a Johnny Damon triple, he got out of the first without damage after he struck out Edgar Renteria, Manny Ramirez, and Jason Varitek. Seven shutout innings and a season-high eight strikeouts gave Radke a much deserved win. Radke's 3.71 ERA and his impeccable control this year should overshadow his not-so-glossy 7-10 record, thanks to the otherwise worthless Twins offense.
However, tonight was a different story. Let's run through it all:
* Lets first get by with the easy runs. The Twins put a few runs up early after a hideous throw and error by Boston's starting pitcher Bronson Arroyo.
* The 3, 4, and 5 hitters produced for once. Joe Mauer went 3 for 5 with three runs and three RBIs after having a terrible last couple games. Matthew LeCroy, who's value is questionable, was 3 for 4 with an RBI double and Jacque Jones also was 3 for 4 including a two-run homer off of Jeremy Gonzalez in the eigth. And Terry Tiffee, who pinch-hit for LeCroy in the eigth, scored a run after an two-run double. So, in total, that's a 10 for 14 night with 8 RBIs and 7 runs from the 3, 4, and 5 hitters. Impressive night for sure.
* Otherwise, Lew Ford was the other big hitter of the night, going 3 for 5 in the leadoff spot with three runs scored. It would be nice if the Lew Ford of 2004 finally appeared on the Twins strastosphere.
* Micheal Cuddyer, on another note, didn't do so well offensively, going 1 for 4, but also made his 14th error of the year. Ugh. The defense has to be the core of the team with pitching if they want to go .500. I just don't see this kind of nightly production in the future. The core has to be solid and then they really need to get hitters. It was nice to see a win, but I don't know about getting my hopes up. Johan Santana has the ball tommorow and that should prove to at least be a ball in our court.
However, tonight was a different story. Let's run through it all:
* Lets first get by with the easy runs. The Twins put a few runs up early after a hideous throw and error by Boston's starting pitcher Bronson Arroyo.
* The 3, 4, and 5 hitters produced for once. Joe Mauer went 3 for 5 with three runs and three RBIs after having a terrible last couple games. Matthew LeCroy, who's value is questionable, was 3 for 4 with an RBI double and Jacque Jones also was 3 for 4 including a two-run homer off of Jeremy Gonzalez in the eigth. And Terry Tiffee, who pinch-hit for LeCroy in the eigth, scored a run after an two-run double. So, in total, that's a 10 for 14 night with 8 RBIs and 7 runs from the 3, 4, and 5 hitters. Impressive night for sure.
* Otherwise, Lew Ford was the other big hitter of the night, going 3 for 5 in the leadoff spot with three runs scored. It would be nice if the Lew Ford of 2004 finally appeared on the Twins strastosphere.
* Micheal Cuddyer, on another note, didn't do so well offensively, going 1 for 4, but also made his 14th error of the year. Ugh. The defense has to be the core of the team with pitching if they want to go .500. I just don't see this kind of nightly production in the future. The core has to be solid and then they really need to get hitters. It was nice to see a win, but I don't know about getting my hopes up. Johan Santana has the ball tommorow and that should prove to at least be a ball in our court.
Thursday, August 04, 2005
Shameful
The Twins lost 5-2 against Oakland today, completing a lost series and another totally embarrassing display of offensive ineptitude. The Twins have scored two or fewer runs in 6 of their past 11 games. That is bad news bears.
Not much new to report in this game. Another wasted quality start, as Kyle Lohse allowed just 2 runs over 7 innings of work, only to give way to Jesse Crain, who put a couple of men on with one out so JC Romero could come in and send home some inherited runners. Only one today. I wonder what his season total is for inherited runners allowed to score? It's gotta be around tops in the majors. He has played a major part in Crain's ERA rocketing up to 3.00.
The bats were silent again, aside from decent games by Matt LeCroy and Justin Morneau, both of whom had half of the Twins RBI total. After appearing to be catching on, Michael Cuddyer looked terrible, going 0/3 with 3 strikeouts. Jason Bartlett still isn't seeing Major League pitching well, I don't know what his deal is. He was great in spring training and in the minors, but he simply hasn't looked good in either of his trips up to the big leagues this year. Nevertheless, he does need to be starting regularly because this season is a lost cause and if he is the shortstop of the future for this organization then we need to get him all the experience we can.
Boston is in town this weekend. Will the Twins win a single game? Unlikely, but we shall see...
Not much new to report in this game. Another wasted quality start, as Kyle Lohse allowed just 2 runs over 7 innings of work, only to give way to Jesse Crain, who put a couple of men on with one out so JC Romero could come in and send home some inherited runners. Only one today. I wonder what his season total is for inherited runners allowed to score? It's gotta be around tops in the majors. He has played a major part in Crain's ERA rocketing up to 3.00.
The bats were silent again, aside from decent games by Matt LeCroy and Justin Morneau, both of whom had half of the Twins RBI total. After appearing to be catching on, Michael Cuddyer looked terrible, going 0/3 with 3 strikeouts. Jason Bartlett still isn't seeing Major League pitching well, I don't know what his deal is. He was great in spring training and in the minors, but he simply hasn't looked good in either of his trips up to the big leagues this year. Nevertheless, he does need to be starting regularly because this season is a lost cause and if he is the shortstop of the future for this organization then we need to get him all the experience we can.
Boston is in town this weekend. Will the Twins win a single game? Unlikely, but we shall see...
Wednesday, August 03, 2005
Twist of Irony
After a post in which my associate blasted Michael Cuddyer's failures this year (we have often, and honestly, he hasn't convinced me he has made a breakthrough by any means), Cuddyer had a "breakout" game in which he carried the Twins with his two home runs and three RBIs. It was impressive mainly because not only was it Cuddyer's first multi-homer game, but he got his home runs off of two very good pitchers in Rich Harden (a future Cy Young winner most likely) and All-Star reliever Justin Duchscherer. It was, of course, certainly a huge positive to finally see some power out of Cuddyer, who has three homers in the past two games, after a long dissapointment of a season he has had. The hope is that Cuddyer can, like the Twins themselves, salvage the season and hope to improve for a run next year. Cuddyer has the swing and the tools to be a decent defensive infielder who could hit for power and drive in runs, but he so often underperforms and looks like a future utility player. I just hope he proves me wrong.
As for the rest of the team, there wasn't much going on. The Twins won on Cuddyer's bat, as they had only five hits to go with the four runs. The game was won when Morneau walked in the ninth and Lew Ford followed with an RBI triple caused at least partly by the misplay of Oakland outfielder Nick Swisher and catcher Jason Kendall. I suppose for once things went the Twins way and thats good, because luck certainly hasn't been on their side as of late.
The pitching,as it has been for the most part, was solid. Carlos Silva continues to be a workhouse, as he threw eight innings with only 88 pitches, as he gave up five hits and three runs (one unearned caused by a poor Nick Punto error that ruined a potential double-play) while striking out four and walking none. So in 145 and 2/3 innings this year, Silva has walked an amazing seven hitters! He didn't get the win, which is unfortunate, as he has been the ace of the staff, eating up innings and owning a very good 3.27 ERA. Joe Nathan picked up the win as he pitched a scoreless ninth, striking out two. He has looked very good as of late, despite limited save chances, and has been hitting 97-98 MPH consistently.
It was almost the usual story for the Twins, but fortunately, things went their way and a dissapointing player had a career night. Lets just hope its the start of better streak.
As for the rest of the team, there wasn't much going on. The Twins won on Cuddyer's bat, as they had only five hits to go with the four runs. The game was won when Morneau walked in the ninth and Lew Ford followed with an RBI triple caused at least partly by the misplay of Oakland outfielder Nick Swisher and catcher Jason Kendall. I suppose for once things went the Twins way and thats good, because luck certainly hasn't been on their side as of late.
The pitching,as it has been for the most part, was solid. Carlos Silva continues to be a workhouse, as he threw eight innings with only 88 pitches, as he gave up five hits and three runs (one unearned caused by a poor Nick Punto error that ruined a potential double-play) while striking out four and walking none. So in 145 and 2/3 innings this year, Silva has walked an amazing seven hitters! He didn't get the win, which is unfortunate, as he has been the ace of the staff, eating up innings and owning a very good 3.27 ERA. Joe Nathan picked up the win as he pitched a scoreless ninth, striking out two. He has looked very good as of late, despite limited save chances, and has been hitting 97-98 MPH consistently.
It was almost the usual story for the Twins, but fortunately, things went their way and a dissapointing player had a career night. Lets just hope its the start of better streak.
Tuesday, August 02, 2005
Who's On Third?
With the 2005 season quickly approaching the rearview mirrow as the Twins slump horribly and lose again and again to their post-season competitor's, it is becoming increasingly necessary to take a look ahead to next year. Are the Twins going to be able to bounce back and return to the playoffs next year? I have trouble believing that, because, as I have made very clear on this blog and others, I am strongly of the opinion that Terry Ryan shot this team in the foot by failing to pull the trigger on a trade Sunday. There are a lot of questions looking ahead to next season, one of which I am going to delve into today.
With the failure of Michael Cuddyer, who is the Twins' third base answer for the next several years?
If you watched any of his at-bats last night, you know it's not Terry Tiffee. I know Tiff isn't as bad as he has looked in his recent Major League performance, but I also know he's not good enough, offensively or defensively, to be a Major League starter. Alas, with Cuddyer's total ineptitude, the Twins are going to have problems at third base. Their classic philosophy of filling from within doesn't look like it will work here, as the only guy in the Twins minor league system who I could see being ready for the Majors any time soon is Matt Moses, and I believe he's in Fort Myers and a few years away. Terry Ryan might try to sign a free agent third-baseman in the off-season, but then again, when is the last time the Twins signed a starting position player?
If TR had been able to unload a Joe Mays/JC Romero type package for even a Bill Mueller or a Joe Randa, they would have a short-term solution at third base until their system can produce a legitimate player. As it stands, with Corey Koskie gone and Cuddyer and Tiffee proving to be backups at best, the Twins are going to have a troublesome situation at the hot corner going into the 2006 season.
With the failure of Michael Cuddyer, who is the Twins' third base answer for the next several years?
If you watched any of his at-bats last night, you know it's not Terry Tiffee. I know Tiff isn't as bad as he has looked in his recent Major League performance, but I also know he's not good enough, offensively or defensively, to be a Major League starter. Alas, with Cuddyer's total ineptitude, the Twins are going to have problems at third base. Their classic philosophy of filling from within doesn't look like it will work here, as the only guy in the Twins minor league system who I could see being ready for the Majors any time soon is Matt Moses, and I believe he's in Fort Myers and a few years away. Terry Ryan might try to sign a free agent third-baseman in the off-season, but then again, when is the last time the Twins signed a starting position player?
If TR had been able to unload a Joe Mays/JC Romero type package for even a Bill Mueller or a Joe Randa, they would have a short-term solution at third base until their system can produce a legitimate player. As it stands, with Corey Koskie gone and Cuddyer and Tiffee proving to be backups at best, the Twins are going to have a troublesome situation at the hot corner going into the 2006 season.
Monday, August 01, 2005
More Proof
Well, here we go again. A great pitching performance, but the bats were even worse today. Two hits off of Oakland starter Joe Blanton and that was it. Yea, one of them was a blast off of the bat of Justin Morneau, who finally seems to be heating up. But beyond that, they made another decent pitcher look like Roger Clemens. Joe Mauer went 0 for 4 and his average is down to .298. Shannon Stewart couldn't produce either. The only other Twin with a hit was Lew Ford. It wasn't pathetic. It was like watching a Double-A play in the majors.
Johan Santana comes out, throws seven innings, strikes out seven, but gives up two runs and gets the loss. He did everything he could to stop the losing streak and it all went for nothing. And now, with no trade at all being made yesterday, the Twins will continue to start such a weak and feeble offense and thats just a slap in the face to fans in Minnesota.
The only really positive note today was the release of Bret Boone, which clears room for Jason Bartlett, who shouldn't have been set down in the first place. He was given the starting job and they should have stuck with him. A potential .300 hitter is just what the Twins need right now.
Johan Santana comes out, throws seven innings, strikes out seven, but gives up two runs and gets the loss. He did everything he could to stop the losing streak and it all went for nothing. And now, with no trade at all being made yesterday, the Twins will continue to start such a weak and feeble offense and thats just a slap in the face to fans in Minnesota.
The only really positive note today was the release of Bret Boone, which clears room for Jason Bartlett, who shouldn't have been set down in the first place. He was given the starting job and they should have stuck with him. A potential .300 hitter is just what the Twins need right now.
Notes From a Glum Monday Afternoon
Just a couple of thoughts to cover.
*Baltimore's Rafael Palmeiro, who adamently denied using steroids and lambasted Jose Canseco for his accusations in a March hearing, was suspended by Major League Baseball for testing positive for 'roids today. I was shocked and disappointed, because I believed Raffy, I really thought his talent was natural. Of course, Palmeiro claims that whatever he took was "unintentional", which every other player found guilty has pleaded as well. Being a Major League baseball player, surrounded by professional trainers, you need to be checking everything you are taking into your body to make sure it is legal. Run it by the team, whatever. I'm not really convinced that his intake was unintentional, he probably just thought whatever he was taking was going to be masked from the test, but it wasn't. This is either a result of a foolish lack of foresight, or cheating. Either way, Palmeiro may have just thrown away a sure shot at the Hall of Fame. I don't know what's more sad, one of baseball's legends being exposed as a probable cheater or more credibility being given to Canseco.
*When Torii Hunter went down in pain on Friday night after twisting his ankle against the padding of the center field wall in Boston, my immediate thought was, "He broke something". He couldn't stand up, and I've never seen the guy in so much pain. Initially, my theory was disproved by an X-ray that seemed to show it was a tendon strain and not a break, but today it has been brought to light from an MRI that Hunter did indeed break a bone in his ankle. The news is good because Hunter won't need surgery, but not great because he'll be on crutches for a month and still will probably miss the remainder of the season.
*Yahoo has an article cited from Fanball.com stating that the Twins have cut Bret Boone but since I read an article in Star Trib today similar to the Pioneer Press one they quote, and I can't find this news story anywhere else, I have a distinct feeling that they misinterpreted the article, which (at least in the Tribune) stated simply that Terry Ryan and Ron Gardenhire would be meeting up today to discuss Boone's situation. Maybe I'm wrong. In any case, I'm sure Boone will be cut within the next couple days, hopefully to make way for Jason Bartlett - whose AAA performance is earning Major League time.
*Baltimore's Rafael Palmeiro, who adamently denied using steroids and lambasted Jose Canseco for his accusations in a March hearing, was suspended by Major League Baseball for testing positive for 'roids today. I was shocked and disappointed, because I believed Raffy, I really thought his talent was natural. Of course, Palmeiro claims that whatever he took was "unintentional", which every other player found guilty has pleaded as well. Being a Major League baseball player, surrounded by professional trainers, you need to be checking everything you are taking into your body to make sure it is legal. Run it by the team, whatever. I'm not really convinced that his intake was unintentional, he probably just thought whatever he was taking was going to be masked from the test, but it wasn't. This is either a result of a foolish lack of foresight, or cheating. Either way, Palmeiro may have just thrown away a sure shot at the Hall of Fame. I don't know what's more sad, one of baseball's legends being exposed as a probable cheater or more credibility being given to Canseco.
*When Torii Hunter went down in pain on Friday night after twisting his ankle against the padding of the center field wall in Boston, my immediate thought was, "He broke something". He couldn't stand up, and I've never seen the guy in so much pain. Initially, my theory was disproved by an X-ray that seemed to show it was a tendon strain and not a break, but today it has been brought to light from an MRI that Hunter did indeed break a bone in his ankle. The news is good because Hunter won't need surgery, but not great because he'll be on crutches for a month and still will probably miss the remainder of the season.
*Yahoo has an article cited from Fanball.com stating that the Twins have cut Bret Boone but since I read an article in Star Trib today similar to the Pioneer Press one they quote, and I can't find this news story anywhere else, I have a distinct feeling that they misinterpreted the article, which (at least in the Tribune) stated simply that Terry Ryan and Ron Gardenhire would be meeting up today to discuss Boone's situation. Maybe I'm wrong. In any case, I'm sure Boone will be cut within the next couple days, hopefully to make way for Jason Bartlett - whose AAA performance is earning Major League time.
Sunday, July 31, 2005
Twins Effectively Concede Season
The trade deadline came and went today without the Twins making a move of any kind. Despite the fact that GM Terry Ryan, manager Ron Gardenhire, and just about everyone else in the Twins' organization had essentially promised that some offensive piece would be acquired by the deadline today in order to add some punch to one of the most embarrassingly anemic offenses in the Majors, nothing happened. No Alfonso Soriano, no Bill Mueller, no Jorge Cantu, no Edgardo Alfonzo... nothing. Overpriced players like Joe Mays and Jacque Jones remain in Twins uniforms, as does the painful-to-watch JC Romero.
It has become quite clear to everyone that the current offense will simply not carry this team to the playoffs. With Torii Hunter out indefinitely, the Twins lack Major League-level hitters at FOUR out of eight offensive positions. I don't think you can say that about any other team in baseball, even the Royals or Devil Rays. Out of the group of Bret Boone, Michael Cuddyer, Nick Punto, Juan Castro, Justin Morneau and Lew Ford, all considered to be relatively regular starters, no one is hitting above .263. That's six players getting regular at-bats and going about 1 for 4 on average. I will give Morneau the benefit of the doubt, since he seems to be finding his stroke again to some degree, but Boone (or Punto, whichever starts at second), Cuddyer, Castro, and Ford are all miserable offensive players who consistently have terrible at-bats.
Now, having added nothing to this pathetic lineup, Terry Ryan was able to hang on to his precious surplus of minor league pitching, and he can watch his team play sub-.500 ball for the rest of the year and probably finish fourth in the AL Central. I don't mean to be overly pessimistic, but there is no reason to feel any differently considering how badly they were slaughtered on this 1-5 road trip against the Yankees and Red Sox, and considering how hard their schedule is from here on out. I'm sure Ryan will have some wonderful excuses in the paper tomorrow explaining why he was unable to pull the trigger on a trade, but as it stands, I have lost a great deal of respect for the man. How can the Twins organization expect people to continue to pay to go out and see a team that lies to their fans, and makes seemingly no effort to put a winning product on the field?
As was evident in their 4-3 loss to the Red Sox today, a game in which the Twins seemed to play just about as well as they could, this is no playoff team.
What an utter disappointment.
It has become quite clear to everyone that the current offense will simply not carry this team to the playoffs. With Torii Hunter out indefinitely, the Twins lack Major League-level hitters at FOUR out of eight offensive positions. I don't think you can say that about any other team in baseball, even the Royals or Devil Rays. Out of the group of Bret Boone, Michael Cuddyer, Nick Punto, Juan Castro, Justin Morneau and Lew Ford, all considered to be relatively regular starters, no one is hitting above .263. That's six players getting regular at-bats and going about 1 for 4 on average. I will give Morneau the benefit of the doubt, since he seems to be finding his stroke again to some degree, but Boone (or Punto, whichever starts at second), Cuddyer, Castro, and Ford are all miserable offensive players who consistently have terrible at-bats.
Now, having added nothing to this pathetic lineup, Terry Ryan was able to hang on to his precious surplus of minor league pitching, and he can watch his team play sub-.500 ball for the rest of the year and probably finish fourth in the AL Central. I don't mean to be overly pessimistic, but there is no reason to feel any differently considering how badly they were slaughtered on this 1-5 road trip against the Yankees and Red Sox, and considering how hard their schedule is from here on out. I'm sure Ryan will have some wonderful excuses in the paper tomorrow explaining why he was unable to pull the trigger on a trade, but as it stands, I have lost a great deal of respect for the man. How can the Twins organization expect people to continue to pay to go out and see a team that lies to their fans, and makes seemingly no effort to put a winning product on the field?
As was evident in their 4-3 loss to the Red Sox today, a game in which the Twins seemed to play just about as well as they could, this is no playoff team.
What an utter disappointment.
Saturday, July 30, 2005
What's there to say?
Same deal, different day. No Torii, No difference. David Wells, just as he has his whole career, dominated the Twins, though not quite in 98' fashion. The Twins offense managed seven hits and two runs, with their run production coming from Mike Redmond and Juan Castro, the 8 and 9 hitters. Lew Ford, Torii's replacement, was useless in the three-spot, going 0 for 4 and Matthew LeCroy, for some ungodly reason, was batting cleanup. Fatty was his usual irreverent-self, going 0 for 3 with a K.
Kyle Lohse had a decent start, going only five innings while giving up three runs but his really problem was control, as he walked four batters. His replacement, Terry Mulholland, did what he always does against good offenses: gave some late batting practice, as he served up three quick hits before Matt Guerrier came in to try and stop the bleeding to no avail. In the same vein, its kind of apparent that no one on the Twins staff is hearing my loud complaints about Mulholland's presence. Apparently, they have a thing for aging players far beyond their prime, like Mulholland and Boone.
Its seems that relief won't come anytime soon as the trading deadline approaches and J.C. "no control" Romero remains in the Twins clubhouse. Lets hope tommorow brings at least some interesting news in the Twins world beyond the mundane reports of their lackluster play.
Kyle Lohse had a decent start, going only five innings while giving up three runs but his really problem was control, as he walked four batters. His replacement, Terry Mulholland, did what he always does against good offenses: gave some late batting practice, as he served up three quick hits before Matt Guerrier came in to try and stop the bleeding to no avail. In the same vein, its kind of apparent that no one on the Twins staff is hearing my loud complaints about Mulholland's presence. Apparently, they have a thing for aging players far beyond their prime, like Mulholland and Boone.
Its seems that relief won't come anytime soon as the trading deadline approaches and J.C. "no control" Romero remains in the Twins clubhouse. Lets hope tommorow brings at least some interesting news in the Twins world beyond the mundane reports of their lackluster play.
Friday, July 29, 2005
Tragic
As if the Twins needed more bad luck and less offense, Torii Hunter went down in the first inning when his ankle hit the wall awkwardly as he tried to field a drive by David Ortiz. Hunter was in extreme pain after an apparent tendon injury, and had to be taken off the field in a cart. Lew Ford proceeded to come in the play and flash his usual ineptitude, reaching base only once... and the one time he did he got himself out on the basepaths on a terrible mental error. I like the way Lew plays the game and everything, but he is NOT hitting at even close to a Major League level right now. Then again, neither is Bret Boone or Michael Cuddyer, so I guess it's not that unusual.
I'm getting really tired of the Twins' utterly sloppy play. In the 5th inning, Johnny Damon hit a broken bat single to right field and the Twins managed to turn it into a three-run homer thanks to three overthrows. Are you kidding me? The team's inability to execute simply plays offensively is becoming very tiresome as well. Matthew LeCroy pinch-hit with no outs and a runner on third in the top of the 8th. There are SO many ways to bring that runner home, but what does LeCroy do? Tap a weak chopper to third, allowing them to hold the runner. Shannon Stewart scored the run with a hard grounder up the middle in the next at-bat, but why is that he and Joe Mauer seem to be the only ones that can do the simple little things at the plate? This is a team full of Major League players (well, that's debatable), and only two of them can execute expected things at the plate consistently. Disgusting.
As I write this, it is the bottom of the 8th inning and the Twins bullpen is in the process of imploding. Jesse Crain started the inning and loaded the bases without recording an out (what happened to him??), and now the BoSox will get to see first hand the ability of potential trade acquisition JC Romero to allow inherited runners to score.
Yyyyep. Grand slam, John Olerud.
I'm done.
I'm getting really tired of the Twins' utterly sloppy play. In the 5th inning, Johnny Damon hit a broken bat single to right field and the Twins managed to turn it into a three-run homer thanks to three overthrows. Are you kidding me? The team's inability to execute simply plays offensively is becoming very tiresome as well. Matthew LeCroy pinch-hit with no outs and a runner on third in the top of the 8th. There are SO many ways to bring that runner home, but what does LeCroy do? Tap a weak chopper to third, allowing them to hold the runner. Shannon Stewart scored the run with a hard grounder up the middle in the next at-bat, but why is that he and Joe Mauer seem to be the only ones that can do the simple little things at the plate? This is a team full of Major League players (well, that's debatable), and only two of them can execute expected things at the plate consistently. Disgusting.
As I write this, it is the bottom of the 8th inning and the Twins bullpen is in the process of imploding. Jesse Crain started the inning and loaded the bases without recording an out (what happened to him??), and now the BoSox will get to see first hand the ability of potential trade acquisition JC Romero to allow inherited runners to score.
Yyyyep. Grand slam, John Olerud.
I'm done.
Thursday, July 28, 2005
Not So Fast
Of course, a Twins victory over the Yankees could only be resolved by a resounding defeat the next day. And, yep, that is exactly what we got. Limited offense against another journeyman pitcher, this time Aaron Small, and this time around, a terrible pitching performance from potential tradebait Joe Mays. Mays gave up six runs and ten hits in 5 2/3 innings as Gary Sheffield and the Yankees clobbered the Twins in the rubber match of the series.
And, yea, we got three runs early off of Small, but that doesn't mean we didn't waste opportunities the way we did last night as well. But after collected those runs early, the Twins didn't do anything against Small, Tom Gordon, or the ungodly Mariano Rivera. Seven hits in total, two off of the bat of Jacque Jones, now the hottest Twins hitter. Morneau and Mauer went hitless in four at-bats each, Luis Rodriguez accounted for two of the three RBIs, and its just not going to get any better anytime soon. Now the Twins prepare for a series in Boston. Good luck. No really, this could get uglier. There were no great high notes of this game and reading the paper and seeing how Gardy and Newman found Ulger's terrible coaching at third that cost the Twins a run yesterday to be representative of a bigger problem: Do these guys even care about losing??
And, yea, we got three runs early off of Small, but that doesn't mean we didn't waste opportunities the way we did last night as well. But after collected those runs early, the Twins didn't do anything against Small, Tom Gordon, or the ungodly Mariano Rivera. Seven hits in total, two off of the bat of Jacque Jones, now the hottest Twins hitter. Morneau and Mauer went hitless in four at-bats each, Luis Rodriguez accounted for two of the three RBIs, and its just not going to get any better anytime soon. Now the Twins prepare for a series in Boston. Good luck. No really, this could get uglier. There were no great high notes of this game and reading the paper and seeing how Gardy and Newman found Ulger's terrible coaching at third that cost the Twins a run yesterday to be representative of a bigger problem: Do these guys even care about losing??
Wednesday, July 27, 2005
Notes From a Rare Exciting Game
Whether wins or losses, one thing that pretty much all the Twins games as of late have had in common lately is that they have been relatively boring to watch. Low-scoring, few lead changes, and not much in the way of home runs or exciting plays. That trend changed tonight as the Twins finally put together a nice little victory, downing the Yankees 7-3. I have several thoughts about this game, so I'll get to them here...
*Johan Santana started the game like he has typically as of late; pretty good but certainly not the Cy Young winner of last year. But in the fourth inning, after he gave up a leadoff single to Hideki Matsui, I sensed a change. All of a sudden, it seemed like he had reverted to his 2nd-half 2004 form. He was locating his pitches, fooling hitters, and getting big strikeouts. After giving up the hit, he struck out Jason Giambi and Jorge Posada (Posada on the signature nasty changeup in the dirt), and then got Tino Martinez to pop out weakly to second. He ended up pitching 7 strong innings against the tough Bombers lineup, giving up no runs and 7 hits. It was a terrific outing for Santana, and hopefully a sign of things to come.
*I thought home plate umpire Ed Hickox did a pretty damn crappy job tonight. His strike zone was VERY inconsistent, for both teams. Pitches in the same place on the inside and outside corner were called variably balls and strikes throughout the night. On several occasions, he called balls on pitches that were right over the plate. If not for the poor strike zone of Hickox, Santana would have had more than 5 strikeouts and wouldn't have had two walks. In fairness, New York's Al Leiter also wouldn't have thrown 100 pitches in the first 4 innings. Major League Baseball really needs to take a look at the performances of some of these umpires, because their have been a few really poorly officiated games this year.
*Despite Leiter's bad game, the Twins' bats really managed to make it look a lot better than it was. Despite the fact that Leiter couldn't find the strike zone (5 walks) and was getting hit pretty consistently (7 hits), the Twins managed to score only one run off of him in 5 innings. In both the first and second innings, the Twins loaded the bases only to have Jacque Jones and Lew Ford (respectively) hit wimpy grounders to end the inning. This is getting so very tiresome to watch.
*Speaking of Ford, why the hell was he hitting third in the lineup with his .252 average? Ford had a terrible night, going 0/6 while leaving NINE men on base. Lew has quietly had a very disappointing year, hitting for low average and barely any power despite posting a decent on-base percentage. Another guy who needs to be removed from the lineup is Nick Punto, who was hitting second with a .260 average. He went 1/5 and looked totally over-matched every time he came up. I was very high on Punto earlier this season, before his most recent injury, but he just can't cut it anymore. To his credit, he did look pretty good in the field tonight.
*Torii Hunter has such an incredible arm. In the bottom of the third, with the speedy Derek Jeter on second, Gary Sheffield laced a single up the middle. It seemed like a given that the play would score Jeter and tie the game, but Hunter came up gunning and fired a phenomenal throw to Joe Mauer, who tagged out Jeter at the plate. Kudos to Torii, who also had three hits tonight.
*Another good game for Justin Morneau, he doubled in the first run of the game and then hit a nice solo homer in the 9th. He's been hitting the ball well lately, hopefully he can keep it going. I'm still skeptical of his ability to hit above-average pitchers though.
*After Santana came out of the games, things got a little out of hand. Juan Rincon came in to pitch the 8th, and had a terrible outing, allowing 3 runs in while recording only 2 outs. He came out with runners on the corners, and Joe Nathan came in. That was when the scariest moment of the game occurred. On Nathan's second pitch, batter Bernie Williams turned on a fastball over the plate and ripped it to right field. Off the bat, I thought for sure the thing was a home run, and the game would be tied and Santana would be robbed of a hard-earned win. Fortunately, the ball curved just foul, and Nathan was able to strike out Bernie, then retire the Yanks in the 9th to pick up his 28th save and secure Santana's 10th win.
One other thing I want to discuss, and that is the trade situation. I have been fluctuating on whether or not I think the Twins should make a trade. On Monday, I analyzed the Twins' offensive deficiencies at every position besides catcher, and wondered whether adding one player would really significantly help a lineup that is anemic essentially 1-9. But when I watch these games, and I see all the players left on base, and I see how well Santana is capable of pitching, I think that just maybe if we had one guy in there other than Mauer who could consistently drive in runners, if we could just get that extra couple of runs per week, we may have a shot at the post-season after all. I've made my stance very clear that I would be all for acquiring Alfonso Soriano, even for a high price assuming we would be able to retain him next season.
I don't think the Soriano trade is a realistic possibility though. Texas is not outwardly looking to trade him, and they seem to feel that unless they can absolutely fleece someone, they're going to keep him. On KFAN today I heard that a "reliable source outside of the Twins organization" said that the Twins will be making a move before the deadline, and that it will be for a player that hasn't been mentioned. Mentioned by who? I don't know. Take that however you want. My guess? Edgardo Alfonzo of the Giants.
I have one other question. For a team that's starved for offense, why the hell do the Twins continue to start Juan Castro (.249/.268/.383 - PUKE!) while Jason Bartlett hits .330 in the minors? I don't want to hear that it's because of defense, the Twins have clearly shown they're willing to sacrifice defense for the potential of some offense (see Bret Boone, Michael Cuddyer, Shannon Stewart). I don't understand the situation at all... they gave up way too quickly on Bartlett early in the season and now he could really give our offense a boost.
Day game tomorrow, rubber match in the Yankees series. A win would be very nice. Sadly, the human hitting machine Kevin Brown has been scratched, but replacement Aaron Small ain't exactly Cy Young.
*Johan Santana started the game like he has typically as of late; pretty good but certainly not the Cy Young winner of last year. But in the fourth inning, after he gave up a leadoff single to Hideki Matsui, I sensed a change. All of a sudden, it seemed like he had reverted to his 2nd-half 2004 form. He was locating his pitches, fooling hitters, and getting big strikeouts. After giving up the hit, he struck out Jason Giambi and Jorge Posada (Posada on the signature nasty changeup in the dirt), and then got Tino Martinez to pop out weakly to second. He ended up pitching 7 strong innings against the tough Bombers lineup, giving up no runs and 7 hits. It was a terrific outing for Santana, and hopefully a sign of things to come.
*I thought home plate umpire Ed Hickox did a pretty damn crappy job tonight. His strike zone was VERY inconsistent, for both teams. Pitches in the same place on the inside and outside corner were called variably balls and strikes throughout the night. On several occasions, he called balls on pitches that were right over the plate. If not for the poor strike zone of Hickox, Santana would have had more than 5 strikeouts and wouldn't have had two walks. In fairness, New York's Al Leiter also wouldn't have thrown 100 pitches in the first 4 innings. Major League Baseball really needs to take a look at the performances of some of these umpires, because their have been a few really poorly officiated games this year.
*Despite Leiter's bad game, the Twins' bats really managed to make it look a lot better than it was. Despite the fact that Leiter couldn't find the strike zone (5 walks) and was getting hit pretty consistently (7 hits), the Twins managed to score only one run off of him in 5 innings. In both the first and second innings, the Twins loaded the bases only to have Jacque Jones and Lew Ford (respectively) hit wimpy grounders to end the inning. This is getting so very tiresome to watch.
*Speaking of Ford, why the hell was he hitting third in the lineup with his .252 average? Ford had a terrible night, going 0/6 while leaving NINE men on base. Lew has quietly had a very disappointing year, hitting for low average and barely any power despite posting a decent on-base percentage. Another guy who needs to be removed from the lineup is Nick Punto, who was hitting second with a .260 average. He went 1/5 and looked totally over-matched every time he came up. I was very high on Punto earlier this season, before his most recent injury, but he just can't cut it anymore. To his credit, he did look pretty good in the field tonight.
*Torii Hunter has such an incredible arm. In the bottom of the third, with the speedy Derek Jeter on second, Gary Sheffield laced a single up the middle. It seemed like a given that the play would score Jeter and tie the game, but Hunter came up gunning and fired a phenomenal throw to Joe Mauer, who tagged out Jeter at the plate. Kudos to Torii, who also had three hits tonight.
*Another good game for Justin Morneau, he doubled in the first run of the game and then hit a nice solo homer in the 9th. He's been hitting the ball well lately, hopefully he can keep it going. I'm still skeptical of his ability to hit above-average pitchers though.
*After Santana came out of the games, things got a little out of hand. Juan Rincon came in to pitch the 8th, and had a terrible outing, allowing 3 runs in while recording only 2 outs. He came out with runners on the corners, and Joe Nathan came in. That was when the scariest moment of the game occurred. On Nathan's second pitch, batter Bernie Williams turned on a fastball over the plate and ripped it to right field. Off the bat, I thought for sure the thing was a home run, and the game would be tied and Santana would be robbed of a hard-earned win. Fortunately, the ball curved just foul, and Nathan was able to strike out Bernie, then retire the Yanks in the 9th to pick up his 28th save and secure Santana's 10th win.
One other thing I want to discuss, and that is the trade situation. I have been fluctuating on whether or not I think the Twins should make a trade. On Monday, I analyzed the Twins' offensive deficiencies at every position besides catcher, and wondered whether adding one player would really significantly help a lineup that is anemic essentially 1-9. But when I watch these games, and I see all the players left on base, and I see how well Santana is capable of pitching, I think that just maybe if we had one guy in there other than Mauer who could consistently drive in runners, if we could just get that extra couple of runs per week, we may have a shot at the post-season after all. I've made my stance very clear that I would be all for acquiring Alfonso Soriano, even for a high price assuming we would be able to retain him next season.
I don't think the Soriano trade is a realistic possibility though. Texas is not outwardly looking to trade him, and they seem to feel that unless they can absolutely fleece someone, they're going to keep him. On KFAN today I heard that a "reliable source outside of the Twins organization" said that the Twins will be making a move before the deadline, and that it will be for a player that hasn't been mentioned. Mentioned by who? I don't know. Take that however you want. My guess? Edgardo Alfonzo of the Giants.
I have one other question. For a team that's starved for offense, why the hell do the Twins continue to start Juan Castro (.249/.268/.383 - PUKE!) while Jason Bartlett hits .330 in the minors? I don't want to hear that it's because of defense, the Twins have clearly shown they're willing to sacrifice defense for the potential of some offense (see Bret Boone, Michael Cuddyer, Shannon Stewart). I don't understand the situation at all... they gave up way too quickly on Bartlett early in the season and now he could really give our offense a boost.
Day game tomorrow, rubber match in the Yankees series. A win would be very nice. Sadly, the human hitting machine Kevin Brown has been scratched, but replacement Aaron Small ain't exactly Cy Young.
Tuesday, July 26, 2005
What can I say?
Well, that should be effecient based on tonight's performance. Two hits, no runs, no offense at all. Brad Radke does the best he can do against a killer Yankees lineup, giving up only two runs in six innings (don't let the two walks throw you as the Yankees are known as an patient lineup of veterans) which is about as good as you can expect. Two hits, one from Lew Ford and one from Juan Castro. Not exactly what you would call encouraging. The Twins could do nothing against Future Hall of Famer Randy Johnson, who has looked worn this year but absolutely dominated the Twins again, just as I feared. 11 Ks and no walks. There was no chance beyond Lew Ford's double. It was just a display of the Twins offensive ineptitude.
What can I say that we haven't said? We knew that this road trip was going to be hard and that the Twins would be in grand luck to pull out with a split amongst the New York and Boston visits. It just appears they are sadly proving us right. That's too bad, because the Yankees really don't have that great of pitching and the Twins pitching certainly gives its offense a chance to win, as they did tonight. But no one can execute. Everyone is overmatched and no clear solution is in sight. And Al Leiter, a lefty finesse pitcher that few Twins have faced and whom has dominated them in the past (a trend in New York), starts tommorow. Good luck Twinkies. You really need another bat, or two, or three. The hell with it. We need a new lineup built around Mauer.
What can I say that we haven't said? We knew that this road trip was going to be hard and that the Twins would be in grand luck to pull out with a split amongst the New York and Boston visits. It just appears they are sadly proving us right. That's too bad, because the Yankees really don't have that great of pitching and the Twins pitching certainly gives its offense a chance to win, as they did tonight. But no one can execute. Everyone is overmatched and no clear solution is in sight. And Al Leiter, a lefty finesse pitcher that few Twins have faced and whom has dominated them in the past (a trend in New York), starts tommorow. Good luck Twinkies. You really need another bat, or two, or three. The hell with it. We need a new lineup built around Mauer.
Monday, July 25, 2005
Being Realistic
It may sound pessimistic, but realistically, I find it very hard to believe the Twins have any chance of a post-season berth. I'm trying my best to keep hopes high so that I can cheer for the team and watch the scoreboards with excitement, but after watching the lackluster effort put forth in Detroit this weekend, I'm on the verge of just giving up... which makes it very hard to motivate myself to post on this blog every day. I know I sound like a horrible fan right now, but I'm so terribly dejected by the team's performance and inability to meet the expectations I had set (which really weren't that high).
First of all, a surge to overtake Chicago and win the division for a fourth straight season is out of the question. When the Twins won a couple straight while the Sox dropped 2 last week and the deficit was cut down to 10, I still had that glimmer of hope that maybe the Twinks could take a chunk out of that massive lead over the weekend while the White Sox struggled with their red counterparts. Instead, the Twins failed to take advantage of the situation and lost the series to Detroit. Now it has come to my attention that Chicago has become a major player in the AJ Burnett sweepstakes. If they get him, I might change my mind about my favorite for the AL Pennant, which is currently the Angels without hesitation. Anyway, there's no way we're catching the Sox. Therefore, the only hope for post-season play would be a Wild-Card berth, which seems realistic at the moment considering we're in the thick of the race, but...
The Twins offense is a total mess. Every position except catcher is sub-par. A run-down...
-Justin Morneau had 280 at-bats last year and hit 19 homers with 58 RBI and an .876 OPS. This year, in just 5 fewer at-bats, he has hit 12 home runs with 47 RBI and an OPS of .770. I don't buy into any of the crap that the Twins "brought him up too early" or "pressed him too hard", no one was saying that last year when he was ripping the ball out of the park left and right. Only in baseball is a 24-year old considered too young to be handed a starting job, and then patted on the back when he fails to perform. The guy is 24, at his athletic peak, and has 500 Major League at-bats under his belt. There is no excuse for his inability to perform.
-Bret Boone has been a disaster, both offensively and defensively, he clearly has nothing left. I would say the Twins should cut ties ASAP, but they really have no better options because Nick Punto has regressed terribly since returning from injury and Luis Rivas is simply not a Major League hitter. This position is hopeless.
-Juan Castro is a defensive player with minimal offensive value. A player like this is an affordable luxury when the rest of your lineup can produce, but the Twins' offense can't. Castro should not be starting.
-Third base is a mess. Michael Cuddyer is a lost cause, and while Luis Rodriguez has impressed, it's still hard to believe he is an everyday starter, especially considering that third base is not his natural position. This position is an offensive and defensive black hole with no organizational answer in sight.
-Jacque Jones and Torii Hunter are unacceptably inconsistent, especially Jones. Jacque hits the ball out of the park on occasion, but his inability to hit lefties or recognize breaking balls have become very tiresome from the 30 year-old veteran. Hunter's production is better, and good for a center-fielder, but he's no exactly leading the team to success.
-Shannon Stewart, surprisingly, has been very mediocre. Usually steady, his hitting has been disappointing this year, as he has gotten on base at only a .337 clip. Last year his OBP was .380.
-Typically designated hitters are designated with the assignment of hitting, which Lew Ford has failed to do, hitting just .256 while hitting 4 home runs and 35 RBI. Matt LeCroy's inconsistency and inability to hit right-handers or field keep him from being a regular lineup option, and no one else on the Twins bench (or in the minor league system for that matter) has shown the ability to hit enough on a regular basis to fill with spot with regular production.
Terry Ryan seems adament about making a trade to add a bat within the next week, but can you seriously expect filling one of these holes to make this a viable offense? Even with great pitching, I don't see how the Twins can expect to play over .500 for the remainder of the season unless some of these players can turn it around offensively, which is looking less and less likely.
First of all, a surge to overtake Chicago and win the division for a fourth straight season is out of the question. When the Twins won a couple straight while the Sox dropped 2 last week and the deficit was cut down to 10, I still had that glimmer of hope that maybe the Twinks could take a chunk out of that massive lead over the weekend while the White Sox struggled with their red counterparts. Instead, the Twins failed to take advantage of the situation and lost the series to Detroit. Now it has come to my attention that Chicago has become a major player in the AJ Burnett sweepstakes. If they get him, I might change my mind about my favorite for the AL Pennant, which is currently the Angels without hesitation. Anyway, there's no way we're catching the Sox. Therefore, the only hope for post-season play would be a Wild-Card berth, which seems realistic at the moment considering we're in the thick of the race, but...
The Twins offense is a total mess. Every position except catcher is sub-par. A run-down...
-Justin Morneau had 280 at-bats last year and hit 19 homers with 58 RBI and an .876 OPS. This year, in just 5 fewer at-bats, he has hit 12 home runs with 47 RBI and an OPS of .770. I don't buy into any of the crap that the Twins "brought him up too early" or "pressed him too hard", no one was saying that last year when he was ripping the ball out of the park left and right. Only in baseball is a 24-year old considered too young to be handed a starting job, and then patted on the back when he fails to perform. The guy is 24, at his athletic peak, and has 500 Major League at-bats under his belt. There is no excuse for his inability to perform.
-Bret Boone has been a disaster, both offensively and defensively, he clearly has nothing left. I would say the Twins should cut ties ASAP, but they really have no better options because Nick Punto has regressed terribly since returning from injury and Luis Rivas is simply not a Major League hitter. This position is hopeless.
-Juan Castro is a defensive player with minimal offensive value. A player like this is an affordable luxury when the rest of your lineup can produce, but the Twins' offense can't. Castro should not be starting.
-Third base is a mess. Michael Cuddyer is a lost cause, and while Luis Rodriguez has impressed, it's still hard to believe he is an everyday starter, especially considering that third base is not his natural position. This position is an offensive and defensive black hole with no organizational answer in sight.
-Jacque Jones and Torii Hunter are unacceptably inconsistent, especially Jones. Jacque hits the ball out of the park on occasion, but his inability to hit lefties or recognize breaking balls have become very tiresome from the 30 year-old veteran. Hunter's production is better, and good for a center-fielder, but he's no exactly leading the team to success.
-Shannon Stewart, surprisingly, has been very mediocre. Usually steady, his hitting has been disappointing this year, as he has gotten on base at only a .337 clip. Last year his OBP was .380.
-Typically designated hitters are designated with the assignment of hitting, which Lew Ford has failed to do, hitting just .256 while hitting 4 home runs and 35 RBI. Matt LeCroy's inconsistency and inability to hit right-handers or field keep him from being a regular lineup option, and no one else on the Twins bench (or in the minor league system for that matter) has shown the ability to hit enough on a regular basis to fill with spot with regular production.
Terry Ryan seems adament about making a trade to add a bat within the next week, but can you seriously expect filling one of these holes to make this a viable offense? Even with great pitching, I don't see how the Twins can expect to play over .500 for the remainder of the season unless some of these players can turn it around offensively, which is looking less and less likely.
Sunday, July 24, 2005
Fatty Sure Knows how to Kill A Rally
Rally-killer. Fatty. No run. Whatever you want to call him, he's on the worthless list with Mr. Mulholland. Its your favorite clubhouse animal, Matthew LeCroy. And with the tying runners on base, Fatty grounded into a double play on the first pitch from new Detroit closer Kyle Farnsworth and that was with no outs. Sure, it was a good play by Guillen, but a fast runner or someone giving minimal effort on the basepaths would have given him a run for his money in turning the double play. But Fatty doesn't try. And there goes the rally and the game. And I've still trying to figure out why a guy who can't hit righties, especially hard-throwing righties like Farnsworth, wasn't pinch hit for, even if that hitter was Mike Redmond. I don't care. Whatever, I am really dissapointed in his play. But that same message goes to Bret Boone, who made several terrible plays to help the Twins lose this important 5-game series. And, of course, he's still the .228 hitter we got in the trade. Still no extra-base hits and he helped kill a rally when he and Shannon Stewart struck out to end an eight-inning rally.
Yep, its the same message. No offense except a Cuddyer double followed by a two-out Stewart RBI-single and a ninth-inning Joe Mauer home run. Bonderman is a good pitcher, but the Twins have a knack for making decent right-handers (Daniel Cabrera, John Lackey) look like strikeout kings. It has to change. They need to make a trade and it became apparent yesterday that there is reason not to trade a Lohse or to get rid of Mulholland. Scott Baker is clearly ready for the majors. He's a great young arm who throws up to 95, pitches insides, hits the corners, and changes speed. He looked excellent and fully-ready to tackle a major league job. He's a good step above Lohse in fact because he understands those things Lohse usually ignores.
As he did today, getting fastballs over the plate all day for the Detroit hitters to feed on, as they did when Mays was on the hill Friday. 11 hits, five runs (one unearned on a terrible Shannon Stewart bobble), three walks in 5 and 2/3 innings. He lacks control and consistency and thats just as troublesome for the Twins as it has been since they called him up. We need to trade him while he still has value.
Next up is an even harder challenge, as they travel to play the Yankees on the road. They will face Randy Johnson on Tuesday and although I'd love to see Radke get the win, I have my doubts since the last time Johnson faced the Twins, he pitched a shutout with 10 Ks. Lets just hope they make a move before then.
Yep, its the same message. No offense except a Cuddyer double followed by a two-out Stewart RBI-single and a ninth-inning Joe Mauer home run. Bonderman is a good pitcher, but the Twins have a knack for making decent right-handers (Daniel Cabrera, John Lackey) look like strikeout kings. It has to change. They need to make a trade and it became apparent yesterday that there is reason not to trade a Lohse or to get rid of Mulholland. Scott Baker is clearly ready for the majors. He's a great young arm who throws up to 95, pitches insides, hits the corners, and changes speed. He looked excellent and fully-ready to tackle a major league job. He's a good step above Lohse in fact because he understands those things Lohse usually ignores.
As he did today, getting fastballs over the plate all day for the Detroit hitters to feed on, as they did when Mays was on the hill Friday. 11 hits, five runs (one unearned on a terrible Shannon Stewart bobble), three walks in 5 and 2/3 innings. He lacks control and consistency and thats just as troublesome for the Twins as it has been since they called him up. We need to trade him while he still has value.
Next up is an even harder challenge, as they travel to play the Yankees on the road. They will face Randy Johnson on Tuesday and although I'd love to see Radke get the win, I have my doubts since the last time Johnson faced the Twins, he pitched a shutout with 10 Ks. Lets just hope they make a move before then.
Saturday, July 23, 2005
Nothing, Then Something
I don't have much time to post, so I will just quickly address today's double-header.
*The early game was another pathetic loss in which the Twins were unable to provide any offense to support a great pitching performance by Carlos Silva as the Tigers won 2-1.
*The second game was much nicer. The Twins played well and won 5-2. Justin Morneau had a very nice game, doubling and homering, and hopefully that will give him a boost and let him get back on track. Scott Baker pitched VERY well, going 7 innings and allowing 2 runs on 5 hits while striking out 5 and walking only 1. He was throwing hard, his stuff had good movement, and he showed a clear ability to be able to handle hitters at this level. He deserves to be on the Major League club, and he can help us right now. I think Joe Mays needs to be moved, if he can be.
*The early game was another pathetic loss in which the Twins were unable to provide any offense to support a great pitching performance by Carlos Silva as the Tigers won 2-1.
*The second game was much nicer. The Twins played well and won 5-2. Justin Morneau had a very nice game, doubling and homering, and hopefully that will give him a boost and let him get back on track. Scott Baker pitched VERY well, going 7 innings and allowing 2 runs on 5 hits while striking out 5 and walking only 1. He was throwing hard, his stuff had good movement, and he showed a clear ability to be able to handle hitters at this level. He deserves to be on the Major League club, and he can help us right now. I think Joe Mays needs to be moved, if he can be.
Friday, July 22, 2005
Now the Pitching
After all those offensive wooes we've had, the offense did fine tonight. In fact they score six runs and they had a few extra-base hits even. But they didn't win because this time the pitching faltered, as Joe Mays had a terrible start and Terry Mulholland "relieved" him by coming out for late batting practice. Lets break down both of these horrendous pitching performances:
* Mays' line looked like this: 4 IP, 10 hits, 8 runs, 7 earned runs (one on a Bret Boone error), 2 BBs, 2 Ks. Mays gave up a run in each of the first three innings and then in the 5th, he managed to get no one out and gave up a bases-clearing double to Craig Monroe. After over a week's worth of quality starts, Mays seemed to have trouble throwing strikes and getting his sinker down, and obviously it hurt the Twins but it didnt stop there.
* Mulholland then came in and gave up a whooping seven hits in a mere 1 2/3 innings. I've said it before and I'll say it again: What the hell is this guy doing on a team trying to contend??? He's nothing more than a glorified batting practice pitcher who gave up three extra-base hits in quick succession. With Guerrier proving himself as a useful long reliever and so many good guys in the minor, its a desperate struggle trying to figure out what this guy is doing on the roster.
* After looking so good yesterday, Joe Mauer went 0 for 5 today with a disturbing three strikeouts. Mauer seems like the kind of guy who would have no troubles against a finesse lefty like Maroth, so once again, Ulger comes into question.
* Most of the the offense was provided by the number nine hitter, Juan Castro, who was 2 for 4 with a second-inning homer and four RBIs.
* After knocking Maroth around for six runs, the Twins managed only one hit against the Detroit bullpen, making them look a little better than their abilities have shown. What happened to the good old days of crushing homers off of Jamie Walker??
Needless to say, it wasn't the same old story, but the opposite with the same result. Now the Twins got some offense, but the pitching was putrid and made Craig Monroe look like a superstar as he went on a 5 for 5 tear over the night. Tommorow's double-header should prove interesting as Scott Baker gets another opportunity to show his great potential to Twins fans. Stay tuned and let the Twins know how little Mulholland means to the team.
* Mays' line looked like this: 4 IP, 10 hits, 8 runs, 7 earned runs (one on a Bret Boone error), 2 BBs, 2 Ks. Mays gave up a run in each of the first three innings and then in the 5th, he managed to get no one out and gave up a bases-clearing double to Craig Monroe. After over a week's worth of quality starts, Mays seemed to have trouble throwing strikes and getting his sinker down, and obviously it hurt the Twins but it didnt stop there.
* Mulholland then came in and gave up a whooping seven hits in a mere 1 2/3 innings. I've said it before and I'll say it again: What the hell is this guy doing on a team trying to contend??? He's nothing more than a glorified batting practice pitcher who gave up three extra-base hits in quick succession. With Guerrier proving himself as a useful long reliever and so many good guys in the minor, its a desperate struggle trying to figure out what this guy is doing on the roster.
* After looking so good yesterday, Joe Mauer went 0 for 5 today with a disturbing three strikeouts. Mauer seems like the kind of guy who would have no troubles against a finesse lefty like Maroth, so once again, Ulger comes into question.
* Most of the the offense was provided by the number nine hitter, Juan Castro, who was 2 for 4 with a second-inning homer and four RBIs.
* After knocking Maroth around for six runs, the Twins managed only one hit against the Detroit bullpen, making them look a little better than their abilities have shown. What happened to the good old days of crushing homers off of Jamie Walker??
Needless to say, it wasn't the same old story, but the opposite with the same result. Now the Twins got some offense, but the pitching was putrid and made Craig Monroe look like a superstar as he went on a 5 for 5 tear over the night. Tommorow's double-header should prove interesting as Scott Baker gets another opportunity to show his great potential to Twins fans. Stay tuned and let the Twins know how little Mulholland means to the team.
Thursday, July 21, 2005
Slump-Busters
It was a breath of fresh air to come home from a work function an hour into the ballgame tonight, flip on the TV, and see that in the third inning the Twins had already posted 6 runs. They didn't let up, taking advantage of extremely sloppy play by the Tigers to coast to a 10-5 victory. On to the bulletpoints.
*While it was nice to see the Twins' recently anemic offense put up double digits, it wasn't exactly an over-powering performance. While they had 13 hits, 11 of them were singles, and 2 were doubles. They hit no home runs. Nearly half of the Twins' runs came home on throwing errors and wild pitches. Whatever, we'll take what we can get.
*Joe Mauer continued to impress, reaching base in 4 of his 5 plate appearances tonight and scoring three times. He singled, doubled, and walked twice. In the one at-bat where he was retired, he scalded a hard grounder of the glove of first baseman Chris Shelton and was nearly safe in a bang-bang play at first. Mauer's on-base percentage is now .385.
*Bret Boone had a fairly nice today, collecting a couple singles and a couple RBI. However, he did still leave 6 men aboard and still has yet to deliver his first extra-base hit in a Twins uniform.
*The performance of last year's AL Cy Young winner continues to concern. Tonight he lasted only 5 innings, allowing 3 runs on 9 hits. In actuality however, he only allowed 2 runs on 8 hits, because the Craig Monroe solo home run in the 4th inning was CLEARLY foul, but somehow all 4 umpires managed to see it wrong. The call was so bad that mild-mannered Brad Radke managed to get himself ejected from the dugout. I believe instant replay should be instated into the game solely for situations like this. I'm not a fan of the idea of replay being used for strike zone calls or plays at the bases, but the foul pole is such a clear-cut thing, there is no excuse for getting the wrong call in situations like this.
*Lew Ford went 0/5. He's not having a very good year, hitting just .258 and experiencing a bad slump. His .344 OBP is pretty decent, but I don't think the guy should be hitting leadoff.
*Apparently Detroit pitcher Jason Johnson is having a pretty good year, but the Twins wouldn't know it. They have shelled him every time they've seen him this year. Tonight's line: 4.0 IP, 10 H, 6 ER, 2 BB, 1 K, and about 50 wild pitches.
*Matt Guerrier pitched 3 perfect innings in relief of Santana, keeping the Tigers' bats silent from the 6th through 8th innings. Then, for some reason, despite having only thrown 26 pitches, he was removed in the 9th so Terry Mulholland could come in and let a couple runs score. I mean, I understand the concept of a big lead and guys needing work, but when a guy is cruising like Guerrier was tonight, just let him finish the game.
*Justin Morneau walked 3 times tonight. Good sign, or just a result of the wild pitching from the Tigers staff? We'll see...
Tomorrow, the Twins will send out Joe Mays, whose name has been hot in trade rumors as of late, against Tigers' lefty (gulp) Mike Maroth. Another win would be nice, especially if it came with another loss from the White Sox, which would shrink the division deficit back to single digits.
*While it was nice to see the Twins' recently anemic offense put up double digits, it wasn't exactly an over-powering performance. While they had 13 hits, 11 of them were singles, and 2 were doubles. They hit no home runs. Nearly half of the Twins' runs came home on throwing errors and wild pitches. Whatever, we'll take what we can get.
*Joe Mauer continued to impress, reaching base in 4 of his 5 plate appearances tonight and scoring three times. He singled, doubled, and walked twice. In the one at-bat where he was retired, he scalded a hard grounder of the glove of first baseman Chris Shelton and was nearly safe in a bang-bang play at first. Mauer's on-base percentage is now .385.
*Bret Boone had a fairly nice today, collecting a couple singles and a couple RBI. However, he did still leave 6 men aboard and still has yet to deliver his first extra-base hit in a Twins uniform.
*The performance of last year's AL Cy Young winner continues to concern. Tonight he lasted only 5 innings, allowing 3 runs on 9 hits. In actuality however, he only allowed 2 runs on 8 hits, because the Craig Monroe solo home run in the 4th inning was CLEARLY foul, but somehow all 4 umpires managed to see it wrong. The call was so bad that mild-mannered Brad Radke managed to get himself ejected from the dugout. I believe instant replay should be instated into the game solely for situations like this. I'm not a fan of the idea of replay being used for strike zone calls or plays at the bases, but the foul pole is such a clear-cut thing, there is no excuse for getting the wrong call in situations like this.
*Lew Ford went 0/5. He's not having a very good year, hitting just .258 and experiencing a bad slump. His .344 OBP is pretty decent, but I don't think the guy should be hitting leadoff.
*Apparently Detroit pitcher Jason Johnson is having a pretty good year, but the Twins wouldn't know it. They have shelled him every time they've seen him this year. Tonight's line: 4.0 IP, 10 H, 6 ER, 2 BB, 1 K, and about 50 wild pitches.
*Matt Guerrier pitched 3 perfect innings in relief of Santana, keeping the Tigers' bats silent from the 6th through 8th innings. Then, for some reason, despite having only thrown 26 pitches, he was removed in the 9th so Terry Mulholland could come in and let a couple runs score. I mean, I understand the concept of a big lead and guys needing work, but when a guy is cruising like Guerrier was tonight, just let him finish the game.
*Justin Morneau walked 3 times tonight. Good sign, or just a result of the wild pitching from the Tigers staff? We'll see...
Tomorrow, the Twins will send out Joe Mays, whose name has been hot in trade rumors as of late, against Tigers' lefty (gulp) Mike Maroth. Another win would be nice, especially if it came with another loss from the White Sox, which would shrink the division deficit back to single digits.
Wednesday, July 20, 2005
Positive 3-2?
Well, what a surprise! Lets look at today's afternoon game: It was a one-run game for the 8th straight game and wow it ended in the 9th again. But, yes, the Twins came out on top and actually took the series from the Orioles 2-1. Basically, it was almost a replay of recent games. Our starting pitching, this time Brad Radke, went out and for the most part shut down the potent lineup before them. Radke's only bad pitch (Familiar? Joe Mays?) was to Rafael Palmeiro for a two-run blast in the 4th. Palmiero now has 9 HRs against Radke to go along with those 3,009 hits. (By the way, he's a Hall of Famer. The whole argument against him is pretty sad. Consistency is one of the biggest factors in terms of true Hall of Famers. Hank Aaron anyone? Cal Ripken? Those guys have their stats for the same reason and Ripken is a Hall of Famer for sure but he never won a ring or lead the in any Triple Crown stats either) Otherwise, it was another great stat line. Seven innings, no walks, five Ks, five hits and two runs allowed. Not winning these games for these guys isn't just a slap in the face because, like at the beginning of the season, how long can the staff carry the team?
The offense was here and there as usual. Mauer was put in the cleanup spot as a DH and he went 0 for 4 but he drive in a run, which makes him more productive there than Morneau. Hunter had another terrible batting day, going 0 for 4 and swingly wildly at Jason Grimsley's pitches in the 9th the same way he has for years. Only four Twins had hits, three of them with two. That group is Punto, Castro, and Jones. Shannon Stewart had the other hit in a good 1 for 3 day from the three-spot. Jones should be expected to hit while Punto and Castro's contributions are a nice gift. It was pretty much Jacque's day again, being the hero in the ninth last night, it only seemed natural that he would do the same today. With the score tied 2-2 in the ninth and following Hunter's pathetic at-bat, Jones crushed a Grimsley sinker to the opposite field for a walk-off home run. It basically showed that if the Twins hitters are just a little more aggressive, the results are good. 3-2 is nothing to write home about (in fact, its been written about so much now that it has little life left in it) but it was a win that gave the Twins the series. Now, with the pitching staff running high again, its serious time to go out swinging and to pick up this staff.
Tommorow, they start a five-game series with the Tigers, including a double-header on Saturday that will see Scott Baker start and therefore, a roster move. Stay tuned for what that may be and the analysis that will follow.
The offense was here and there as usual. Mauer was put in the cleanup spot as a DH and he went 0 for 4 but he drive in a run, which makes him more productive there than Morneau. Hunter had another terrible batting day, going 0 for 4 and swingly wildly at Jason Grimsley's pitches in the 9th the same way he has for years. Only four Twins had hits, three of them with two. That group is Punto, Castro, and Jones. Shannon Stewart had the other hit in a good 1 for 3 day from the three-spot. Jones should be expected to hit while Punto and Castro's contributions are a nice gift. It was pretty much Jacque's day again, being the hero in the ninth last night, it only seemed natural that he would do the same today. With the score tied 2-2 in the ninth and following Hunter's pathetic at-bat, Jones crushed a Grimsley sinker to the opposite field for a walk-off home run. It basically showed that if the Twins hitters are just a little more aggressive, the results are good. 3-2 is nothing to write home about (in fact, its been written about so much now that it has little life left in it) but it was a win that gave the Twins the series. Now, with the pitching staff running high again, its serious time to go out swinging and to pick up this staff.
Tommorow, they start a five-game series with the Tigers, including a double-header on Saturday that will see Scott Baker start and therefore, a roster move. Stay tuned for what that may be and the analysis that will follow.
Tuesday, July 19, 2005
Nothing To Write Home About
I said earlier today that I wouldn't post about tonight's game if the Twins lost 3-2 again. Going into the bottom of the 9th, the Twins were down 3-2 with one of the more menacing closers in the game stepping on to the hill in the form of BJ Ryan. I figured my laptop was going to go untouched tonight. Instead, the Orioles imploded and allowed the Twins to squeak by 4-3 in what can only be called a very unimpressive victory.
For those who missed it, let me break down the Twins' very fortunate series of events in that ninth inning. After each Orioles mistake, I will put a number so we can keep track of just how badly they screwed up.
It started out with Ryan getting Luis Rodriguez (who hit leadoff tonight and didn't do too bad, going hitless but drawing 2 walks) to ground out to short. This brought up Joe Mauer with one out and nobody on. He managed to draw a walk (1). Next up, Shannon Stewart. Stew struck out swinging to top off an 0/5 night, and on the third strike Mauer was on his way to second. The throw sailed past Brian Roberts and into center field, allowing Mauer to go to third (2). Still, even with a runner on third, the Twins' prospects were grim, as Matt LeCroy - a guy who has recorded the last out with runners in scoring position on multiple occasions this season - was stepping with the Twinkies down to their final out. Then pitcher Ryan did just about the worst thing he could do in that particular situation, deliver a wild pitch (3). Backup catcher Eli Whiteside raced back for the ball and seemed to deliver it in time for Ryan to apply the tag to Mauer at the plate, but Ryan was unable to reach the ball and it sailed past him as Joe slid in safely with the tying run (4). Then, instead of inducing the typical Fatty groundout or strikeout, they walked him to bring up the more-dangerous Torii Hunter (5). Hunter delivered with a clutch single to right field, that moved pinch-runner Mike Ryan to third base, putting the winning run 90 feet away from home. Hunter moved up to second by defensive indifference (although he did get 2 credited stolen bases in the game, increasing his season total to 21), and up came Jacque Jones who was 1/3 on the night with a double and a walk. Jones hit a slow bouncer up the middle, and it looked as if Miguel Tejada would scoop it out and throw Jones out at first to send the game to extra innings. Instead, the ball was in the dirt and Jones was safe at first on a play (6) that was not ruled an error, but certainly seemed makable, especially for a guy like Tejada.
So there you have it. By virtue of no less than SIX ugly miscues in one inning by the Orioles, the Twins were able to collect an increasingly rare victory. Good luck doing that on a regular basis.
For those who missed it, let me break down the Twins' very fortunate series of events in that ninth inning. After each Orioles mistake, I will put a number so we can keep track of just how badly they screwed up.
It started out with Ryan getting Luis Rodriguez (who hit leadoff tonight and didn't do too bad, going hitless but drawing 2 walks) to ground out to short. This brought up Joe Mauer with one out and nobody on. He managed to draw a walk (1). Next up, Shannon Stewart. Stew struck out swinging to top off an 0/5 night, and on the third strike Mauer was on his way to second. The throw sailed past Brian Roberts and into center field, allowing Mauer to go to third (2). Still, even with a runner on third, the Twins' prospects were grim, as Matt LeCroy - a guy who has recorded the last out with runners in scoring position on multiple occasions this season - was stepping with the Twinkies down to their final out. Then pitcher Ryan did just about the worst thing he could do in that particular situation, deliver a wild pitch (3). Backup catcher Eli Whiteside raced back for the ball and seemed to deliver it in time for Ryan to apply the tag to Mauer at the plate, but Ryan was unable to reach the ball and it sailed past him as Joe slid in safely with the tying run (4). Then, instead of inducing the typical Fatty groundout or strikeout, they walked him to bring up the more-dangerous Torii Hunter (5). Hunter delivered with a clutch single to right field, that moved pinch-runner Mike Ryan to third base, putting the winning run 90 feet away from home. Hunter moved up to second by defensive indifference (although he did get 2 credited stolen bases in the game, increasing his season total to 21), and up came Jacque Jones who was 1/3 on the night with a double and a walk. Jones hit a slow bouncer up the middle, and it looked as if Miguel Tejada would scoop it out and throw Jones out at first to send the game to extra innings. Instead, the ball was in the dirt and Jones was safe at first on a play (6) that was not ruled an error, but certainly seemed makable, especially for a guy like Tejada.
So there you have it. By virtue of no less than SIX ugly miscues in one inning by the Orioles, the Twins were able to collect an increasingly rare victory. Good luck doing that on a regular basis.
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