Oui!
Julien and Lewis seem unfazed by the bright lights of the postseason already. Hopefully Wallner and Kiriloff come around sooner than later. If they do, this could be a crazy tough lineup for years to come in the playoffs.
That was a few inches inside, right? Have I gone crazy?
Good lord that called third strike on Kepler didn’t even look close.
Kepler gets rung up on ball 4" inside to end the inning after Lewis steals 2B easily.
Awful.
And why take out Paddack? He was rolling.
That is the 2nd time this series Maldonado has jumped up this series to make a throw and blocked the umpire from seeing the pitch and still gotten a strike call from it. Inexcusable umpiring. If you can't see the pitch you can't call it a strike.
I guess it sounded like a strike.
“When your best friend is the son of God, you get tired of losing every argument.”
― Christopher Moore, Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal
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And why take out Paddack? He was rolling.
IDK for sure but I'm guessing he was on a pitch count given he's just back from TJS and only started pitching in live games like 3 weeks ago.
Correa leads off bottom 7 with an absolute missile but it goes right to Pena. Bummer.
Twins gonna have to hope to score against a guy who has like a 1.75 ERA or their former reliever or the season comes to an end 🙁
Duran in for the 8th.
Buxton set to pinch hit for Michael A. Taylor bottom 8.
That went well.
He sure hit the sh* outta that one
When you tell somebody somethin', it depends on what part of the United States you're standin' in... as to just how dumb you are.
Just a hair behind it and jams him. If he gets his barrel out a split second earlier that ball is in the seats. Bummer.
Last chance here. Polanco, Lewis, Kepler due up against Ryan Pressly. Need at least one.
If anyone in that stadium is sitting down and not making noise, or asking people to sit down, for this half inning... I don't know what to tell you... why did you spend them money on the tickets? This is why you by the tickets, to be there for the chance to walk off a playoff game in the bottom of the 9th to keep the season alive.
Watching a strike 3 to end a season...
Swing the fucking bat Kepler
Pressly Ks the side. Season ends at the hands of Houston who advances to the ALCS for the 7th straight year.
Wtf was that, Kepler? Good god these guys were brutal to watch at the plate nearly all year, fitting that it ends with a backwards k with the season on the line.
“When your best friend is the son of God, you get tired of losing every argument.”
― Christopher Moore, Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal
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Lots to look forward to with so many good young players.
I could kick a trash can right now to get out some anger but I’m afraid it would help Houston.
it was fun while it lasted. ?
Kepler watching a called 3rd strike a fitting ending. He's as un-clutch as U can get. That said, Astros just TOO GOOD. Seven years in a row they’ve made the ALCS. Won’t be a bit surprised if they repeat as WS Champs!
Lots to look forward to with so many good young players.
Agreed.
Which of course means they’ll lose 100 games. ? ?
Welp, it's not like Houston and their $240 million payroll is a fluke. They are better than the Twins, but it's such a massive disappointment to get swept at home. Good grief, give the fans a reason to get off their butts. Good pitching always beats good hitting, but crikey, put the ball in play and see what happens.
Lopez pitched better than I thought he might, Gray a little worse than I thought he would, and Thielbar did what I expected him to do. (didn't have a ton of faith in him)
I don't get the Buxton at bat. I think Rocco was trying to catch lightning in the bottle by putting up the sentimental favorite. After two months off, the bat went about like one would predict.
I don't get the Buxton at bat. I think Rocco was trying to catch lightning in the bottle by putting up the sentimental favorite. After two months off, the bat went about like one would predict.
I mean did anyone else look markedly better in their at-bats? I don't hate the move. Try it, why not. Nobody was hitting anything.
I don't get the Buxton at bat. I think Rocco was trying to catch lightning in the bottle by putting up the sentimental favorite. After two months off, the bat went about like one would predict.
Michael A. Taylor was 2/11 in the postseason, Wallner was like 0/8, and Buxton has a penchant for turning around high velo fastballs and planting them in the seats. Pena throws 100mph. It was a risk worth taking for a team that had 6 hits in the final 18 innings. Buxton got a pitch out over the plate, he was just a hair behind it got it off the handle. If he gets the bat head out a split second earlier that ball probably ends up in the upper deck in left center cuz he was right on plane with it.
Twins struck out 52 times in the 4 games against HOU
The playoffs were really exciting. So short, but exciting. What a great Minnesota crowd too.
I can't quite figure this manager out. Nothing he says makes sense, is of substance. I'm not sure he has the right hitters or right batting coach? Just too many guys that flail at the ball. Wild swings. Even Lewis is doing it. Rarely do you see them trying to get the bat on the ball for a single or have any thought of manufacturing runs. No Paul Molitor's, Rod Carew's, Tony Gwynn's, that's for sure! We make opposing pitchers look too good. It's too easy for starters to notch seven or eight strike outs against this Twins line up.
Just like Vikes,Wild,Wolves in playoffs out after round 1
Aloha!
Just like Vikes,Wild,Wolves in playoffs out after round 1
Well, it was round two, but who’s counting?
I’m sorry, just having a little fun.
Rarely do you see them trying to get the bat on the ball for a single or have any thought of manufacturing runs.
I think they were gripping the bats a little too tightly in the last couple of innings. Down by a single run, I think maybe too many of them were thinking "one swing of the bat ties it" instead of "get on base and make something happen." Kepler had a decent at-bat going and probably was trying to work a walk. He had a great second half of the season, and I actually felt bad for him a little bit on that pitch. If you're not looking to hit that ball to left, it would be really hard to even get the bat on it.
All that said, Houston had a couple of guys who had their sliders working. In my opinion, it's the best complement to the fastball and almost impossible to hit if the pitcher is in control of it. Some of those pitches were outright filthy.
I think he was as also the one who ended the 6th with a called 3rd strike while a runner was attempting to steal 2nd base.Wtf was that, Kepler? Good god these guys were brutal to watch at the plate nearly all year, fitting that it ends with a backwards k with the season on the line.
You’d think he’d have learned taking those close pitches will get you rung up.
Kep should have swung the bat in the 9th.
The called strike in the 6th was Angel bad. Just brutal.
“When your best friend is the son of God, you get tired of losing every argument.”
― Christopher Moore, Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal
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If I recall is was very low relative to the strike zone box on the screen. I was hoping they'd show a replay of that as I was at a bar and couldn't rewind. They did later provide a shot from a different angle that made it look like it came in above the knees.Kep should have swung the bat in the 9th.
The called strike in the 6th was Angel bad. Just brutal.
Edit. I just saw a replay on Twitter and that 6th inning strike out was on a ball well inside. Not low.
Sure, players should swing at certain pitches, but if a guy is sitting on a slider and he gets a 98-mph fastball up in the zone or on an outside corner, it's goodnight, Charley.
That's why an ump who's calling an inconsistent strike zone is so brutal. If he calls a slider a strike that's 3-4" low, the batter knows he has to sit on that pitch because the pitcher is going to keep going there. He'll end up swinging on a chump slider in the dirt or whiffing on high cheese as a result. The ump can set up an entire pitch sequence with a bad call early in the count.
I have to give Pressley credit for throwing the ball where he was getting the calls and not making a mistake pitch. #denniseckersly
The Twins were trying to hard to get an extra man on base for Correa in the bottom of the 9th.
Keep your stick on the ice...
Huh? What you have liked them to do?The Twins were trying to hard to get an extra man on base for Correa in the bottom of the 9th.