They have been better no question. I guess I don’t have that much faith in the bullpen for the long haul. I want to. T.k will be the first one to say as a manager you’re only as good as your players and they made his job easy. I get that. They’ve made some good moves recently (Jake odorizzi) but Ryan Presley hurts. Starting pitchers are tough to grab without selling your future along with stud position players to boot. I’d be maybe less bitter as a fan if they’d do something in an off season where the season before they knocked on the door in the post season. Add a missing piece or two and climb to that next level. When They get close and just break apart it’s frustrating when salary cap isn’t a factor.
I realize a single stat can be misleading, but the Twins are 4th in MLB for team ERA and are currently at 3.15 vs. 3.98 for last season.
Beyond that I've not been paying attention and there's probably more to the story.
The main story is that their pitching staff is the best and deepest it's been in my lifetime (like I said and was mocked for before the season).
The secondary storyline is that our defense has been very solid so far, even without Buxton in CF because Michael Taylor is an exceptional defensive outfielder as well.
They have been better no question. I guess I don’t have that much faith in the bullpen for the long haul. I want to. T.k will be the first one to say as a manager you’re only as good as your players and they made his job easy. I get that. They’ve made some good moves recently (Jake odorizzi) but Ryan Presley hurts. Starting pitchers are tough to grab without selling your future along with stud position players to boot. I’d be maybe less bitter as a fan if they’d do something in an off season where the season before they knocked on the door in the post season. Add a missing piece or two and climb to that next level. When They get close and just break apart it’s frustrating when salary cap isn’t a factor.
Pressly would never have been what he has turned into with the Twins regime he was playing under. (Although he has been eaten alive so far early in the season)
His curveball was always great but the Twins refused to let him maximize it because the previous coaching philosophies were always "Keep the fastball low and try to get ground balls". When pitchers with devastating, high-spin curveballs like Pressly has are forced to throw their fastballs low, it makes their curveball significantly less effective. Because the hitter can see the pitch trajectory and say "Oh it comes out low, it's a fastball or a ball. If it's coming out high, I can sit on the curveball (because he has to start it higher for it to be a strike)." Because a curveball thrown at the same trajectory as a low fastball would spike into the dirt short of the plate.
He got to Houston and they immediately started having him throw fastballs up in the zone as well, forcing hitters to read and react to the pitch rather than sitting on it knowing it was a curveball. Houston wasn't afraid of a guy throwing high fastballs like the Twins used to be. The high fastball played off his disgusting curveball which has turned him into a totally dominant reliever.
The return they got for Pressly hasn't been nothing, either. They got Jorge Alcala (currently contributing to the bullpen and pitching quite well after missing all of last season with injury) and Gilberto Celestino who we saw play a lot last season and would have been on the 40-man roster this season before he suffered a torn ligament in his thumb. He's also only 24 years old.
No offense. Yawn.
Gonna lose this series to a very bad team.
The Wild lead their playoff series, can’t expect any wins anywhere else.
The Twins turn as good a double play as I've ever seen. Hopefully some video shows up soon.
2-6-3 on a bunt in front of the plate with two bullets, one by Jeffers and another by Correa.
“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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Hmm…. You must have forgotten the 3-2-3 double play in the 8th inning of the 7th game of the ‘91 World Series…
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_DGoVVHhVZ4
(But it was a nice double play)
As good as....being the key. ?
Hard to top the 3-2-3 Dp, especially given the situation!
“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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Sonny Gray continues his incredible start to the season tonight
https://twitter.com/DanHayesMLB/status/1650680250106273793?s=20
Jovani Moran doing his best to let the Yankees back in it.
The Twins beat the Yankees 6-1. Maybe some day the Yankees will be good enough to give the Twins a battle. ?
Twins have won 3 of 5 against the Yankees, that’s a first round playoff win. World Series baby!
Gallo continues to punish baseballs in a Twins uniform. An absurd .757 slugging % and an even more absurd 1.120 OPS so far in April. His 6 HRs are tied for 8th in all of baseball and he's played in 8-10 fewer games than everyone ahead of him.
https://twitter.com/MLB/status/1650665397652455424?t=HCNSY1OV-28QjwIUn3jtWA&s=19
Not near as sexy but he's playing a pretty solid 1B so far as well
Not near as sexy but he's playing a pretty solid 1B so far as well
He has been very solid at 1B. It will be interesting to see what they do when Kiriloff gets back. If he starts out well at the plate and Kepler continues to basically suck (he did have 3 hits last night to raise his average to .222 and has 6 hits in his last 4 games, so maybe he's starting to heat up) do they move Kepler to the platoon role and Gallo to the outfield?
They need to get Miranda to figure out defense at 3B though. He's off to a pretty rough start over there. I'm sure the cold weather isn't helping him but he's been a butcher over there a few times.
The Twins beat the Yankees again this time 6-2. They are 4-2 against the Yankees this season out scoring them by a combined 28-16.
The Twins have clinched the season series with one game left.
First series win over the Yankees since 2001. Eesh.
I was at today’s game. It was a 12-6 score, and the game was done in less than 2 1/2 hours. Oh—and that with the Yankees. Last year that would have been 4 hours, with pitchers walking around the mound trying to (over) think what to do.
Baby steps.
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.
The Twins won tonight 8-6.
The Twins bats have heated over the past 5 games scoring 6, 6, 6, 7, and 8 runs.
They have now won 5 of their last 6 games and are 16-11 overall. At the 1/6 point of the season they are on pace to finish 96-66.
This month was supposed to be a tough month highlighted by 10 games against the Yankees and Astros. They went 6-4 in those ten games.
Polanco proving why homerun trots are dumb. Hits the ball off the top of the wall and trots into an easy tag out at 2nd. If the ball is in the field of play you run.
Then the Twins immediately commit an error in center to turn a Royals single into a double followed by a walk.
I am watching right now on Bally”s there is video and sound from Target Field but no announcers of the game
Aloha!
Kind of had to work to lose this one.
(possibly)
Top notch relief pitching against the powerhouse royals. 2 walks and a wild pitch in the ninth. Bravo
Royals earn the go ahead run on two walks and a WP. Way to make them earn it Duran.
Immediately after the WP Duran goes to throwing strikes and fastballs instead of playing around the corners and gets out of the inning. Go figure.
Twins strand 12 including 2 in the 9th and lose to the fledging Royals 3-2 after allowing the go ahead run on a WP.
Clearly all the winter playoff teams have lost and the Twins can resume holding the WTF mantle.
I’d like to get to a game this season but there’s this that reminds me why I can grill my own brat with a beer and watch shark week reruns.
Twins beat the lowly Royals today. Sonny Gray was solid, the bullpen still has issues. Also, Mahle is out for a while. Also, the Twins have a new Home Run celebration ritual.
I'm 50% factual and 50% sarcastic. When you get to know me, you will know which is which.
That Buxton homer was a BOMB.
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.
A Twins pitcher shutdown for awhile (this will extend) is an annual ritual.
Well, I DO have "Twins' pitcher lost to Tommy John surgery" on my 2023 bingo card, but then, who doesn't?A Twins pitcher shutdown for awhile (this will extend) is an annual ritual.
Raking. That’s a new baseball term for me.
Struggling against the White Sox is not inspiring.
Struggling against the White Sox is not inspiring.
Larnach struggled badly tonight.
Twins probably good enough to get fans in the seats, but like every other Minnesota team, they aren't built for the playoffs.
Their bullpen isn't exactly a who's who of major league talent.
I realize a single stat can be misleading, but the Twins are 4th in MLB for team ERA and are currently at 3.15 vs. 3.98 for last season.
Beyond that I've not been paying attention and there's probably more to the story.
The main story is that their pitching staff is the best and deepest it's been in my lifetime (like I said and was mocked for before the season).
The secondary storyline is that our defense has been very solid so far, even without Buxton in CF because Michael Taylor is an exceptional defensive outfielder as well.
Look you can do a victory lap now but it is May. If in July you are still saying that it will be more impressive. Every year the team uses injuries as an excuse so if they are as deep as you claim that won't be an acceptable reason they faltar anymore.
I hope you are right but history is not on your side and it is a looooooooooong season.
I realize a single stat can be misleading, but the Twins are 4th in MLB for team ERA and are currently at 3.15 vs. 3.98 for last season.
Beyond that I've not been paying attention and there's probably more to the story.
The main story is that their pitching staff is the best and deepest it's been in my lifetime (like I said and was mocked for before the season).
The secondary storyline is that our defense has been very solid so far, even without Buxton in CF because Michael Taylor is an exceptional defensive outfielder as well.
Look you can do a victory lap now but it is May. If in July you are still saying that it will be more impressive. Every year the team uses injuries as an excuse so if they are as deep as you claim that won't be an acceptable reason they faltar anymore.
I hope you are right but history is not on your side and it is a looooooooooong season.
With Mahle and Maeda both going to the IL in the last week I guess we'll find out. Varland and Ober were called up to replace them IIRC.
As it stands right now I'm more concerned about our offense than the pitching staff.
The offense has gone too many stretches without scoring runs. Correa got off to an ice-cold start in April and so did Miranda (Miranda finished April pretty well but has so far gone 0-the series against Chicago). Kepler was awful for most of April and finally started getting a couple hits last week.
Buxton has been good, Gallo has been Gallo... the rest of the offense needs to start heating up to take some pressure of the staff and bullpen.
Back to back extra innings where the Twins fail to advance the runner (one Gordon's sac bunt attempt was popped straight up in the air, then a walk followed my a rocket shot double play).
Twins and Sox going to bottom 11 with Pagan in to pitch.
Twins have lost 4 of 5 within the division. Gross.
The Twins have given up 0 hits in the top of the 7th but have given up 2 runs on 3 errors. 2 of those on Vázquez throwing the ball away on pick off attempts, one hitting the runner square in the back.
Beat the Yankees, lose to everyone else. And not because of pitching.
Top of the Twins order (1-4) goes 0fer and 3 errors lead to a ridiculous 1-6 loss.
Was at the game tonight. Never felt like it was in question. Only a few innings in and you just felt like you knew there wouldn’t be any offense.
But after all these years, they have the pitching! 😉
They just can't seem to sync the whole thing up.
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.
But after all these years, they have the pitching! 😉
They just can't seem to sync the whole thing up.
We probably just need a new stadium, I mean who can stay viable and compete with a 13 year old structure?
?
Twins have the lowest team batting Ave in MLB 220
Aloha!
It's still early May... Plenty of time to get things going.
Yes I am...and I'm betting heavy against the Twins but if I believe it is too early to jump on the bandwagon it is too early to jump off too. It isn't like the Central is the 1990s AL East or anything...
I predicted the Twins finish 3rd but I never take it seriously until at least June and usually July.