Article: Twins vs. Tigers, 07/05/2012, 12:05pm

[stringer bell]

I've gotta think it's pretty rare for a team to get 6 hits with RISP and only score 3 runs.

 

What a frustrating day.

 

I could be wrong about this, but it sure seems like one of the many problems this team as had this year is the way it consistently squanders chances for big innings that would put them comfortably ahead. Today was another game we had a chance to jump out to a big lead and didn't.

 

Even in a lot of our wins (and we have more 1-run wins than anyone else in the AL), I feel like there have been a lot of blown chances to bust games open, and they ended up being nail-biters. Maybe the bullpen could have been conserved a bit better had we been up 5 instead of up 1 going into the 9th in some of those games.

 

Perhaps the Twins stastistically really aren't much worse than anyone else in this area, but I sure feel like I've watched a lot of innings where the Twins walked away with 1 run when they could, and probably should, have had at least 3.

Pretty much agree Jack. Sometimes an infield hit isn't as good as getting one to the outfield. It also hurts that the Twins have hitters that are played shallow at least in their off field (Span's single in which Dozier was thrown out).

[IdahoPilgrim]

I think that I will erase this game from my DVR without watching it.

I don't know - watching the Detroit pitcher run over and knock down his own catcher was pretty good.

[Dilligaf69]

Pretty much agree Jack. Sometimes an infield hit isn't as good as getting one to the outfield. It also hurts that the Twins have hitters that are played shallow at least in their off field (Span's single in which Dozier was thrown out).

 

Agree..15 hits and only 3 runs is almost unheard of and frankly inexcusable...the pen was due for a tough game but a few more hits w/risp this yr and we could easily have 4-5 more wins even with our brutal starting pitching.

[jokin]

I don't know - watching the Detroit pitcher run over and knock down his own catcher was pretty good.

Fielder's forearm played a large part in indenting Laird head and face.

[John Bonnes]

To me, this game was lost in the 8th. And that's mostly on Gardy.

 

Yeah, there wer mistakes made at home plate, but they were good aggressive mistakes. Runners were left on base, but I'm not going to hammer Plouffe too much for leaving the bases loaded. The Twins were also shut out by Downs for multiple innings.

 

If Perk was unavailable, they I understand why Burnett started the 8th. But why wasn't Robertson warmed up? You could see Gardy swearing when Burnett was facing (and walking) the lefty. Was he swearing at a miscommunication or himself?

 

I gotta say, I feel like the Twins have a lot of promising arms in their bullpen, but their availability is awfully limited. Perk pitched the 2nd and the 3rd, but not the 4th. There is stuff going on there that we don't know about.

[CDog]

I think that I will erase this game from my DVR without watching it.

If you haven't already deleted it, as mentioned already, the first four innings are full of weirdness that you might find interesting. The plays at the plate (I got to wondering if I had ever seen back to back pitches lead to tag outs at home), the missed pickoff tags, the three-way collision, etc.

 

I'd quickly stop, delete, and move on with your day not much after that 4th inning, though, unless you're fairly masochistic.

[CDog]

If Perk was unavailable, they I understand why Burnett started the 8th. But why wasn't Robertson warmed up? You could see Gardy swearing when Burnett was facing (and walking) the lefty. Was he swearing at a miscommunication or himself?

 

I gotta say, I feel like the Twins have a lot of promising arms in their bullpen, but their availability is awfully limited. Perk pitched the 2nd and the 3rd, but not the 4th. There is stuff going on there that we don't know about.

In the postgame, Gardenhire seemed to think that Burnett walking Berry was the big mistake of that inning, so I would imagine that's what had him upset. I wouldn't have expected him to go with Robertson there with Cabrera on deck anyway, regardless of Robertson being ready or not, would he?

 

As for Perkins, not only had he pitched the 2nd and 3rd, but also the 1st and 30th. Was the first time in his career he'd worked four straight days according to the radio broadcast. I'm guessing that had something to do with the second day off (I wondered if it being a day game mattered, but don't know how much that would matter).

[Guest USAFChief]

In the postgame, Gardenhire seemed to think that Burnett walking Berry was the big mistake of that inning, so I would imagine that's what had him upset. I wouldn't have expected him to go with Robertson there with Cabrera on deck anyway, regardless of Robertson being ready or not, would he?

 

As for Perkins, not only had he pitched the 2nd and 3rd, but also the 1st and 30th. Was the first time in his career he'd worked four straight days according to the radio broadcast. I'm guessing that had something to do with the second day off (I wondered if it being a day game mattered, but don't know how much that would matter).

Agree with everything in this post. Hard to blame Gardy when his options are limited. If you're forced into using Burnett in the late innings, facing 9-1-2 in the 8th and leaving Burton for the 9th seems logical to me.

 

The bullpen pitched a lot of innings this week. It caught up to them.

[glunn]

If you haven't already deleted it, as mentioned already, the first four innings are full of weirdness that you might find interesting. The plays at the plate (I got to wondering if I had ever seen back to back pitches lead to tag outs at home), the missed pickoff tags, the three-way collision, etc.

 

I'd quickly stop, delete, and move on with your day not much after that 4th inning, though, unless you're fairly masochistic.

Good idea, I will try that.

[snepp]

http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/1227448/tigersbunt.gif.opt_medium.gif