Article: A Couple Outs Short: Twins Lose 5-4

[John Bonnes]

For Thursday night’s 5-4 loss, it’s tempting to focus on the run the Twins lost when Miguel Sano’s blast hit the Tropicana Field catwalk and ended up a double. It’s tempting because who doesn’t want to talk about that explosion? Lord, did you see it? Did you hear it? I thought Twins announcer Dick Bremer might have an aneurysm. I thought I might have an aneurysm.

 

But I think we’re focusing on the wrong metric. The Twins didn’t lose this game because they couldn’t get enough runs. They lost it because they couldn’t get enough outs. And finding those outs in the team's arms has become increasingly tricky.It’s been a week now since the Twins have had a starting pitcher finish the sixth inning. And even with an off day on Monday, the bullpen has been stretched thin by a series of short starts, close games, an extra inning affair and an especially short start on Tuesday by Ervin Santana. With Glen Perkins still fighting a back problem and Kevin Jepsen having thrown in each of the last five games, there weren’t a lot of reliable options tonight.

 

I expect manager Paul Molitor was hoping for six strong innings from Tommy Milone, which would allow him to use the three good arms available over those last three innings: Neil Cotts, Casey Fien and Trevor May. That didn’t happen, but trying to make it happen was when things got ugly.

 

 

(There were a few less enticing options. Blaine Boyer - who pitched - could throw a few pitches. Same with Brian Duensing. And Ryan O'Rourke was available if absolutely necessary. Here is the number of pitches the relievers have thrown over the last week.)

 

Download attachment: Bullpen Pitches.jpg

 

The Twins had a 4-2 lead at the game’s midpoint. Milone was pretty hittable in the bottom half of the fifth, giving up three hits to six batters. However he should get credit for giving up just one run, and maybe extra credit for getting Evan Longoria to ground out to end the threat.

 

But the bottom half of the sixth started the same way as the fifth – with a double off of the southpaw Milone. He stayed in for two more batters, both of whom faced him as right-handed hitters, and he gave up the tying run on a one-out hit by Joey Butler.

 

That hit scored two batters later because of two defensive miscues. First, Eduardo Escobar threw to home when he really had no chance to get that tying run, which allowed Butler to stretch his single to second base. Then, after advancing on a groundout, he scored when catcher Kurt Suzuki allowed a Neil Cotts curveball to trickle between his legs.

 

It’s a shame because, in the end, the bullpen got all the outs they needed to get at the end of the game. It was the threat of not having coverage that likely led to Molitor trying to stretch Milone a little longer than he should have.

 

Alternately, the Rays won because they were more aggressive with their bullpen. Starter Drew Smyly was pulled after 4.2 innings. Brandon Gomes got four outs against the bottom of the Twins lineup, and then Alex Colome threw two innings before turning it over to closer Brad Boxberger. The Twins managed just one hit in 4.1 innings off that trio.

 

In short, the Rays gave the Twins a dose of Minnesota’s own potent cocktail tonight: a great bullpen, a couple of timely hits and taking advantage of a defensive miscue or two. It’s the same recipe the Twins have used to turn a 0-3 road trip into a 6-4 road trip. That doesn’t make it any easier to swallow.

 

Twins Takes

 

It’s likely time to start debating who is going to lose time in the outfield when Aaron Hicks returns next week. Tonight, both Torii Hunter and Byron Buxton stated their case for finding some bench time.

 

Hunter was 0-4 and hit into a double play in the fifth inning. It not only ended a threat to extend the lead, but ended the last threat the Twins would have.

 

Buxton, meanwhile, struck out four times and was actually pinch-hit for in the ninth inning by backup catcher Chris Herrmann. And I can’t blame Molitor for the move. This wasn’t a case of a rookie getting fooled by veteran guile. He was flat out missing fastballs right through the strike zone. I thought back to the last time he struck out four times, when we found out the next day he had been playing with a strained thumb and was put on the DL. I won’t be shocked if, at the very least, he has a day of rest on Friday, which would mean seeing Shane Robinson three days in a row.

 

Buxton, by the way, since his recall, is still hitting .264, but has a 12:1 K:BB ratio. His defense continues to be outstanding in center field.

 

The bottom of the Twins lineup had another great night. Escobar hit his third home run in two games. Suzuki just missed a home run and still went 2-4. He’s hitting .392 on this road trip. And even Robinson contributed a hit and also “drove in” the Twins fourth run on an error by Asdrubal Cabrera that was likely influenced by Robinson’s speed.

 

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[curt1965]

The Twins need to decide if they are going to "go for it (wildcard)", or not. Their roster construction is crazy bad. 4 left handed relievers? Come on!

I can hear it now: they are going to wait til the rosters expand. Meanwhile, what about the 3 games against the Astros? The FO 's message to the fans in certainly confusing, to say it nicely. (This gives me an idea for a new thread!)

[twinssouth]

Should of won that game last night. At game, have no idea how Milone did it, he's smoke n mirrors. FB at 88' change up 81' mixes in his curve. He was getting hit hard in the 5th, no way should he have started the 6th, Moli didn't have anyone up in BP.

 

 

Twins relief corp looked good for whole series but the Rays just don't have a lot of offense.

 

 

Sano's blast was incredible. My friend with me, said he's only seen it 1 other time. It landed on the catwalk in left center that surrounds the very top of the dome. Bounced around then came down in right center Had it cleared the catwalk it sould have hit the dome roof where it slopes down towards left field upper deck which would have been hr.

 

The passed ball by Suzuki was total bs. He should have had it. Cotts the pitcher was totally surprised it got by him. We all were. Plus, base runners have a field day on him, the last one he didnt even bother throwing it to 2nd.

 

Robinson sure is a little $heeeet, doesn't look like he belongs. Sano had a hot grounder he couldnt handle, ball goes to left field. Both my friend and I commented on how late Robinson was getting to the ball. Runners advanced, later run scored. Why is he on the roster.

 

 

Goats last night; Suzuki and Moli for not pulling Milone after 5.

 

 

May was a beast in all the games. I was impressed with Cotts and Jepsen and even Boyer was decent (he sure is slow in between pitches, drags game out a little).

 

 

 

Starting rotation is a big ooof dah Only Duffey was decent. Batters teeing off on Santana and Milone getting by on smoke n mirrors.

 

 

 

Keep Buxton in, so what if he strikes out 4 times, his D is awesome AND, the Rays did not send a runner home on a hit up the middle, they respect his cannon which he showed off a few times. Twins are winning because of Sano, Buxton, Rosario. Not even going to talk about Mauer.

[Shane Wahl]

Ryan O'Rourke is not a bad pitcher. And he's a very good one against lefties.

[HitInAPinch]

The starting staff is made up of free agent signings that had health issues and a pitcher [ Milone ] who has a history of not being able to pitch more than 160-175 innings before wearing out.  These kind of things happen during the course of the season. 

 

I still don't know about Buxton.  And I still don't know about the Twins playoff chances.  I say let him play out the year in MLB.  And I'd kinda want to see an OF of Rosario, Hicks and Buxton.

[Seth Stohs]

I mean, if Sano's ball doesn't hit the catwalk, maybe things are completely different. The Twins add another run that inning and maybe the momentum changes.They won 6/10 on the road trip after starting 0-3. Big picture, they've won 6 of their last 7. Weird stuff happens in baseball. Now they come home and we hope they continue to play well.

 

Will be vital to start getting some innings out of the starters. 

[John Bonnes]

 

Ryan O'Rourke is not a bad pitcher. And he's a very good one against lefties.

 

I agree. 

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

And Ryan O'Rourke was available if absolutely necessary. Here is the number of pitches the relievers have thrown over the last week.

Am I missing something?  Why wasn't O'Rourke available, despite not pitching at all in 9 days?  Option him if you're not going to use him.

 

And was Perkins really unavailable the last 3 games?  He'd already be 10 days into a 15-day DL stint if we had disabled him when he flew home for his cortisone shot, eligible to return in just 4 more games (Sep. 2nd, when we wouldn't even have to demote anyone to make room for him again due to expanded rosters).

 

Add in our insistence on rostering multiple unmovable "less enticing options" like Duensing and Boyer through it all, and I've got no sympathy if our bullpen is short-handed because of these decisions.

[Willihammer]

Even with a .400 BABIP Buxton's barely OPSing .600 since his recall.

 

He's not ready folks.

Edited August 28, 2015 by Willihammer

[TwinsCD]

What's been incredibly alarming during this 6-out-of-7 stretch has been the lack of any sort of shutdown effort by a starter, other than Duffey's work in the 15-2 Baltimore game.  Given the options not being all that appetizing, the bullpen did their job during that stint.  But this business with the starters needs to end pronto or else the Astros will go sweeping thru Target Field.

 

 

 

[troyhobbs]

 

Even with a .400 BABIP Buxton's barely OPSing .600 since his recall.

 

He's not ready folks.

Agreed. Buxton is the one to bench when Hicks is back. He has way too many bad at bats and you know things are bad when you're being pinch hit for by Chris Hermann (kinda sad he's the closest thing they have to a MLB backup C...yikes).  Hunter is slumping but at least he makes the pitcher work a little bit (usually) and hopefully he finds his swing again. 

 

That Sano moonshot was sick, total BS he only got a double out of that.

[James]

I would say there were other opportunities in that game as well.  If Sano didn't strike out after Mauer's double in the first, there is another potential run that didn't get added.  Yes, Sano's shot should have been a HR, and most probably would have at pretty much any other stadium.  It's one of the things about baseball, sometimes the ball drops in your favor, and sometimes it doesn't.  

 

 

It is true the the Twins need more out of their starters.  If they did, maybe the pull out win #7 in a row.  Hopefully they stay in the groove overall and comeback with some wins against the Astros. 

 

 

 

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

I would say there were other opportunities in that game as well.  If Sano didn't strike out after Mauer's double in the first, there is another potential run that didn't get added.

I think Sano gets a pass on that, given his recent rate of runs driven in!

[James]

 

I think Sano gets a pass on that, given his recent rate of runs driven in!

I agree. I was just pointing out that there were other opportunities in the game for the Twins to score some runs.  That was just an example.  

 

It's tough for me to get too down on the team after that loss.  A seven game winning streak if tough to get.  A seven game winning streak entirely on the road is even harder.  That's a feat the Twins have never done.

 

It just means that Twins get to start another winning streak tonight!