Article: CWS 5, MIN 1: Twins Drop Ugly Game, Series to White Sox

[Tom Froemming]

It’s a good thing we know this Twins team has the ability to pick itself up off the mat. They mustered very little offense and made some costly defensive mistakes Thursday night as they lost a five-game series 3-2 against the worst team in the American League.Win Expectancy (via Fangraphs)

Download attachment: WinEx824.png

Top 3 Twins per WPA: Escobar .055 | Rosario .037 | Mauer .032

 

It’s almost hard to believe the White Sox managed to score five runs off Berrios, given how nasty he was. Jose only gave up four hits and struck out nine batters over 5.1 innings, but he also walked three and the Twins made a pair of costly errors (one of which was committed by Berrios).

 

The fourth inning was particularly painful. Berrios walked the leadoff hitter, rookie Yoan Moncada, on four pitches. After retiring Jose Abreu, first baseman Mitch Garver committed a fielding error on a groundball in the hole. Moncada, who had stolen second base, hustled around to score, putting the Sox up 2-0.

 

Berrios then gave up back-to-back singles to load the bases with one out. Next, Tim Anderson hit an RBI ground out to put the White Sox up 3-0. With the two outs and runners at the corners, Berrios' pickoff throw went passed third baseman Ehire Adrianza, allowing the White Sox to score their fourth run.

 

It was a high-risk, low-reward move. I get that these guys are professionals and practice and prepare for everything, but how many pickoff throws has Adrianza fielded at third base in his life? And how many times has Berrios even ever attempted a pickoff at third?

 

Either way, that mistake was far from the reason the Twins lost this one. For the second-straight night the bats went ice cold. After making 2017 James Shields look like vintage James Shields Wednesday evening, the Twins gave the same treatment to Derek Holland. The longtime former Ranger entered the night with a 6.28 ERA, but he was able to hold the Twins to one run over 6.0 innings.

 

The Twins managed just five hits, with their only run coming on Byron Buxton’s 10th homer of the year. Buxton has now hit 19 home runs for the Twins over the last 365 days. He actually homered exactly a year ago today … for the Rochester Red Wings.

Eddie Rosario drew two walks, and is up to 28 in 118 games this season. He entered this year with 27 walks in 214 career games. Brian Dozier was 0-for-3 with a walk. The team really needs him to provide some offense against lefties, especially now that Miguel Sano is out. The Twins face another southpaw tomorrow. Jason Castro was placed on the seven-day concussion DL, which allowed the club to bring Zack Granite back up. He was 0-for-2 with a walk.

 

The bullpen was solid, as Ryan Pressly and Alan Busenitz each pitched 1.1 scoreless innings. Pressly has now given up just two earned runs in 13.0 innings (1.38 ERA) this month. Busenitz gave up runs in each of his first two appearances with the Twins, but since then he’s given up only two earned runs over 18.1 innings (0.98 ERA).

 

Postgame With Molitor

Twins W-L Record

Overall: 65-62

Last 10: 6-4

Last 20: 13-7

Last 40: 20-20

Last 80: 39-41

 

AL Central Standings

Cleveland 70-56

Minnesota 65-62 (-5.5)

Kansas City 64-62 (-6.0)

 

AL Wild Card Standings

WC1: Yankees 68-58 (+3.5)

WC2: Minnesota 65-62

Angles 65-63 (-0.5)

Kansas City 64-62 (-0.5)

Seattle 65-63 (-0.5)

Texas 64-63 (-1.0)

 

Bullpen Usage

Here’s a quick look at the number of pitches thrown by the bullpen over the past five days:

Download attachment: Bullpen824.png

Looking Ahead

FRI: Twins (Bartolo Colon) at Toronto (J.A. Happ), 6:07 pm CT

SAT: Twins (Dillon Gee) at Toronto (Marco Estrada), 12:07 pm CT

SUN: Twins (Kyle Gibson) at Toronto (TBD), 12:07 pm CT

 

Question of the Day

Are we to the point where Joe Mauer (.256/.344/.293 vs. LHP) needs to be in the lineup against lefties just for his defense?

 

Click here to view the article

[AlwaysinModeration]

Are we to the point where Joe Mauer (.256/.344/.293 vs. LHP) needs to be in the lineup against lefties just for his defense?

 

Yes, and his OBP.

[Han Joelo]

I don't want get all hyperbolic here, but this is the end of the world. Game over man! We just got our asses kicked. If the Twins can't beat the worst team in a five game series, how will they beat the best?

 

Okay, enough with the hyperbolic facetiousness. Great to see Buxton with another hit. Watching on game day, my feeble baseball mind was vexed as to why Berrios was messing with pickoffs when all he needed was a strikeout. Nice bullpen work.

 

Remember, when you need to stop a bad run, try throwing your Colon.

[laloesch]

Ugly Ugly Ugly!  This team is a mirage.  This was a good ole ass kicking by the White Sox.  My hat off to them.  They made this team look like a bunch of schmucks.

[Doubles]

Anybody else disappointed Mauer wasn't in the lineup? Easy to pile on given the error at first base, but come on, Joe. Team is fighting for a playoff spot. No idea what Mauer's numbers are vs Holland, but it's not like he's Randy Johnson out there.

 

This should be a time of year when a manager has to drag a guy out of the lineup, kicking & screaming. That's not the feeling I get from Mauer.

[twinsnorth49]

 

Anybody else disappointed Mauer wasn't in the lineup? Easy to pile on given the error at first base, but come on, Joe. Team is fighting for a playoff spot. No idea what Mauer's numbers are vs Holland, but it's not like he's Randy Johnson out there.

This should be a time of year when a manager has to drag a guy out of the lineup, kicking & screaming. That's not the feeling I get from Mauer.

But in reality you really have no idea, like the rest of us.

[twinsnorth49]

 

Ugly Ugly Ugly!  This team is a mirage.  This was a good ole ass kicking by the White Sox.  My hat off to them.  They made this team look like a bunch of schmucks.

A 5 hit ass kicking, aided by 2 errors.......ok then.

 

What's the mirage, the injury depleted team that couldn't get it going against the White Sox the last two nights? Or, the one that completely dismantled a very good D-Backs team last week?

 

They're  a young team with obvious holes, missing their biggest offensive threat......enjoy the ride.

 

[Tibs]

 

Anybody else disappointed Mauer wasn't in the lineup? Easy to pile on given the error at first base, but come on, Joe. Team is fighting for a playoff spot. No idea what Mauer's numbers are vs Holland, but it's not like he's Randy Johnson out there.

This should be a time of year when a manager has to drag a guy out of the lineup, kicking & screaming. That's not the feeling I get from Mauer.

That's an awful lot of speculation in your post.

 

Yeah we get it. He makes $23 million a year and he's not an MVP caliber player anymore.

[Cory Engelhardt]

Small sample size, but since July 1st (32 plate appearances) Joe Mauer has hit 308/438/346 for a 784 OPS against lefties. Yes, small sample size obviously, but his defense is so good anyway (and Vargas or Garver is so far below average at this point) that I think for now you need to have Mauer in the lineup as often as possible.

That said, if they Twins were facing Sale/Duffy etc, I'd sit him.

[USAFChief]

 

But in reality you really have no idea, like the rest of us.

It's fair to question who's at fault...Mauer, Molitor, or both.

 

It's also fair to wonder why, in a game where the lineup features Garver, Gimenez, Adrianza, and Granite, Mauer is on the bench.

 

 

[wavedog]

Certainly disappointing to have Santana and Berrios pitching against the worst team (also hurts to not blast Shields, Holland and that White Sox bullpen) and lose both those games but in the words of Ron Washington - That's how baseball go.   As I look at the standings we are still in 2nd place in the wild card race.   Let's get a win today.   

[Craig Arko]

 

It's fair to question who's at fault...Mauer, Molitor, or both.

 

It's also fair to wonder why, in a game where the lineup features Garver, Gimenez, Adrianza, and Granite, Mauer is on the bench.

I blame Calvin Griffith.

[Tom Froemming]

The question isn't whether or not Joe wants days off. Mauer wants to play everyday. He said so this spring. Here's the link to an old thread Seth posted about it (which includes a link to an article by Derek Wetmore).

 

Then why is he not playing?

 

1) Paul Molitor wants to keep him healthy. Mauer hit .111/.245/.222 and played just 12 games last Sept./Oct. He's also 34 now, so it makes a lot of sense to try to rest him and keep him strong through the entire season.

 

2) Joe has had a tough time against lefties for awhile now. Over the past three seasons, he's hit .252/.320/.350 off same-sided pitchers (429 PAs). 

 

So the question is would you risk wearing him down and accept the decreased production in order to keep his glove on the field?

[Doubles]

 

That's an awful lot of speculation in your post.

 

Yeah we get it. He makes $23 million a year and he's not an MVP caliber player anymore.

 

Yes, it is speculation on my part.  As I'm not on the inside, it's what I do.  

 

I made zero mention of Mauer's contract, but thanks for adding that in there.

 

From Berardino's gamer:

 

"After Yoan Moncada drew a four-pitch walk and stole second one out later in the fourth, first baseman Mitch Garver booted Nick Delmonico’s soft grounder to his right for a run-scoring error. Garver was playing first for the third time since being called up last Friday, but before that the natural catcher hadn’t played there since June 9 at Triple-A Rochester.

 

In five games (four starts) at first for the Red Wings this year, Garver had been charged with one error.

“I think it was a broken bat,” Garver said. “I knew I had to get over there and try to make a play on the ball. I think it hit off the heel of my glove and I ended up slipping.”

The ball kicked away far enough for Moncada to score from second.

“He’s going out there and he’s working on his defense,” Molitor said of Garver. “We’re trying to make him as versatile as we can. We don’t have a lot of options against left-handed pitching right now. He’s made some plays.”

 

So you're saying you're okay with running a guy out to an infield spot- who has a lot of learning to do about the position- over a guy many people feel is playing defense at a Gold Glove level?  Sorry, but I'm not.  And unless Joe is dealing with some sort of malady that makes it impossible for him to strap it on- then yeah, I'm demanding more.  

 

I'm not blaming Garver at all.  I'm questioning why a guy with only a handful of games played at first base this season is being asked to learn an extremely difficult position on the fly at the major league level.  Meanwhile, Mauer, and his remarkably good glove- sits two games & DH's another in the last week.

[Otto von Ballpark]

While I probably would have preferred Mauer to Garver at 1B last night -- why didn't Vargas start?  He's no Mauer but he seems like a fair glove at 1B -- he's certainly no novice like Garver -- and he's got pretty even splits for his career.  3 career PA against Holland, with a walk, strikeout, and 3 run HR (talk about three true outcomes!).

 

That would have improved the 1B defense and probably improved the lineup offensively too, given Garver's inexperience.  And since we pinch-hit for Garver with Mauer late in the game anyway, starting Vargas instead would have kept Garver on the bench and allowed Mauer to pinch-hit for someone else, possibly even Gimenez if necessary.

[Doubles]

 

The question isn't whether or not Joe wants days off. Mauer wants to play everyday. He said so this spring. Here's the link to an old thread Seth posted about it (which includes a link to an article by Derek Wetmore).

 

Then why is he not playing?

 

1) Paul Molitor wants to keep him healthy. Mauer hit .111/.245/.222 and played just 12 games last Sept./Oct. He's also 34 now, so it makes a lot of sense to try to rest him and keep him strong through the entire season.

 

2) Joe has had a tough time against lefties for awhile now. Over the past three seasons, he's hit .252/.320/.350 off same-sided pitchers (429 PAs). 

 

So the question is would you risk wearing him down and accept the decreased production in order to keep his glove on the field?

 

Thanks for posting this, Tom.  Also, props to you for your work on the TD Gamers.  Great stuff, especially for somebody who isn't on the inside.  Thanks for all the time & thought you put into these write-ups.

 

Didn't Joe get hurt down the stretch last season?  And for a season as dismal as last year was, there was no urgency to get back into the lineup.  Yes, I get and believe there is something to keeping a 34-year old guy as healthy & fresh as possible.  I just question throwing an inexperienced player- especially one with such little time spent at the position- to the wolves.  Not really much fair to the player- in this case Garver- as much as anything else.

 

 

[Doubles]

Just watched Molitor's post-game presser from last night.  He seemed to bristle a bit when Berardino asked about being able to trust Garver at first base.  Interesting reaction.

[rghrbek]

My biggest complaint was just who was playing.  You really needed to have this win last night to win the series against a terrible, terrible team.

 

Molly has Gardy's fear of catchers getting hurt, so I was shocked to see both in at the same time.

Why bring Garver up if you are afraid to play him at catcher?  As we've seen from Gimenez, he is not very good behind the plate (not to mention his bat).  Apparently his leadership is off the charts I guess.  If Garver plays catcher, then Vargas can play first or Mauer.  If Mauer plays then Vargas can DH.

 

Also as much as I like Granite, it would be nice to have a real 4th outfielder, who can bat right handed.  Playing a utility man in the outfield is not ideal (in multiple games no less).

 

Not throwing out our best against a Toronto team that usually crushes us.  This could be ugly.  Of course every time I have thought this before this Twins team has bounced back.

[Kwak]

Garver at 1B dovetails nicely with decisions like:  D, Santana, Escobar, or Sano in the OF, and  Gimenez at P.  "Flexibility."  Oh, I forgot (probably because no TD poster has mentioned it for awhile...) Mauer at 3B.

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

Vargas is not the answer, he can't hit LH pitching.  Like at all - .163/.236/.265 (.501) for the season. I don't know what happened but if you watch him this year hitting from the right side he really doesn't have much of a chance. You can't put him in against LH pitching.  He's just an easy out at this point.

Partial season platoon splits are a ridiculously small sample size -- it's 55 PA.  His K% and BB% are virtually the same from both sides this season.  Last year he had a monster 1.262 OPS in 52 PA vs LHP.  And he had a 3 run HR and a walk against Derek Holland earlier this very season, on June 20.  To the extent that maybe he has "looked" worse against LHP this season, maybe seeing Holland again would help him get back on track in that regard.

 

When the alternative is starting Gimenez, Granite, Adrianza, and Garver (plus Escobar at DH), all in the same lineup, I sure as heck wouldn't want to sit Vargas vs Derek Holland because of small sample platoon splits.

 

Actually the best order almost certainly should have had Vargas and Mauer and 1B/DH (let Mauer DH if you're concerned about rest), and Escobar at 3B -- Adrianza is pretty inexperienced over there too.

[Darius]

Yep, it's pretty ridiculous that the guy making the most on the team, and maybe the best natural hitter on the team, wasn't in the lineup consider all of the injuries. You're in the middle of the playoff race, and needed a win. I just don't get it.

 

Is into really too much to ask for a 33-34 year old guy to stand at 1B and hit against Derek Holland? This isn't the NFL. He does need days off, but we don't need to he carried away here.

 

That, along with Garver at 1B, instead of a guy with some real experience there, is ridiculous.

 

Molitor needs to quit turning a kids game into rocket science.

[laloesch]

 

A 5 hit ass kicking, aided by 2 errors.......ok then.

 

What's the mirage, the injury depleted team that couldn't get it going against the White Sox the last two nights? Or, the one that completely dismantled a very good D-Backs team last week?

 

They're  a young team with obvious holes, missing their biggest offensive threat......enjoy the ride.

 

 

Okay.....Well they lost 3 of 5 to the White Sox, worst team in baseball.  And dismantled a very good D-Backs team?  You mean the team that lost 93 games last season, 83 in 2015 and 98 in 2014?  Hasn't had a winning season since 2011.  Yeahhhh.....

Edited August 25, 2017 by laloesch

[twinsnorth49]

 

It's fair to question who's at fault...Mauer, Molitor, or both.

 

It's also fair to wonder why, in a game where the lineup features Garver, Gimenez, Adrianza, and Granite, Mauer is on the bench.

Completely agree, I'm pointing out the obvious assumption being made that it's Mauer not caring. 

[twinsnorth49]

 

Okay.....Well they lost 3 of 5 to the White Sox, worst team in baseball.  And dismantled a very good D-Backs team?  You mean the team that lost 93 games last season, 83 in 2015 and 98 in 2014?  Hasn't had a winning season since 2011.  Yeahhhh.....

What the hell does last season have to do with it? They have the 5th best record in baseball this season. 

 

The Twins lost 103 games last season, means nothing today.

[twinsnorth49]

I  love how Mauer not playing is automatically assumed to be Mauer's decision and even if it wasn't it's still his fault because it's assumed he didn't throw a tantrum or rip the lineup card out of Mollie's hand and insert his name on it. 

 

Good stuff.

 

Mollie didn't play Mauer, he could have, he should have. He also had Vargas available to play 1st, who's done a pretty decent job of it in the past. 

[laloesch]

 

What the hell does last season have to do with it? They have the 5th best record in baseball this season. 

 

The Twins lost 103 games last season, means nothing today.

 

I don't know but apparently your mad as hell.  Chill out dude.

[twinsnorth49]

 

I don't know but apparently your mad as hell.  Chill out dude.

Mad?

 

[Doubles]

 

I  love how Mauer not playing is automatically assumed to be Mauer's decision and even if it wasn't it's still his fault because it's assumed he didn't throw a tantrum or rip the lineup card out of Mollie's hand and insert his name on it. 

 

Good stuff.

 

Mollie didn't play Mauer, he could have, he should have. He also had Vargas available to play 1st, who's done a pretty decent job of it in the past. 

 

I know there's a faction that wants to see Mauer snap a bat over his knee, bust up a cooler, or spike a helmet in frustration.  That's not me.  I couldn't care less about that kind of stuff.  Do I believe Mauer cares & wants to win?  Yeah, for sure.  Seeing him break something won't sway me one iota one way or the other as to his level of commitment. 

 

I don't specifically know for fact how Molitor handles his lineup, but I think Joe has the pedigree of a guy that should be able to say, "Hey, I know it's  supposed to be my day off today, but we've been hit by some injuries (or whatever circumstance), we really need this game, and I think I can go.  Put me in there."  And again, I don't think anyone should be so scared of Holland to necessitate sitting one of your 2-3-4 hitters, regardless of a lefty-on-lefty matchup.  

 

I don't have any idea as to what the dynamics of this team are behind the scenes.  I have on past teams, and regardless of what anyone says, I believe it matters.  Last night's lineup would've been a great spot for a veteran team leader to step up and say, "Hey, put me in, Mollie.  I got this."  Whether anyone cares to acknowledge it or not, that kinda stuff goes a long way inside a clubhouse.  I don't know why that's coming across as so unreasonable, over playing a guy making his MLB debut this week with 3 games at a position he's played less than 10 times all season.  It may not always look like it, but first base is an extremely difficult position to play.  And, oh by the way, to get OTJT at the major league level is an awful lot to ask of a young player, even moreso in games that are hugely relevant.

 

But I guess players are off-limits to criticism on this forum. 

[wsnydes]

 

 

I don't specifically know for fact how Molitor handles his lineup, but I think Joe has the pedigree of a guy that should be able to say, "Hey, I know it's  supposed to be my day off today, but we've been hit by some injuries (or whatever circumstance), we really need this game, and I think I can go.  Put me in there."  And again, I don't think anyone should be so scared of Holland to necessitate sitting one of your 2-3-4 hitters, regardless of a lefty-on-lefty matchup.  

 

 

As has been said many places in this thread, including the one you quoted, how do you know that Mauer didn't ask to be put in the lineup and Molitor simply didn't do it?  It's not about not being able to criticize a player, it's about being reasonable about it.  You, nor I, have any idea what transpired before the game yesterday.  In the end, Molitor is the guy filling out the lineup card.

 

I'm disappointed that Mauer wasn't in the lineup last night too, but it's unreasonable to me to rip Mauer alone.  Molitor could simply have gone to Mauer and said, "hey, we need you today."  He may have, but we don't know.  In the end, Molitor is the one that filled out the lineup card.

[Doubles]

Fair.