Article: NYY 8, MIN 3: Resistance is Futile

[Tom Froemming]

Jose Berrios on the mound, but it still didn’t matter. The Twins continue to have some kind of a Bronx bugaboo and it doesn’t appear to be going away anytime soon. The Yankees forced Berrios out of the game after just four innings and ended up swatting four homers in another depressing Twins loss in New York.Snapshot (chart via FanGraphs)

Download attachment: Snapshot424.png Download attachment: WinEx424.png

Berrios had his good stuff working, and it’s not like he had control issues. Seven of the 12 outs he recorded were on strikeouts, he only walked two batters and 57 o his 93 pitches were strikes. The Yankees still managed to drive up Berrios’ pitch count and managed five runs on six hits against him.

 

The Twins only managed to get eight runners on base all game, half of that production coming form Eduardo Escobar, who was 3-for-3 with a pair of doubles and a walk. Other positive performances came from Ryan Pressly, who struck out the only three men he faced, and Taylor Rogers, who pitched a perfect inning with a pair of strikeouts.

 

Tyler Duffey had a rough first game back with the Twins. He gave up three runs on four hits and a walk over two innings. Brian Dozier went 0-for-4, snapping his 27-game hit streak.

 

New York committed four errors, but it didn’t cost them much.

 

Bullpen Usage

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

Download attachment: Bullpen424.png

Next Three Games

Wed at NYY, 5:35 pm CT

Thu at NYY, 12:05 pm CT

Fri vs. CIN, 7:10 pm CT

 

Last Three Games

NYY 14, MIN 1: What Did We Expect?

TB 8, MIN 6: Twins Swept on Gomez Walk-off Homer

TB 10, MIN 1: Snell Stifles Twins Bats

 

More From Twins Daily

Is it Time for a Roster Reshuffle?

2018 Minnesota Twins Extended Spring Training Roster

 

Click here to view the article

[gocgo]

I watched the first 5 innings and it just seemed like Sabathia's strike zone was huge while Berrios threw at least 4 strikes that were not called.  Let me put it this way, if a lefty can throw a slider and hit the outside corner to a right handed hitter, a right handed pitcher should get the call when he hits the same spot with his fastball.  The Yankees are good enough that they didn't need help and yet they got it.

[AlwaysinModeration]

I watched the first 5 innings and it just seemed like Sabathia's strike zone was huge while Berrios threw at least 4 strikes that were not called. Let me put it this way, if a lefty can throw a slider and hit the outside corner to a right handed hitter, a right handed pitcher should get the call when he hits the same spot with his fastball. The Yankees are good enough that they didn't need help and yet they got it.

I think you can sum up the umpiring with two pitches. On both, the starting pitcher recoiled at the ball call, turning away in disgust at the call. One was a Berrios pitch that was three inches inside the strike zone, and another was a Sabathia pitch that was at least 4 inches off the strike zone.

 

This season isn’t over. The month isn’t over. Hell, this series isn’t over. They can still finish this series .500, this month above .500, and this season in the playoffs. Come on boys, pull up your socks and start hitting the ball, and win some ballgames. The damn Yankees aren’t invincible, they are just another team. Remember, WWII has NOT over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor!

[ewen21]

Um yeah. We've been outscored 22-4 so the umpiring isn't what I'm concerned about. Not sure exactly what the record is at Yankee Stadium from the beginning of the Gardenhire era to now, but it is surely pathetic. Molitor seems to have the players in the same trance Gardy had them whenever it was time to play in that stadium.

We can go on and on about "an ace" but unless we actually can hit in that stadium we are not climbing out of this any time soon. Always seems like we can't do a damn thing offensively. We were gifted with four errors and scored three runs. We faced an aging CC Sabathia and a very shaky Dellin Betances. Still we played like weeping grandmothers.

Edited April 25, 2018 by ewen21

[ewen21]

 

I think you can sum up the umpiring with two pitches. On both, the starting pitcher recoiled at the ball call, turning away in disgust at the call. One was a Berrios pitch that was three inches inside the strike zone, and another was a Sabathia pitch that was at least 4 inches off the strike zone.

This season isn’t over. The month isn’t over. Hell, this series isn’t over. They can still finish this series .500, this month above .500, and this season in the playoffs. Come on boys, pull up your socks and start hitting the ball, and win some ballgames. The damn Yankees aren’t invincible, they are just another team. Remember, WWII has NOT over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor!

THe underlined.  I would love to give that same speech to this group just to see the looks in their eyes.  Not sure most of them actually believe you.  Not from what I have seen.

 

I am very pissed off with the offensive display thus far.

[mikelink45]

Just five days left in April and then we turn the corner!???

[bighat]

Maybe Molitor will put his great motivational skills on display before gametime. I heard last year he gave the young players a nickel to go see a picture show. Maybe this year he'll buy a few packs of saltine crackers and let the players divvy them up for a special treat?

 

Ervin Santana, where are you? Great clubhouse guy, classic stopper. He's the guy we need on the mound right now. Byron Buxton, where are you? Those great defensive plays get the team fired up!

 

Hitting looks awful. Pitching looks bad. Overall the team just seems to lack motivation and fire. They need to wake up. Time for Brian Dozier to hold a player's only.

[dogsday]

 

THe underlined.  I would love to give that same speech to this group just to see the looks in their eyes.  Not sure most of them actually believe you.  Not from what I have seen.

 

I am very pissed off with the offensive display thus far.

Hard to know how WWII would have ended if the Germans had had the capability to bomb Pearl Harbor. (The Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor.

[Taildragger8791]

 

Hard to know how WWII would have ended if the Germans had had the capability to bomb Pearl Harbor. (The Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor.

 

Somebody needs to (re-)watch Animal House.

[Number3]

I love the way Mauer sits every time Sabathia is on the mound. Does (supposedly) the Twins' best hitter (according to many) simply refuse to hit against CC? Avoiding a broom job will be a miracle and I am now worried about the Cincy series as they seem to have awakened after firing their manager hint hint.

[woolywoolhouse]

If my math is correct: Between games 1 and 2, the Twins scored two more runs, while the Yankees pathetically scored six less! So that should mean Game 3's final score will be: 5-2 Twins! And Thursday's Game 4 will seen the Twins win 7-0 (because you obviously can't go into negatives people; be realistic.)

[blindeke]

 

Um yeah. We've been outscored 22-4 so the umpiring isn't what I'm concerned about. Not sure exactly what the record is at Yankee Stadium from the beginning of the Gardenhire era to now, but it is surely pathetic. Molitor seems to have the players in the same trance Gardy had them whenever it was time to play in that stadium.

 

Gleeman tweeted the '02 - present record yesterday. It's very very bad:

 

"Since the beginning of the 2002 season, when Ron Gardenhire replaced Tom Kelly as manager, the Twins are 33-92 against the Yankees including the playoffs. That's the equivalent of a 42-120 record in a 162-game season."

 

OTOH we'll always have that one Jason Kubel grand slam: 

[Vanimal46]

Gleeman tweeted the '02 - present record yesterday. It's very very bad:

 

"Since the beginning of the 2002 season, when Ron Gardenhire replaced Tom Kelly as manager, the Twins are 33-92 against the Yankees including the playoffs. That's the equivalent of a 42-120 record in a 162-game season."

 

OTOH we'll always have that one Jason Kubel grand slam:

I'm convinced a slow pitch softball team could beat the Twins if they wear pinstripes...

[wsnydes]

 

I'm convinced a slow pitch softball team could beat the Twins if they wear pinstripes...

{laughs hysterically}...{realizes he's right}...{sobs uncontrollably}

Edited April 25, 2018 by wsnydes

[Mike Sixel]

I really don't know what to think at this point. But, my thoughts are less positive about this team than they were a month ago.

[bobs]

 

I really don't know what to think at this point. But, my thoughts are less positive about this team than they were a month ago.

Ditt. O.  Why does this team always seem to leave its big boy pants at home when they go to NY?

[Tom Froemming]

 

I really don't know what to think at this point. But, my thoughts are less positive about this team than they were a month ago.

Me neither, but my hope is the weird early schedule and postponements hurt the team's ability to get into rhythm. The "regular" regular season schedule just started this past Friday in my eyes, and I think the guys are a bit behind their opponents who've been in more of a regular routine so far.

 

But, that theory only has a shelf life of a few more days. If they can't have better showings in New York, especially at the plate, and still look sluggish at home against Cincinnati and Toronto, I'm going to be very worried. 

[wsnydes]

 

I really don't know what to think at this point. But, my thoughts are less positive about this team than they were a month ago.

I'm on the same boat.  I do feel that this team improved over the winter, but I see last years team to be more like they were for the 5 months of the season not being August - an average team in a weak division that will beat up on poorer teams and get clobbered by the true playoff contenders.  I think they still fit that description before the season as well as now.  The WC game showed just how far this team still really needed to go.  I think they took some steps and then hedged their bets on the young guys making a significant stride forward.  Most of that hasn't panned out yet.  I still think the potential is there, but it's hard to get past how inept they've been so far this season.  I'm still hopeful that as things normalize that the team will normalize, but it's getting harder and harder to hang on to that thought process.

Edited April 25, 2018 by wsnydes

[spanman2]

I am at a loss for words when it comes to this franchise and the struggles in the Bronx.  It feels like the game is over before it begins.  If we do get a lead it never feels safe.  Even games at our home park going back to the Dome had the same vibes.  It feels like players feel like they don't belong on the same field at times.  Done rambling thanks for tuning in.

[tarheeltwinsfan]

22 to 4 so far in 2 games. The Yankees are laughing at us. Coming on the heels of losing  3 to the Rays, including a Carlos Gomez walk-off. I sure hope this is the low point of the season. 

[birddog]

I thought this was the team to end our misery of pathetic baseball at NY. Yankees are a young team all of a sudden, yet are still much more professional hitters than the Twins, who are often times very undisciplined and appear to have the "I'm swinging at this pitch no matter what" approach. Even with Berrios having good stuff and getting K's it seemed like every at bat took 5 or more pitches to record an out.

 

I agree the ump gave CC some favorable calls and robbed Berrios on a few, but we lost this as a team. Offense, pitching and defense was terrible. Garver's passed ball on the K (no way was it a wild pitch) and error on the next batter's swinging bunt really hurt Berrios' psyche. If we show any kind of offense, Berrios doesn't have to throw a shutout to win. He's trying to do too much.

 

We always seem to go into a team wide slump, with no one other than Dozier wanting to take a leadership role. Still very early in the season. Let's get out of NY, out of the cold weather, and see if we are able to replicate the end of '17. On paper we are a much better team than last year--which of course means absolutely nothing if we don't play like it.

[jtkoupal]

I just don't get it. Why does this one team, no matter the roster, always beat us. It's a little better at Target Field, but that's just it, A LITTLE. It's almost like there is some kind of psychological barrier against the Yankees that we just cannot win against them. The Yankees AAA team could all be called up and still probably beat our starters. I don't really believe in curses, but if one ever existed, it's us against the Yankees.

 

The Twins futility in New York can practically be summed up by Murphy's Law, "Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong." Last night, the only exception to this law was on the Escobar double that stayed in the park, which allowed Sano to score. Besides that, what are the odds of a "K-WP" and an E2 happening on back to back plays? Also, the HR by Sanchez is a flyout in many ballparks. In others, if not an out, maybe a double. 

[ashbury]

Besides that, what are the odds of a "K-WP" and an E2 happening on back to back plays?

Depends a little on the identity of the catcher.

[bighat]

This "oh well, we always lose to the Yankees anyways" schtick is getting old. If the Twins are the playoff contender we thought they were, they should be able to win a game or two on the road.

 

Tonight's the night! I can feel it down in my plums!

[Dantes929]

The Yankees were 11-9 when we started the series.     It is a very good team but hardly invincible.      I used to play on a basketball team that would always lose to this one team.  They were good but we would often beat teams that would often beat this team.   Makes no sense.  Just one of those things.    Just means the Twins have to beat up on someone else to make up for it and hope that the next series against the Yankees is the turning point.   Even better would be if we win the next two and that is the turning point.   Time for the good Gibson to step up.. 

[AlwaysinModeration]

 

Hard to know how WWII would have ended if the Germans had had the capability to bomb Pearl Harbor. (The Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor.

 

OK, Neidermeyer.

[Battle ur tail off]

It is just super odd how this team has such a hard time playing against the pinstripes. As has been said, even when they aren't this unbeatable squad, the Twins seem to make them that way. No matter who is on our roster and who is on theirs. I'm not even sure it is psychological what with the different roster makeups. 

 

Either way, it gets old to fans! BEAT the Yankees!!

[Longdistancetwins]

I'm in New York without access to MLB network, etc., so one can imagine how old this gets for me.  (BTW, our troubles with the Yankees go back to the early '70s).  I know this is a pity party, but, after 50 years of being a fan, last night was the first time I got really, really mad at my team for losing.  Literally cursing them out.  Still I keep hoping we can split the series...Silly me.