Article: DET 5, MIN 2: Bulldog Berrios and the Addison Reed Experience

[mikelink45]

 

Sigh... Reed has really hurt the team this year. Probably wouldn't hurt to, you know, try someone else in close, late inning games.

Same story, different day with this offense.

That's why we got that old dependable Vet Belisle.  Why would we used some young and lively arms from the minors?

 

[Tom Froemming]

Reed needs to work some low-leverage situations to get pointed in the right direction, but ...

 

Here are the hit probabilities on the five hits he gave up: 66, 44, 16, 53, 86. It was basically a bunch of seeing-eye singles, outside of the last one. I think he's going to eventually be fine, but you just can't keep pitching a guy who's struggling this badly in one-run ballgames.

[Otto von Ballpark]

I'll echo the question -- why was Grossman in the outfield protecting a 1 run lead in the 8th? Or in the outfield at all? We have 4 real outfielders on the roster.

 

Also just noticed Grossman struck out to end the top of the 8th. Would have been trivial to replace him at that point.

Edited June 14, 2018 by spycake

[rdehring]

Just plain ugly finish.  I count three games of the last 8 or 10 we could have, should have won.  Come September, three games will count.  

 

And what a job by Berrios, who wasn't at his best. I found the comments about Pedro interesting as I have been talking about that comparison for a couple years.   

[laloesch]

 

per gleeman:

 

Brian Dozier in "close and late" spots:
2014 - .177 AVG
2015 - .229 AVG
2016 - .177 AVG
2017 - .176 AVG
2018 - .159 AVG
Career - .195 AVG

Not only is his .195 AVG the worst in Twins history, it's the worst in MLB history among all players with at least as many plate appearances.

 

We know he will get hot sooner or later, but we keep talking about Sano and Buxton torpedoing our season...

 

This is one decision (by not signing Dozier this last off season) where I applaud the FO.  Our offense is bad!!!!

 

I don't blame the front office one bit for not committing to these guys when you have performances like this.  Look at the garbage numbers Dozier, Buxton and Sano have put up this year.  I'm tired of the excuses.  No extensions until they have a solid full season, even if it means that Dozier is not resigned this off-season.  Just my opinion but the priorities need to be extensions for Berrios, Rosario and Escobar.

[Otto von Ballpark]

Reed needs to work some low-leverage situations to get pointed in the right direction, but ...

 

Here are the hit probabilities on the five hits he gave up: 66, 44, 16, 53, 86. It was basically a bunch of seeing-eye singles, outside of the last one. I think he's going to eventually be fine, but you just can't keep pitching a guy who's struggling this badly in one-run ballgames.

A modern MLB reliever has to miss some bats. Reed 21 had 5 guys at 0-2 and couldn't strike any of them out! 3 base hits from those guys instead.

[rv78]

Liked Molitor when he was signed on as Manager. Why not give him a shot, see what he can do? Going thru his 3rd season, I've seen enough. Too many mistakes. Last night was very indicative of that. He needs to go.

[bighat]

 

Those are nice secondary moves. Getting a new manager would be primary for me.

 

Thank you!!! They can't get any worse by firing Molitor...but they could get better. Really hope a change is made - the front office has to at least try something before they give up on the season.

[Oldgoat_MN]

Molitor isn't going anywhere right after winning MOY and signing a 3 year contract. And he can learn. The egregious bunting from the last couple of years has not been seen this year.

Maybe we can get the pitching coach to decide who is available to pitch. That might protect the pitchers.

Then we can get someone to play some of the younger players when they first come up instead of riding the bench most of their first few weeks in MLB.

 

Now, if we can find someone to make up the line-up card, Molitor could start looking just fine...

[jud6312]

 

Sigh... Reed has really hurt the team this year. Probably wouldn't hurt to, you know, try someone else in close, late inning games.

Same story, different day with this offense.

"I got you, fam." - Matty B.

 

http://www1.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/Matt+Belisle+Minnesota+Twins+Photo+Day+PnHhrsxioFLl.jpg

[Vanimal46]

I'll echo the question -- why was Grossman in the outfield protecting a 1 run lead in the 8th? Or in the outfield at all? We have 4 real outfielders on the roster.

 

Also just noticed Grossman struck out to end the top of the 8th. Would have been trivial to replace him at that point.

As we saw last night, he has a rocket arm in RF!

[yarnivek1972]

The bunting hasn’t been there because there are rarely runners on base with 0 outs.

[wsnydes]

 

IMO giving up 0-2 hits isn’t “unfortunate.” It’s an indication of poor “stuff,” poor location, and/or poor pitch selection.

I didn’t view last night as at all unlucky. It was more of the same. Too many 90 MPH fastballs in very bad locations.

A bit of bad luck too though.  It wasn't filled with self inflicted errors like HBP and walks.  At least the batter still has to hit the hittable pitch.

 

This is probably splitting hairs though.  He's clearly not right and Molitor keeps trotting him out there as often as he's ever done.

[Doctor Wu]

 

Mauer, Wade, Gordon, Astudillo and Sawyer should be up. Grossman should be released. Sano, Wilson, Garver and LaMarre should be demoted. 

As much as I'd love to see Gordon called up this summer, I don't see that happening as long as we still have Dozier starting at 2B. I could either way on Wade, but I'd like to see Astudillo given a try as catcher. Who is Sawyer?

[wsnydes]

 

As we saw last night, he has a rocket arm in RF!

I think Wile E Coyote and ACME were impressed!

[RatherBeGolfing]

Isn't it bad that when they left runners on in the first that I had a bad feeling we may not get another chance like that again?

 

Yes, I felt that way......... in the first inning.......... against Detroit.

 

The margin for error with this team is just so slim

[terrydactyls]

As much as I'd love to see Gordon called up this summer, I don't see that happening as long as we still have Dozier starting at 2B. I could either way on Wade, but I'd like to see Astudillo given a try as catcher. Who is Sawyer?

Sawyer is the second catcher in Rochester and he is hitting .316.

[lukeduke1980]

The worst thing I saw last night was Sano now striking out against fastballs over the plate

[USAFChief]

I also wanted to mention...last night's top of the 8th was why you put the contact play on. Escobar's at third, with one out. Sano hits a chopper that the pitcher doesn't field cleanly. If Escobar is running on contact, as he should be in every case IMO, he scores easily.

 

Instead, he's left standing at third as Sano is thrown out, and now there's two out and you need a hit (or mistake) to score him.

 

Sometimes you lose that gamble, and Escobar gets thrown out at the plate. But it's a much better gamble than waiting for a 2 out hit.

 

Another mark in the "against" column when judging Molitor, IMO.

[wsnydes]

 

I also wanted to mention...last night's top of the 8th was why you put the contact play on. Escobar's at third, with one out. Sano hits a chopper that the pitcher doesn't field cleanly. If Escobar is running on contact, as he should be in every case IMO, he scores easily.

 

Instead, he's left standing at third as Sano is thrown out, and now there's two out and you need a hit (or mistake) to score him.

 

Sometimes you lose that gamble, and Escobar gets thrown out at the plate. But it's a much better gamble than waiting for a 2 out hit.

 

Another mark in the "against" column when judging Molitor, IMO.

Agree completely.  I'd rather go down being aggressive in this case.  I think it'll help more than it hurts you in the long run.

 

This is especially true with this offense where putting the ball in play is an issue more than it should be.  You've got to take advantage of contact.

[Platoon]

I also wanted to mention...last night's top of the 8th was why you put the contact play on. Escobar's at third, with one out. Sano hits a chopper that the pitcher doesn't field cleanly. If Escobar is running on contact, as he should be in every case IMO, he scores easily.

 

Instead, he's left standing at third as Sano is thrown out, and now there's two out and you need a hit (or mistake) to score him.

 

Sometimes you lose that gamble, and Escobar gets thrown out at the plate. But it's a much better gamble than waiting for a 2 out hit.

 

Another mark in the "against" column when judging Molitor, IMO.

The contact play decision is also impacted by where you are in the order, and who's up next. In this cas RG. Since his forte is the 3-2 walk, that ain't gonna score a run. Morrison was next, but by the time he gets up a fly ball likely won't do it. Frankly this offense is so bad, I wonder if the suicide squeeze wouldn't be a good idea with Sano up? Yah, that's so sad.

[Squirrel]

Molitor isn't going anywhere right after winning MOY and signing a 3 year contract. And he can learn. The egregious bunting from the last couple of years has not been seen this year.

Maybe we can get the pitching coach to decide who is available to pitch. That might protect the pitchers.

Then we can get someone to play some of the younger players when they first come up instead of riding the bench most of their first few weeks in MLB.

 

Now, if we can find someone to make up the line-up card, Molitor could start looking just fine...

I wasn’t an advocate of his signing either time. Was difficult not to offer him a contract after last season, I suppose, but I wouldn’t have offered 3 years because you are right, they aren’t likely to fire him even though I think they should. All the woulda, coulda, shouldas won’t change what is, though, so I just sigh and complain some then turn off the tv and move on with a little hope that something changes but expecting nothing.

[tarheeltwinsfan]

In order to catch the "Pennant Fever" predicted for the Twins this summer, my son and I had planned a trip to Minneapolis from North Carolina.  We have changed our plans due to the consistently discouraging ways the Twins.have found to lose games this season.  Instead of Minneapolis, we will be headed to Chattanooga (after the post-Midwest League All-Star game promotions from Cedar Rapids) to see the Lookouts and to Elizabethton to see the Rookie League Twins. Maybe next year we will decide to visit the Twin Cities, but not now, due totally to the poor play of the Twins. (Someone please forward this comment to the Minnesota Tourism Commission)..

[birddog]

Grossman should not be hitting and cannot field. Not nearly enough clutch walks from him to justify his roster spot. Totally agree Molitor needs help with decisions like bringing in the same two relievers every single game. I can see Jack Parkman saying "we're screwed" with most of Molitor's decisions.

[jun]

 

As much as I'd love to see Gordon called up this summer, I don't see that happening as long as we still have Dozier starting at 2B. I could either way on Wade, but I'd like to see Astudillo given a try as catcher. Who is Sawyer?

Wynston Sawyer is the other catcher in Rochester who's been hitting well.

[Number3]

Responses to a couple of posts on thread:

 

No point in nit picking Molitor's individual game decisions. He is not a good manager period and needs to go/should be gone. The fact that the Twins show no consistency in any category including season win  - loss records speaks for itself. I am convinced that being manager of the Minnesota Twins is the best job in professional sports because there is no pressure to win and the job is yours as long as you want it. Twins fielded a team with a .234 batting average and Molitor expected more offense? Speaks for itself.

 

Dozier may get hot but hos approach is always the same. Home run or nothing and game situation means absolutely nothing as the posted late game stats reveal.

 

If the Twins win today they can still have a 3-3 road trip by only winning 1 in Cleveland which is ok. As long as they can hang around the .500 mark into the all star break the season is salvageable. Getting Polanco back and hopefully Santana in some decent form will make a difference.

 

[yarnivek1972]

I think it is pretty obvious that Falvey wanted someone other than Molitor from day one but was then hamstrung by Jim Pohlad’s comments. I further suspect that the extension was more Pohlad than Falvey.

 

So, now it is (IMO) a battle about control. If Pohlad wants to run the team his way (eg country club rules), I think Falvey and Levine will walk away. If Pohlad truly wants Falvine making decisions in the best interest of the organization, he’ll allow them to do just that. Including firing Molitor.

 

Obviously, Pohlad will have to sign off on the decision, but I can definitely seeing Falvey (maybe not Levine so much) saying to Pohlad, “Well, we tried it with your guy and here we are. Again. So, decision time sir. Do you want Molitor or me?”

Edited June 14, 2018 by yarnivek1972

[Han Joelo]

If you accept (you shouldn't have to) that the offense is just putrid,  than this game is evidence to me that the Twins just don't have "it" this year.  Every decision available to Monitor is a tough one.  I doubt even he was ignorant of the fact that Reed is not right, but he rolled the dice anyway and came up snake eyes (that's bad, right?).  Pressly is equally overworked too, remember, and that turned out okay.  If he'd brought in Hildenberger for the second day in a row, that would have been wrong.  What were his choices?

 

A 'brilliant' manager would have known Pressly was going to be fine, and used him in the eighth, and Rogers (or Busenitz...) in the seventh.  A brilliant manager might have disregarded the naysayers on the internet and gone straight to Belisle in the eighth.  I credit Molly for at least having faith in his guys.  He let Berrios work through some tough spots.  

 

This offense needs a shot in the arm.  Actually, it needs an arm replacement.  This "team" just doesn't feel like much of one.  Dumpster diving last offseason seems to have worked better than what they did this year, shopping at Target for President's Day sales.

[yarnivek1972]

A brilliant manager knows when it is important to protect the health and future of his players.

 

Magill last pitched June 5th. Molitor needs to use him, PERIOD. If he fails, so be it. Then it is on Falvine to get better relievers on the roster. But he simply CAN’T run Pressly and Reed out there every day and expect them to continue to stay healthy, let alone perform.

[rghrbek]

 

 

 

"If the Twins win today they can still have a 3-3 road trip by only winning 1 in Cleveland which is ok. As long as they can hang around the .500 mark into the all star break the season is salvageable. Getting Polanco back and hopefully Santana in some decent form will make a difference."

 

 

I have to disagree mildly here.  Being .500 around the ASB really puts us in position for what?  The only playoff spot is the division, and I expect Cleveland to be about 10 games over .500 by then.  It's just too much for a flawed team like this to overcome.  If our c-MVPs turn back into pumpkins, we are in some real, real trouble.