Article: MIN 4, DET 3: Austin Homers, Hildy Survives Save Chance

[Tom Froemming]

Tyler Austin hit a two-run homer in his Twins debut and Trevor Hildenberger earned the first post-Fernando Rodney save as the Twins squeaked by the Tigers Saturday night. It was certainly an experience, as Hildy gave up two runs, but whatever works, I guess. Maybe he was paying too close attention to Rodney?Snapshot (chart via FanGraphs)

Kyle Gibson: 65 Game Score, 7.0 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 4 K, 2 BB, 67.6% strikes (75 of 111 pitches)

Home Runs: Tyler Austin (9)

Multi-Hit Games: Joe Mauer (2-for-4, BB), Logan Forsythe (2-for-5), Miguel Sano (2-for-4, BB)

WPA of 0.1 or higher: Gibson .302, Austin .179

WPA of -0.1 or lower: Polanco -.124

Download attachment: WinChart811.png

Austin’s homer was his ninth of the season in the majors, matching his season total in the minors. He now has 16 home runs in 86 MLB games. We also saw Austin’s contact issues on display, as he also struck out swinging twice, but the power is most definitely legit.

 

Kyle Gibson did a great job of staying aggressive tonight. He didn’t have his nastiest stuff going, but he threw a ton of strikes en route to holding Detroit to one run over seven innings pitched. Trevor May pitched a perfect eighth inning, but then things got a little too interesting.

 

The Twins led 4-1 heading into the bottom of the ninth, creating the first save opportunity of the new-look bullpen. Despite his recent struggles, Trevor Hildenberger got the call.

 

It was an experience.

 

The inning opened with an eight-pitch walk to Victor Martinez, then Niko Goodrum hit a two-run homer. Jim Adduci singled, prompting a mound visit. Hildenberger responded by striking out James McCann, getting Victor Reyes to fly out and then striking out JaCoby Jones to pick up his second career save.

 

Oh, and this happened:

Postgame With Austin

Update: In his postgame interview, Paul Molitor revealed that the move to add Kohl Stewart will not only be Logan Morrison headed to the DL, but LoMo will be having surgery on his hip and will miss the rest of the season.

Bullpen Usage

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

Download attachment: Bullpen811.png

AL Central Standings

CLE 64-51

MIN 54-62 (-10.5)

DET 48-69 (-17)

CHW 42-73 (-22)

KC 35-80 (-29)

 

Next Three Game

Sun at DET, 12:10 pm CT: Kohl Stewart vs. Matt Boyd

Mon: Off

Tue vs. PIT, 7:10 pm CT: Jake Odorizzi vs. Jameson Taillon

Wed vs. PIT, 12:10 pm CT: Jose Berrios vs. Chris Archer

 

Last Three Games

DET 5, MIN 3: Is There Anything Left?

CLE 5, MIN 4: Walks and a Walk-Off

CLE 5, MIN 2: Cleveland Prevails on Lindor Walk-Off Homer

 

Click here to view the article

[slash129]

LoMo done ... Wish him the best, but a welcome development in a silver lining kind of way

[Buddy Holly]

What are the  odds that Lo For ends up with more hits than LoMo had for the Twins (59)? He continues to get a couple hits every game. 

[tvagle]

Magic Number Update:

 

Division: 58

Wild Card: 61

 

For reference: Boston has already eliminated Baltimore and KC

[sftwinsfan]

Tough end to a difficult season for Morrison.  On the bright side hopefully this will allow the team to evaluate a younger player for the rest of the season.  There really wasn't much point of playing an older pending free agent with no history with the team at this stage of the season. 

 

The bullpen looks like it will continue to be a train-wreck for the foreseeable future.  Almost everybody shows large stretches where they are just terrible.  They need to get all the young guys up from the minors and see what they've got.  

[Han Joelo]

The THE.  Was that an 80's band?  Was Not Was was a band.  Maybe it was an album title.  Fuzzy Wuzzy wasn't a band, but maybe it should have been; after all, Pearl Jam used to be known as Mookie Blaylock.

 

Watch the Reyes video again, and tell me that Detroit fan wearing a blue derby isn't stoned.  At any rate, Reyes didn't get much of an assist from any of the fans over there.

 

Lo Mo A No Go, No Woe Fo' Status Quo 

[Riverbrian]

Tyler's debut: He got one pitch to hit and boy did he hit it. 

 

However... He got one pitch to hit and he swung at the other ones. 

 

Dear Tyler,

 

Work on that. 

[jimbo92107]

LoMo to have hip surgery? Did he play all season with a bum hip? That might explain the lack of explosion from his bat. Hard to swing a stick with a sore hip.

[bighat]

Speedy recovery, LoMo. Hopefully he's healthy next year and can go play for one of the 29 other teams.

 

Sano quietly has gone about his business and is helping this team.

[AlwaysinModeration]

Did the Twins just call up Josh Willingham?

[Jacksson]

Considering LOMO performance this year would anyone be surprised if it were to come out that his hip has been bothering him all year? If that were to be the case,how much did the team know and when did they know it?

[David HK]

 

The THE.  Was that an 80's band?  Was Not Was was a band.  Maybe it was an album title.  Fuzzy Wuzzy wasn't a band, but maybe it should have been; after all, Pearl Jam used to be known as Mookie Blaylock.

 

Watch the Reyes video again, and tell me that Detroit fan wearing a blue derby isn't stoned.  At any rate, Reyes didn't get much of an assist from any of the fans over there.

 

Lo Mo A No Go, No Woe Fo' Status Quo 

OH yeah....

 

[David HK]

 

Is there anybody on the planet, except for maybe MoY, who isn't willing to give Trevor MAY a shot in the closer role? Maybe he just got the wrong Trevor in the wrong inning.

 

Or maybe it's just better to have a burned-up sidewinder who's put up a WHIP over 2.00, and ERA of 12+ lately?

 

 

Fer God's sake...

[rghrbek]

LoMo has actually seemed like a decent dude.  Not sure if he has contributed to the clubhouse "issues" that now have been reported and collaborated by beat writers.

 

However....He has had the worst batting average for any twins player in our long history with over 300 at bats in a season.  Landing on the DL is not only mercy for him, but for all of us.

[mngopherguy]

Bizarre choice to close tonight, if Molitor really is going to go by committee.  I suspect we better get used to this though, none of these guys have been in the role in the bigs before.  

[wabene]

Gibby is really really for real. So happy they didn't trade him. Mejia was looking good; too bad. Who knows what the future holds for him. Gotta stock up on starters. It will be interesting to see if May gets a chance to start next year. We can see how his back holds up as a reliever for the rest of the year. I was in the May as a starter camp but her sure has looked good. Odorizzi seemed like a good pick up at the time but now that I've seen more he just looks like a bullpen killa. It won't happen but get rid of him and give May his last chance to start next year. If that doesn't pan out we've got a real nice bullpen piece.

2019 rotation:

Berrios

Gibby

Pineda

May

Romero

Looks like we'd be missing some of the usual mediocrity...

[wabene]

I don't mean to stand there and gaze at my moon shot above but look at that rotation. They all hit at least 95. This looks like the double stuff version of the usual twins rotation. Lets do it!

[Squirrel]

Tyler's debut: He got one pitch to hit and boy did he hit it. 

 

However... He got one pitch to hit and he swung at the other ones. 

 

Dear Tyler,

 

Work on that. 

He actually acknowledged that in the post-game interview.

[Blackjack]

Forget making May into a starter, with his stuff he can be a top of the line reliever.   Let him relieve on a regular basis this year next year try him as the closer.

[Riverbrian]

 

He actually acknowledged that in the post-game interview.

 

Tyler Austin MLB Career Strikeout percentage is 39.6%

His Season Strikeout percentage is 40.1%

His strikeout percentage from last night's game was 40.0% 

 

Instead of 2 out of 5... If he could make that 1 out of 4. 

 

[Richie the Rally Goat]

Forget making May into a starter, with his stuff he can be a top of the line reliever. Let him relieve on a regular basis this year next year try him as the closer.

agreed he should be a reliever, but i’d rather May be more of a fireman ala Miller. Heart of the lineup in the 7th or 8th get May warmed up.

[jokin]

Tyler Austin MLB Career Strikeout percentage is 39.6%

His Season Strikeout percentage is 40.1%

His strikeout percentage from last night's game was 40.0% 

 

Instead of 2 out of 5... If he could make that 1 out of 4. 

I hope you're happy, RiverJonahHill.

 

Somehwhere out there, Jack Goin is feeling schadenfreude right about now.

[Riverbrian]

 

I hope you're happy, RiverJonahHill.

Somehwhere out there, Jack Goin is feeling schadenfreude right about now.

 

Logan going on the DL for some reason makes me think of the scene in Moneyball where Brad Pitt trades Carlos Pena to Detroit so Philip Seymour Hoffman wouldn't play him anymore.    

 

I am happy, We got a guy who will produce more than what Logan Morrison produced for 6 million less and someone who has a chance of being on the 2019 roster. 

 

Will Tyler Austin produce enough? I don't know but lets find out. 

[BJames]

I was looking for Magill to pitch the 9th.  He's only pitched once this week and looked good.  I think we all (or most) agree Hildy needs to sit for a while and or be moved back to the 6-7 and move up Magill & May and others.  Why is Molitor so resistant to change.  As a MANAGER you should always be looking at or for changes that will benefit the Team. Seems to me he wants every game to be easy on him.  Run out the same player and same line-up every game and use the Bull-Pen the same way every game.  Seem Molitor does anything BUT MANAGE!  I don't get it!

[Han Joelo]

OH yeah....

 

Considering the generally upbeat sound of the accordion, the lyrics to this song are a bit on the dark side. I wouldn't be surprised if the dude who stole that plane had this song playing.

 

[media][/media]

Edited August 12, 2018 by Han Joelo

[mikelink45]

So long Morrison.  Sorry you did not produce for us, but I hope you move on to success.  From a personal fans view I am pleased to see someone else take those at bats because you have already had enough plate appearances to replace the Mendoza line with the Morrison line.

 

Still waiting for more of those prospects to get their chance in the BP.  I think we have seen this week that Hildy and Reed are not closers.

 

Is anyone else anxious for September call ups?  I want to see some minor leaguers up here.  Our team is just good enough to be mediocre, but there seems to be some potential for the future and I want to see more.  

 

Please FO - no more great finds, just spend some time checking out our own prospects.

 

 

[Tibs]

Molitor's continuous use of Hildenberger has to be just to troll us, right?

[Riverbrian]

 

Molitor's continuous use of Hildenberger has to be just to troll us, right?

 

I'm not the traditional closer role guy so I don't spend a lot of time worrying about who is in the 9th.

 

If I had to choose, I like low WHIP guys in the 9th and Hildenberger used to be that prior to this deep funk he is in so I'm not completely in opposition to this being his role... I'm just more in opposition of the static role itself.

 

Because sometimes you have a 3 run lead in the 9th where it makes sense to give Brandon Workman the ball and sometimes you have a 1 run lead in the 7th where it makes sense to give Craig Kimbrel the ball.  Just pitching Kimbrel in the 9th exclusively if it's a 3 run lead or a 1 run lead is just another form of auto-pilot managing that I am a little sick of at the moment. 

 

I understand that as long as players are compensated for saves, the players will demand the role and this puts me firmly against the wind but I'm pointing this out to say that I don't care if Hildy is our closer. 

 

So with that said and knowing that Molitor doesn't share my thoughts on the subject and knowing that he is going to require a 9th inning guy. The selection of Hildenberger is interesting. Hildy is in a deep funk and Molitor went there anyway.  

 

Not surprising... Molitor is pretty consistent, he has his chosen guys and he is going with those guys come hell or high water. 

[Riverbrian]

 

LoMo to have hip surgery? Did he play all season with a bum hip? That might explain the lack of explosion from his bat. Hard to swing a stick with a sore hip.

 

Yeah it does but at the same time doesn't explain the unwavering reward of playing time. 

[ashbury]

Instead of 2 out of 5... If he could make that 1 out of 4. 

What's your plan for that 5th chance? A home run every time?