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Article: DET 5, MIN 3: Tigers Out-Tater Twins, Gardy Gets Tossed

Tom Froemming
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Tom Froemming All-Star

Tom Froemming

Twins Daily Staff
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The Tigers decided to take a page out of the Twins’ playbook and hit four home runs in the first of two games at Target Field today. Detroit ended up taking the advantage in the ninth inning, as Rocco Baldelli decided to go with Trevor Hildenberger over Taylor Rogers.Game 1 Box Score

Pineda: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 5 K, 68.4% strikes (65 of 96 pitches)

Home Runs: Castro (5), Cron (8)

Multi-Hit Games: Castro (2-for-4, HR)

WPA of +0.1: Cron .288, Harper .161, Castro .127

WPA of -0.1: Cruz -.120, Rosario -.137, Kepler -.214, HIldenberger -.402

Download attachment: Win511g1.png

(chart via FanGraphs)

 

The Twins entered the ninth inning tied and had a freakishly fresh bullpen to work with. Rocco Baldelli had both Trevor Hildenberger and Taylor Rogers warming in the pen during the bottom of the eighth inning. He went with Hildy. It didn’t work out.

 

Hildenberger gave up a solo homer, his first home run allowed this season, and allowed a second Tiger run to score in the inning. He’s now surrendered eight runs in his last six appearances. You have to wonder when it’s time to roll him back to low-leverage work whenever possible.

 

Michael Pineda started this game. In the fourth inning, he gave up his third home run of the day to the struggling Tigers lineup, sparking conversations about what to do about his spot in the rotation going forward.

 

He ended up providing a quality start.

 

The Twins’ starting pitching has been so dominant of late that a performance the club would have been desperate for from a back of the rotation guy in recent years inspires cause for concern in 2019. Pineda ended up giving up just those three runs on the solo homers over his six innings of work.

 

Pineda did get an assist from Ryne Harper, who stranded two inherited runners in the seventh, but Big Mike ended up surrendering just six hits and didn’t walk anyone. Serving up taters is bad, obviously, but Pineda has always done a nice job limiting damage by limiting free passes. He now has 35 strikeouts and just nine walks on the season, a 3.88 K:BB ratio. That ranks second on the starting staff behind only Jose Berrios.

 

In the sixth inning, Jason Castro appeared to have been hit by a pitch. Detroit should have left well enough alone, but instead they challenged the call and it was overturned. Castro responded by destroying a home run to bring the Twins within a run of the Tigers. C.J. Cron tied things up in the eighth with a home run of his own.

 

Unfortunately, that’s when Hildenberger came in and allowed Detroit to re-take the lead. The Twins’ lineup failed to make the most of their opportunities in this game. They drew five walks and had a batter hit by a pitch, but were also 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position and left 10 men on base.

 

Ron Gardenhire was ejected from this game, drawing a fun reaction from the Target Field crowd. Good to see Gardy still has some fire left in him.

Bonus Fun with Morneau and Perkins

Bullpen Usage

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

Download attachment: Pen511g1.png

Next Three Games

Sun vs. DET, 1:10 pm CT (Perez-Norris)

Mon vs. LAA, 6:40 pm CT (TBD)

Tue vs. LAA, 6:40 pm CT (TBD)

 

Last Game

MIN 6, DET 0: Odorizzi Deals (Again), Twins Win Fourth in a Row

 

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ChrisKnutson Draft Eligible

ChrisKnutson

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If we really pefer having at least one guy with a unique delivery, why not go get Givens?? His side arm slot consistently hits +94 mph with obviously much better stuff than what Hildy has to offer. Not exactly saying dump Hildy, but let’s be honest, he doesn’t belong in 9th...

 

Also, I’m pretty sure May is capable of pitching more than 1 or 2 outs per game. I mean, he used to be a starter, even threw a couple complete games in the minors, I’m pretty sure he can get through 2 innings once in while.

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jdoffing11 Prep Ball

jdoffing11

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Was thinking the same thing about May in a tie game, when he hasn't given up a run in his last 8 or even hit in his last 6, with Hildy giving up runs in 3 of last 5. It also seems unlikely that they were just saving him for tonight, given the rarity of that these days so probably not the best play there.

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h2oface Cedar Rapids Kernels

h2oface

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Was thinking the same thing about May in a tie game, when he hasn't given up a run in his last 8 or even hit in his last 6, with Hildy giving up runs in 3 of last 5. It also seems unlikely that they were just saving him for tonight, given the rarity of that these days so probably not the best play there.

 

I would have just stayed with May, there, for sure. Same result could have happened in the 9th, but I saw no reason to use him for just 7 pitches in the front end of a double header. But then, after last season and spring training.... I wouldn't have been giving him such high leverage opportunites from the get go. Not a fan of Hildenberger. Or his style of pitching. I am probably in the minority, but low leverage if he has to be in the bullpen.

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h2oface Cedar Rapids Kernels

h2oface

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Thing about May is, for some reason his stuff doesn't whiff bats much. Even tho Hildy blew it, his stuff gets a lot more whiffs, so, like Ryne Harper, they keep putting him out there. Hildenberger does seem to have some extreme up's and down's. 

 

Don't need strikeouts with the bases empty.... just 3 outs. 3 quick grounders or fly balls would be just fine, eh?

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Mike Sixel Cooperstown

Mike Sixel

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Demote might not be the answer, but after a brief time of excellence he has reverted to a filler. He has not given us the quality we need and past memories are not enough to give him a lot more chances.

Sorry, wasn't clear there, my bad. If you demote him from high leverage situations, who moves into them?

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h2oface Cedar Rapids Kernels

h2oface

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I wish Rosario would have been on first when Castro doubled to right..... I bet he doesn't stop at third even if the coach tried to hold him. Probably would have scored, too. (.... with Adrianza coming to bat, especially go for it!) But then, I wish he would have been on first in front of Cron's dinger, too.)

 

Three right handed batter homers off of Pineda's right handed deliveries. Add the one off of Hildenberger.... 4/4. So much for the righty/righty thing.\

 

Hildenberger now has an average against of .333, 1.74 WHIP, and a 5.68 ERA, and this doesn't count the 5 inherited runners scored and passed on to his teammates stats while his ERA was at 0.00 for that opening spell - you know - when he was being written up as being outstanding. The inherited runners were the indication of the future. 6 weeks in.... not really that small of sample now, for a relief pitcher.

Edited by h2oface
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h2oface Cedar Rapids Kernels

h2oface

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You lose some from time to time.  Hildy has been pretty damn good all year.

 

That said, I'm not sure I like Baldelli's decision to bring him in, that should be May there.  Or Parker.  Or whomever your best reliever is.

 

Hmmmmm. And I watch the same games. He has been pretty damn good a few times....... all year. Don't mind the numbers.

 

Baldelli certainly thinks the same it appears.

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Old Twins Cap First Round Pick

Old Twins Cap

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C'mon, this is on Baldelli, for once.

 

Tigers were throwing a MLB debut rookie in the encore, and after Cron ties it in the 8th of the opener, why don't you lead your Ace in the very next inning?  Rogers.

 

That's called "balling it".

 

Let the Tigers deal with the fact that they aren't going to score and need to hold the Twins? Do they bring in Shane Green?  Doubtful.

 

Twins threw one away on the Hildenberger fantasy. Not the end of the world, but sweep the Tigers when you got them pinned like that.

 

 

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SwainZag Ft Myers Mighty Mussels

SwainZag

Community Moderator
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C'mon, this is on Baldelli, for once.

 

Tigers were throwing a MLB debut rookie in the encore, and after Cron ties it in the 8th of the opener, why don't you lead your Ace in the very next inning?  Rogers.

 

That's called "balling it".

 

Let the Tigers deal with the fact that they aren't going to score and need to hold the Twins? Do they bring in Shane Green?  Doubtful.

 

Twins threw one away on the Hildenberger fantasy. Not the end of the world, but sweep the Tigers when you got them pinned like that.

 

Score more than 2 runs off the rookie and then we can talk.  Team left 10 men on base.  Asking Hildy to throw a clean inning against the Tigers isn't a fantasy.  If I am "pinning" the loss on anyone it's the offense personally.

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jz7233 Draft Eligible

jz7233

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Score more than 2 runs off the rookie and then we can talk.  Team left 10 men on base.  Asking Hildy to throw a clean inning against the Tigers isn't a fantasy.  If I am "pinning" the loss on anyone it's the offense personally.

This rookie has an ERA of 2.42 this year. I guess he is not an ordinary rookie. I am pinning the loss on the fact that Hildenberg gave up 2 ERs in only one inning. Unfortunately it is the most important inning in the game. Tell me which is worse scoring 2 runs in 5.2 innings against a pretty good rookie or giving up 2 runs in just one inning against a bad lineup. Again no excuse for Hildenberg or the manager who put him in the game.

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diehardtwinsfan Minnesota Twins

diehardtwinsfan

Community Moderator
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Like it or not, Rocco is going to have to be pretty careful with the pen. We play 10 straight games and only have a couple relievers that we can ride in situations like that.

 

Guys like Hildy have to come through. He didn't unfortunately. He's also come through at other times this year, so I'm not quite ready to give up on him... one thing that does seem rather odd is that he's not as good starting clean innings than as when coming in during a bad one. Not quite sure what to make of that... SSS I know, but he's given up a lot of runs when he's had time to warm up. 

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