Article: Twins Game Recap (7/21): Max Kepler Delivers Dramatic Walk-Off Win

[Cooper Carlson]

The Twins were able to pull off a dramatic comeback win with an exciting walkoff single from Max Kepler. Despite the win, the bullpen saw its struggles and made all Twins fans want to quit and move to Los Angeles and the offense blew a frustrating amount of chances. Anyways, Twins win!Box Score

Pineda: 5 1/3 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 5 BB, 8 K, 58.7% strikes (64 of 109 pitches)

Bullpen: 3 2/3 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 4 BB, 6 K

 

Home Runs: Kepler (24)

Multi-Hit Games: Kepler (3-for-6), Arraez (3-for-5), Adrianza (3-for-5)

 

Top 3 WPA: Adrianza (0.66), Kepler (0.53), Polanco (0.26)

Bottom 3 WPA: May (-0.47), Sano (-0.21), Castro (-0.20)

 

Another solid start for the offense

 

Just like yesterday, this Twins offense was off to a hot start in the first inning. It started with two straight doubles from Kepler and Polanco, followed by a one out single from Rosario but the Twins could only plate one run while making Mengden work. The offense kept rolling in the second inning when Kepler came to the plate with to men on and put MAXimum power into one for a three run bomb. Get it?

 

 

The Twins had some chances to put the game away early, especially with Mengden leaving after 3 2/3 innings, but they blew a two one one out chance in the third, the same situation in the fourth and then a bases loaded no out chance with the top of the order was squandered.

 

Pineda works through some struggles

 

As the offense couldn’t quite put a lot together, Michael Pineda was able to do enough to keep the A’s mostly in check. He struggled with his command all night and walked a season high five guys. For context, he walked just six in all of April, five in May and four in June. He came out after 5 and ⅓ innings and gave way to the bullpen…

 

The Twins bullpen is going to make the entire state of Minnesota implode on itself

 

After Pineda came out, Ryne Harper came into the game for the final two outs but it wasn’t clean. He gave up a hit to make the lead 5-3. The next pitcher was Trevor May and that did not go well. He threw 49 pitches and only 24 strikes, resulting in 3 walks, 2 hits and 2 earned runs over 1 2/3 innings. Long reliever Kohl Stewart was the only Twins reliever to have a good outing today. He went one inning, striking out two and giving up zero runs.

 

Since Monday, the Twins have been relatively short-handed in the bullpen with just seven guys. Taylor Rogers has thrown 41 pitches in the last three days. Parker, Littell, and Duffey all pitched the last two days, and Kohl Stewart is a starter. It seems like a trade is coming soon but fans are getting impatient quickly.

 

Frustrating Twins offense somehow pulls it off

 

The inning after the Twins gave up the lead, Polanco started the 8th with a leadoff double, followed by a groundout that was a saved hit by the shortstop, a Rosario pop up to third base and then a Sano swinging strikeout. It wasn’t looking good for Twins fans.

 

We all went into the bottom of the ninth inning extremely depressed and we had already moved onto football season. Luckily the Twins are really good! After a single by Arraez and a clutch RBI triple from Adrianza, Kepler came up with two out and a guy on third. He got his pitch from former Twins pitcher Liam Hendricks and lined it into left for the walkoff win!

 

 

 

Postgame With Baldelli

 

Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet

Click here for a review of the number of pitches thrown by each member of the bullpen over the past five days.

 

Click here to view the article

[RaymondLuxuryYacht]

Two close, exciting games - one win one loss.  Both fun to watch

[strumdatjaguar]

Another tough outing for Trevor May. Still, this a fun game at TF today.

[Brock Beauchamp]

I'm all for fun, close games but I don't find a lot of enjoyment from watching the bullpen blow leads.

 

For example, I thought the Mets game where they came *this close* to winning but failed to pull it off was fun. Watching a lead be chipped away for six innings until it requires last-minute heroics is not a fun time, particularly two nights in a row (minus the last-minute heroics last night).

 

Fix it, Falvine.

[terrydactyls]

Today is Sunday, July 21, it was the 98th game of the year and the Twins hit 1 home run.  The Twins are now 60% of the way through the season.  Out of 59 years, the current team ranks 9th on the all-time list of Twins' home runs in one season and are on a pace to hit 301 home runs this season.  They are now 85 home runs behind the single season MLB record.  The next Twins team to pass is the 1962 team that hit 185 home runs.

[MMMordabito]

This team seems to be attempting to reel me back into believing, only to smash everything in front of me on the concrete during the next series and a probable playoff series.

 

I do need to echo what Kris Atteberry stated several games ago. The best thing for the Twins is to keep Cleveland about 3-4 games away until the trade deadline. Keep them believing, so they won't trade Bauer or Hand for org altering prospects.

[sftwinsfan]

Glad they came back and got the W. I was this close to switching to Dish or Sling so I couldn't watch this stuff anymore.

[yarnivek1972]

I suspect the umpire was squeezing the zone. I looked up some data that I put in the game thread. Of the 15 home plate umpires working today, he has the highest average walks per game.

[yarnivek1972]

Re bullpen usage:

 

Littell threw 5 pitches today.

[mikelink45]

Excellent work - but I want to emphasize how important a batter like Arraez is and now Ehire is following him as a contact and spray hitter.   Getting on base is so important.  

 

1.1 WAR in 108 ABs, .370 .444 .491 .934 

 

 

Now Ehire is at 0.9 WAR 127 ABs .276 .369 .402 .771 - great utility man.  

 

It was such a fun game it is too bad that we have to single out Trevor May, but he was really bad and he had fallen so far from what we all expected.  He should be right behind Rogers in the BP, but instead he is right behind Hildenberg.

 

 

[jorgenswest]

Really nice work from Kohl Stewart.

[yarnivek1972]

Really nice work from Kohl Stewart.

The term that fit him today is effectively wild.

[Halsey Hall]

I got to the golf course with May pitching and second and third occupied. Listened as he struck out the next batter and went and played 9 holes. Glad I did, but happy we pulled it out. We just can't seem to put teams away when we have the chances lately.

[beckmt]

Please fix the pen

[jorgenswest]

The term that fit him today is effectively wild.

That isn’t how I saw it.

 

Olson was going to be his most difficult hitter and he didn’t give him anything in the middle of the plate. His third pitch was in the strike zone but called.

 

I though he attacked the last three hitters. He worked ahead and didn’t give them any fat pitches with two strikes. I don’t think he got to three balls in any of them.

 

How did you see it as effectively wild (which is often used as a back hand compliment)? I saw him pitch carefully to the guy who would do the most damage and attack the three others.

[ashbury]

If I'm Rocco Baldelli I still give the LOLLYGAGGERS!!! speech I had been saving up starting around the sixth inning, but I deliver it only to the pitching corps(e). Batters and press alike are barred from the clubhouse for this performance.

 

I also send a politely worded text to my front office. Again.

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

If I'm Rocco Baldelli I still give the LOLLYGAGGERS!!! speech I had been saving up starting around the sixth inning, but I deliver it only to the pitching corps(e). Batters and press are barred from the clubhouse for this performance.

 

I also send a politely worded text to my front office.

I hope the text to the front office isn't terribly polite. I think Rocco is a pretty mellow dude but this is the time to step up and be firm that help is needed and it was needed a month ago.

 

That doesn't mean he needs to be an ass about it, but he should be pretty adamant about what he needs and when he needs it (yesterday).

[ashbury]

I hope the text to the front office isn't terribly polite. I think Rocco is a pretty mellow dude but this is the time to step up and be firm that help is needed and it was needed a month ago.

 

That doesn't mean he needs to be an ass about it, but he should be pretty adamant about what he needs and when he needs it (yesterday).

 Unless I have a good response lined up to the possible reply, "or, what?", I keep my tone different and more polite to my highers-up than to my direct-reports.

[Tom Froemming]

I already shared this take in the game thread, but I think Rocco leaving May out there to rot may have served basically as a not so politely-worded text to the front office. Think about it, how out of character was that for him, Mr. Rest? May threw 49 pitches, and it's not because he was effective.

 

If that wasn't some kind of a message being sent, it's just incredibly weird.

[yarnivek1972]

Since May became a full time reliever, he has only thrown more than 40 pitches once before. In a game in which the teams combined for more than 20 runs.

[Riverbrian]

Whenever I find myself wanting to be mad at Trevor May or any player for that matter. 

 

I first consider what I'd think if I was a fan of the opposite team at that moment. I imagine I wouldn't be thinking "HA HA May... what a whatever". 

 

When Arraez and Adrianza and Kepler came through in the 9th... I'm thinking way to go, coming through in clutch, like that. If I was an A's Fan... Hendriks you *#&)@. 

 

Both teams are competing... it produces a roller coaster when it's done right and that's why I love baseball. 

[jorgenswest]

Four tight baseball games. Two very good teams. Bring on the Yankees.

[Riverbrian]

 

I already shared this take in the game thread, but I think Rocco leaving May out there to rot may have served basically as a not so politely-worded text to the front office. Think about it, how out of character was that for him, Mr. Rest? May threw 49 pitches, and it's not because he was effective.

 

If that wasn't some kind of a message being sent, it's just incredibly weird.

 

This is what I've been talking about for quite some time. A manager needs trust in his entire bullpen. 

 

Lack of trust for Stewart probably forced him to ride May for 49 pitches. When a manager starts doing that... you got a problem. 

[Otto von Ballpark]

Does May have any options left?

No, May is out of options.

 

I suspect Stewart or Littell could get sent down.

[yarnivek1972]

No, May is out of options.

 

I suspect Stewart or Littell could get sent down.

Possibly both. For whom is difficult to say without knowing who worked when in AAA. For sure neither would be available tomorrow. Littell has worked 3 straight days.

[Monticore]

Good inning by Kohl Stewart. I gave up in the 9th but snuck a peek and was glad I did.

[twinssporto]

 

Whenever I find myself wanting to be mad at Trevor May or any player for that matter. 

 

I first consider what I'd think if I was a fan of the opposite team at that moment. I imagine I wouldn't be thinking "HA HA May... what a whatever". 

 

When Arraez and Adrianza and Kepler came through in the 9th... I'm thinking way to go, coming through in clutch, like that. If I was an A's Fan... Hendriks you *#&)@. 

 

Both teams are competing... it produces a roller coaster when it's done right and that's why I love baseball. 

Nice comparison.  I think we still have a bull pen problem to deal with but until that's fixed I'm gonna take your approach. I like baseball. Don't really like the roller coaster but will keep taking my high blood pressure meds...

Edited July 22, 2019 by twinssporto

[Vanimal46]

Please fix the pen

Ask and you shall receive... Stashak is on the way.

[Nine of twelve]

 

I suspect the umpire was squeezing the zone. I looked up some data that I put in the game thread. Of the 15 home plate umpires working today, he has the highest average walks per game.

Rookie replacement ump. He was called up from (I assume) AAA after the HP ump went down with a probable concussion on Friday. His pitch calling was, to be polite, inconsistent.

[USAFChief]

I already shared this take in the game thread, but I think Rocco leaving May out there to rot may have served basically as a not so politely-worded text to the front office. Think about it, how out of character was that for him, Mr. Rest? May threw 49 pitches, and it's not because he was effective.

 

If that wasn't some kind of a message being sent, it's just incredibly weird.

I said the same thing about Rogers 7 out save against Texas. Basically Baldelli's silent cry for help.