Front Page: Twins Game Recap (9/21): Twins Blow Lead, Implode in Ninth

[Seth Stohs]

With Cleveland losing to the Philadelphia Phillies, the Minnesota Twins looked to do their part in lowering the magic number in game three of a four-game series against the Kansas City Royals. Jose Berrios was on the bump for Minnesota, looking to pitch his third straight great game. Things didn’t go as well as Berrios and the Twins would have hoped as he gave up five runs in six innings and Taylor Rogers and the Twins bullpen imploded in the ninth inning, turning a tied game into a seven-run deficit.Box Score

Berrios: 6IP, 8H, 5 ER, 1BB, 5K, 68% strikes (66 of 97 pitches)

Bullpen: 3IP, 8H, 7ER,2 BB, 2K

 

Home Runs: Wade Jr. (2)

Multi-Hit Games: Wade Jr. (2-for-3 HR, 3B, BB), Arraez (2-for-5, 2B), Cruz (2-for-5), Sano (2-for-4)

Bottom 3 WPA: Rogers (-0.43), Berrios (-0.24), Rosario (-0.14)

 

Kansas City Strikes First

 

In the top of the second inning, with one out, Jose Berrios hit Alex Gordon in the foot. After a bloop single, Ryan O’Hearn doubled, scoring Gordon. Meibrys Viloria then hit a shallow fly ball to Eddie Rosario and Ryan McBroom tagged from third. Rosario’s throw was slightly off-line, but appeared good enough to get McBroom. However, after reaching across to tag McBroom the ball popped out of the webbing of Jason Castro’s mitt when it hit the ground. Berrios was able to strike out Brett Phillips and keep the score at 2-0.

 

Rookies Spark the Offense, Man

 

With Dick Bremer lamenting about how many first pitch fastballs Twins hitters were taking, LaMonte Wade Jr. came up in the bottom of the third and turned on the first pitch Glenn Sparkman had to offer. 416 feet later Kansas City’s lead was cut to one. The home run was the second of Wade Jr.’s young Twins MLB career.

 

 

Broadcaster

 

Latroy Hawkins claimed that he joked with Wade Jr. before the game that he hit like Reggie Jackson in batting practice, but like Michael Jackson in games. It appears that Wade Jr. took Hawkins' words to heart.

 

In his next at-bat, Wade Jr. led off the bottom of the fifth with a triple. Luis Arraez followed Wade Jr.’s triple with his second hit of the game, a hustle double that scored Wade Jr. to tie the game. With the rookies doing their job, the anti-rookie, Nelson Cruz stepped up and singled in Arraez for his team-leading 104th RBI.

 

That marked the end of the day for Sparkman.

 

With runners on first and second and no outs, Eddie Rosario stepped up to the plate and did the most Eddie thing possible – he immediately popped out on the first pitch. But luckily for Minnesota Miguel Sano stepped up and singled in Jorge Polanco (who had earlier walked) to put the Twins up 4 – 2. Royals shortstop Adalberto Mondesi was kind enough to gift Minnesota another run by botching a Willians Astudillo groundball, allowing Nelson Cruz to come home and put the Twins momentarily ahead.

 

Berrios stumbles, Royals Strike Back

 

Things were looking good going into the sixth and Jose Berrios was able to induce a double play after allowing the first two Kansas City hitters of the inning to single. With a runner on third and two outs, McBroom singled to bring the score to 5 -3. The next batter, the other Ryan, took a Berrios’ changeup for a ride, tying the game up. Berrios was able to finish out the inning, but it marked the end of the day for Berrios.

 

Rogers, Hildenberger Falter

 

Both Kansas City and Minnesota got great efforts from their bullpens after Sparkman and Berrios left the game. However, after Tyler Duffy and Serio Romo went six up, six down in the seventh and eighth innings, Taylor Rogers struggled mightily in the ninth. Rogers managed to get only one out, giving up three hits, the most damaging one a two-run dinger coming off the bat of pinch-hitter Cheslor Cuthbert. It’s worth mentioning that it is the fourth time in the last six games that Rogers has pitched (although he hadn’t thrown more than 14 pitches in any of the appearances).

 

Trevor Hildenberger relieved Rogers and the wheels really fell off. Hildenberger faced six batters and failed to record an out. It doesn’t get much uglier than that. By the time the top of the ninth finally ended the Twins were down 12 – 5 and the game had been lost.

 

Jorge Alcala Debuts

 

If you bothered to stick around after the meltdown, you were rewarded by getting to see Jorge Alcala make his MLB debut (and see a seemingly never ending, nearly 50-minute(!) top of the ninth). He came into the game with the bases loaded and one out and gave up a single that Marwin Gonzalez had a chance to catch but didn’t. His four-seam fastball topped out at 95. He would go on to walk in another run but finally ended the inning by retiring two Royals batters.

 

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

[terrydactyls]

Yesterday was Saturday, September 21.  It was the 155th game of the year putting the Twins 96% of the way through the season.  The Twins hit 1 home run for a season total of 294 home runs.  The Twins are now 1 home run behind the Yankees for the new MLB single-season home run record.

[denarded]

uggggggghhhhhhh. This is going to go down to game 162

[MMMordabito]

How about that Trevor Hildenberger? He's really bringing it and earning that 40-man spot.

[Monticore]

Berrios should have been yanked two batters earlier. Luckily Cleveland lost and they will need more Cleveland losses to win this.

[jimbo92107]

It's like I told my kids in summer league baseball:

 

"You can't always win, but sometimes, you can make your opponents very happy." 

[howeda7]

A few Rocco beefs:

 

-What is it going to take to get Eddie "weak foul to 3rd" Rosario out of the clean-up spot?

 

-How do you not PH Cron for Castro in the bottom of the 5th. You have a chance to put the game out of reach and Castro's hitting .100 over the last month. You had already inserted Astudillo to play 1st, he can just move to catcher. No-brainer.

 

-Hildenberger, Gibson and Stewart cannot pitch for this team again in 2019.

[twinsnorth49]

2 Twins wins combined with 2 Cleveland losses?

 

Ya, I’ll take those odds. Relax.

[tarheeltwinsfan]

This was an ugly loss in so many ways. Time to regroup for Sunday's game.

[Kelly Vance]

"Games like this, screw it. Tomorrow is another day."

 

Scarlett O'Hara 

 

 

[Brock Beauchamp]

I don't want to see Berrios again for at least six days.

 

I don't want to see Odorizzi pitch more than four innings on less than five days of rest.

 

I don't want to see Gibson until the end of the season, giving him ~10 days to see if there's something left after resting through illness.

 

I don't want to see Cron more than three times through the end of the season.

 

Rest, rest, rest. The B team can manage three wins against their opponents, which means Cleveland needs to lose just one game the rest of the way out.

[oldguywithanitch]

Get Eddie out of the clean up spot? When he's traded this winter for a starting pitcher. Does Wade make the post season roster instead of Cave? Hildenberger and Stewart will be dropped this winter.

[h2oface]

Hildenberger had to go away

He said he worked hard every day.

And then they brought him back

Told us we'll give him another crack

That the trip was a success and things have been rearranged

But today I saw him on the dance floor, and nothing had changed.

 

 

It really is disheartening when your team gives your best semblance of an "ace" a three run lead going into the top of the 6th, and he can't bring it home for just 3 more outs at this point in the season. Against a team like KC, who at the time, is 39.5 games behind and 56 and 99. And the closer coming in and looking like a journeyman innings eater.

 

Yup. Only one game. Just relax. I don't really think that the team won't win the Central. It is what happens after that that I lament. It's like the NASCAR guy that has been leading the whole race and betting he has enough gas, and after the final turn the checkered flag is in sight, but the car is now coasting. 

 

 

[Richard Swerdlick]

Rosario should be benched as a sign of Rocco's displeasure with his poor recent play. His body language speaks of someone who doesn't care and he needs to know that is not acceptable. 

[insagt1]

If someone had said that with Berrios and Rogers in the game, the Twins would lose by 7, I wouldn't have believed it. The 9th inning was tough to watch. 'Hindenberg' was a mess and that should be the end of this season for him. Like Romero, this has been a wasted year.

 

Rosario showed lack of plate discipline and hustle again last night.

 

On such an ugly finish, we still lopped off one more game from the magic number.

 

Still, in preparing for post season, winning is more important in the big picture.

 

Win today and we take 3 of 4, which is OK.

[Platoon]

Rosario should get some "quality rest time" for one of two reasons. If he is hurt and scuffling, then he needs to get better before Oct. if he isn't hurt, his recent attitude and lack of effort are signs of some sort of problem. The jogging on the bases, the flip throws into the infield, not cutting the ball off in the corner the other night, and the hustle "double" on the ground ball last night are not acceptable for one of these two reasons.

[bighat]

Indians host Philly for one more today.

 

Then they have the White Sox and Nationals on the road.

 

If you're the Twins, you have to assume Cleveland sweeps Chicago - based on recent play they don't lose to bad teams. Period.

 

The Nationals may very well have wrapped up the Wild Card by then, although they still might be playing to host that play-in game. That might play in the Twins favor, but Cleveland matches up with Washington very well.

 

I see Cleveland losing 1 game. Twins have got to win at least 3 of the next 7.  On paper, they should be able to do that. Still have to win between the lines though. Detroit took 2 of 3 from the Twins in a big spot a month ago.

[the_brute_squad]

Berrios is still not the ace pitcher people want him to be. Ace pitchers don't give up a three run lead to a never ran during a pennant race. Ace pitcher put those teams to bed and don't give them a chance to get up.

In regard to Rosario. I don't understand the unwillingness to give him a day off. Attitude, poor plate discipline, or poor defense are all legit reasons to give him a day off to reevaluate and examine what he needs to do to turn his game around. How long does it take to know that he's going to reach for an outside pitch and pop it up when there's a guy on base?

I still see the Indians losing a couple of games the rest of the way. Chicago could easily steal one and going to Washington and losing the DH will have an effect on their lineup (bad scheduling by MLB).

 

[Don Walcott]

2 Twins wins combined with 2 Cleveland losses?

 

Ya, I’ll take those odds. Relax.

We should have no problem winning 4 of 7.

[Vanimal46]

Hildenberger had to go away

He said he worked hard every day.

And then they brought him back

Told us we'll give him another crack

That the trip was a success and things have been rearranged

But today I saw him on the dance floor, and nothing had changed.

 

Since we continue to see where he lacks, do we have to bring him back?

 

When 86 MPH is all he's heaving, do we need to keep believing?

Edited September 22, 2019 by Vanimal46

[wabene]

I got a bad case of the Twins Pitch Jones. I will be patient.

[twinsnorth49]

Indians host Philly for one more today.

 

Then they have the White Sox and Nationals on the road.

 

If you're the Twins, you have to assume Cleveland sweeps Chicago - based on recent play they don't lose to bad teams. Period.

 

The Nationals may very well have wrapped up the Wild Card by then, although they still might be playing to host that play-in game. That might play in the Twins favor, but Cleveland matches up with Washington very well.

 

I see Cleveland losing 1 game. Twins have got to win at least 3 of the next 7. On paper, they should be able to do that. Still have to win between the lines though. Detroit took 2 of 3 from the Twins in a big spot a month ago.

Lol, possible and likely are entirely different things. Not to mention, people have been saying things like this since July, and still the Twins lead.

 

This view paints pretty much the worse case scenario, not exactly a good bet.

[PDX Twin]

I guess that Berrios and Rogers have to be taken off the post-season roster now after that performance.

[Circus Boy]

 

"Games like this, screw it. Tomorrow is another day."

 

Scarlett O'Hara 

Scarlett was the Baseball Annie of her day.