Front Page: Twins Game Recap (9/22): Twins Offense Erupts for Twelve Runs Over Royals

[Squirrel]

 

Playoff pitchers?

 

Starters:

1. Berrios

2. Odorizzi

 

"Bullpen Game" Starters:

3. Dobnak

4. Smeltzer

5. Thorpe

 

Bullpen:

6. Rogers

7. Romo

8. Duffey

9. May

10. Littell

11. Stashak

12. Graterol

13. Harper

I'm not sure Harper makes it.

[prouster]

Playoff pitchers?

 

Starters:

1. Berrios

2. Odorizzi

 

"Bullpen Game" Starters:

3. Dobnak

4. Smeltzer

5. Thorpe

 

Bullpen:

6. Rogers

7. Romo

8. Duffey

9. May

10. Littell

11. Stashak

12. Graterol

13. Harper

My guess is that Perez would make it before Harper. Seems like a reasonable list, though.

[Alex Schieferdecker]

 

I'm not sure Harper makes it.

That's why he's at the end of the list. Thirteen pitchers would be a little unusual, but it may be necessary when you only have two starters you can trust? 

[terrydactyls]

If the Twins re-sign Cruz and then sign five good starters through trades or free agency, they will be a force next year.

 

(Note: I tried to add smiley faces to show that I'm just kidding, but they didn't show up. I don't want to get hit with another warning for trying to instill some levity.)

[Number3]

Not that anyone including Miguel cares, but I take back any negatives I have uttered/posted about Sano.

Not only has he shown durability as an every day player but his offensive production has been in more and more critical situations. Maybe the grand slam against the Indians was the biggest hit of the season.

 

I hope its Twins/Yankees in the ALDS. If so, the real pressure is on the Yankees, not the Twins. I hope the Twins just play loose and pitchers challenge the Yankees hitters. Don't nibble. Solo homers are fine. Its 2 walks and a homer that must be avoided.

[Freddie Knuckles]

 

Well there are some positives here. One is that Duffy has become the Twins best bullpen choice, passing Rogers. Plus Duffy seems immune to extra usage. The other good news is that that there are no amounts of weaknesses that a dozen runs a game won't cover!

Unfortunately the weakness some call "the Yankees" wont be covered by 12 runs.

[Freddie Knuckles]

 

The Brewers tried to BP the games last year.  It does not work in the playoffs. 

 

I mean they made it to the NLCS and pushed one of the best teams in baseball to 7 games but it apparently doesn't work? If you bullpen a game you're likely covering up a deficiency. If you can cover up a deficiency as glaring as our starting pitching and somehow make it to game 7 of the CS then i'd argue it works REALLY well. 

[Don Walcott]

 

Wow - Perez has officially joined Gibson as pitchers we do not want to see in the post season.

 

KC has to wonder why the Twins have the winning record and not them.  We sure make them feel good about themselves.

 

Berrios really did not do well no matter how we twist the facts in his last outing and Odo cannot go more than 5.  Then we have the independent league pitcher and no one else.  Does anyone feel good about this going into the playoffs?

 

The Brewers tried to BP the games last year.  It does not work in the playoffs. 

 

Now the question is - who fears a Berrios, Dobnak, Odorizzi trio in the playoffs?

Actually, it kind of did work. They swept the Rockies in three games, and took the Dodgers to 7 in a very tight NLCS. They were very close to making the World Series with that formula.

 

I'm not saying it will work for us, but it's probably our best shot at this point.

[Shaitan]

So Garver and Sano are going to combine for 85 HR in like 700 AB?

[yarnivek1972]

Perez is the only Twins pitcher that has loogy potential. Neither Thorpe or Smeltzer are better vs LHB. But I’m not sure that will be enough go get him on the roster. If only there was a guy that could have been used in that role...

[wabene]

(Note: I tried to add smiley faces to show that I'm just kidding, but they didn't show up. I don't want to get hit with another warning for trying to instill some levity.)

With my Android tablet emoji buttons won't show up I have to create them the old-fashioned way with punctuation marks. Oh the drudgery :-)!

[Mr. Brooks]

So Garver and Sano are going to combine for 85 HR in like 700 AB?

Only if they manage to hit 21 HR's over the last 6 games.

[Squirrel]

 

That's why he's at the end of the list. Thirteen pitchers would be a little unusual, but it may be necessary when you only have two starters you can trust? 

Yeah ... it's going to be a tough choice ... and I'm not sure about 13. And like someone above said, I think Perez will be there over Harper. But I really have no idea what the actual will be and I'm certain there will be some surprise in there.

[Shaitan]

 

Only if they manage to hit 21 HR's over the last 6 games.

I meant 75, I think. But it's still wild.

[jmlease1]

 

This really looks like a team staggering into the post-season ... just like the 1987 team that lost, like, its entire last week of games.

 

Staggering? They just won 3 out of 4 and won the series. They've won their last three series despite still dealing with a slew of injuries. If that's staggering, sign me up.

[jkcarew]

 

...Are the 100 loss Royals so much better than their record?

 

MLB now has 4 teams with 100+ losses and 3 with 100+ wins. If Twins manage to win 4 more, will this be the first time MLB has had 4 100+ winners and losers in one season?

The Royals have won 36.3% of their games this year. In the recent series against the Twins, they won 25% of the games. I'd say they're exactly as good as their record. Average probability of a team with the Royals record of getting swept in a 4-game series? 16%. Average probability of a team with the Tigers record of being swept in a 3-game series? 35%. (So for an 'excellent' team...sweeping even the Tigers in a 3-game set is a coin flip, at best.)

 

The extreme records are a symptom of the unprecedented tanking in the league, IMO. Those marginal wins that would go to 'normal' bad teams are not being recorded by tanking teams...they get spread around the league with the better teams gobbling up more than their share. 

[insagt1]

My 'eyes' would say, if I dropped in from outer space and watched this past series...and saw the guys the Royals have, I would not think of them as a 100 loss team. they just seem better than that...at least against us...we never seem to be able to just 'blow them away'. (is that a function of them or us!!!)

(I think Garver and Sano combine for 65 HR's, right?)

 

Do I think Tigers are as bad a s 109 losses? Indeed, And I hope the Twins have no problems adding to that total.

[railmarshalljon]

 

Perez is the only Twins pitcher that has loogy potential. Neither Thorpe or Smeltzer are better vs LHB. But I’m not sure that will be enough go get him on the roster. If only there was a guy that could have been used in that role...

 

Maybe you've lost me, but it sounds like you've been clamoring someone. Did we get rid of a loogy this year that I don't remember?

[yarnivek1972]

Maybe you've lost me, but it sounds like you've been clamoring someone. Did we get rid of a loogy this year that I don't remember?

The Twins acquired Ryan O’Rourke in August. And inexplicably didn’t add him to the roster despite not having any other loogys.

[DocBauer]

Hate to pile on the kid, but very disappointed in Romero. His stuff is HARD and NASTY, both FB and slider. His stuff has real life and good movement. But it has to be thrown for strikes more often to actually do anything. Watching him it looks like he's trying to spot the ball instead of keeping it in the zone and letting the natural movement take over.

 

A lot of better and more experienced eyes here than mine. It just looks like "don't think, just throw the ball" might go a long way here.

[jmlease1]

 

Hate to pile on the kid, but very disappointed in Romero. His stuff is HARD and NASTY, both FB and slider. His stuff has real life and good movement. But it has to be thrown for strikes more often to actually do anything. Watching him it looks like he's trying to spot the ball instead of keeping it in the zone and letting the natural movement take over.

A lot of better and more experienced eyes here than mine. It just looks like "don't think, just throw the ball" might go a long way here.

 

The tools are there, but it's like he just doesn't really know how to pitch. terrific velocity with some movement on the fastball. A nasty hard slider that's hard to hit. He's got some weapons, but maybe he just can't control it?

 

I'm glad to see him getting some time so we can see what he looks like against MLB hitters, but clearly he's got a ways to go. Maybe working with the MLB staff and getting plenty of video on him will help them develop the right offseason program for him?

[yarnivek1972]

Hate to pile on the kid, but very disappointed in Romero. His stuff is HARD and NASTY, both FB and slider. His stuff has real life and good movement. But it has to be thrown for strikes more often to actually do anything. Watching him it looks like he's trying to spot the ball instead of keeping it in the zone and letting the natural movement take over.

 

A lot of better and more experienced eyes here than mine. It just looks like "don't think, just throw the ball" might go a long way here.

Freddie Toliver comes to mind.