PIT 6, MIN 5: Taylor Rogers Blows Save, Win Streak Snapped

[Cooper Carlson]

With Taylor Rogers entering the ninth inning, it appeared to be a lock that the Twins would extend their winning streak to seven games. Rogers had allowed just one base runner in his previous four outings this season, but Pittsburgh got to him this afternoon.Box Score

Maeda: 6.0 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 4 K

Home Runs: Sanó (3), Buxton (1), Rosario (3)

Bottom 3 WPA: Rogers -.797, Cruz -.093, Gonzalez -.081

Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs):

Download attachment: Winchart.png

 

It’s Sano-ing in August!

 

Today’s game started out with a bang (literally) for the Twins offense. After a Jorge Polanco single and Eddie Rosario walk, Miguel Sano stepped up with two on and two outs. On a 1-0 count, Sano crushed a pitch into the left field bleachers. The homer had an exit velocity of 114.0 MPH which is tied for the 7th hardest hit ball in 2020.

 

The Twins continued their offensive dominance in the first two innings this season. In 9 of the first 13 games, the Twins have scored in the first two innings.

 

Maeda makes just one mistake.

 

Kenta Maeda was really good once again today except for one mistake. In the second inning Maeda threw a slider to Gregory Polanco and you could sat he was ready for it. Polanco hit it into the river behind the right field bleachers for a total of 446 feet. Even as a Twins fan, that was fun to watch.

 

Despite the home run, Maeda settled down and got the next 12 hitters out. He ended up with a quality start that looked much better than the box score shows. He has been very impressive early this season and I think the Twins fans will be happy about the trade over the next four years.

 

Buxton and Rosario pick up the offense.

 

A couple players that the Twins could really use on offense are Byron Buxton and Eddie Rosario. Perhaps they started a hot streak today as both went deep to give the Twins a 5-3 lead. Buxton went 431 feet to center field and Rosario hit a wall scraper to right, but both count the same!

 

The bullpen can’t finish it off.

 

The Twins bullpen might be the most impressive part of the season so far. They have performed well in nearly every game, especially the ones expected to perform well like Duffey and Rogers. Today the bullpen was asked to go three innings without giving up two runs and they couldn’t quite pull it off.

 

Tyler Clippard was the first pitcher to come in and he shut down the Pirates with two strikeouts. He was a quiet acquisition but his value has already shown. Sergio Romo came in for the 8th inning and gave up his first run of the season but escaped the inning with the lead. Finally, Taylor Rogers entered in the 9th and you knew it was over.

 

Okay so I wrote that last sentence before the inning began but I'm going to leave it because it's funny.

 

The Pirates were able to sneak three hits past the Twins infield and pull off the walk-off win. That one stings. The six game winning streak was snapped but hey, you can’t win them all. On to Kansas City!

 

Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet

Download attachment: Bullpen.png

 

Postgame Pint

Immediately following the bottom-of-the-ninth loss, John Bonnes, Matthew Trueblood and Lucas Seehafer unpacked how it all unraveled and took questions from the live virtual audience. Watch below, or download the audio-only podcast version on iTunes. For our next event, go to PostgamePint.com.

 

 

Click here to view the article

[rdehring]

Question, is it possible Rogers hasn't been getting enough work and isn't as sharp as he could be?

 

Curious if anyone who knows more about pitching has an opinion.

[Darius]

I’m not a fan of blowing 9th inning leads to the worst team in baseball.

[twinbythebay]

It certainly was disappointing to see Rogers blow that save, but he didn't really get hit hard. Sometimes balls just find holes. What made me the angriest was Romo walking Dyson in the 8th, who then managed to steal second and third and cut the lead to one with no hits. You absolutely CANNOT give a free pass there to a guy with speed and a triple slash of .083/.120/.083.

[Otto von Ballpark]

And who got the game-winning hit?

 

[Minny505]

 

It certainly was disappointing to see Rogers blow that save, but he didn't really get hit hard. Sometimes balls just find holes. What made me the angriest was Romo walking Dyson in the 8th, who then managed to steal second and third and cut the lead to one with no hits. You absolutely CANNOT give a free pass there to a guy with speed and a triple slash of .083/.120/.083.

Yup. Dyson is batting like an average NL pitcher in seasons of yore. (Feels so good to write that!!)

[blindeke]

OK we lost a close one we should have won. But we also one a close one we should have lost in this series, so I call it karma.

 

More importantly for the Twins future, Buxton and Sano are looking good! To me, that was the critical piece that needed to be there to be a team that can beat the Yankees. I am actually thrilled about this game, even if we lost. I predict they will both heat up over the next two weeks.

[h2oface]

Bummer. I had a medical insurance company phone call come in..... at the beginning of the 8th, sure and comfy that record win 11 was coming. At the end of the long call, I checked score, and couldn't believe it. Played it back. It was true. They both looked sketchy. Romo was lucky the hanging stuff didn't get blasted, and wow, not even caring about Dyson stealing (why can't our speedy guys steal?) with the time his delivery takes. Beat by a 2-10 team! We still can't get a win streak longer than 6 even winning all these games the last two years. And I was thinking we could win them all......

[Tom Froemming]

 

Question, is it possible Rogers hasn't been getting enough work and isn't as sharp as he could be?

 

Curious if anyone who knows more about pitching has an opinion.

I think rust is something that could fairly be attributed to any player at this point, seeing as the Twins only played one real exhibition game, but Rogers has now pitched in five of the team's 13 games. Apply that rate over 162 games and you get 62 appearances. Rogers appeared in 60 games last season.

[Tom Froemming]

Kevin Newman is the walk-off king of MLB

[Dantes929]

Rogers  got 3 outs in 5  pitches the other night and none of these balls were hit any harder than those.  Its not rust and it doesn't matter who they play.   Its baseball.   Rogers pitched well and a few batted balls found spots.     Every pitcher in the history of baseball has given up runs.     Move on.

[DocBauer]

Only have the box, this report, and the last 2 innings to watch during lunch. Needless to say, my lunch didn't quite settle right watching the end of this one.

 

THE BAD: Kind of obvious here, right? The one guy Romo shouldn't have walked is the guy he did. And Rogers wasn't perfect.

 

Disappointing as hell. But just being realistic, you aren't going to win them all. Even the worst teams are still MLB teams who will win some games. Stinks to only win 3 out of every 4, right? (Sarcasm alert)!

 

THE GOOD: While Maeda may have grooved one, I take what I've seen already and the report here to be further satisfied we have a really, really nice SP here.

 

We are starting to see real life in Sano and Buxton. And that is very important for the remainder of the season. I was very encouraged by Buxton's deep fly out late in the game. May have been an out, but would have been out in some parks, XB hit a couple feet either direction, and showed with his HR that he might be rounding in to form.

[mikelink45]

I had to look at the RP chart and Romo and Rogers have not been over used.  i hate it when we blow it with the bad teams.  But it started early.  Except for one bad pitch was a mantra we used earlier with Berrios.  That is what professional pitchers are supposed to avoid.  

[stringer bell]

I think the walk to Dyson really changed the game. It took Rogers’ margin for error away and gave Pittsburgh hope and momentum.

[DocBauer]

I think the walk to Dyson really changed the game. It took Rogers’ margin for error away and gave Pittsburgh hope and momentum.

Agree 100%. Absolutely worst guy you could walk.

 

But as much as losing stinks, do you blame Romo for that run? Do you blame Rogers for not being perfect? Do you blame Maeda for one bad pitch?

 

Stinks. But again. 60 or 162, you can't win them all.

[SoDakTwinsFan4]

I didn't agree with how Rocco had the defense set up in the 9th. Winning run was on SECOND BASE. Infield should not have been in. Play for a tie and take your chances in 10.

[USAFChief]

I think the walk to Dyson really changed the game. It took Rogers’ margin for error away and gave Pittsburgh hope and momentum.

concur...and from an 0-2 count. You also can't just let him take second and third with the Twins seemingly barely noticing.

[bighat]

From the "Nobody Cares About Your Fantasy Team" files: I have Maeda and Rogers on my fantasy team. Not only did Rogers get the loss AND blow the save, but he cost Maeda a win. And the Twins lost. Gutted!

 

The bright spot was that this all happened during the day while we were at work, so by bedtime I was over it. This would have been tough to swallow for fans if it were 10:00pm.

 

Honestly this was just a "that's baseball" loss. Those three balls hit against Rogers were seeing-eye grounders. Maybe if Donaldson's at 3rd base he makes the play on that Reynolds double, being a veteran he may have guarded the line closer.

 

 

[mikelink45]

I loved the Dyson on base activities - not because I wanted the Twins to lose, but I am tired of station to station baseball.  I love the stolen base, the hit and run, the active pursuit of runs and the use of speed.  We have speed, but we do not utilize it because some stathead said it was bad.  So many factors come in to play.  Dyson really shook up the Twins - that cannot be measured.  I hated that we lost, but boy that was fun.