HOU 4, MIN 1: Defensive Lapses, Lack of Offense Lead to Another Twins Loss

[Aggies7]

I’m still fuming.

[shimrod]

"arrived home to see Garver pinch ? ..."

 

I expected to see the last couple innings after work and found the game blacked out (SE Virginia). 

 

MLB always happy to make a couple extra bucks selling someone the right to prevent fans seeing the game. Playoffs no less. My daughter was beginning to get into watching the team with me on MLBtv. She's the demographic MLB should be pursuing, instead they slap her in the face with a playoff blackout. Great job, MLB. 

 

EDIT: I've been informed game was available on broadcast ABC. I missed that. 

 

Blackout policies are still an abomination but in this case I was wrong. 

[nokomismod]

Astros going with a soft throwing lefty for five innings won the game in my opinion. I thought he was on the ropes but had the guts to get the mound reshaped, he gathered himself and the Twins could not lay off his breaking stuff. Such a winnable game and such a bummer that the Twins didn't take it.

 

[VivaBomboRivera!]

It could all be over Thursday, as the Twins are now in a position to eliminate the Astros with two more victories.

 

Fixed yer article.

[twinbythebay]

 

The ninth inning of a 1-1 playoff game went to a 37 year old junkballer and the Augustana University pitching coach.

 

Sounds like the town ball state tournament, not the AL playoffs.

 

So much blame to go around, but the above was preventable, if the front office does it's job.

I don't get the hate for two guys who have pitched pretty effectively for most of the season, nor for the front office and manager that have put together back to back division championship teams. Romo pitched well enough to get out of that inning, but was let down by an atrocious defensive play. I thought Rocco pushed all the right buttons, but his lineup and defense simply let him down. What more can he do? There's plenty of blame to go around, and I'd place pretty much all of it on Polanco's defense and the lineup in general.

[Otto von Ballpark]

"arrived home to see Garver pinch ? ..."

 

I expected to see the last couple innings after work and found the game blacked out (SE Virginia).

 

MLB always happy to make a couple extra bucks selling someone the right to prevent fans seeing the game. Playoffs no less. My daughter was beginning to get into watching the team with me on MLBtv. She's the demographic MLB should be pursuing, instead they slap her in the face with a playoff blackout. Great job, MLB.

MLB.TV is specifically advertised as not including playoff games. They have never included them. All postseason games are available on national TV, games which have never been included on MLB.TV. Given that, and the low price of the product, it's not reasonable to expect it to include playoff games.

 

But good news: YouTube TV has every single postseason game (30-50 games, depending on how long each series goes), with DVR, for only $65.

 

Edit: today’s game was even free nationwide on ABC if you had an antenna or access to Locast.

[h2oface]

 

Polanco had a pretty bad game. Like I said, lots of blame to go around.

 

But making a physical error is, IMO, much different than the front office looking at their pen a month ago and deciding, "Nope, we're good. Don't need Rosenthal. Don't need anybody."

 

Again...they're pitching Sergio Romo and Caleb Thielbar in the 9th inning. Of a tied playoff game. 

 

Maybe so. Of course, you could buy the best closer/pitcher and then they suck or get hurt..... or make a physical error that loses the whole thing. But if you are paid to be a baseball star, you are paid to not make physical errors. In fact, they may be the easiest not to make, in my opinion. You are paid and hired to perform, and eliminate errors, ideally.  

 

That said.... I have never been impressed with this overperforming 'stat' pen. I watched them blow too many games.

[jun]

 

It could all be over Thursday, as the Twins are now in a position to eliminate the Astros with two more victories.

 

Fixed yer article.

I think tomorrow is Wednesday not Thursday right? Let's not get so far ahead.

[Danchat]

Ugh... I'm not even mad. I really did expect the Twins to set the all-time consecutive playoff loss record, but against the 29-31 Astros? 1 run on 4 hits? I keep hearing that this isn't the team that has lost 17 consecutive postseason games, but they sure do play like it! And for all the talk of adding postseason experience to the team so that we'd play better now that we're here... I don't see how it helps on a game-to-game basis. Romo may have been on 3 WS winning squads, but that didn't help us today. 

[darwin22]

Late getting to this as I needed to try to calm down and agree with all thats been posted, but will add a few items:

#1 Where's the guts?  Where's the fire?  This team is so much of a reflection of Baldelli--"lets just relax and enjoy the process".  My answer: F*ck the process!! The process has made us a laughingstock.  My 24 year old son, incidentally named after Kirby Puckett, can barely remember the last playoff game the Twins won in 2004.  He was 8 years old.

 

#2 Thielbar:  I actually feel bad for the dude as his "story"-----out of baseball since 2015 and back this year with some success is a nice one, but by no means should Baldy have put him in that situation against a veteran (Twins killer) hitter like Brantley. Brantley was patient & confident enough (unlike 1st pitch hacking Astudillo) to wait till Caleb made a mistake with his 1 pitch (more coming later) that he can throw for a strike.  He didn't miss Thielbar's hanger with 2 strikes and did what a professional hitter does.  He smoked it for a 2-RBI single that put the game out of reach.

 

#3  Offense in general:  Season long failure---I don't care what the numbers say--but this group of hitters has been out of whack all season in key situations.  Sano has been putrid for ongoing a month.  Cruz, yes a key RBI double, but not much after that.  Garver:  Absolutely brutal.  There are many others to blame, but when you get 2 freaking hits over 8 innings, you don't deserve to win.  

 

#4 Polanco:  Yes, a crucial error in the 9th opened the floodgates to Astros taking the lead, but a physical error, which happens.  Saying that, in that situation, he can't make that poor of a throw.  I would remind everyone blaming Polanco for the loss, that he didn't put those 2 Astro hitters on base.....that would be........

 

#5 Romo:  Why Rocco?  Why??  Does he see what I've seen and all Twins fans have seen most of the season and especially the last 2 weeks.  He's NOT...repeat NOT good and shouldn't be on this team next year.  He's a "1-pitch" (slider) pitcher that EVERY HITTER in MLB knows about.  He's basically an older version of last years "1 pitch (curveball) pitcher"--Ryne Harper.  Like most Twins fans I gulped when Rocco turned to him in the 9th. Felt better after 2nd out, but wanted to vomit after Polanco's error, BUT.....Polanco's error did NOT produce the go-ahead run!  Please remember that.  What did, of course, was Romo, turning to his 2nd best (yuck) pitch--an 86mph heater to that lilliputian Altuve.   

 

Well, I guess there is still some hope tomorrow as this loss didn't eliminate Twins, but after 17 losses, why would most TRUE fans think tomorrow's result will be any different?  Maybe tomorrow is the day that Lucy does indeed hold the ball and let Charlie Brown boot it?  Don't count on it.

[AceWrigley]

Bottom of the 5th inning. Valdez can't find the plate and walks Gonzalez and Arraez. He throws 4 straight balls to Buxton who somehow chose to swing at 2 of them for 2 strikes then ended up striking out. Right there I thought that is the turning point in the game and the Twins won't score another run. They didn't. We lost. Very disappointing. Kudos to Kenta Maeda who someday might even get to pitch more than 5 innings. I fear Brantley the most in their lineup and he didn't disappoint. Go get 'em tomorrow boys.

[USAFChief]

I don't get the hate for two guys who have pitched pretty effectively for most of the season, nor for the front office and manager that have put together back to back division championship teams. Romo pitched well enough to get out of that inning, but was let down by an atrocious defensive play. I thought Rocco pushed all the right buttons, but his lineup and defense simply let him down. What more can he do? There's plenty of blame to go around, and I'd place pretty much all of it on Polanco's defense and the lineup in general.

like I said, plenty of blame to go around.

 

But Polanco's error doesn't happen if Romo doesn't give up back to back hits, and might not have mattered if Romo, who by the way throws among the fewest strikes of any MLB pitcher, doesnt walk Altuve.

 

Thielbar is a nice story, but he hasn't been in MLB for a long time for a reason. He didnt even have a minor league job this year, until the Twins came knocking.

 

As a taxi squad guy...maybe.

 

Pitching the 9th of a playoff game? That's front office malpractice.

 

And it was foreseeable, and preventable. I don't hate Romo or Thielbar. I hate the process that made them options in that game.

 

I want guys throwing 97, not Frisbee sliders that every hitter knows is coming.

[Aggies7]

Bottom of the 5th inning. Valdez can't find the plate and walks Gonzalez and Arraez. He throws 4 straight balls to Buxton who somehow chose to swing at 2 of them for 2 strikes then ended up striking out. Right there I thought that is the turning point in the game and the Twins won't score another run. They didn't. We lost. Very disappointing. Kudos to Kenta Maeda who someday might even get to pitch more than 5 innings. I fear Brantley the most in their lineup and he didn't disappoint. Go get 'em tomorrow boys.

I couldn’t have been higher on buxton than when he went down and plunked one into the outfield and then stole a base. That should have led to a run. But the rest of his at bats were the bad Byron we saw for so long. Flailing wildly at pitches out of the zone. His at bat in the 5th turned the game around. Not bunting was the right call, but that was such a bad at bat it turned the game around

[JadenPoint]

Houston doesn't mash this season, but they make pitchers throw strikes and work the count. I'll be surprised if berrios pitch count allows him to see the 5th inning. Hope the bats show up tomorrow!

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

Not to excuse Polanco, but I noticed that Arraez was actually playing up the middle and coming at the bag from an odd angle. But anyway.

 

Any word on Maeda's condition? Five whole innings? He must be gassed—that's a Falvey era record for starting pitchers   

 

Also, Buxton batting second.. no. Someone should have brought up how badly Buxton fared when Molitor batted him third that year. His place is at the bottom somewhere.

 

Anyway enough of the snark. Get em tomorrow. What other choice is there. I will bang my head against the wall all night tonight but expect a different result tomorrow. 

[shimrod]

Edit: today’s game was even free nationwide on ABC if you had an antenna

 

Not according to the local broadcast schedule - I checked. Typically the game previews on sites like CBS sports provide broadcast information if available. I checked there as well and found nothing. 

 

 

Edit - looked back and sure enough, scheduled on ABC. Trouble is, schedule shows news from 5pm on (EST). I wasn't off work until near six my time. 

 

In short, game was available. Better prep on my part and we could have seen that inspirational finale. My bad. 

[jun]

This team has a new record! Twins just set a NEW North American post season losing streak record. They will have a chance to extend the record tomorrow. Well it could also be their last game of the season. As noted by MLB.com's Sarah Lang, 27 of the other 29 teams have won a post season game since the Twins last won one. The Mariners and the Marlins are the other two exceptions. Since then 18 teams have won at least 10 postseason games and 10 have won at least 20.

[Brock Beauchamp]

I can’t blame a lick of this on the pitchers. Maeda, May, Duffey, Rogers pitched 8.0 IP, 1 ER.

 

Romo pitched an ugly ninth but got three outs before a run crossed the plate.

 

It’s everyone else I’m mad at, with Polanco holding a special place in hell.

[Brock Beauchamp]

For those of you implying Maeda couldn’t go six, do you believe he asked Baldelli to leave after 90 pitches? I’m sure Kenta would have been just fine with the idea of trotting back out in the sixth.

 

But out of Baldelli’s decisions today, that one doesn’t even crack the top five of things that annoyed me.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

For those of you implying Maeda couldn’t go six, do you believe he asked Baldelli to leave after 90 pitches? I’m sure Kenta would have been just fine with the idea of trotting back out in the sixth.

But out of Baldelli’s decisions today, that one doesn’t even crack the top five of things that annoyed me.

I think you are making my point? Rocco, or maybe it’s the front office, is clearly erring on the side of removing starting pitchers early from these postseason games. They lost the benefit of the doubt with me last year removing Berrios after four innings on the night before a scheduled bullpen game. And same as last year, I think the organization is overrating this bullpen.

 

Sounds like Maeda pitched great today—tight strike zone too I guess—and the bullpen did fine after him (until the 9th). The decision to remove him largely worked out, but the trade off is it’s one more inning the bullpen doesn’t have for the next two games.

[mikelink45]

By the way = look at the Yankees and Bieber - it actually could have been worse. 

[lukeduke1980]

Romo looked bad Sunday in the extra inning game. Thought he'd be used in a lower leverage spot.

[Longdistancetwins]

 

By the way = look at the Yankees and Bieber - it actually could have been worse. 

YIkes.  Shudder.  You’re right.

[VivaBomboRivera!]

I think tomorrow is Wednesday not Thursday right? Let's not get so far ahead.

No worries.  We've got them right where we want them.

[VivaBomboRivera!]

But out of Baldelli’s decisions today, that one doesn’t even crack the top five of things that annoyed me.

Does this mean TK's coming out of retirement?

 

[twinbythebay]

like I said, plenty of blame to go around.

 

But Polanco's error doesn't happen if Romo doesn't give up back to back hits, and might not have mattered if Romo, who by the way throws among the fewest strikes of any MLB pitcher, doesnt walk Altuve.

 

Thielbar is a nice story, but he hasn't been in MLB for a long time for a reason. He didnt even have a minor league job this year, until the Twins came knocking.

 

As a taxi squad guy...maybe.

 

Pitching the 9th of a playoff game? That's front office malpractice.

 

And it was foreseeable, and preventable. I don't hate Romo or Thielbar. I hate the process that made them options in that game.

 

I want guys throwing 97, not Frisbee sliders that every hitter knows is coming.

I just think the bullpen's performance is way, way down the list of factors that were most to blame for the loss. They gave up one earned run in four innings! Even if Polanco makes that play or Romo strikes out Altuve there instead of walking him, what are we left with? A 1-1 game in the 9th inning where the offense hadn't even sniffed a scoring opportunity in multiple innings. It doesn't matter how good the bullpen is if the bats are incapable of coming through when they're needed.

[h2oface]

Falvey is now 0-5 in the postseason. Baldelli is 0-4. So they are becoming a pretty substantial part of the 17 game record postseason losing streak - Falvey 29% of it and Baldelli is attached to 23.5% of it.

[h2oface]

This is the post season. Kenta should have fought to stay in the game. Baldelli shouldn't have made him, though. He should have checked in with Kenta, and if he was good to go, let him at least start the 6th inning and see how it goes. Even if the Twins would have won, Baldelli used all the top relievers as it was.... that is, it you consider Romo a top reliever, which I don't. Not a great managing strategy.

[Otto von Ballpark]

What was weird about this game was how closely it followed the same script as our final regular season game on Sunday:

 

- Mostly low scoring

- Each SP gave up only 2 hits but 3+ walks

- Twins pen gave up a run to tie the game in the 7th inning

- We pinch hit with Garver to lead off an inning, late in a tie game, when we could have used Jeffers instead

- Romo and Thielbar (mostly Romo) pitched in the top of the final inning, still tied, and gave up 3 runs

- Twins brought the tying run to the plate in the bottom of the final inning

- Baldelli pinch hit for the last batter of the game almost as if he wanted to lose (Adrianza for Arraez on Sunday, Astudillo yesterday)

[Vanimal46]

Falvey is now 0-5 in the postseason. Baldelli is 0-4. So they are becoming a pretty substantial part of the 17 game record postseason losing streak - Falvey 29% of it and Baldelli is attached to 23.5% of it.

Not to mention the core of this lineup and several pitchers have been here for the 0-5, even 0-6 lapse.