Game Score (Game 1): Tigers 1, Twins 0

[Seth Stohs]

The Twins got impressive debuts from both Charlie Barnes and Beau Burrows in their return from the All Star break on Saturday. However, the bats were still on break as the team mustered only two hits in Game 1. 

Box Score
Charlie Barnes: 4.2 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
Home Runs: None

Bottom 3 WPA: Trevor Larnach (-0.127), Josh Donaldson (-0.121), Nelson Cruz (-0.113)

Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs)

 

Barnes’ Debut 

It’s almost unfortunate that Hall of Famer Bert Blyleven wasn’t in the booth with Dick Bremer during Game 1. The first batter that Charlie Barnes faced as a big leaguer was former Twin Robbie Grossman and he hit a lead-off home run. We know that Blyleven would have said that put him in good company and reminded us he had given up a home run to the first batter he faced in the big leagues, Lee Maye. 

The next batter was Jonathan Schoop, and he hit a bounding single through the left side of the infield on a two-strike pitch. After that, Barnes retired the next nine batters he faced, until a leadoff Josh Donaldson error in the fourth inning. He responded by getting Miguel Cabrera and Jeimer Candelario to fly out and line out. Isaac Parades singled, but Barnes retired Zack Short on a fly out and he got out of the fourth inning. In the fifth inning, he gave up a single and a four-pitch walk. After a Wes Johnson visit, he was able to get a unique 4-6-5 double play before his day came to a close. 

Barnes threw just 68 pitches and 43 were strikes. As the team's 27th man, he is sent back to St. Paul following the game (though I would hope he would be able to stay in Detroit to watch Game 2). 

 

Burrows Impressive in Twins Debut Too

The Twins claimed Beau Burrows after the Tigers DFAd him recently. He made a couple of appearances with the Saints, and he was called up to the Twins prior to the Saturday game. 

He replaced Barnes with two outs in the fifth inning and gave up an end-of-the-bat single before getting the third out. He looked strong in the bottom of the 6th inning. He certainly had his struggles in his brief opportunities with the Tigers, but he has enough stuff for the Twins to give him a shot in the second half.

 

Bats Still on Break

When you lose 1-0, it’s not on the pitching. Simply put, the Twins hitters just didn’t provide much of anything in Game 1. 

Tigers starter Jose Urena lasted just three innings. Daniel Norris came on and dominated for two perfect innings. Kyle Funkhouser struck out the side in the sixth inning. And, Gregory Soto got the ninth inning, and unlike Sunday when the Twins jumped all over him, he made easy work of the middle of the Twins lineup in the seventh inning. 

Luis Arraez and Jorge Polanco each had a single, but that is it for the Twins offense in Game 1. 

 

Postgame Interview

 

Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet

	TUE	WED	THU	FRI	SAT	TOT
Thielbar	0	0	0	0	0	0
Duffey	0	0	0	0	0	0
Rogers	0	0	0	0	0	0
Robles	0	0	0	0	0	0
Colomé	0	0	0	0	0	0
Burrows	0	0	0	0	32	32
Coulombe	0	0	0	0	0	0
Alcala	0	0	0	0	0	0

View full article

[Dman]

I was happy to see Charlie pitch well.  I watched some of the game on MLB.com.  He looked good. I think the lack of K's unfortunately tells the story that he is going to have a hard time breaking into MLB.  He only K'd one player in 4.2 innings so his stuff is pretty hittable.  Would be nice if he had a put away pitch in his back pocket and hopefully he finds one.

Still was very pleased with how well he did his first time out and he has to be happy he put the team in a position to win they just didn't come through for him.

[MMMordabito]

It would have been nice to see Barnes pitch longer, but the Twins have a microprocessor with bent pins for a manager.  Pulling a rookie pitcher at that point shows a total lack of confidence, which is a terrible message to send, regardless of what your f$#king spreadsheet says.

[Danchat]

Minaya should be on the bullpen chart, as he's rejoined the team and added to the 40 man roster... for some reason.  He's looked bad in AAA, bad in the majors, so why give him another chance? We have reliever prospects with more upside than him!

1 hour ago, MMMordabito said:

It would have been nice to see Barnes pitch longer, but the Twins have a microprocessor with bent pins for a manager.  Pulling a rookie pitcher at that point shows a total lack of confidence, which is a terrible message to send, regardless of what your f$#king spreadsheet says.

Does it show a lack of confidence if pulling a guy early is automatic? I don't like it either, but it seems to me that the rookies/guys who didn't pitch in 2020 are on pitch counts.

[mikelink45]

I will join the other complainers who are really tired of Rocco and his quick hook

[Yawn Gardenhose]

1 hour ago, mikelink45 said:

I will join the other complainers who are really tired of Rocco and his quick hook

See, saying "quick hook" implies that Baldelli is acting on impulse. Sparky Anderson had a notorious "quick hook." Baldelli is the exact opposite in my view - I imagine he pegged 70 pitches as his arbitrary "pitch limit" (saying nothing of the fact that Barnes pitched 90+ in his last AAA start), and he decided to pull the plug when there was a righty/lefty matchup that the "numbers" said it's best to avoid such a matchup. It was entirely planned, and that's what makes it so pathetic. You're dealing with professional athletes in the physical prime of their lives, getting babied to an obscene degree. Ugh.

The drama of the starting pitcher battling their way through 9 innings was one of the top-5 elements of dramatic action in baseball up until about 6 years ago. Analytics have purposefully killed that bit of drama in favor of parades of bullpen arms - the playoffs is nearly unwatchable now because of this. Yes, very "data-driven," "new-school," "smart," and "progressive" - entirely at the cost of entertainment and drama. It's sickening. 

I've set the introduction of robot umps as my point of no return for following baseball, but frankly I don't know if I'll make it another year or two. Game is a shell of its former self, completely caved to entertainment-sapping technocrats. Really, really sad. 

[Whitey333]

I totally agree with the gentleman saying how bad the game is now.  I too have said if they go to electronic ball and strike umps I'm done.  Been watching MLB games over 50 years and have never seen it at it's lowest point.  It's boring and unwatchable.  And you know what you can do with the analytics and gutless leaders who call themselves managers.

[Seth Stohs]

Put me on the side of trying to be wise in keeping pitchers, especially those who didn't pitch in 2020, healthy. I'll take that any day. 

[roger]

Question, Seth.  Any information available on which draft picks have signed?