Game Recap: White Sox 7, Twins 6

darwin22 · June 30, 2021

Postgame quote from Baldelli regarding Maeda's horrible performance tonight--------"The humidity made it really difficult for him."

Really Rocco? Good grief. Just sad.

VivaBomboRivera! · June 30, 2021

The missed cutoff throws also contributed to this big, big giveaway night. Legion Ball players get this right.

An enormous woman in a breastplate is practicing her scales in the bleachers, watching to see if the Twins can take the next two.

howeda7 · June 30, 2021

Brutal loss. Maeda totally wet the bed. Unacceptable performance from a veteran.

LewFordLives · June 30, 2021

7 hours ago, darwin22 said:

Postgame quote from Baldelli regarding Maeda's horrible performance tonight--------"The humidity made it really difficult for him."

Really Rocco? Good grief. Just sad.

The excuses seem to be getting more lame by the day. There was also Maeda saying he was the victim of "bad luck". He walked FIVE guys and the pitches weren't even close. And of course more sloppy defense and inexcusable baserunning.

bighat · June 30, 2021

I don't mind Cruz getting thrown out, or Polanco getting caught stealing. It's far too late for aggressive baserunning to make a difference this year - but it's a good habit and perhaps some of the younger players will catch on.

Likely sweep incoming. The narrative that the Twins were somehow "back in the race" after winning a couple games against Cleveland's AAA team was head-scratching. I mean, yeah if the Pirates, Orioles and Rockies won 15 straight games, they'd be "back in the race" too...but we can look at those teams with a non-biased eye and we know that's ridiculous.

This team has the worst pitching in baseball and it hasn't improved. The season's been over since Memorial Day.

insagt1 · June 30, 2021

discouraging loss for sure. I'm not raising the white flag yet. The killer inning was when the 3-2 deficit became 7-2 on a bunch of singles...and many with 2 outs from players you are supposed to get out. Can;t afford to lose the next 2. But the pitching is very bad...no question.

VivaBomboRivera! · June 30, 2021

7 hours ago, darwin22 said:

Postgame quote from Baldelli regarding Maeda's horrible performance tonight--------"The humidity made it really difficult for him."

Really Rocco? Good grief. Just sad.

13 minutes ago, LewFordLives said:

The excuses seem to be getting more lame by the day. There was also Maeda saying he was the victim of "bad luck". He walked FIVE guys and the pitches weren't even close...

In the end, these statements don't help the club. They may not want to talk specifically about what could be hurting Maeda's performance, but when it is obvious to everyone that he is not himself they need to say so to keep fans and the press with them. If they said things like, "we don't know why yet," or, "we'd rather not speculate before we review what went wrong tonight," they'd get a lot more sympathy and understanding than they do from this kind of dissembling.

Other bright notes that the article omits are the performances of Coulombe and Duffey, who held the line to keep a victory within reach of the bats. If only. If, if, if...

Dman · June 30, 2021

After it was 7-2 I didn't think they stood a chance but at least they battled back. The narrative for this team continues to hold. They find ways to self inflict the things that lead to loses. They are a team that just isn't quite good enough most nights. I hope the FO can work some magic at the deadline.

Nate Palmer · June 30, 2021

1 hour ago, VivaBomboRivera! said:

Other bright notes that the article omits are the performances of Coulombe and Duffey, who held the line to keep a victory within reach of the bats. If only. If, if, if...

This is an absolutely good note. Coulombe saved the rest of the bullpen from not having to come into the game last night. Whether the reason is winning or showcasing for a trade, it puts the rest of the relievers in a better place to succeed.

USAFChief · June 30, 2021

8 hours ago, VivaBomboRivera! said:

The missed cutoff throws also contributed to this big, big giveaway night. Legion Ball players get this right.

Concur.

This team is the worst Twins club at actually playing the game in my memory.

They continually do things no professional team should do, and fail to do things no professional team should fail to do.

Missing cutoffs, not positioning for cutoffs, throwing to the wrong base, poor baserunning decisions, the list goes on and on.

All the things a good manager drills into his team, and requires of them.

The pitching staff is awful, there's no doubt. But that's not the only reason they're losing.

Otto von Ballpark · June 30, 2021

46 minutes ago, Nate Palmer said:

This is an absolutely good note. Coulombe saved the rest of the bullpen from not having to come into the game last night. Whether the reason is winning or showcasing for a trade, it puts the rest of the relievers in a better place to succeed.

And, the offense clawed back enough to get Hendriks into the game, which could help tonight and tomorrow.

Of course, we'll need to convert these strategic advantages into actual wins at some point too.

Otto von Ballpark · June 30, 2021

13 minutes ago, USAFChief said:

Concur.

This team is the worst Twins club at actually playing the game in my memory.

They continually do things no professional team should do, and fail to do things no professional team should fail to do.

Missing cutoffs, not positioning for cutoffs, throwing to the wrong base, poor baserunning decisions, the list goes on and on.

All the things a good manager drills into his team, and requires of them.

The pitching staff is awful, there's no doubt. But that's not the only reason they're losing.

I wonder though -- to what degree are those mistakes being magnified by the poor pitching? A bad cutoff may not be noticed -- or may not happen at all -- if the pitchers aren't putting the team in that position with walks, lack of strikeouts, hard contact, putting us into a deep hole, etc.

Also, on fundamentals -- there seems to be the perception that past generations of ballplayers were fundamentally sound despite any failings otherwise. I wonder if that is true -- this perception often seems aided by a lack of video/media exposure. Every play of modern MLB is played back, analyzed, and available to watch on-demand, which wasn't true in the 1990s to say nothing of decades before that -- heck, it's even come a long way since the early 2000s (when Gardy's successful teams were sometimes criticized by fans for being less fundamentally sound than even TK's worse years).

roger · June 30, 2021

1 hour ago, Dman said:

After it was 7-2 I didn't think they stood a chance but at least they battled back. The narrative for this team continues to hold. They find ways to self inflict the things that lead to loses. They are a team that just isn't quite good enough most nights. I hope the FO can work some magic at the deadline.

Yes, but I hope like heck that magic is aimed at 2022.

roger · June 30, 2021

37 minutes ago, USAFChief said:

Concur.

This team is the worst Twins club at actually playing the game in my memory.

They continually do things no professional team should do, and fail to do things no professional team should fail to do.

Missing cutoffs, not positioning for cutoffs, throwing to the wrong base, poor baserunning decisions, the list goes on and on.

All the things a good manager drills into his team, and requires of them.

The pitching staff is awful, there's no doubt. But that's not the only reason they're losing.

For whatever reason, this club's fundamental play has been headed south for several years. Those of us who recall those Twins teams managed by Tom Kelly are shaking our heads.

VivaBomboRivera! · June 30, 2021

12 minutes ago, Otto von Ballpark said:

I wonder though -- to what degree are those mistakes being magnified by the poor pitching? A bad cutoff may not be noticed -- or may not happen at all -- if the pitchers aren't putting the team in that position with walks, lack of strikeouts, hard contact, putting us into a deep hole, etc.

Don't wonder. This is basic. There are going to be bad pitches and clutch hits. The principle is to control the bleeding.

The middle innings of a game that can still go either way, particularly with less than two outs, is not a time for heroics, The throws from center and left would have had to be far stronger and better-targeted to have had any hope of nailing runners at the plate. Kepler in particular should know better, and Kiriloff needed to be between the mound and second to stop the other runners' advances. In some cases, the cut can even catch runners between stations, resulting in a rally-killing out.

Otto von Ballpark · June 30, 2021

13 minutes ago, VivaBomboRivera! said:

Don't wonder. This is basic. There are going to be bad pitches and clutch hits. The principle is to control the bleeding.

"There are going to be bad pitches and clutch hits" seems to gloss over the fact that Twins pitchers have the 2nd worst FIP- in MLB this season -- the only team worse is Arizona (on pace to go 44-118). And our pitchers expected stats by Statcast (xBA, xSLG, xWOBACON -- a fun stat to say, by the way!) are all among the very worst too.

I don't doubt that there have been fundamental mistakes. But it's quite likely that the Twins fundamentals have been tested more than other teams. Yes, it appears they are failing that test quite often, but more testing is more opportunity for exposure. It's worth considering that part of the relationship.

VivaBomboRivera! · June 30, 2021

3 minutes ago, Otto von Ballpark said:

"There are going to be bad pitches and clutch hits" seems to gloss over the fact that Twins pitchers have the 2nd worst FIP- in MLB this season -- the only team worse is Arizona (on pace to go 44-118)...

It doesn't gloss over anything - it's about being able to walk and chew bubble gum at the same time. "Work fast, throw strikes" does not exclude defensive fundamentals.

Otto von Ballpark · June 30, 2021

2 minutes ago, VivaBomboRivera! said:

It doesn't gloss over anything - it's about being able to walk and chew bubble gum at the same time. "Work fast, throw strikes" does not exclude defensive fundamentals.

I hear you, they have been disappointing in both areas. What I was questioning was the specific claim that this is the worst Twins team ever in terms of fundamentals. That's a bigger claim than just "they've been bad at fundamentals" and it's likely being exacerbated by the pitching as I've shown (as well as recency bias and general subjectivity).

Hosken Bombo Disco · June 30, 2021

I am still disappointed that the Twins cancelled Saturday’s game so that “Happ can pitch Sunday and we will send out Maeda to pitch Monday in Chicago, instead.”

Well apparently Chicago heard about this, and countered with their own chess move tactics by cancelling the Monday game Maeda was preparing for, and then letting the grounds crew run out and interrupt Maeda in the third inning last night.

Just play the game!

If you want to back him up until Monday, just back him up. If he’s hurt, put him on the IL. Don’t turn around and say the weather was bad or all the days off affected him or whatnot. The Twins are making their own bad luck, and not just on the field, and before 2022 arrives the whole org needs to return to fundamentals!

Whitey333 · June 30, 2021

Interesting how the broadcasters keep saying Chicago got "soft" hits all night and that Maeda was unlucky. Also they your the Twins for coming back and making it close. They treat fans like idiots at times. We can see bad baseball for what it is. Stop trying to sugar coat a bad team and bad performances. They are a poorly put together team, with very little offense, no defense, and terrible pitching and play awful. Do we have a manager?

Aggies7 · June 30, 2021

at this point, what could you honestly point to that supports the idea that our manager is the right guy for the team? losing games happens to everyone, but the severe lack of fundamentals is appalling. his laissez faire approach to practicing and pushing players is only acceptable when you're winning.

USAFChief · June 30, 2021

2 hours ago, Otto von Ballpark said:

I wonder though -- to what degree are those mistakes being magnified by the poor pitching?

The point of drilling solid fundamentals, proper positioning, smart play, etc etc etc into your team, and demanding it from them, is so that you routinely do them.

Once a game, twice, a dozen, a hundred times. However many times necessary. Every game, almost every time.

The Twins bad pitching is one reason it's important, not an excuse for it not happening.

It's ok to recognize that coaching is one of this team's problems. Either Rocco needs to get better at it, or he needs to go. Sorry, that's not pleasant, but that's true.

joefish · June 30, 2021

We look like a poorly coached, bad baseball team.

We are.

bighat · June 30, 2021

What you saw last night was a team that's used to winning, and a team that's used to losing.

The Twins had absolute best start possible: Arraez singles, Donaldson HR. Guys are pumped, Donaldson is talking smack and high fiving everyone in the dugout! Good teams don't look back from a start like that.

The Twins starter, unfortunately, let the air out of the balloon with a disastrously long first inning and the Twins now feel like they're hanging on by a thread. It's only a matter of time until the Sox catch up.

Giolitto got it together, the Sox took their momentum and ran with it, and the rest is history.

Dodecahedron · June 30, 2021

I don't know if this is the worst Twins team ever, but they are minimally as bad as the "rebuilding" (rofl) teams in the early '10s. How those teams avoided 100 losses is only due to Gardenhire still being somewhat on his game. Those teams were worse than the "total system failure" team in 2016.

The easiest comparison is the 1984 Vikings under Les Steckel, for those who are old enough to remember. As USAChief points out, this team fails at very basic things.

mikelink45 · June 30, 2021

5 hours ago, Whitey333 said:

Interesting how the broadcasters keep saying Chicago got "soft" hits all night and that Maeda was unlucky. Also they your the Twins for coming back and making it close. They treat fans like idiots at times. We can see bad baseball for what it is. Stop trying to sugar coat a bad team and bad performances. They are a poorly put together team, with very little offense, no defense, and terrible pitching and play awful. Do we have a manager?

Soft hits are still hits. In this era of exit velocity the Sox are demonstrating that getting on base is what counts.

h2oface · June 30, 2021

11 hours ago, VivaBomboRivera! said:

Other bright notes that the article omits are the performances of Coulombe and Duffey, who held the line to keep a victory within reach of the bats. If only. If, if, if...

Yes, a runner was on second, and yes, Polanco deflected it, but to me, holding the line does not include giving up what would be the winning run of the game, and that was Coulombe's inherited runner scoring. Sure, you can ignore it and minimize it especailly with all the other plays in the game, and it was charged to Maeda ...... but.... to me, a reliever does his job when he is brought in with runners on and only needs one out, and gets it, instead of giving up a hit to the first batter and the inherited runner scores.

VivaBomboRivera! · June 30, 2021

5 minutes ago, h2oface said:

Yes, a runner was on second, and yes, Polanco deflected it, but to me, holding the line does not include giving up what would be the winning run of the game, and that was Coulombe's inherited runner scoring. Sure, you can ignore it and minimize it especailly with all the other plays in the game, and it was charged to Maeda ...... but.... to me, a reliever does his job when he is brought in with runners on and only needs one out, and gets it, instead of giving up a hit to the first batter and the inherited runner scores.

Yeah, it hurt, but it is hard to wish/ask for more of Coulombe when so much else was wrong that night. His line (2 IP, 7 batters, 26S/43P, 1 H, 1 BB, 3 SO) was solid, and the Twins would be happy to have more of that kind of performance. Even top-class Stoppers don't get 'em all.

h2oface · July 1, 2021

13 minutes ago, VivaBomboRivera! said:

Yeah, it hurt, but it is hard to wish/ask for more of Coulombe when so much else was wrong that night. His line (2 IP, 7 batters, 26S/43P, 1 H, 1 BB, 3 SO) was solid, and the Twins would be happy to have more of that kind of performance. Even top-class Stoppers don't get 'em all.

The only wish/ask, when you bring in a reliever with 2 outs and anyone on base anywhere, and especially scoring position -- is to not let the runner score and get the one out and out of the inning. The only wish/ask, so not hard for me (or every fan of said team) to wish for it, at all.

VivaBomboRivera! · July 1, 2021

6 minutes ago, h2oface said:

The only wish/ask, when you bring in a reliever with 2 outs and anyone on base anywhere, and especially scoring position -- is to not let the runner score and get the one out and out of the inning. The only wish/ask, so not hard for me (or every fan of said team) to wish for it, at all.

Indeed. But hey, some days you win, some days you lose, and some days - it rains. ?️⚾

	WED	THU	FRI	SUN	MON	TUE	TOT
Jax	0	0	75	0	0	0	75
Coulombe	0	0	32	0	0	43	75
Duffey	0	0	0	23	0	15	38
Thielbar	0	4	0	30	0	0	34
Rogers	0	8	9	0	0	0	17
Shoemaker	0	11	0	0	0	0	11
Robles	0	0	10	0	0	0	10
Alcalá	0	10	0	0	0	0	10
Colomé	0	0	7	0	0	0	7

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