Game Recap: Athletics 7, Twins 6

Lots of details to moan about. One that will get lost in it all.... Duffey - three inherited runners. Three inherited runners scored. It never ends. 

Donaldson - just wow. Simmons can't throw now (4 errors so far this year) and Donaldson can't catch an easy throw. That was a double play and out of the top half of the 9th. Instead, that's the loss and the ball game.

2 minutes ago, h2oface said:

Lots of details to moan about. One that will get lost in it all.... Duffey - three inherited runners. Three inherited runners scored. It never ends. 

And only one was his “fault” (and it wasn’t really, weak ground out) when he came in in literally the most difficult situation. 

Mitch Garver's game needs an overhaul. His coming out party in 2019 was a one-time courtesy. SITUATIONAL HITTING...He needs to check his ego and hit for contact, hit the the ball the other way, and "grind out" an at-bat for crying out loud. And...he's a liability behind the plate in my opinion. 

17 minutes ago, Mill1634 said:

And only one was his “fault” (and it wasn’t really, weak ground out) when he came in in literally the most difficult situation. 

3 inherited runners, 3 inherited runners scored. If it ain't about the flop, it ain't about any other excuses. 

Duffey actually pitched great today. I am so pissed about that play. 

If a batter moves his arm into the pitch, is it the pitchers fault for throwing it inside over the plate and it is still a strike, if not for the batter moving elbow into the ball? Rortvedt doesn't touch Andrus. Andrus reaches out and touches Rortvedt. The umpire never should have made that call. Flopping Andrus should have been called out, as he was. 

Sometimes players like to cheat to win. Anything to win. Hrbek comes to mind.....

8 minutes ago, USAFChief said:

And personally, I hope Garver goes on a hot streak, so he can be dumped at the deadline.

 

His defense is just too bad. 

He still has not learned to square up his body on a low pitch. Nor has he learned to "smother" a pitch.  Finally, while I know that one legged catching is the rage, there are just some guys not athletic enough to pull it off. He is one of them. You simply cannot block balls that low if you are tied up like a  pretzel. That leaves you relying on your glove, definitely not Garvers forte! 

The Twins have plenty of problems, it is true. MLB has more problems, many more. The umpires are struggling more than I can recall in my lifetime and the number of errors from NYC umpires have piled up even with totally conclusive evidence. Additionally, from high school rules in doubleheaders to Covid 19 rules in extra innings to a lack of clarity on what is or is not reason to go to the headset, MLB is deeply flawed. This follows a winter where DH "discussions", among other problems, were fumbled. 

The real error on the rundown was a failure of a teammate to VERY loudly yell for Rortveldt to just hold the ball and run Andrus to 3B where another runner created an automatic out. The Twins did not communicate at all on that play. Lastly, you can see Andrus laughing and demonstrating how he acted his way to a poor call. There was no interference, only incidental contact on the grass. It was a poor call and the Oakland announcers felt that too and just called it smart baseball and poor umpiring.

None of this excuses the Twins poor play. Garver is not a catcher for starters. Terry Francona would never put him behind the plate. If Kirilloff cannot come back and Buxton is out for a long spell games like the recent debacles will continue to occur. Outside of some changes the Twins will need to crush every game to have a chance with their current defense.

6 minutes ago, tony&rodney said:

.......The real error on the rundown was a failure of a teammate to VERY loudly yell for Rortveldt to just hold the ball and run Andrus to 3B where another runner created an automatic out. The Twins did not communicate at all on that play. Lastly, you can see Andrus laughing and demonstrating how he acted his way to a poor call. There was no interference, only incidental contact on the grass. It was a poor call and the Oakland announcers felt that too and just called it smart baseball and poor umpiring.

Totally agree that the correct play was to run the runner all the way back to third. But in regard to blaming teammates for not yelling.... how does someone playing in the show, especially as a catcher, not know that? Or someone playing in the lowest levels of the minors, even? 

Still, the umpire made a horrible call. Flopping in baseball. These are our times.

This team just gives away runs like Halloween candy on October 31st. And they squander runs on the offensive side. Men on 2nd and 3rd, nobody out? For the Twins, they're lucky to score 1 run in that scenario. They can't score runs in bunches because they can't hit with runners on base. This team simply cannot make contact.

Most last place teams are likeable, if not loveable. Almost all last place teams are rebuilding and doing their best - at least you give them respect....not these guys. This is the worst team in baseball, they deserve to be, and it's pretty hard to feel sorry for them the way they are playing.

The Andrus flop was hilarious. Most of these guys are superior athletes that you couldn't knock over if you got a full running start. Suddenly one of them falls down from the merest suggestion of contact with the catcher. Call it cheating if you want, but you can bet the A's fans were cheering and laughing. A well-executed flop is every bit as artful as a wide receiver pushing off just with his elbow. Yes, it's cheating. Yes, they sometimes get caught. Yes, it's part of the game. 

Rortvedt's error in the rundown was simple: You're supposed to run as fast as you can at the runner, with the ball held next to your cheek, wrist back. If the runner makes a full brake for third, you snap a throw to the baseman, sticking your two fingers in his eyes. Then you're supposed to circle around the play to get ready for the next round. The rookie catcher instead followed the play, allowing Andrus the opportunity to execute his flop. 

The reason the flop worked was typical sleight of hand. The umpire's attention was split between the guy with the ball and the runner. When Andrus suddenly slipped on an invisible banana peel, the ump automatically assumed that Rortvedt had knocked him down. Well played, Elvis.

I believe the umpire did assume but we don't know. Umpires are human and mistakes happen but unless the umpire believed Andrus was pushed and the umpire did not assume there should have been a review on the basis of not seeing the play. 

There were so many mistakes and Rortveldt made a fundamental error in throwing the ball at all. Still, right now he is our only catcher. We can see that the pitchers will not throw the ball low in the zone often enough to Garver won't be caught. 

I'm not a fan of obvious flops.

In a year when we were addressing defense - we failed.

In a year where we knew we could pick up any scrub and make him into a RP - we failed.

Sano has one good game - yesterday.

Kepler has one good game - today.

Can we get these professional hitters to do something regularly?

By the way Larnach looks like he belongs - that is the positive.  

And Maeda is still reading last years press clippings.  

I really thought Sano would do it in the 9th. 

#FreePalestine

17 RUNNERS LEFT ON BASE!

Gotta play fundamental ball.

Bullpen can't hold the game close. And even after a battle back, who do you call?

As has been the case in so many games recently, Twins had the chance to score a ton of runs. But they just cannot deliver with men on base. Opposing pitchers know this and they go full out for the strikeout with less than 2 outs. And they usually get it.

Then after an improbable comeback, they simply pee it away in the 9th. Our million dollar infielder with yet another bad error. And of course, a strikout results in a wild pitch and a winning run. Why not? Its the Twins 2021. Bad teams find ways to lose, even when they shouldn't. Todays game was a hot mess of missed opportunities and crappy 'd'..when it counted most.

The good news...the cheap run in the 9th prevented an 8th extra inning embarrassment. Silver lining.

1 hour ago, h2oface said:

3 inherited runners, 3 inherited runners scored. If it ain't about the flop, it ain't about any other excuses. 

The flop was a stupid play messed up by the twins catcher. Sure it was a flop, but never should’ve even gotten to that point. Complaining about it is stupid. Complain about the catcher for not knowing what the hell he was doing. As for Duffey, he did his job PERFECTLY in that situation. Not sure how the two are equally unless you weren’t actually watching the game

41 minutes ago, cHawk said:

 

They don’t have the least talent in baseball (quite far from it) but they DO NOT play as a team.

Yeah, I don't want to hear the word "luck" used with this team again this year. The team, while filled with talented individuals, is really, really, terrible at playing mlb quality baseball. At least I'll save $85/month canceling att tv after this month!

16 minutes ago, Mill1634 said:

The flop was a stupid play messed up by the twins catcher. Sure it was a flop, but never should’ve even gotten to that point. Complaining about it is stupid. Complain about the catcher for not knowing what the hell he was doing. As for Duffey, he did his job PERFECTLY in that situation. Not sure how the two are equally unless you weren’t actually watching the game

Happy for you that you think a pitcher does his job perfectly when he is called in FOR RELIEF with the bases loaded and no outs.... AND ALL THE RUNNERS INHERITED SCORE. ALL OF THEM. I know what happened and how (one can watch the game and not be part of the game thread, eh?). Miss bats and things are different. That would be perfect in my book. Relief is not letting all the runners score. I know Duffey had help. He is still on the mound called in for relief, not to open the faucet.

The ump should never have called interference. It did get to that point, and the runner should have been called out. Period. Umpire made a horrible call. Well documented. Easy to see on replay. Hate the catcher if you like, if that makes you happy. I have already adressed that he had other options, and should have done them. But the umpire made the call that was horrible, and the wrong call. And I won't call your behavior stupid, even if you call mine stupid.

The Bad News Bears strike again! 

Definitely one of the worst games of bumbling misfits I have ever watched try to play baseball. Highschoolers know how to execute a rundown better than the 2021 Twins. Can Donaldson make a mis-catch at anymore of an inopportune time than he did today. Can Garver not block a ball at anymore of an inopportune time than he did today. Why is Arraez in the outfield? A good outfielder makes the catch he lets bounce off the wall. Why does Rocco bring in Duffey with the bases loaded when he has proven he can't keep inherited runners from scoring? Sano had his moment in the sun yesterday. Back to his usual non-productive self today. So many wrongs again. Only bright spot was Larnach getting 3 hits. Trade the rest of the bums for a bag of peanuts and a box of cracker jacks.

21 minutes ago, Rosterman said:

17 RUNNERS LEFT ON BASE!

 

Gotta play fundamental ball.

 

Bullpen can't hold the game close. And even after a battle back, who do you call?

*17 LOB, 9 total runners left on base

(still awful, just wanted to clarify)