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Who would have thought coming into the year that Thielbar would be getting the 7th in a tie game (and picking up the "W") with Wisler collecting the save?!

Let’s remember some Bert-isms. Dick: “Today is national left handed day. And in honor of that, I’ve done everything today with my left hand.” Bert: “...everything?” Dick: “So did you ever run out of gas while on the mound?” Bert: “Oh I always had gas. My problem is that I never ran out.” Dick: “One of your nicknames was Dr. Hook. Was that because of your curveball!” Bert: “Probably...unless they saw me in the shower.” Dick: “Never have I wanted a Twins player to hit into an inning ending double play more than I do now.”

"Oh, we're live?!?"

Best of luck in all you do, Bert! You were the best pitcher to ever wear a Twins uniform.

Best Dutch pitcher of all time. I'll always have a soft spot for him just because of this shirt.

You could have and should have done a "ditto" for Larnach in reference to Kirilloff. I think disappointment leads to speculation and hope that one of these guys could somehow replace Kepler or Rosario. Come on! But the Rooker opinion is smart and right on. He has to be added to the 40 man after this season. Isn't there some move available to do so now? I hate his age discussion! Not everyone is a 21-23yo prospect ready to come up and kill it. There are a plethora of guys who are 24-25 when they are ready and do well. And as stated, he adjusted to AAA after a few weeks...which has been his constant...and did well before injury. No offense to Wade, who is "struggling" for opportunity/consistency, but he is behind Cave. Rooker should absolutely get a shot as a RH bat at this point. I don't think Vargas was a bad cash acquisition. I don't think he is a bad ballplayer. He might even have a future here. But I would say that with Arraez fighting through a bad knee, even with Donaldson coming back, maybe it's time for Blankenhorn to get his shot. He's already on the 40 man, has shown flashes, and can fill in at several spots.

Didn't someone once say that the Twins are a better team when Buxton is on the field? Much Better! And what a great start by Pineda. Those runs in the first inning would not have scored had Sano not had a mental cramp and covered first base. Question, Seth. Is it possible that Pineda is the Twins best starting pitcher? What a pleasant surprise the local kid, Thielbar, has been since his return. And Wisler just keeps pitching well, very well. Both doing what we hoped Littell and Stashak would be doing had they not been MIA.

I think the author makes a good point that Rooker should come up before Kiriloff or Larnach. For one thing, he's more likely to be ready; a .933 OPS at AAA shows more readiness to contribute than a .756 OPS at AA. Also, you don't need to worry about wasting an option year. He's too old to worry about using up his options. And you need to put him on the 40 man roster anyway. Why wait? Promoting Kiriloff, on the other hand, would start his service time before he was ready, sacrificing control of later years at his peak. Let him develop and bring him up when he's ready to be a star. I'm not categorically against promoting Kiriloff or Larnach early. If they give the Twins the best chance to win, do it. But unless they are clearly better than Rooker, right now, I'd promote Rooker first.

Buxton is the straw that stirs the drink... the Twins are just so much better when he's on the field.

Buxton is a difference maker. (Stating the obvious, but big W for Twins and Buxton was right in the middle of it.)

Maybe Jeffers should become Berrios regular catcher? They seem to be working well together

Congrats to Bert. I think it's probably time? He's seemed less and less interested in doing the games in recent years, which was a shame. Because when Bert was into it, he was flat-out outstanding, especially when talking about the art & science of pitching. I recall games where he would predict every pitch in a sequence and tell you why they were throwing it. he could spot flaws in a pitcher's mechanics and tell you what it meant and why. He really knows the game and it was fun to listen to him talk about it. At the same time, he knew how to have fun in the booth, which was really important with some of the truly awful teams. Sure, some of the bits got a little old/hokey (California math, pitchers being the best athletes on the team, etc) at times, but the dude did a lot of games and there were a lot of them in front of bad teams. I spent a lot of time with Dick 'n' Bert over the years, and I will miss having the man with the curveball that woke hitters up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat calling games. Happy retirement, to Bert "Be Home" Blyleven! And fortunately for the Twins, they have some fine in-house options to swing in after: Morneau (who could use a little more animation, but it otherwise excellent) or Hawkins (who reaches a little too hard at times for the comedy, but does a nice job dissecting the game, and has a very good voice. I know he works hard, but he sounds relaxed and comfortable. that's a skill.) are my top choices. Smalley is ok. Morris is a crank.

Pineda looked good overall. The play by Sano in first was a miscue by him and had it been made maybe Pineda does not give up any runs, I never assume everything plays out the same after something is changed. I am not sure if Pineda hesitated running to first on that play assuming Sano would not run 60 feet from the base trying to get to a ball. However, you need to remember this was a RH hitter and many times now the second baseman is up the middle on those, so Sano may have reacted thinking he was only chance to get there. Overall, I am very impressed with what Sano has done at first. I was thinking it was going to be a train wreck, but he has scooped the ball very well, guess his time at 3rd helped with that. He has looked shaky at times with pop ups, but that is normal for him he always did at third too. His decisions to come off the base at times has been an issue, but that just take time and paying attention to who is running, and where are the fielders, and who is pitching. Pineda is a large man that may not be too fast and Anderson will be him every time to first base, I do not know. Regardless, team won, they fought hard and hopefully we can start a win streak today.

Just needed a hefty beefcake on the mound to stop the skid, all those thin lanky guys weren't getting it done.

Truly the end of an era. I know there are a lot of haters out there but Bert was one of my favorite parts of summer. He will be missed!

The boys stepped up across the board - including the manager who made all the right moves (with maybe the exception of Sano batting leadoff) with the pinch hitters and the pitching moves. Lets hope this is the start of a roll, with our (cough, cough) "ace" helping to build on the win.

I'm also of the belief that it will just take Sano time and in-game reps to learn which balls he goes for and which one he lets go. All is well after a very entertaining Twins win! That Cave triple and Arraez double got me out of my seat! Buxton showing a little clutch gene tonight.

Love the win, the fielding and the pitching. It was great to see Arraez step up, but where are the bats? Of course having Adrianza and Vargas in the lineup together was not going to get the hitting started. But we have to start scoring more than 3 runs a game.

Are we sure that it wasn't White Sox 3, Twins 2. Like a typo?!?!

This seems...sudden. Surprised there isn't more of a send-off. But what isn't weird about 2020?

I still remember his MLB debut. Guess that makes me kind of old. But Bert has been one of my favorites since day one. Maybe his time has run out, but I never stopped enjoying him on the air.

I always loved Bert's commentary, but he has sounded a bit "tired" lately, and I think his "shtick" has been getting a bit worn, sort of like Chris Berman's did after a long while. Moreover, it must be very stressful for any broadcaster these days, but especially a free-spirit and vocal-butterfly like Bert is, to constantly thread the needle of perfection to avoid offending somebody, triggering the pc police, or worse case become the target of cancellation for any such "violation". Great job Bert, and keep on TOOT'N !!!

It takes a lot of talent to do what he did in the booth for year after year. Congratulations and good luck, Bert!

I enjoyed Bert more as a pitcher than broadcaster, but as they've trotted out these potential successors I've grown to appreciate him more. I find Morris to be genuinely unlikeable (and he tells stories that simply didn't happen). I know some people really like Smalley, but I'm not one of those people. Not much personality and I rarely find him bringing much to the broadcast. I like Morneau and he's got some really good insights, but he is the human equivalent of celery most of the time. Just a little more personality would be nice.

Thank you Bert! Your voice has been gladly welcomed into our home for YEARS.

Hopefully, Donaldson coming back will remedy some of that, but Adrianza had a couple key moments late. First, he convinced Captain Helicopter to let him stay in the game and avoid a major wildcard situation with Eddie in the infield late. Then, he made a situation saving play at third in the top of the ninth (shout out to Sano on the assist there).

In previous years I thought the same of Buxton (he struggled when skipping rehab assignments). Fingers crossed that both get their groove.

Maeda was a talented SP on a good team with a deep SP staff. They moved him to the pen late in the season and playoff time because they could afford to do so. The Twins saw a quality starter they could add who was already good and proven, but who they felt could take his game up a notch. They saw his stuff and production, and the best season he had against LHB, and felt they could tweak what he had. Johnson and the Twins have altered his repertoire and sequence and have him dialed in as effective and maybe even more so than he has ever been. Doesn't mean he is an elite ACE that we all wish for and debate about. But he is absolutely proving to be a high quality SP.

Well stated and surprising Twins haven't moved Wade or Cave down.

If the Twins send down both Cave/Wade and only use Gonzalez at 2B/3B then there is plenty of opportunity for both Kirilloff and Rooker. I could see Kirilloff playing most days while giving Buxton/Rosario/Kepler/Sano a rest with Rooker starting against lefties (and being a right handed bat off the bench).

Actually it is time for both - Wade and Cave are not moving the bar. We need to kick start this season and Rooker/Kiriloff are the answers. And if Donaldson goes down again it is Blankenship and before there is another BP game it is Duran and Chalmers.

Yeah, adding Verlander was a small and surprising addition, huh? I don't know. There are a lot of guys listed here who helped. But for every Verlander, there is a Hudson or Pearce, etc, who does something special. Baseball history is filled with guys who stepped forward in a 7 game series to make a difference. Some were acquired, some were already on their respective teams. But even if some of those acquired players shined in their moments, the team still wouldn't have been there without the nucleus of the team already intact. But other than Clevinger and the Diamonbacks closer...forgetting his name at the moment...where was a difference maker moved? How could ANYONE predict any of the players moved over the last 2 days could suddenly rise up and be a hero? You just can't. But you CAN, IMO, speculate that a really good team...despite a recent, AWEFULL, 6 game losing streak...can get much better by just getting back Donaldson, Buxton, Hill and Pineda. Hopefully Odorizzi and Stashak soon as well. Get all that back and the hitters, hopefully, make a few more adjustments over the next few weeks, and where and how would any trades have made a difference? Just my opinion.

Jeffers seems to be earning the Margo treatment from Baldelli - he finds a way to play his glove as often as possible

Goodbyes suck. So glad I had opportunities to see him work at the ball yard. Hope he flips us all the bird on the way out tonight.

I thought they were settling matters with tiebreakers this year? Was this written before or after Kepler (guessing) pulled the hamstring?

Always enjoyed Bert, and I'd imagine it's his decision to retire. I loved that he wasn't afraid to critique the Twins players instead of just being a homer like most.

I'm looking forward to the continuing trend of new voices on Twins broadcast teams. Bremer, you're next, thanks for all you've done, but it's time to hang them up. Marney and Morny 2021!

And if we don’t call up Rooker for that role, the real Brian Buchanan is only 47 years old!

Pre-game 3 rant, but wtf! Why is Buxton on the bench?

Are you looking to catch Chicago or Kansas City?

was it planned to be tonight all along?

Everyone has seen the movie, “The Blind Side,” right? While we’re not going to get into the plot, it chronicles the life of Michael Oher, a former NFL lineman. He’s nicknamed “Big Mike” and his persona is one of a steadying calmness. After watching Michael Pineda come through for the Twins yet again last night, is there any other way to attribute his own “Big Mike” moniker? Following a nightmarish start to one of their biggest series of the year, Rocco Baldelli’s Twins were searching for answers. Rich Hill was bad, the bullpen was taxed, and a demoralizing loss was hung on them by the rival Chicago White Sox. Pitching for the first time in nearly a full year, the former Yankee was ready to take the ball. Pineda was suspended under PED violations for using a diuretic intended to help lose weight. Because he was able to prove the usage was for weight loss and not an intention to mask PED usage, the suspension was reduced. Minnesota brought him back on a two-year deal knowing they’d be without him for roughly the first third of 2020. As the season was shortened to 60 games, the time off turned into what amounted to half of the season. As is the case with all players not currently on an active 28-man roster, but still in the 60-man player pool, Pineda got his work in at Minnesota’s alternate site. He ramped up to an ability that would’ve allowed for 80-100 pitches in his debut per manager Rocco Baldelli. Big Mike’s calming presence was going to be allowed to show itself, but would it? Coming off Tommy John surgery and having not pitched in a Major League game since 2017, Pineda owned a 6.21 ERA through his first six turns last year. By his 11th start things started trending up as the ERA dropped to 5.34. By the end of June, through 16 starts, Pineda owned a 4.78 ERA and then he turned it up a notch. Over his final 10 starts in 2019, Pineda was Minnesota’s best pitcher. He owned a 2.88 ERA and allowed just a .666 OPS against. Had it not been for the suspension, he was squarely in the conversation to be the Twins game 1 starter in the ALDS. Despite having ramped up and faced other batters for a couple of months in St. Paul, Pineda remained a question mark before last night. When he showed up on the mound to face one of baseball’s most difficult lineups, all he did was efficiently shove. Chicago got two first inning runs thanks in part to miscommunication by Miguel Sano and Ildemaro Vargas on the right side of the infield. From there though, Pineda went untouched. Scattering six hits across six innings, he fanned four while walking one and generating plenty of swinging strikes. He topped out at 94 mph, after averaging just 92 mph on his fastball a year ago. In a night that Minnesota needed their starter to pick them up, a guy just returning to the team answered the call. There are only 23 games left in the regular season at this point, meaning Pineda will get at most a total of five starts this season. That there’s no training wheels attached, and he can go deep into games remains a big plus. The hope would be that 2019’s slow start was injury related, and the way it finished is how Pineda fares going forward. Should that be the case, there’s another arm in Baldelli’s rotation that’s locked in and not going anywhere. A division title remains an enviable accomplishment even in a bastardized season. However, in a year that everyone will make it to the Postseason, being ready to advance beyond that three-game series out of the gate should be the goal. Big Mike is back and he’s ready to put the Twins on his back, calming presence, and all. For more from Off The Baggy, click here. Follow @tlschwerz

Gordon is still on the COVID list, as I believe he's had it since the start of the second spring training. I believe he's in the midst of recovering from it. I don't think he will play for the Twins this year.

It's absolutely amazing to me that it took professional baseball teams over a hundred years to come to such shocking realizations as "You should throw your best pitch as much as possible" and "You should put your fielders in the spots where the other team typically hits the ball"

I can't get enough of Wisler closing the game with fourteen straight sliders, ranging from 80-85 mph. He and Thielbar are absolutely spinning the ball, and have been completely freed by the dictum that you throw your best pitch as much as possible and forget about throwing your bad pitches for variety.

Good article that seems to make sense. Only one problem. With Buxton up yesterday and hopefully Donaldson today, there aren't any open spots for anyone. Agree, they may have missed their chance to see how he would have done during these past few weeks.

Even if they brought him on as a project, the Twins could never have predicted Wisler's performance this year. His 1.080 WHIP over 16.67 innings is .300 lower than his career number, and .120 under his best 40-inning year in 2018. He has picked up right where he left off with in career-high last year with 11 SO/9 . Having given up 10 BB his 1.08 ERA ought to be higher but he's only surrendered 8 hits. Anyone want to speculate why the left-handed outfielder who pinch-hit for Vargas was Cave and not Kepler? Did somebody get benched?

IT is time. At least one of AK and BR. Also, add JD as a SP and EC as a reliever. Time to energize this team along with the returning players. Also, time to clean out the chafe - they aren't cutting it on a team that has aspirations

I wonder if the twins hitters are just seeing different pitches this year. Less fastballs, more pitches with spin etc....

This article scratches the surface, but I'd feel better to think that their hitting philosophy is more situational than depicted here. If the batter has power, grip it and rip it when the count is favorable, then go a bit more with the pitch when it's two strikes. If it's two outs and nobody's on, extra bases are worth gambling for even with two strikes. Et cetera et cetera. And of course if opposing pitches take steps to counteract this basic strategy, take steps yourself, until the next round of changes. If our power hitters from last year are selling out early in the count, then yes I would question the strategy. I haven't researched whether we're getting many dink-and-dunk balls in play early in the count. If instead the low-power hits are coming late in the count, after hittable 2-0 pitches got swung through, then there's the problem.