4 Head Scratchers for Baldelli Against Astros

I'm sorry to say this, but I have to agree with your points.

I mostly agree also.   Bottom line though is the pitching gave up one earned run.   Should have just been one run period.    I guess I also like Buxton bunting with two on and two on late in a game but know I am alone in the wilderness on that one.  They played better defense than we did.   It made all the difference.   Their defense saved runs that could have scored.   Ours gave away runs.   All four of them, really.

It almost feels like Baldelli intentionally managed to lose this game.

I know the runs were unearned, but they were still runs and Romo is responsible.  My there were a lot of things to not like today.  Can we please stop the losing streak tomorrow.  As a fan I feel embarrassed even though I can't do a damn thing about it. 

I mostly agree also.   Bottom line though is the pitching gave up one earned run.   Should have just been one run period.    I guess I also like Buxton bunting with two on and two on late in a game but know I am alone in the wilderness on that one.  They played better defense than we did.   It made all the difference.   Their defense saved runs that could have scored.   Ours gave away runs.   All four of them, really.

I would have like to have seen Buck bunt in that situation also.

Twins had a grand total of two hits going into the ninth inning. Got behind and ... well you know the rest

By taking Jeffers out, Baldelli was rewarded with a 4-pitch strikeout (looking at all 4 pitches, I don't think Garver was even ready), a double play (first pitch swinging) and a poor framing catcher to play the defense.

Baldelli has a tendency to make brainless moves. He just made too many of them in this important game. Let Baldelli manage the long season and then promote anyone else to manage the post season.

Way over the top analytical managing vs sometimes you go with you gut.  Jeffers has earned the right to not come out the game and Rocco has chosen to lift him in growing up moments.  Jeffers in both at bats worked the count and got to pitches he liked and could put a good swing on them.  Now results weren't in our favor but bat on ball and hit them hard.  Garver, took 4 pitches with his bat on the shoulder.  Some will question the strike zone, but in that at bat, after 2 pitches he should know anything close you swing and foul it off if you have to, to stay alive.  Did nothing.  Avila getting lifted for so called fan favorite 'Tuga is beyond belief.  He has shown the tendency to swing at first pitches almost everytime.  The announcers said curve ball will make you pull it into the ground and guess what, 1st pitch swinging wonder did just that. PLATE DISCIPLINE!... Jeffers is the only one who has it at catcher position.  Garver is lost.  Avila playing at all shouldn't happen.  Austidillo wanting to play hero ball and feel like a Bomba killer is a reason he only had 18 at bats in regular season.

Actually we would have been lucky if were only 4 head scratchers....unfortunately there were more than that

The decision to have four catchers on the roster is pretty much indefensible. 

Rocco has some talent to work with, he makes some glaring errors, but does a fair job and knows more baseball than any of us. However, it is humorous to remember those who criticized Molitor, the most respected and knowledgable player of his era. 

We can hope the team comes out hitting line drives tomorrow. Ten runs cures all.

Agree with your points and would just like to add that it also just simply comes down to execution. The Astros got the big hits with men on when they needed to and made the defensive plays. We did not.

"..PLATE DISCIPLINE!... Jeffers is the only one who has it at catcher position.  Garver is lost.  Avila playing at all shouldn't happen.  Austidillo wanting to play hero ball and feel like a Bomba killer is a reason he only had 18 at bats in regular season."

100% agree. Why not give Jeffers the opportunity to shine in a big moment? I trust him more than any of the others.

It almost feels like Baldelli intentionally managed to lose this game.

I remember hearing this before somewhere.

... he didn't want to bring in a reliever (May) with runners on in the middle of an inning.

But this is what relievers do, they provide relief, right? 

And the net of this article is:

Ya dance with them that brung ya.

Have to agree with all the negative points. Romo just can't get it done now. Be nice to see Polanco get a hit one of these days.

Like so many other big games, failures on defense cost the Twins the game. There is something about Polanco in tight games and errors. That was an easy throw to make. Maybe he should come out in tight games in the late innings.

The other interesting thing is patience at the plate. Obviously, Baldelli emphasized that the Twins be patient at the plate...it lasted one inning. Only Kepler and Arraez were swinging at strikes after the first inning. (I'd really like to know the number of balls hitters chased in this game--on second thought, forget it--I don't want to know.)

In total agreement with all your points, Ted.

Was scratching my head when Garver pinch hit, then again when Avila came on to catch. Stopped scratching when Astudillo pinch hit as I knew the Manager believed he needed to get all four catchers into the game.

I have to believe that Garver will be better in 2021. Maybe not 2019 good, but certainly better than this year. That puts Garver and Jeffers splitting starts about 50-50. Expect Astudillo will either be gone or in Rochester, assuming the World has returned to some degree of normal. That will help the Twins cut payroll for 2021, which I expect will be down from projected 2020 by at least a quarter or more.

Notice how I have already turned the page to next year.

Very good article. The one thing that wasn't mentioned when Jeffers was lifted for Garver that shows Baldelli's brain freeze is that Garver hits fastballs not curveballs. Valdez throws curveballs. Why then put Garver into that situation in the first place? He would be one of your worst options. 

Also would have liked to see Buxton bunt when they had guys on 1st and 2nd no outs. The announcers said later that you don't ask a player to do something they can't do. Buxton used to bunt. Don't think he tried it at all this year. Don't understand why they don't make that part of his game and why he doesn't WANT it to be part of his game. I've never understood why major league hitters can't bunt. High schoolers know how to bunt. With the shifts being deployed on almost every hitter nowadays there are base hit bunts available on almost every at bat. Evidently 2 hits in the first 8 innings, swinging for the fences, is acceptable. To me it's poor baseball.

I agree with all of these and also wondered why Romo in the 9th?  Yes, the unearned run was the unraveling and the runs would not have scored had Polonco and Arraez made the play - but if we had to pitch Romo, I was not comfortable with him coming in a tie game in the top of the 9th when he has struggled the last two weeks.  I would have preferred Rogers and I can give benefit of the doubt if Baldelli felt Rogers is more comfortable in his old 7th-8th inning role, but there has to be better options in the 9th than Romo. 

Yes I question all those calls also. HOU piggy- backed Zeinke w/ Valdez even when Zeinke seemed to have settled down. I`d have left him in longer but piggy-backing          made perfect sense.  Baldelli should have done the same, Hill would have been great in this situation while at the same time saving our BP. I didn`t understand this series roster. I believe Baldelli thought he could waltz through this series & finesse his way. I`m a fan of Astudillo but he hasn`t been given a chance during the season to find his groove & work out the bugs, putting him in a situation of PHing during a wildcard game was unfair, he`s not a veteran.

I definitely wanted Maeda to come out for the 6th inning and then follow with Stashak, May and Duffey. They were the best we had coming into the series. 

Baldelli's use of the bullpen during the season, (trying to keep relief pitchers from gong out there on back-to-back days) will hurt in in the playoffs (while we last) with the games being played on consecutive days. Don't forget to consider using Dobnak  or Hill (as someone else mentioned) Tuesday for relief in game two like Dusty Baker did for the Astros in game one.