BOS 9, MIN 2: There Go Those Shiny Pitching Stats

Bring up Bert Mejia as a long reliever, say buh-bye to Belisle. 

This is a good game to reflect on the criticism that Molitor gets for BP management.  Pressley has been given rest, Magill has not been overused and the FO gave him the new arm - Belisle. He was not over using Hildenberg, he was not using Taylor right after his best outing.  Reed has lost all our confidence and Duke just pitched.  He used what he had.  Gibson did not pitch as well as his line showed and if he had been asked to pitch one more inning the posts would have roasted Molly.  Sometimes a manager cannot win.

I looked at the batting averages from 1 - 9 and there was only one that looked really good.  It is getting hard to find fresh takes on this team.  Nice 2 game winning streak, but...

Wilson needs to go. He should not even be brought up. He has no stick at all.

Dozier had a nice double in the 9th. Well just when the game was out of reach, Dozier delivered a big hit. I really dislike those guys going for the stats instead of winning the game for the team. DELIVER BIG HITS WHEN IT MATTERS PLEASE.

Molitor, please protect your players with some kind of authority.

Dozier had a nice double in the 9th. Well just when the game was out of reach, Dozier delivered a big hit. I really dislike those guys going for the stats instead of winning the game for the team. DELIVER BIG HITS WHEN IT MATTERS PLEASE.

I, too, would have preferred a 9 run home run.

Like last night?

Last night Dozier played a big part, Kepler delivered the big hit. Dozier got another double to get another insurance run. Yeah I hope at least more of last night please.

Per Gleeman

Ryan Pressly has now pitched in 37 of the Twins' first 71 games. Mike Marshall in 1979 is the only right-handed pitcher in Twins history to make more appearances in the first 71 games of a season.

Also of note: Pressly has allowed multiple runs in four of his last seven outings.

Molly has got to stop with this.

Just a general observation that has probably been made in other posts and not just specific to this game because this was a blowout - but we have 13 pitchers and 12 hitters.  So when Escobar goes down - that leaves 2 other bench bats available - one being the backup catcher and the other an injured Rosario. Starters go 5-6 innings and then on average we are using 3-4 relievers per game this year- and our starting pitching has been decent but yet some relievers overused.   What if instead of Belisle on the roster we had an extra bat  - Carter, Vargas, Wade or Granite and then Magill and/or other releivers could pitch more than an inning.  Is there an analytical study that shows it is better to have an extra pitcher than an extra bat?   Or othe arm recovers more quickly by using use a reliever for one inning to limit pitches.  I just wonder what is driving our relief usage - analytics or Molitor/Coaching preferences or the skill set of our relievers.   Our hitting is so futile it just seems it would be more beneficial to have another bat.   

On the plus side, at least we're not Argentina futbol fans. Ouch.

How about this: the Twins give Mauer a chance at 3rd base. Now we can call up Vargas or Carter. Mauer at 3b, Escobar at SS, Dozier at 2B and Carter/Vargas splitting time at 1B/DH or whatever.

Maybe that's far fetched but I say it's time to ditch Morrison and call up Vargas. For all the crap people talked about Vargas "not living up to the hype", he was never close to this terrible. He had some big hits for the Twins and should get another chance. Morrison is dead weight and really hurting this team. He's a sunk cost and keeping him longer isn't going to get the Twins any money back from this mistake. Move on with Vargas over LOMO.

Release Belisle and Wilson.

Put Reed & Pressly on DL (dead arm syndrome).

Promote Astudillo and Sawyer (both catchers hitting well in AAA and Astudillo has some infield and outfield experience, he could be the additional backup infielder or outfielder if needed).

Promote Duffey and Busenitz.

This front office is irresponsible. We have several pitchers, MLB ready, to do the option dance with and protect the pen. Plenty. Busenitz, Curtiss, Duffey, Mejia, Moya..... and then Gonsalves, Littell, Slegers........... What? We would lose guys like Belisle? Creative use of the DL for dead arms (Reed, Pressly, etc)..... no problem. We need to see these other pitchers, and use them and get them opportunities. What is wrong with this front office? This has been evident for a month, now! Instead, they go out and sign dumpster diving cast offs to block players from opportunities. 

And the replacement level players with no future like Wilson, LaMarre, Motter, Adrianza, Grossman, Cave, Garver - and the failure of Morrison....... what are they doing? How is this making the team better. We are getting crushed, and by the front office, not crushing it. There, I said it.

Just a general observation that has probably been made in other posts and not just specific to this game because this was a blowout - but we have 13 pitchers and 12 hitters.  So when Escobar goes down - that leaves 2 other bench bats available - one being the backup catcher and the other an injured Rosario. Starters go 5-6 innings and then on average we are using 3-4 relievers per game this year- and our starting pitching has been decent but yet some relievers overused.   What if instead of Belisle on the roster we had an extra bat  - Carter, Vargas, Wade or Granite and then Magill and/or other releivers could pitch more than an inning.  Is there an analytical study that shows it is better to have an extra pitcher than an extra bat?   Or othe arm recovers more quickly by using use a reliever for one inning to limit pitches.  I just wonder what is driving our relief usage - analytics or Molitor/Coaching preferences or the skill set of our relievers.   Our hitting is so futile it just seems it would be more beneficial to have another bat.   

Granite can't even hit .200 in AAA this year.

Wilson is really in the same boat with Belisle. Both of them need to retire.

Hildenberger and Magill along with Duke should be the setup men.

Pressly and Reed both need to pitch in low leverage situation.

Belisle needs to be released.

I'm just happy we took 2 out of 3 against the Red Sox and our pitchers held them to just 3 runs in the first two games.

But yes, as others have said, time to get some AAA arms up here. And I think we can safely say goodbye to Bobby Wilson... people complain about Buxton's bat, but have you seen Wilson at the plate?

This is a good game to reflect on the criticism that Molitor gets for BP management.  Pressley has been given rest, Magill has not been overused and the FO gave him the new arm - Belisle. He was not over using Hildenberg, he was not using Taylor right after his best outing.  Reed has lost all our confidence and Duke just pitched.  He used what he had.  Gibson did not pitch as well as his line showed and if he had been asked to pitch one more inning the posts would have roasted Molly.  Sometimes a manager cannot win.

 

I looked at the batting averages from 1 - 9 and there was only one that looked really good.  It is getting hard to find fresh takes on this team.  Nice 2 game winning streak, but...

When pitchers aren't their sharpest, and they still only let 2 runs cross the plate in 6 complete...... I feel they pitched better than their line shows, not worse. 105 pitches was plenty (last two starts were 118 pitches/7 innings/2 runs and 103/7/1). That shows a pitcher, and a good pitcher. But once again, the team, bats and pen, lets him down. 1-2 record to show for it. The pen only need to get 9 outs, and they did, after giving up 7 runs.

Release Belisle and Wilson.

Put Reed & Pressly on DL (dead arm syndrome).

Promote Astudillo and Sawyer (both catchers hitting well in AAA and Astudillo has some infield and outfield experience, he could be the additional backup infielder or outfielder if needed).

Promote Duffey and Busenitz.

Dead arms throwing 13 innings a month's, old timers everywhere ask what's happening with our youth.

As a fan, it's borderline insulting that they're using Belisle.

It's also rather discouraging that Molitor has already seemed to run Pressly and Reed into the ground and we haven't made it to the All-Star break.

Despite that, I can't really complain much about taking 2 of 3 from Boston with 3 great starting pitching performances against one of the best lineups in baseball. Hopefully a sign of things to come.

God, what we could be doing with this year's starting pitching, and last year's offense...

...and next year's manager....

As a fan, it's borderline insulting that they're using Belisle.

It's also rather discouraging that Molitor has already seemed to run Pressly and Reed into the ground and we haven't made it to the All-Star break.

Despite that, I can't really complain much about taking 2 of 3 from Boston with 3 great starting pitching performances against one of the best lineups in baseball. Hopefully a sign of things to come.

It seems like Molitor has learned his lesson with Reed... not sure about Pressly though. He might need a quick trip to the DL for rest.

Well, one nice thing about this year is that we're able to just cut and paste the same comments from other losses.  Someone should make a bingo board.

2 run game or not, without the Ed's, this game was out of reach.  I'd imagine Pressly was using it as a spring training game, "working on some stuff."

Did Betts get any chin music?

I have no idea but if I had to guess... This has Molitor's fingerprints all over it... not the front office.

 

Of course the front office has to execute the acquisition but my guess would be at Molitor's behest. But again... I have no idea.  

 

Belisle was named the closer after the Kintzler trade, my assumption is that Molitor was the hand that hand picked him for that role and that would indicate a level of trust. 

 

 

Pressly and Reed usage has dropped considerably since the arrival of Belisle and I would imagine that Pressly, Reed usage would be a topic of discussion between the front office and the manager.  

 

Hence, Paul trusts him and will actually use him which would slow down the use of Pressly and Reed. 

 

Bottom Line: He's the hand picked solution to the Pressly, Reed overuse problem. 

 

Just a theory. 

Have we not seen what our best relievers are doing in Rochester?  The guys with MLB experience?

Are you kidding me?  Enough, bring em up and stop abusing Pressley.

First, we all should be very happy for the results in the first 2 games of the series. Don't let passion and disappointment for this game ruin how well we did against Boston and the Indians.

Second, I am NOT a fan of the Besisle move at all. And that's not intended as an insult. Remember when nobody wanted him last season and be got off to a horrible start and then pitched very well the rest of the season and even performed well as the closer? I understand the signing. I just think it was wrong! Go ahead and keep Magill in his role of you really feel his long/mid relief role is appropriate. (But he still shouldn't go so long between appearances if you really think he can pitch).

But for goodness sake, there are some arms in AAA just begging for an opportunity. Just because they aren't arms on 22-23yo fireballers who consistently hit 95mph doesn't mean they aren't viable! Duffey has destroyed at AAA this year. He pitched poorly first time up, pitched excellent the second time up, but was sent down for a fresh arm after a long outing. Same thing happened with Slegers. But Belisle is a better alternative? What about Busentiz, Moya and Curtiss? Or even Bard. Maybe Reed needs to show a little more, but the potential is still there.

At this point, does trusting/auditioning some of these arms really bring more losses than over using Reed and Pressly? Or could those guys actually perform better if used better and we might actually find a nice young arm or two for today and tomorrow?