CLE 6, MIN 3: Cleveland Gets To Romo, Takes Series

“Jose finished his night with a line of 5.2 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 4 BB, 6 K -- it certainly wasn’t his best effort, but it wasn’t a terrible outing either and he gave his team a chance to win, which is all you can really ask for.”

Cleveland has one of the worse offenses in all of baseball. Command was horrible pretty much the entire game. A ton of base runners, 105 pitches to get through 5.2. I realize it’s just one game, and it’s Major League Baseball, but if you can’t ask for more, let’s drop him to the three or four spot in the rotation. Certainly for a series against a playoff team with a good lineup.

I never like the Twins to lose, of course. But last night didn't really bother me. This one stings a bit. Even the best pen arms have bad games. Unfortunately it was Romo's night. And it was a bad one. I felt like tonight was a rather important game and it was a tough one to lose.

I appreciate Aggies7's comment about how it sometimes feels like this really isn't a 20-1× team. But I think a lot of teams feel that way right now. And winning is still winning. It's one series, and time to move on to the next and win that one.

Not that worried about the bullpen, but the offense has to wake up a bit. We are not going to win a lot of games scoring a total of 8 runs in 3 games. The big problem is that injuries are starting to mount. I hope Kepler is Ok. 

Yeah, it's a really weird season, and most teams (besides maybe the White Sox and Padres) are lamenting their offensive production. I don't think the Twins should put too much stock into winning the division this season. They just need to do what they can to get everyone healthy and as productive as possible by the end of September, so I'm not too discouraged by this series. The fact that every playoff team has to play a three game series in the first round, regardless of their regular season finish, just completely disincentivizes regular season wins. After all, I'd rather face a team like the Yankees or A's in a three game series than a seven game series.

"....it certainly wasn’t his best effort, but it wasn’t a terrible outing either and he gave his team a chance to win, which is all you can really ask for."

I think most want and ask for the Ace to be smothering and totally shut down..... at least more that once a month. They ask that of themselves, too. Just giving your team a chance to win.... well, those teams don't usually win it all. And it takes more than one pitcher.

I have always felt Romo is a risk in the back end of games and have been pleasantly surprised a bunch. I fear this type of outing will be seen more often. 

Sure hope this "fearsome" offense becomes one.

0-2 for the second half of this short season.

Yeah whatever.... we'll see...

 

I have always felt Romo is a risk in the back end of games and have been pleasantly surprised a bunch. I fear this type of outing will be seen more often. 

 

I've always felt the same. A 40 year-old guy throwing the same 78 MPH pitch 90% of the time just seems like a recipe for disaster....like you, I've been surprised with the good results. But when I see him get hit hard, I'm not surprised either!

Twins lucky they got away with 1 win here. The offense seems to have 1 guy carry them for stretches: Kepler, Cruz, Sano, Gonzalez....but it's rare that everyone's "on" at the same time.

Bust Josh Donaldson shouldn't be able to hide from blame. Injuries aren't anyone's fault, but it sure is frustrating to get only 5 games from our $100 million man. And he played quite poorly in those games also.

How long will it be before Berrios has to simplify his delivery?

He's got a lot of moving parts, and every game he pitches, you don't know if he will be able to locate, let alone command, his fast ball or his curve.

To me that means you pare back to a simpler wind up, something more repeatable, more reliable in how the ball and body combine to propel the baseball.

You heard it here first:  Berrios needs to simplify his wind up for the sake of consistency.

As for Romo, his raw stuff is just not that good.  He can maybe shut down the KC and Detroits of the league, but asking him to protect a lead against a good hitting team, which the Twins will face in the playoffs, just not going to happen.

Duffy and Clippard are their best pitchers right now.  No reason Duffy after throwing, what?, 10 pitches in the 7th -- no reason he could not have handled the 8th. 

Baldelli is not trying to win these games per se, he is feeling out his bullpen, giving them experience and shots at winning, maybe partly not to let a team like the Tribe get too familiar with our people.

What a horse crap game. Berrios has had one great game, the rest of the time he has been so-so at best. Romo, agree with the above comments that it is surprising how he gets the results he does, most nights. 

Last night wasn't good. Yes, the bats aren't getting it done. But this team is missing Buxton, Donaldson, Garver and now Kepler. Hell, last night might have been another of Kepler's three homer games in Cleveland. What a difference that would have made.

As much as I am disappointed of late, I am optimistic that as health returns to so many of these guys the team will get on track by the time the season ends. And bring on Big Mike next time thru the rotation. Oh, and Duffey has been just plain lights out. Add me to the list of those who were surprised he didn't return for 8th after throwing just a few pitches in the 7th.

I am seeing a trend in posts and the Pint sessions - we just have to get to the playoffs, don't worry about winning the division...I can't stand it.  I want to win.  We should have done better at Cleveland, we should not be making excuses for losses.  Sorry, but once we get into the acceptance of losing in any circumstance we prepare for post season losing too.

Play to win, play hard, and if you lose don't say it is acceptable. 

The way Berrios has pitched isn't going to earn him an ace contract extension he (or rather his agent) believed he deserved. Maeda and Dobnak have outpitched him. And Pineda, who arguably had become our best starting pitcher last year, returns soon. Hopefully Berrios (and Odorizzi) can get on track - we need more from them if we hope to have any playoff success.

Romo is maybe the 5th or 6th best reliever on the team, hopefully Rocco starts treating him as such. 

The way Berrios has pitched isn't going to earn him an ace contract extension he (or rather his agent) believed he deserved. Maeda and Dobnak have outpitched him. And Pineda, who arguably had become our best starting pitcher last year, returns soon. Hopefully Berrios (and Odorizzi) can get on track - we need more from them if we hope to have any playoff success.

I have been thinking the same, Finlander. Should two of Odorizzi, Hill or Pineda pitch well the last 25+ games, there is a chance Berrios could miss being part of the playoff rotation should they makes the playoffs...which is highly likely. Can't see the Manager not including him in the starting four, but will he have deserved it. He can make a statement by being closer to the pitcher he was a week ago than last night.

Guess time will tell.

I am seeing a trend in posts and the Pint sessions - we just have to get to the playoffs, don't worry about winning the division...I can't stand it.  I want to win.  We should have done better at Cleveland, we should not be making excuses for losses.  Sorry, but once we get into the acceptance of losing in any circumstance we prepare for post season losing too.

 

Play to win, play hard, and if you lose don't say it is acceptable. 

I hear you. It's not that they shouldn't be playing hard and not trying to win, but they do need to be smart about it. It sucks losing to Cleveland, but I'd rather they let players get fully healthy and work out their kinks now instead of going all out to win a single regular season game.

We got outpitched and outhit.

Maybe lucky to get that one game. There is no one to be excited about right now. I thought Jorge was off his game too. I will really start to worry if we don't put up some better numbers against detroit.

Certainly irritated by the loss and the fact that Berrios didn't follow-up on his solid prior start. He remains a huge concern.

On the other hand, it was GREAT to see Clippard back out there.  After he got drilled I was fearing the worst for him.

We got outpitched and outhit.
Maybe lucky to get that one game. There is no one to be excited about right now. I thought Jorge was off his game too. I will really start to worry if we don't put up some better numbers against detroit.

Not really out hit. In fact, equal number of hits by games end, and starting the bottom of the 8th, the Twins had 10 hits to Cleveland's 7. The bottom of the 8th brought 3 hits, 2 more walks (to make the total 6 given) and a HBP. 6 walks killed us. 2 scored, and the 3 run homer off Berrios was by an inch or two distance and 10 inches from being foul. Timely hitting, maybe. But the 7 extra base runners given to Cleveland by the pitching put several more runners in scoring position.

These are the type of games that show what a team has, not the ones playing Detroit. This is what a team has to overcome to become serious contenders, and advance in the playoffs. What we are seeing with Taylor blowing Maeda's gem, and these last two in Cleveland, are a team not ready, again, for the prime time and the bright lights. They hae some time to get there, though. And Baldelli seems to be playing the slow game and trying to make sure the team that is ready for post season is the healthy team we want to field, instead of this team.

Romo is maybe the 5th or 6th best reliever on the team, hopefully Rocco starts treating him as such. 

This is probably an unpopular idea, but if I were GM, I'd dangle both Romo and Clippard at the deadline hoping for an outsized prospect return. I'd be inclined to run with what we have: Duffy, Rogers, and May, then Wisler, Stashak, Alcala, Littell, Thielbar, Poppen, and if needed, Duran, Smeltzer, Coulombe, Colina, etc.

I might even see if a team really really really wants Rosario. Cave, too. I'm assuming Kirilloff and/or Larnach are looking good, maybe Lewis as well.