Game Recap: Cleveland 7, Twins 4

But, but, but ,,, we had such great exit velocity!

 

Maybe this team is built to maximize "advanced statistics" but not to win baseball games? 

PDX - you forgot to add the the Twins pitchers also had a strikeout per inning which is another one of those awesome advanced statistics.

I read they were toying with Colombe's delivery and/or grip. Could that be a major part of his problem? He certainly has stunk this year so far. Why mess with what has been successful in the past? Maeda certainly is nothing like we saw last year. Hopefully he can regain some of that form. Much of the offense (?) is toast except for a few sparks and the defense, which has always been a strength, has been awful. These are things that happen when a team goes South. I'm surprised that, with the losing and then Baldelli forgetting about the mound visit rule, that he wasn't fired. Something has to be done to shake this team up. Usually it's the manager that is let go first. I guess we'll see.

I am ready to see Waddle and Farrell in relief duty this pen is such a disaster.  So Wes's philosophy is throw it down the middle those guys can't touch your stuff? Or is it just throw hard who cares where it goes even if it hits them?  I don't think I have ever seen such a pitiful group of relief pitchers for the Twins ever.  I mean if this is the best they have bring up Chalmers he can walk three guys and hit a batter like Colome did and likely strike out the side doing it.  Bring up Ober can he be any worse than Stashak has been?  Let all those guys sit and think about finding ways to throw strikes and miss bats.  Can anyone throw a clean inning anymore?  Let's get to work guys come on.

Hopefully the Twins learned their lesson on the Colome decision.  No one in the league really wanted him as the deeper numbers were not there.  Now we know why.  Rocco did his friend no favors leaving him out there for 30 and 40 pitches an outing and not giving him much rest but still Colome is not the kind of pitcher you hang your hat on.  K's rule and the pen needs to get back to missing bats.

Don't get me started on the brutal defense this year either.  There is an untimely error every game setting us back and lot's of them are not even tough plays.  This just doesn't look like a professional team right now more like AAA with a few MLB players mixed in.

I can't watch this train wreck everyday anymore.  Will keep a distant eye on them but this looks like a wasted season right now. 

Detroit escapes the cellar!  We did it, we boosted the morale for the Tigers and sit alone in a position where we have all the teams in front of us so we can look up and see what strategy we want to use in our climb up the ladder.

7 - 15 .318  to get 95 wins we need to be 88 - 52 .628 the rest of the year.  Is it possible?  

Buxton and Cruz are really leading the way, I put Polanco at U and Arraez everyday at 2B.  Kiriloff stays on the field at LF or 1B.  We need Donaldson and Simmons every day. Those players have enough fire power to propel us forward, seldom does an entire lineup have to be great.   So fill in with Kepler and Larnach or maybe Sano comes back and proves he is not a one year wonder.  

Catcher is a position where an earlier TD post bragged that we were so much better off than other teams with two starting caliber players. I still believe in Jeffers but I am so puzzled by Garver, his great year seems to have been a curse rather than a benefit.  

Cave gone, keep Astudillo, he has life and he is hitting and fielding wherever they put him.

Now the hard part - pitching.  Let's see Berrios - yes.  Maeda looks like he was a one year mirage, but I expect better.  The starters seem fine.  But the BP??? Could we call up Edwar Colina?  Shouldn't we try some more of the RP we had in the spring?  

Maeda's expression in the story picture sums up the feeling of most Twins fans.