Game Score: Royals 6, Twins 4

Last place in the worst division in baseball, the Comedy Central.  Thankfully it will be over soon.

4 runs before an out is recorded.  11 innings later we come up with a total of 3 hits and 0 runs additional.  0 for 6 with a runner at 2nd in extra innings.  Oh, and did I mention that all 4 runs came on home runs?  When the pitcher can keep the ball in the ballpark we may be the worst team in this old man's memory; we simply do not move runners along and in to score, even when the runners are handed to us.  And check out the ERA's of the 2 pitchers who handed us the 0 for 6 in the extra innings; and the 6 hitters were the top 6 in our lineup.  A word to Rocco:  put your computer sheets down and play the game of baseball.  The team isn't hitting 307 home runs anymore; you need to score the old fashioned way.........or do you not know how?

1 hour ago, Mark G said:

4 runs before an out is recorded.  11 innings later we come up with a total of 3 hits and 0 runs additional.  0 for 6 with a runner at 2nd in extra innings.  Oh, and did I mention that all 4 runs came on home runs?  When the pitcher can keep the ball in the ballpark we may be the worst team in this old man's memory; we simply do not move runners along and in to score, even when the runners are handed to us.  And check out the ERA's of the 2 pitchers who handed us the 0 for 6 in the extra innings; and the 6 hitters were the top 6 in our lineup.  A word to Rocco:  put your computer sheets down and play the game of baseball.  The team isn't hitting 307 home runs anymore; you need to score the old fashioned way.........or do you not know how?

Wait, I'm confused. I only watched the replay on the Bally Sports app (the world's worst app). Didn't Buxton try to bunt in the tenth inning and fail? 

I only watched from the 8th inning on…but.  Watching and trying to understand Rocco’s late inning maneuvers is painful.  For instance, bottom of ninth, KC has a right hander on the mound, Twins have 3 left handed batters on the bench, Arraez, Gordon and Cave.  Due up is Rooker, Kepler, Jeffers.  Rooker gets to bat and makes an out, Kepler makes an out.  So bottom of ninth with no one on and two outs, Gordon is sent for Jeffers and makes an out.  Rortvedt goes into catch, Gordon goes to bench.  Next inning Rortvedt gets placed on 2nd and Gordon is unavailable???

secondly, bullpen usage.  Duffey, Alcala, Colome all get one inning each throwing around 10 pitches and are removed.  Minaya gets an inning, struggles a bit, gets thru it with 20 plus pitches.  He gets the next inning. Twins lose the game.

I don’t understand analytics.

Best post I have seen in a while.  There are times when I wouldn't let Rocco coach my neighborhood little league team.  

1 hour ago, theBOMisthebomb said:

Wait, I'm confused. I only watched the replay on the Bally Sports app (the world's worst app). Didn't Buxton try to bunt in the tenth inning and fail? 

Yea, and pretty badly at that.  I have said for years that Buxton should be getting 30-40 bunt singles a year with his speed, but he doesn't want to.  So when we need it the most, he isn't able to.  And no one on this team cares, because the bunt goes against the analytics.  Frustrating to watch at times.

Another great example of why Rocco is probably not the right guy to coach this club in the future.

With this team likely getting much younger and filled with more prospects transitioning into true big leaguers, fundamentals trump analytics.

Was thinking to myself during the game that Benintendi was killing the Twins this year, so I looked his numbers up. He is!! .405/.422/.833 slash line with 5 HR's and 15 RBI in 12 games

Beautiful, momentum-turning swing by Buxton in the first.  

Horrible, momentum-turning bunt attempt by Buxton in the 10th.

Baldelli's managerial decisions are confounding...

I was impressed with how Jax responded. He could have allowed himself to be rattled but he didn't.  He went out and threw 5 more really good innings. Does make me wonder why he didn't get another one though, considering the pit h count. 

Too many decisions that were questionable.  So hard to keep making comments without letting the frustration show.

Like all rookies, Jax makes mistakes and has tough innings.  But he seems to be learning from them and becoming a pitcher who may earn a spot in future rotations.  Gonna be real interesting to see what he looks like in the spring.

Something else I noticed thinking about the Wichita game last night.  The Twins played the Royales.  The Saints played Omaha, the Royales AAA team.  Wichita played NW Arkansas, the Royales AA team. Interesting.

3 hours ago, roger said:

Something else I noticed thinking about the Wichita game last night.  The Twins played the Royales.  The Saints played Omaha, the Royales AAA team.  Wichita played NW Arkansas, the Royales AA team. Interesting.

What is a "Royale"? ?

I'd like a Royale with cheese, please. 

 Bunting used to be important. If Buxton doesn't fail so egregiously, the runner reaches 3d and Polanco's flyball wins the game.