MIL 6, MIN 5: Twins Blow 3-Run Lead in 9th Inning

At bats were okay considering that Woodruff is a great pitcher. Twins have to add on when they get to the middle guys, which I guess you can say they did with the Buxton homer, but it has to be more than 2 runs if you're getting them for 5 innings. Maeda didn't seem real sharp, but the bullpen was very good (outside of Colome). Guess we'll only go 161-1 now. 

The bullpen, which many of us have been harping on for months. blows a 3 run lead in the first game. Can’t make it up. That’s a wonderful tone setter.

That record breaking Donaldson signing is sure going well.

No grace period for the wonder boys in the front office seeing their errors on center stage. Game 1.

Starting an inning with a runner on 2nd - not baseball.....

Starting an inning with a runner on 2nd - not baseball

I think Morneau pointed out this benefits the home team much more than the visitors. Makes a huge difference if you know you only need to plate that one runner to win the game. 

That said, defense was horrible. Twins deserved to lose this one. 

The Twins' 2022 draft position improved today.

Complete SLOP. Get some attention to detail.It looked like amateur baseball on opening day.The Twins are a 70-92 baseball team. Gonna be a long season. Well, at least we won’t lose a playoff game this year.

Double error by Colome, mental error going to second, and physical error throwing high. He's a major leaguer right?

Arraez bobbled a ball. Maybe its a hit anyway, maybe not.  Simmons dropped a ball.

Colome overthru the bag. Kepler dropped a catchable ball. We deserved to lose this one.

Complete SLOP. Get some attention to detail.It looked like amateur baseball on opening day.The Twins are a 70-92 baseball team. Gonna be a long season. Well, at least we won’t lose a playoff game this year.

The Twins went from a 90+ win team to a 70 win team because they lost OD? I understand this game has more "importance" in the eyes of the fan, but its < 1% of the season. We looked sloppy at times, yes, but this should be one of the best defenses in baseball. Also, don't forget the Brewers are favored to win the NLC. A game we should've won, no doubt.

this should be one of the best defenses in baseball.

I agree, it should be. They looked disinterested today. Even the best players have bad plays, or bad games. Multiple players looked like they thought they were still in spring training. 

I can't imagine Tom Kelly putting up with this for long. 

No joke, thought this was an April Fools article....

I had to take off heading into the 9th but I assumed the game was in hand. Yikes...

1. The home team only gets that advantage if they stop the visiting team from plating the same runner in the top of the inning. So it's not a neutral advantage in that scenario.

Well, yes. But your strategy for plating that runner changes when you may need more than one run to win the game. Are you going to bunt that player to third and give up an out if it's not a sure win? Maybe, maybe not. If you know that single run wins it's much easier to give up the out to put your runner on third. 

It was a pretty good game until the 9th/10th innings. Can't believe Donaldson hurt himself on the first AB of the season. Looks like Arraez will be playing a lot of 3B now. I was surprised Robles was the guy to go in the 8th inning, but they clearly like him. Hopefully we'll see more Alcala in the high leverage spots eventually. 

I totally forgot that runners would stay on 2B to start extra innings again. It was basically over once it was Hader vs Dobnak... and it looks like this time Hader was able to K Tortuga. Not many pitchers can do that!

Overweight soft tosser to close with a 3 run lead in the bottom of the ninth. Someone tell Colome that the season started. ST is over. I mean really, that cutter to Shaw at 89 was right down the pipe and no cut. Batting practice. And, for me, if the pitcher makes his own error, the runs are earned. He throws the ball away and gets a 0 for earned runs, when he is the problem. Hated the signing then, hate it more now. And Dobnak with a runner on second in the 10th. Wow. No Hader and 3 Ks for us. No no no. Gotta sign the spinner. That was truly a pathetic last two innings. And don't you just love the versatility of our out of position defense? But is it versatile, if they just are put on the field in a spot that they can't really play well?

I know it is only one game. But what a bummer. Gonna be a long season.

How about that Buxton homer?

Both teams get a chance but this is a bull**** rule that does not belong in MLB. Yes, it shortens the extra inning games and reduce the time of game and number of pitches thrown by pitchers  but it is an unnecessary rule. I do agree that managers have not adjusted. Bottom of 10th calls for an intentional walk to open a DP opportunity as suggested by a previous post. The rule was due to Covid control and this is not needed this season. MLB has a ton of problems with rules and decisions. The leadership by MLB is easily the worst of major professional sports, almost akin to the wasted work by the NCAA executives.

As far as the game goes, it is just one game. Buxton and Sano looked good.

Too much trolling on this thread for me.

Both teams get a chance but this is a bull**** rule that does not belong in MLB. Yes, it shortens the extra inning games and reduce the time of game and number of pitches thrown by pitchers  but it is an unnecessary rule. I do agree that managers have not adjusted. Bottom of 10th calls for an intentional walk to open a DP opportunity as suggested by a previous post. The rule was due to Covid control and this is not needed this season. MLB has a ton of problems with rules and decisions. The leadership by MLB is easily the worst of major professional sports, almost akin to the wasted work by the NCAA executives.

As far as the game goes, it is just one game. Buxton and Sano looked good.

How did Sano Look good> He struck out 3 times... Is it because he didn't strike out every time?

17 Strikeouts shows you have a pathetic offense and 4 miss plays in the field show you are not playing good defense. Maeda pitched good enough to win but the starters need to go more than 4 2/3 innings. Why did they give Dobnak a 5 year extension? He hasn't proven he can get anyone out when it matters. Has Donaldson fleeced the Twins for every dime they have him signed for? Good thing they have Friday off so they can get rested for Saturday's game. As a Manager, I'd have them taking double or triple batting and fielding practice after todays showing. It was embarrassing!

Had some good things happened. Kepler showed that he was faking it in ST, just to say April Fool's. Simmons had a good day hitting against a great pitcher Woodruff.

Bad news Donaldson got hurt (hamstring is bad enough) after looking good at the plate. I don't understand why Baldelli blew the whole wad, using Duffy, Taylor, Robles and Colume' all up to the 9th. Having to put poor Dobnak in waters he's never been in.

The bullpen, which many of us have been harping on for months. blows a 3 run lead in the first game. Can’t make it up. That’s a wonderful tone setter.

That record breaking Donaldson signing is sure going well.

No grace period for the wonder boys in the front office seeing their errors on center stage. Game 1.

The bullpen was fine outside of Colome. 

Looks like they can hit some and pitch some.

If they field better, they should hold their own.

With what has been going on in recent American history, like what we just lived through, good to see people panicking over a baseball game.

Things are getting back to normal.