MIN 8, CHC 1: Big Inning Sparks Twins Win

Maybe it's just that the Cubs lineup is flat right now, but giving up 2 runs against them in these two games is really impressive, and that's without Maeda or Berrios starting. Getting Pineda back has been very important, even if he only went 5 innings.

Hopefully against the Yankees it's:

Game 1 - Maeda

Game 2 - Pineda 

Game 3 (if necessary) - Hill/Odorizzi 

I don't trust Berrios in a big game vs the yanks

Hopefully against the Yankees it's:

 

Game 1 - Maeda

Game 2 - Pineda 

Game 3 (if necessary) - Hill/Odorizzi 

 

I don't trust Berrios in a big game vs the yanks

I do like Maeda leading off the playoffs but Berrios has to be next up.

2020 is honestly a glorified exhibition season, an extended Spring Training, if you will. There's no better time to roll the dice with Berrios in Yankee Stadium in Game 1 against Cole. Twins really don't have all that much to lose.

I'm pretty sure Berrios will be the Twins Game 1 starter no matter what.

As far as offense goes it`s either feast or famine, wish they could maintain a steady flow.

Well, that's better.

I know there has been lots of talk about several Twins who just aren't hitting as we expected, Garver, Kepler, Polanco, Sano, Donaldson and others. When looking at the box score this morning, saw that the best average of the Cubs big trio of Baez, Rizzo and Bryant was .211. Certainly seems that the circumstances related to this year's weird schedule is affecting a lot of very good hitters in a negative manner. Seems like a good year to throw out the stats, at least as far as hitters are concerned. 

If only Rosario weren't so bad at baseball. A HR and clutch RBI single is no way to be productive. Anyone can do those things. [sarcasm!]

But seriously, it was a team effort in this win. Bombas, walks, singles, etc. Also nice to see Rocco not just sit back and relax. If we had done some small ball Friday, who knows, might have actually scored a run and won the game.

What can you say about Wisler? I keep waiting for him to be revealed as something he's not like the Scooby Gang unmasking old man Withers, but he just keeps doing a great job.

We didn't lose any ground, but didn't gain any either. Sox have a tough end to their season and the Yankees can't win out can they? All we can control is ourselves, win, keep winning, get sharp, and see how it all turns out.

I was really happy to see Eddie jump on a fastball and send it over the fence. He's been struggling with that and if pitchers are able to throw him fastballs without fear, it's going to suck for him. This blast sure helped.

Really nice to see the Twins bunch up some hits and put up a crooked number. That's been missing way too much this year (and frankly has seemed strange). Maybe we're gonna get guys on track at the same time and the offense will start rolling into the playoffs?

Wisler was terrific. I didn't think much of the move at the time; it was one of those low leverage moves in my mind, and while I'm fine with taking some of these flyers on guys where you think your coaching staff can improve them or they bounce back to form, this has been the best example for how you should do it. They had a plan for Wisler, it wasn't guesswork, it wasn't pegged on hopes and prayers...and it's worked really well. It's moves like this why I trust in the Falvey/Levine braintrust to make the right calls for the franchise, short & long-term.

This is not at all a criticism after a big win, but a curiosity. I was surprised that the 9th inning didn't go to a lower-leverage reliever, particularly Poppen—who has been on the training-camp shuttle and a lower-leverage pitcher this year, and who would have been warming up with a 6-run lead and then entering with a 7-run lead.

Maybe this tracks with Poppen being the one to come up when Odorizzi went back on the IL—considering that this put the Twins down a starter, and Dobnak would have been able to come up (exempt from the minimum minor-league option time) if he were replacing an injured player, but I don't think he can be recalled now. All of which makes me wonder if Poppen is getting the start, or the "bulk" innings in a bullpen game, in what would have been Odorizzi's next turn in the rotation.

Well we are in again but it looks like we will play the Yankees again. The Yankees are getting healthy and will be dangerous and they have our number. Maybe we can get lucky and Toronto will sweep them this week but I doubt it. Hopefully we can have the home field edge to at least get last licks but I was hopeful that we won't have to meet them in round one.