NYY 4, MIN 3: Rodney Spoils Great Gibby Start, Twins Swept

Can we please talk about how unimportant the closer's role is again?

I think another reason for the pitching futility has been the regression of the defense. Dozier's arm and range are limited, Sano can be a disaster sometimes, and Escobar doesn't have the range at short. Awful throws from outfielders have factored in, too. I ain't excusing Rodney for his incompetence, though. They should get him to pitch some low leverage innings before they think about having him try to save a game.

This is really not a good IF, with the he exception of Mauer. Dozier is ok and gets style points for diving at everything. I love EE, as a utility IF. But he is not the SS a contending team would trot out there. Sano is exactly as expected. Catches some, misses some, and has an unreal arm. But his bat is the reason he plays. That throw should have been picked though, it wasn't an in betweener. The ball Garver let get by him cost the Twins one run. The first GB to Sano the second.

 

This game was not on Rodney.

Please. Yes Sano made an error, but he still managed to give up 3 runs in 8 pitches. He certainly shares a huge chunk of the blame. But if they keep running him out there, it's on the Twins. 

 

This game was not on Rodney.

 

He's the flippin 'closer'.  Do your GD job.  And he hasn't done that in his last 2 save situations.

I can’t help but wonder what would have happened if Gibson has started the Wild Card game.

Can we please talk about how unimportant the closer's role is again?

The thing is, it IS overhyped but you still can’t have a useless player in there. Rodney giving up a bunch of runs in the 8th would have been awful too. Have a good bullpen and there’s not a reason to pay a premium for which inning they pitch in. Rodney isn’t a good reliever, closer or otherwise

They have to play better.  That's all there is to it.   If they don't then all the doomsdayers are correct but the idea that  they are out of it just escapes me.   A week of good baseball and they are back to .500.     Ok, the talent isn't elite but it is enough to go on a nice winning streak.   It is on the players..    Aside from the 9th inning this game showed some guts from Gibson and Duke.   Win tomorrow and the world will look brighter.

"Let's say they sweep the Reds. Everything's going to be pretty decent at that point, they'll be 11-12".

 

We all love some good ol'e homer-ism. But this is a bit over the top, sounds kinda like a Packers fan or something. While there's nothing wrong with hoping for a sweep, this Twins team is one of the worst in baseball right now. This is not the 2017 model we're working with here. What we've got in 2018 is a shallow husk of what the Twins once were.

 

I for one just hope they win 1 damn game this weekend.

 

"Let's say they sweep the Reds. Everything's going to be pretty decent at that point, they'll be 11-12".

 

We all love some good ol'e homer-ism. But this is a bit over the top, sounds kinda like a Packers fan or something. While there's nothing wrong with hoping for a sweep, this Twins team is one of the worst in baseball right now. This is not the 2017 model we're working with here. What we've got in 2018 is a shallow husk of what the Twins once were.

 

I for one just hope they win 1 damn game this weekend.

So basically like the 2017 version minus the month of June.

 

For those upset with Rodney today what exactly would you like him to do? Today he got 2 infield ground balls which his defense couldn't convert for him. Then on an 0-1 pitch that was 5 inches inside Sanchez turns on it and smashes it to left field. The pitch wasn't a bad pitch.

 

Sometimes you just have to tip your hat to the other team and say, "Good game." 

For starters get an out, then give up less than two runs in one inning of work.

 

For starters get an out, then give up less than two runs in one inning of work.

He did. He got 2 outs in fact. He can't control the defense on the field behind him. 

 

The fact that the Twins have a sub-par defense doesn't change the fact that he pitched really damn well.

Edited April 27, 2018 by Oxtung

 

He did. He got 2 outs in fact. He can't control the defense on the field behind him. 

 

The fact that the Twins have a sub-par defense doesn't change the fact that he pitched really damn well.

I will give you the first one, but Stanton infield hit wasn't an out. and the next guy hit a homer, so it is a huge stretch to say he pitched well.

Those saying the pitch was way inside, they are wrong it was straight and barely inside.

 

 

I will give you the first one, but Stanton infield hit wasn't an out. and the next guy hit a homer, so it is a huge stretch to say he pitched well.

Those saying the pitch was way inside, they are wrong it was straight and barely inside.

I think a better defender at 3rd or SS makes the Stanton play but even if he doesn't that still doesn't mean Rodney is to blame.

 

Sometimes you make a bad pitch and it's gets crushed. That is clearly on the pitcher. Sometimes you make a great pitch and the hitter still puts it in play. That is what we saw in the 9th inning. These are professional hitters out there and what's more, these are some of the best of those professionals. They are going to hit balls they shouldn't. When it happens you have to tip your cap to them. Well played Stanton and Sanchez. Well played.

 

Thanks for posting that.
I hadn't seen the game. That was definitely not a good pitch, that was right where power hitters like it. Right in his wheel house, as they say.
If you are going to come inside on a power hitter, you have to come WAY inside.

That just simply isn't true according to Sanchez statcast page. His average exit velocity on pitches in similar locations, inside and on the hands, was 86-89 mph well below his average exit velocity. In fact Sanchez has average exit velocities up to 100 mph on pitches in the zone. Could that pitch have been better placed, sure. Was it "definitely not a good pitch". No. Was it "right in his wheel house"? The statistical evidence doesn't support your claim.

 

I think a better defender at 3rd or SS makes the Stanton play but even if he doesn't that still doesn't mean Rodney is to blame.

 

Sometimes you make a bad pitch and it's gets crushed. That is clearly on the pitcher. Sometimes you make a great pitch and the hitter still puts it in play. That is what we saw in the 9th inning. These are professional hitters out there and what's more, these are some of the best of those professionals. They are going to hit balls they shouldn't. When it happens you have to tip your cap to them. Well played Stanton and Sanchez. Well played.

I would probably give you that except for the fact he has blown 3 saves out of 5.

I also don't believe any 3B or SS make that play on Stanton with were they were playing (deep).