Tigers 5, Twins 0: Bats Have No Answers For Skubal, Get Shut Out Again

The Twins so need Sano back!

Where's a good hitting coach when you need one?

Right now, the Twins are putting on the field something close to a AAA team, and it is showing. Injuries and COVID are taking its toll. I hope its get better, but also the schedule is getting tougher. 

1 hour ago, USAFChief said:

Huh. Alex Faedo on the mound for the Tigers tomorrow. Didn't even know the former Twins SS made the switch to pitcher.

He's joining Kody Clemens and Ohtani as 2 way players

1 hour ago, Rosterman said:

The Twins so need Sano back!

Uh huh

They could also use Lenny Faedo. 

That line up is not going to get it done more often than not..... We really need to get healthy....and fast!

Trotting out lineups like this is anyone really surprised by the offensive production? 

It looks ugly, but Skubal has been quietly great this year and the Twins have been terrible against lefties. This one felt inevitable. While Garlick has been mashing lefties, I don't know if a playoff team can rely on him as their best hitter vs southpaws. 

Going back to Tuesday, we haven't scored an earned run in 24 innings.  Ouch.    

Alright Rocco defenders, how do you justify a lineup where Garlick is hitting leadoff? Wait. You can't. The guy is clueless. 

2 hours ago, twinssporto said:

Trotting out lineups like this is anyone really surprised by the offensive production? 

Yep, Jim Kaat specifically mentioned that yesterday, it messes with guys when they don't know if or where they will be playing or hitting in the lineup. Rocco needs to set a lineup and stick with it because his incompetence is killing this team again. 

8 hours ago, SwainZag said:

Saw this factoid today.  The last 2 World Series winners were under .500 on June 1st.  Food for thought.

"Need to get healthy"? Huh? The Twins are really only missing Correa - the rest of the team they've assembled over the winter is right there on the field, gang. Who else is missing? Celestino? Lewis? Alcala? Are those core players on the team that we're supposed to be relying on here in 2022?

I think this may be the beginning of the end. This team has two pitchers, Gray and Ryan, that might give them a chance every night. Bundy and Archer are doing their best "Happ & Shoe" impersonations while Ober is looking more and more like the next Aaron Sledgers. The bullpen is coming back to earth (looking at you Joe Smith) and guys like Duffey and Theilbar are looking more and more like they'll be playing indy ball by this time next year.

The main problem is the offense, and really the keystone here is Buxton. He's straight up stopped hitting. 2 for his last 42 or something, with a bloop double and an infield single.

I do think that we can say that playing only the Tigers and Royals for like 3 weeks straight is probably not helping. Some variety and change of scenery might spark something. But I really do think it's on Buxton. I don't see any other way this team turns it around.

17 minutes ago, rwilfong86 said:

Yep, Jim Kaat specifically mentioned that yesterday, it messes with guys when they don't know if or where they will be playing or hitting in the lineup. Rocco needs to set a lineup and stick with it because his incompetence is killing this team again. 

Thank you.  And thank Jim for me.  I no longer feel all alone.    

It was a get away lineup, and they don't even get to get away.

17 minutes ago, wsnydes said:

Some may find it interesting that the Twins had a 4 game lead in the division on May 4th.  Today, they have a 5 game lead.  

And scary at the same time.  They are 15-12 since May 4th and all but 6 of the 27 games were against Oakland, Baltimore, KC, and Detroit.  Just think of the lead they could have built.  

1 hour ago, rwilfong86 said:

Yep, Jim Kaat specifically mentioned that yesterday, it messes with guys when they don't know if or where they will be playing or hitting in the lineup. Rocco needs to set a lineup and stick with it because his incompetence is killing this team again. 

IMO Baldelli thinks of himself as a chess master. Where he likes to mix in 3-5 short RPs to fit the situation and mix up the line-up accordingly to analytics. Lot of good can be said about analytics but last minute whims prevents players to mentally prepare. Lot of good can be attributed to having a  player settled in a routine and not to rely so much on short relief and figuring in reliable long relief in almost every game and use short relief only when need be. And put a little nonbias human element in the game.

5 minutes ago, Doctor Gast said:

IMO Baldelli thinks of himself as a chess master. Where he likes to mix in 3-5 short RPs to fit the situation and mix up the line-up accordingly to analytics. Lot of good can be said about analytics but last minute whims prevents players to mentally prepare. Lot of good can be attributed to having a  player settled in a routine and not to rely so much short relief and figuring in reliable long relief in every game and use short relief only when need be.

His unwillingness to adjust is super frustrating.

Yes gaining one game with a 15-12 run is indicative only of a weak division.we have lost 6 of the last 9 games.  Looking at the starting lineup yesterday you knew right away it was a throwaway game.  Baldelli has too many of those.  He is totally incompetent.  Not having Buxton, Kepler, and one of the best hitters in baseball Aareaz in the lineup is ridiculous.  Lefty, lefty not withstanding, he should have had at least one or two of those in the lineup.  U noticed the tiger broadcasters we're miffed by his decision to sit those three players.  Right away, as in the past, he gave the impression he didn't care about winning.  Only his plan for the day.  He is inflexible and a totally incompetent in game manager.  Buxton has been a stiff for three weeks now.  He no longer is an asset.  At this point he is a liability.  An automatic out.  Most of the injuries/ illnesses were to players not projected to be starters everyday players, except Correa.   So let's not totally blame this on that.  Baldelli deserves a big blame for his share in this

1 minute ago, rwilfong86 said:

His unwillingness to adjust is super frustrating.

Yeah, his doubling, tripling, quadrupling or more down on bad moves is super frustrating

6 minutes ago, Doctor Gast said:

IMO Baldelli thinks of himself as a chess master. Where he likes to mix in 3-5 short RPs to fit the situation and mix up the line-up accordingly to analytics. Lot of good can be said about analytics but last minute whims prevents players to mentally prepare. Lot of good can be attributed to having a  player settled in a routine and not to rely so much on short relief and figuring in reliable long relief in almost every game and use short relief only when need be.

As our friend Yogi so famously said (or was reported to say) "baseball is 90% mental; the other half is physical".  The mental part of the game is preparation and players prepare in their own way.  But they have to know what to prepare for, and not knowing until the last minute if they are playing, where they are playing, where they are batting, and when they will (or not) be pitching makes that more than a little difficult.  That may be at least a part of why we look lost at times.