TOR 4, MIN 3: Pressley Fails To Pounce, Is Victim Of A Bad Bounce

Colon walked the leadoff guy and then fell behind on the next guy but he did ok otherwise.   I really need to turn the TV off when Pressley comes in.    Great stuff but he just never does well when I watch.   I was with Dick by the way.  I think we caught a break on Buxton's bunt when he seemed to make a turn after running past the base.  Great bunt though.  Again we see good things happen when he is on base.

You don't have to push your starters. Especially 44-year-old guys. If you get five innings, you leap for joy. if you get six, be more than happy. No need to run them out for seven. Keep them strong down this stretch, and you need to keep the bullpen arms alive. 

You had four pitchers you could use. Three more you could use today or tomorrow.

And you still have Slegers getting left out in the cold, too.

Dougie M. Gonna miss you!

Colon shouldn't have come out for the 6th, much less the 7th. That was obvious to anyone watching the game.


Molitor lost this game, not colon, and certainly not Pressley, who pitched quite well.

See that's it.    I saw the bunt, put my boy to bed and came back in time to see him give up the hit.     I blame myself.

Colon shouldn't have come out for the 6th, much less the 7th. That was obvious to anyone watching the game.

 

Its never obvious to me.   It always looks like he is about to get shelled from the first inning on.     Only became obvious to me when he walked a guy because he just can't afford those.    I see Pressley and think "why isn't he an all star with his stuff"   I see Colon and think "why isn't he pitching in a beer softball league somewhere with his stuff".

2 hits? A bunt, that went under his glove and that EE did not exactly attack and a GB which hit him in the foot? Colon gave up more wood than that in getting 3 outs in the first inning. I am not a big Molitor fan, but it was time to pull Colon. The swings were carefree and vicious, the outs were very loud. Sooner or later he was gonna get dinged. The last 3 innings were the cumulative effect of having shorter starts and relying on the same few RP's each game. Sooner or later they need a night off. My concern isn't that he did not use them, it's that he sometimes uses them when behind in games and then doesn't have them as available as should be. That said, the team has had some good luck (Gordon mis playing TWO fly balls?) and last night the worm turned.

Neither hit left the infield, the walk was intentional, and if the second hit doesn't get him on the foot, he gets out of that inning tied. He threw the bell well.

Besides, Pressly isn't the point.

I agree the bullpen isn't strong, or deep, but that's irrelevant. It is what it is. He had to use his bullpen anyway, only now it's a tie game, go ahead run on second, no out.

Really, really awful managing. ANY reliever starting the inning was a better choice than Colon.

Now that you mention it, I have to wonder, exactly, what Molitor was thinking. Molitor's been quick, in the past, to pull pitchers when things start getting out of hand yet lets Colon start the seventh. It's late in the season and the Twins have reached "all hands on deck" time in regards to a the playoff push. 

I also remember Tom Kelly explaining that he pulled a pitcher, even though the pitch count wasn't high and the score still favored the Twins, because the pitcher was giving up "loud" outs. So, I gotta go with 6 innings, pull Colon and turn it over the bullpen, regardless of the score, because, Colon had given up more than his share of loud outs.

This is year three of Molitor managing and I'm seeing too many mistakes. And if I see them, how many more are being made of which I'm unaware?

Okay, box score show Colon going 6. Am I missing something? I thought Colon started the 7th. Or did Colon start the 7th, not record an out and therefore, the box score shows Colon pitching 6?

Now that you mention it, I have to wonder, exactly, what Molitor was thinking. Molitor's been quick, in the past, to pull pitchers when things start getting out of hand yet lets Colon start the seventh. It's late in the season and the Twins have reached "all hands on deck" time in regards to a the playoff push

No way Colon should be in the 7th at all. He barely got out of the 6th. It's not about pitch count with him, it's about how many times the opposing hitters have seen his "stuff". Twice through the lineup is about all you are gonna get, and that's only if you're lucky.

So frustrating Pressly didn't realize where his fielders were and pull back his glove. The ball was hit directly into the shift. An easy out for Dozier. Pressly was actually very good otherwise. An encouraging outing. They will need him.

It didn't hit his glove. He knew Dozier was behind him and was trying to get out of the way. 

He had options. Clear ones. Crystal clear.

Let the bullpen start fresh with a lead, or let the bullpen try to put out a fire, probably with the lead gone.

He's going to have to use the pen before the game ends anyway.

He chose poorly.

I think when you're going with your secondary relievers, you go with a clean inning rather than let them put out a fire.

And, I like Pressley starting an inning much better than I like him trying to put out a fire. Of course, this goes back to Molitor. I wonder if he really has a feel for his pitching staff and how best to use it?

Of course, with the way things shaped up last night, even bringing in your best relievers was putting them in a position to fail. No room for error.

Maybe. I still look at how it played out and think his plan was to try and get through the 8th just using Pressly, with maybe an out from Boshers. Doesn't make it quite as crystal clear.

If Hildenburger is available, while I think he's much better in these situations, it still is asking a lot.

I just don't think Pressley is best used in the situation last night. 

Molitor knew who was available and also knew, going into the seventh that Colon had gotten that far mostly on smoke and mirrors.

Although, I'm going to be up front and admit I've got Molitor under a microscope because of past managing blunders.

edit: realized I'd committed the blunder of taking contradictory positions. Something that is only allowed when writing or participating in a game thread.

Mollie left Colon in too long. I know his pitch count was good, but he was getting hit hard all night. Should have taken the 6 innings and called it a day, or at most given him one base runner in the 7th.

To be clear, I understand and appreciate the opinions of starting someone else for the 7th. I can't say I disagree. But I still don't find fault with sending Colon to start the 7th considering a few of the relievers were not available.

My problem is he should been pulled after the walk. That was the signal to make a move.