Twins 2, Dodgers 6: Twins Fall Below .500

It sure would be nice if the umpires can fill the live crowd in on what is going on when something like this delay happens, or when anything is happening that someone can fill us in on. As the fans got tired of waiting and started rumbling and booing and expressing their dissatisfaction with the unexplained delay that was lasting waaaaaaayyyy toooooo long, the powers that be just started blaring loud rappy hip hoppy type of music unmercifully at way too loud a volume. A special kind of rude crowd control to drown out the fans. It was almost painful.

 

From listening to the post game videos...... I lean toward Molitor was thinking one thing, but saying another. There has to be a better way to officially do substitutions than pencil written lineup cards in three different pockets.

Not that it matters, but Wood is 11-1, not 10-0, and got bombed his last outing for his first and only loss of the year, skyrocketing his ERA from 1.56 to 2.17, giving up 9 runs (7 earned), and not making it through the 5th inning (sound familiar). He was finally relieved of his misery when the Twins new pitcher, Jaime Garcia, lofted a Grand Slam to finish him off.

Another lineup gaffe for Molitor. If this team doesn't make the playoffs, he's gotta be gone.

 

How many bases-loaded pop-outs and strikeouts last night? Twins have been squandering opportunities by the boatload recently. For example, Polanco walks and Castro singles. Two on, nobody out!  Gotta score here. But Berrios can't get the bunt down (strikes out) and Dozier strikes out. On Monday night Kepler pinch hit with the bases loaded and one out, and struk out.

 

I watched the first few innings and was really put off  watching Maeda. Gotta be the slowest worker in the game. A minute between pitches is absolutely unacceptable.

 

Down 4.5 games now. Under .500. Twins need to go on a serious run, pronto. We're talking winning 8-out-of-10. Maybe that'll start tonight? Go Santana!

Another lineup gaffe for Molitor. If this team doesn't make the playoffs, he's gotta be gone.

 

How many bases-loaded pop-outs and strikeouts last night? Twins have been squandering opportunities by the boatload recently. For example, Polanco walks and Castro singles. Two on, nobody out! Gotta score here. But Berrios can't get the bunt down (strikes out) and Dozier strikes out. On Monday night Kepler pinch hit with the bases loaded and one out, and struk out.

 

I watched the first few innings and was really put off watching Maeda. Gotta be the slowest worker in the game. A minute between pitches is absolutely unacceptable.

 

Down 4.5 games now. Under .500. Twins need to go on a serious run, pronto. We're talking winning 8-out-of-10. Maybe that'll start tonight? Go Santana!

if the Twins dont make the playoffs Molitor should be gone? With the talent on this team (especially on the pitching side) the fact this team has held on this long in contention is quite something.

 

There are reasons to fire Molitor, but a team that shouldnt make the playoffs (based on talent level) not making the playoffs isnt one of them.

Edited July 26, 2017 by jimmer

This spiraled out of control quickly. They were a half game out just a few days ago.

 

This is why I preferred they sell. This was inevitable. Now they're just a losing team with a bunch of old soon-expiring contracts (Santana, Dozier, Garcia, Mauer, etc), out of which they didn't pull any residual value.

Twins have the bases loaded, the look on the Twins batter is one of pressure, and they act like they are really on the hotseat.

 

Twins pitchers load the bases, their look is of being under pressure and they strain to make the perfect pitch.

 

In other words, Twins look terrible on offense and on the mound, not making plays at the biggest moments of the game.

 

Imminent collapse.

I am a little confused by the continuing hate on Molitor.  I agree this switch was a mess, but I am not sure that MLB and its umpires handled it professionally and I agree that MLB needs to start announcing to the crowd what is going on in these prolonged interruptions - remember this is the year they are addressing length of game - how about length of interruptions?  Molitor has been given a lot of young and therefore inconsistent players from the FO.  The rotation help that this FO has thrown at the team this year is a joke.  If they wanted a Garcia type pitcher they should have gone after him in the off season and skipped the Tepesch, Wilf, and all the others I refuse to continue to remember.  

 

Dozier had not value last year according to reports, with this years performance he has less.  Molitor played Sano in RF last year, but was that his decision or was he following orders?   The Twins called up Polanco for ridiculous reasons and we lost the ability to send him back down to get himself right - winter ball ahead?  

 

The only other FO effort was getting a better catcher.  We did, but the raves stop here.  How many more runs have we surrendered than our opposition have given us (72)?  How big would that be if didn't have a great pitch framer?   We are currently 24th place among teams on run differential.

 

I do not care if Molitor stays or goes, but I also feel that there are very few managers who really impact the W-L records dramatically.  How many more games would we have won with a different manager?   I am harder on coaches.  I wanted the pitching coach to go last year and I am just as adamant this year.  I think pitching coaches actually have a greater impact on the team than the managers. 

 

if the Twins dont make the playoffs Molitor should be gone? With the talent on this team (especially on the pitching side) the fact this team has held on this long in contention is quite something.

There are reasons to fire Molitor, but a team that shouldnt make the playoffs (based on talent level) not making the playoffs isnt one of them.

 

Let me be clear: I think Molitor should have been fired last year. I don't think he's a good manager. The only reason I can see Falvine keeping him on is if the team makes the playoffs. Even if this team finishes a couple games above .500 he should go, IMO.

This feels like the scene where the scrappy hero finally gives in to overwhelming opposition. Then somebody, maybe Sean Astin, gives an inspirational speech and the hero continues on.

 

Bad karma for Dave Roberts, being such a stickler. I hope Rosario sticks it to them today.

." Dodgers starting pitcher Kenta Maeda took about a month-and-a-half between pitches".  

Exhibit A for pitch clocks.    I hate slow pitchers and Maeda would have had to double his speed to even qualify for slow.    I got the feeling it was by design just to wear down the patience of the batter.    The equivalent of a 5 hour round in golf.  

 

Twins have the bases loaded, the look on the Twins batter is one of pressure, and they act like they are really on the hotseat.

 

Twins pitchers load the bases, their look is of being under pressure and they strain to make the perfect pitch.

 

In other words, Twins look terrible on offense and on the mound, not making plays at the biggest moments of the game.

 

Imminent collapse.

 

We can hope that this is just youth. Young players on the big stage in front of tens of thousands will naturally get a little amped up in those situations. For some, that might bring out their best; for others (especially Berrios, I think) it causes them to move away from the things that make them successful. 

 

If this is still happening in a couple of years, we can call them chokers. For now, I'd rather just think of them as young and learning.

 

No surprise to read Molitor bashers using this as ammunition. I wish the umpire had to talk about what happened. WE got the confused explanation from Roberts, and I thought a pretty clear explanation from Molitor. I thought the umpires handled it horribly. 

How should they have handled then?