Twins 5, Tigers 4: Wild Final Play Extends Win Streak to 5

All three Twins runners in the 9th screwed up. Why was Larnach standing on 2nd on a liner over the right fielder's head? If had been halfway, he would have scored easily, but he ended up held at third. Sano then forced the issue by heading toward an occupied 2nd base. He could have retreated because no fielder was at first. Instead, Urshela headed toward occupied third. Of course a horrific lob from the catcher allowed the baserunners off the hook.

The Twins are the luckiest team in MLB.  Period.  Winning two games in one week on double error plays is beyond lucky.  Boy, this division is trash.   

Lucky win, no thanks to Baldelli. Starting Thielbar in the 8th was asking for trouble. 

Remember when we thought the AL Central was going to be a formidable?

Little League stuff. Peak Gardenhire teams won a bunch of games like this too, so take that as a good sign I guess. With seemingly no one in the division interested in playing quality baseball, the Twins might as well take advantage. Still, I've seen less all-around, both-teams ineptitude in a t-ball game than that final play.  

Surely an investment of $5-7 million more could have stabilized the back end of the bullpen before the start of the season?
 

LOL Alex Colome would beg to differ

Sano even TRIED to blow it up. LOL

https://streamable.com/7lc6tz

Watched the Mets down to their last strike yesterday rally from 0-2 to a 5-2 win on a festival of Cardinal mistakes. This is right there with it on the shelf of "Why Baseball Can Be Fun to Watch."

2 minutes ago, Squirrel said:

Wow … we win, granted, not in the greatest of fashions, thanks to the Tigers’ error, but sheesh, guess there is nothing good to be said about the game

Paddack. Like his line a lot.

33 minutes ago, Unwinder said:

Remember when we thought the AL Central was going to be a formidable?

I think it's a bit early to assume that the whole division will be bad based off the first 3 weeks... I'd wait to see what happens when the Sox get healthy.

The good thing is that we won't be able to use Thielbar for a couple of games. That's a sigh of relief.

Take random people out of the crowd.  Three out of four minimum makes a better throw than the catcher did tonight.

Glad that I didn't pay money to buy a ticket to watch what is being sold as big league professional baseball.  Little League pitching, Little League fielding and Little League base running.  I played a ton of games like this when I was seven years old and watched my kids do the same.  I am tired of watching this kind of baseball . . . especially twice in one week.  Good grief!

41 minutes ago, Monticore said:

Lucky win, no thanks to Baldelli. Starting Thielbar in the 8th was asking for trouble. 

As soon as I saw Thielbar was returning to pitch in the 8th, I had to find alternative programming as I could see trouble looming. Yes, Pagan served up the 3-run jack to Baez, but Thielbar's ineffectiveness, imo, begs for a change.  As I've stated before on this site, Thielbar's age, limited velocity and lack of command doesn't warrant being used in high leverage late game situations.  I know Baldelli's options--at this time----- are limited by a variety of factors, but that can be solved by Falvey./front office by making a deal for a LH RP.  There are arms available.  This might sacrifice a decent/above average prospect, but the potential reward is worth the risk.

38 minutes ago, Squirrel said:

Wow … we win, granted, not in the greatest of fashions, thanks to the Tigers’ error, but sheesh, guess there is nothing good to be said about the game

Although not charged with an error, Robbie Grossman's waffle iron for a glove played a pivotal role to the start of this comical/awful result for Detroit.  Thanks for the gift Robbie. 

4 minutes ago, ashbury said:

Robbie Grossman is the gift that keeps on giving to the Twins.  He makes a better read on a very catchable flyball and none of the hilarity on the basepaths even takes place.  He needs to buy Haase a nice dinner to make up for even putting him in the position to make a poor throw under pressure - there was no pressure on Grossman's attempt to begin with, he just needed to be competent.

Grossman def made a poor read on the ball but Sano sent a screamer to right field, the catcher throwing to third was the gift. 

4 minutes ago, ashbury said:

Robbie Grossman is the gift that keeps on giving to the Twins

It was scored a base hit. That is amazing.

Wild, entertaining, and amatuerish last play....but we will take it....good bounces have a way of evening out, so enjoy it while it lasts..

14 minutes ago, darwin22 said:

  I know Baldelli's options--at this time----- are limited by a variety of factors, but that can be solved by Falvey./front office by making a deal for a LH RP.  

i'd love to hear more about your apparent insight into these deals that the front office can swing to fix the pitching. as we all know, late april/early may trades are HUGE in baseball. they happen so often, i can hardly keep up with it all.  please share your insights into which organization is going to trade high level, effective left handed relievers less than 20 games into the season, i'm sure all the other teams in the league would also be interested in knowing

9 hours ago, Obie said:

 Why was Larnach standing on 2nd on a liner over the right fielder's head? 

because that was the correct baseball play to make. it wasn't over grossman's head, he should have caught the ball.