Twins 9, White Sox 2: Buxton, Bundy Lead Twins to Needed Comfortable Win

Seth, didn't you just ask for an easy 7-2 victory? They saw that, and raised you two.

In short, make more requests like this. See what happens. And I agree about momentum. Yesterday's unlikely win felt like an antidote to snake bite venom. Keep going for the sweep tomorrow.

Buck is Back! As goes Buck, so will go the Twins.

I am ready to let Sano have a fresh start elsewhere and now. 

He is an albatross that could sink team morale and momentum. 

If he catches fire somewhere else, good for him! I wish him well.

It's been enough here... more than enough. 

Great performance and Buxton is a catalyst for this team. Not sure it matters, and I generally prefer to steer clear of being overly critical of the manager, but why use both left-handed relievers in basically mop up roles?

Just like that the Twins are in 2nd place!   I know it’s early, but it beats being in last place early in the season.  It’s also so fun to watch Buxton laughing and having fun.  

Good to see Jeffers hitting. 

Buxton is the straw that stirs the drink.

Very nice win. When your opponent is drowning, don't throw them a rope, give them an anchor. Really good to put them hammer down on the ChiSox.

I hope this means Jeffers is working his way out of the early season doledrums? Can't say I was expecting things to go this well for Bundy out the gate (he was the pitching acquisition I was the least enthused about), but I have no complaints. Maybe the team has him on a good path, maybe he's just healthy and feeling good, but regardless the results are what we want.

Let's get the bats in gear and see what we have. Would love to see a sweep tomorrow!

I almost want to see Arraez at first base. At least until Kirilloff comes back! Then just cycle thru Sano at DH as needed.

Cubs beat Pirates 21-0. Pirates only used three pitchers for this stumble and one position player on the mound for the 8-innings they had to cover.

Our spark plug is back! Seems like we barely run on 4 cyliders w/o Buck, with Buck we run on all 8. Bundy pitched another fine game.

I think all wins have come with Buxton on the field. As Byron goes, so go the Twins.

With how well Bundy has been pitching, I wonder how likely it is we pick up his $11 million option next season (with a $1 million buyout if we don’t pick it up). 
 

After he inked his deal, I figured it was just a 1-year deal with almost no shot we’d choose to pay Bundy $11 million next season. However, he looks like a guy that can perform well, particularly after he looks to have reinvented himself and bought into the Wes Johnson “sliders, sliders, and more sliders” model. 

I know the season is young, and change is possible, but some of you owe Bundy an apology, at least for April.

He's making it look easy.

Good pitching + defense + (at least a sprinkling of) offense = Ws. (It's an old formula but it seems to work ?

Something very odd is happening with this team, and maybe it's time we started adjusting our expectations.

Usually, fans like us talk about multiple "If's" needing to go well in order for the Twins to be any good at all. Usually we conclude that it's just too many if's (wishes) to come true, and that the team will once again be mediocre.

Maybe it's time we start seeing that this team has enormous potential. How good are these guys? How good can they be? 

It begins with the starting rotation. When the Twins acquired Sonny Gray, we celebrated. Finally, something like an "ace" to go with Ryan and Ober and whoever else they could scrounge up. Multiple rookie prospects were considered, but then Dylan Bundy, Chris Archer and Chris Paddack were added, leaving room for just one prospect, Josh Winder. Now, we were looking at one "ace," two unproven semi-rookies, and three veterans with histories of arm trouble. Plus one more rookie, Winder. Besides Gray, were any of them going to pan out? A ton of nervous "If's" at the most important position, and that's just for starters...heh-heh...

It continues with the position players. Could Buck stay healthy? Would he perform? Could they get anything out of Larnach? Would Jeffers learn to hit? Was Arraez going to be hobbled by that knee? Would Sano start to hit? Would Kirilloff recover? Would Gordon continue to improve? Would Urshella be any good? Would Correa become a leader? Would Polanco keep hitting and playing top 2B? Could Sanchez ever field a bounced pitch? Another ton of "If's."

Results so far for the starting pitchers has been little short of astounding. They're all pitching well, even the rookies and the retread veterans. Especially good has been Dylan Bundy, the big power hurler that lost his upper 90's fastball, now learning to be an artist on the mound. Using a new mix of off-speed stuff and pinpoint control, Bundy has been a revelation with a sub-1.00 ERA. 

Results for position players has been puzzling. First couple weeks featured an awful lot of whiffs and bad luck. But now, sparked by a mature superstar Byron Buxton and bat-wizard Louis Arraez, the offense is coming alive. As a squad, they're starting to believe in themselves. That can make a team very dangerous. 

How good can these guys be? It's beginning to look like this 2022 Twins team can be extremely good.

Finally a great overall Twins win!!  I sure hope this gets the offense going on a more regular basis.  Let's sweep the White Sox.  

Good win.

I do have one gripe: when is Rocco going to get Winder into action again. I would have thought he would be willing to use him in a situation that he was willing to use Jax Friday. Then the starter exits after 5 with a big lead and he uses 4 relievers instead.

It's been 8 days since Winder has been in a game I think. I would guess they will send him to St Paul to get stretched out as a starter when they go down to 13 pitchers. Why are they even keeping him up if he's not going to get into games?

It's the starting pitching.

Twins fans mercilessly ripped the front office for the Bundy signing, and spent the whole off-season complaining that they were wasting Buxton's "window years".  Lots of question marks -- Ryan, Ober, the other prospects, and the pedigree of last year's signings that ruined the season,.

Welp, how does Number 1 in the American League ERA feel?

You don't get where they are, and their hitting has been historically bad, without that pitching.   And the bullpen has blown two late-game leads....

Interesting situation with Godoy.  I was curious what they would do for a third catcher when Rortvedt was traded.  The recent injury proves teams should have a reliable third catcher on the 40-man roster.  Hopefully, they will option Godoy to St. Paul when Sanchez returns, so he is available when needed.

Buxton day off wasn't to see how his knee would respond.  Baldelli said it was his scheduled day off.  And we know we can't interrupt Baldellis analytics computer schedule.  That would be wrong.

Has anyone heard why Correa isn't in the lineup Sunday?  I'm assuming he must be hurt or sick or something.  Not even our weird manager would give a $35 million dollar another scheduled day off.  Gordon playing short today is ok but Correa has already had days off and certainly hasn't lived up to that hefty payday so far.  If I was the front office or owner I would want him in there when I'm paying him that much.  But we have to keep sending automatic out Sano there almost every day.  I'm hoping for a good day from Sano. Correa?  What's the story?  Unless he's hurt/ sick he should be playing especially in front of the home crowd.  Some people still pay a lot of money to watch a ballgame at Target field.  They deserve to have their best available lineup out there.

13 hours ago, USAFChief said:

Sure glad they got Buxton inked to a long term deal last winter.  

Get the sweep done tomorrow!

Amen Brother

3 hours ago, 2wins87 said:

Good win.

I do have one gripe: when is Rocco going to get Winder into action again. I would have thought he would be willing to use him in a situation that he was willing to use Jax Friday. Then the starter exits after 5 with a big lead and he uses 4 relievers instead.

It's been 8 days since Winder has been in a game I think. I would guess they will send him to St Paul to get stretched out as a starter when they go down to 13 pitchers. Why are they even keeping him up if he's not going to get into games?

With a 28-person roster and 27 pitchers on it, that's just the way it's going to be.

"Initially, the fear was he would be out for a whole, but when an MRI came back that it was “just inflammation...”

This almost feels like an intentional typo, given his injury history. ?

Sorry Seth.  Didn't mean to upset your view of the Twins.  I had just asked why Correa isn't playing again today?  He's already had one or two days off already.  I was suggesting with his salary and all the hype he should be playing.  If you disagree with that fine.  Don't need to get snippy.  Or is your opinion the only one that matters here?