Twins Game Recap (8/27): Bullpen Depth Proves Key In Twins Win

Yesterday was Tuesday, August 27.  It was the 131st game of the year putting the Twins 81% of the way through the season.  The Twins hit 2 home runs upping their record-breaking season total to 255 home runs.  They are now only 13 home runs short of setting a new single-season MLB record.

 

Since the start of May, Michael Pineda has a 3.60 ERA

Boy I would sure like the Twins to find a way to keep Big Mike around. He just keeps getting better as TJ gets further in the rear view mirror.

How nice - Pineda has risen from #5 to #1 and we need him.  Now Odo and Berrios need to push him for the honor.

A good win and important!

The Yankees are closing in on the record, too. A fantastic month of August with lots and lots of homers (imagine their total if Stanton had been playing all year). They've been within 8 of the Twins. Might be there after tonight's game, too. The Twins have played 3 less games...so maybe that will work in the Twins favor.

I want Cave to play more (looks like he will because Buxton ain't coming back soon) and get to 10 and break that mark.

Yesterday was Tuesday, August 27.  It was the 131st game of the year putting the Twins 81% of the way through the season.  The Twins hit 2 home runs upping their record-breaking season total to 255 home runs.  They are now only 13 home runs short of setting a new single-season MLB record.

Romo was very impressive. Hope Marwin heals quickly.

The Yankees are closing in on the record, too. A fantastic month of August with lots and lots of homers (imagine their total if Stanton had been playing all year). They've been within 8 of the Twins. Might be there after tonight's game, too. The Twins have played 3 less games...so maybe that will work in the Twins favor.

 

I want Cave to play more (looks like he will because Buxton ain't coming back soon) and get to 10 and break that mark.

Imagine the Twins total if they played in Yankee Stadium. The Twins might have 50 more right now.

How many have we seen off the top of that scoreboard in right-center at Target Field? I’ve seen Cruz and Garver do it a half-dozen times each just in August. Rosario and Kepler have smashed that a number of times as well. Those are gone by a mile in Yankee Stadium. It’s also where Judge hits most of his HRs (we actually saw him come up short off that scoreboard here in MN in July).

Judge = warning track power

Imagine the Twins total if they played in Yankee Stadium. The Twins might have 50 more right now.

How many have we seen off the top of that scoreboard in right-center at Target Field? I’ve seen Cruz and Garver do it a half-dozen times each just in August. Rosario and Kepler have smashed that a number of times as well. Those are gone by a mile in Yankee Stadium. It’s also where Judge hits most of his HRs (we actually saw him come up short off that scoreboard here in MN in July).

Yankee Stadium is an absolute joke and frankly I can't believe the league allows the richest team in baseball to play in a softball stadium. The dimensions are the definition of "red meat", playing to an obnoxious fan base. Coors Field has altitude issues but it's still a big league stadium, at its core. Yankee Stadium honestly needs to be reviewed and the fences need to be moved out to preserve the integrity of the game. Pop flies that wouldn't even make the warning track in any other MLB park are going out for 3-run bombs. Pathetic.

Boy I would sure like the Twins to find a way to keep Big Mike around. He just keeps getting better as TJ gets further in the rear view mirror.

Completely agree, bringing him back for next year and beyond should be a major priority!

Right now, Big Mike has to be the guy who gets the ball in either Game 1 of the ALDS or the WC game. He has been phenomenal as of late.

A pitching duel like this is just _so_ much more interesting than games that drag on because one team scores two touchdowns and the other puts up three field goals worth of runs.

"Yankee Stadium is an absolute joke......"

It is ironic that the "house that Ruth built" would be designed to make home runs cheap.

No question that Twins' strategy against Giolito last night was to "swing hard in case you hit it". Luckily the strategy worked twice; enough with Pineda on the hill plus 4 goose eggs by the bp.

Rosario's insurance single was classic Rosario and clearly just laid the bat on the ball with his patented base hit swing.

Man Giolotto is a good pitcher.  He doesn't nibble just throws right at the plate and dare's you to hit it.  It is not going to be fun facing him the next 6 years.  Big Mike was better last night though and the pen held on.  That was a big win getting past their best pitcher.  Now they just need to stay focused and win the next couple of games as well.

Nice win. Hope its the last the Twins see of Giolito this season

Man Giolotto is a good pitcher. He doesn't nibble just throws right at the plate and dare's you to hit it. It is not going to be fun facing him the next 6 years. Big Mike was better last night though and the pen held on. That was a big win getting past their best pitcher. Now they just need to stay focused and win the next couple of games as well.

There are two reasons I hated the Giolito-Eaton trade: the Twins have to face Giolito a lot, and the Nats don’t get to have him in the rotation. Eaton has helped make up (a bit) for the Harper departure, but that is one I am sure Russo would like back.

Imagine the Twins total if they played in Yankee Stadium. The Twins might have 50 more right now.

How many have we seen off the top of that scoreboard in right-center at Target Field? I’ve seen Cruz and Garver do it a half-dozen times each just in August. Rosario and Kepler have smashed that a number of times as well. Those are gone by a mile in Yankee Stadium. It’s also where Judge hits most of his HRs (we actually saw him come up short off that scoreboard here in MN in July).

Dont tell that to Yankees fans or the national media. JUDGE IS A GOD AND YANKEES STADIUM IS THE BEST STADIUM IN THE WORLD!!!

Twins bullpen in August, with MLB ranks;

9 k/9 (15th), 2.2 bb/9 (1st), 0.95 HR/9 (3rd), .332 BABIP (26th), 35.5% GB rate (28th), 4.02 ERA (8th), 3.36 FIP (2nd), 4.16 xFIP (7th), 1.7 WAR (2nd).

Perhaps Falvine knew what they were doing at the deadline.

Imagine the Twins total if they played in Yankee Stadium. The Twins might have 50 more right now.

How many have we seen off the top of that scoreboard in right-center at Target Field? I’ve seen Cruz and Garver do it a half-dozen times each just in August. Rosario and Kepler have smashed that a number of times as well. Those are gone by a mile in Yankee Stadium. It’s also where Judge hits most of his HRs (we actually saw him come up short off that scoreboard here in MN in July).

Aaron Judge this year has 6 homers in 178 PA's at Yankee Stadium, and 11 in 163 PA's on the road.  This is a flip from his career splits, but it's not quite so cut and dry to attribute all of Judge's power to the Bronx.

I hate the Yankees.

Interesting and tense game last night. I was really wondering if Rocco was going to send Pineda back out in the 6th. On the one hand, Big Mike was pitching well. On the other, it's a tight game and one bad pitch might tie it up or lose it for you. On the other hand, he was only at 88 pitches. On the other hand, he hasn't thrown 100 pitches in a game all year. On the other hand, it would have really been nice to get one more inning and not run through all your best bullpen guys in one night. On the other hand...man, that's a lot of hands.

Not an easy call. Considering Pineda's injury history and not being known for durability, i think it's probably the right choice, and it certainly worked out. But I thought it was a really fascinating decision point.

The HR barrage is amazing. It's possible for the Twins to run out a perfectly reasonable lineup where every single player has 15+ HRs. they have 11 players with double-digit HRs. They're extremely likely to finish the year with 8 guys with 20+. Don't groove a pitch to these guys because they will send it out. Holy cow.

I thought no the decision to pull Pineda after 5 was aided by the fact most of the bullpen had 2 days of rest.

Interesting and tense game last night. I was really wondering if Rocco was going to send Pineda back out in the 6th. On the one hand, Big Mike was pitching well. On the other, it's a tight game and one bad pitch might tie it up or lose it for you. On the other hand, he was only at 88 pitches. On the other hand, he hasn't thrown 100 pitches in a game all year. On the other hand, it would have really been nice to get one more inning and not run through all your best bullpen guys in one night. On the other hand...man, that's a lot of hands.

 

HOW MANY HANDS DO YOU HAVE?!?!

Interesting and tense game last night. I was really wondering if Rocco was going to send Pineda back out in the 6th. On the one hand, Big Mike was pitching well. On the other, it's a tight game and one bad pitch might tie it up or lose it for you. On the other hand, he was only at 88 pitches. On the other hand, he hasn't thrown 100 pitches in a game all year. On the other hand, it would have really been nice to get one more inning and not run through all your best bullpen guys in one night. On the other hand...man, that's a lot of hands.

 

Not an easy call. Considering Pineda's injury history and not being known for durability, i think it's probably the right choice, and it certainly worked out. But I thought it was a really fascinating decision point.

 

The HR barrage is amazing. It's possible for the Twins to run out a perfectly reasonable lineup where every single player has 15+ HRs. they have 11 players with double-digit HRs. They're extremely likely to finish the year with 8 guys with 20+. Don't groove a pitch to these guys because they will send it out. Holy cow.

What are you?  An octopus? 

Pineda seems to have gone 5-6 innings most of the year, if he goes out for the 6th and gives up the lead the commentary here is much different and questioning why he wasn't pulled sooner.  I think it's a fine line of when to leave a pitcher in and when to pull him.  Always easier to dissect the decision after the fact.

The bullpen has been much stronger lately weather that's due to weaker opponents or just pitching better I'm not sure. 

Either way keep it up and go Twins!! 

Great insurance run c/o Polanco, Cruz and Rosario there at the end of the game BTW. Nice to see Eddie back in the lineup and coming through with a big hit.

"Yankee Stadium is an absolute joke......"

 

It is ironic that the "house that Ruth built" would be designed to make home runs cheap.

No question that Twins' strategy against Giolito last night was to "swing hard in case you hit it". Luckily the strategy worked twice; enough with Pineda on the hill plus 4 goose eggs by the bp.

Rosario's insurance single was classic Rosario and clearly just laid the bat on the ball with his patented base hit swing.

I wish Rosario had swung his "patented base hit swing" in the first inning with Polanco on third and Cruz on first.

Twins bullpen in August, with MLB ranks;

 

9 k/9 (15th), 2.2 bb/9 (1st), 0.95 HR/9 (3rd), .332 BABIP (26th), 35.5% GB rate (28th), 4.02 ERA (8th), 3.36 FIP (2nd), 4.16 xFIP (7th), 1.7 WAR (2nd).

 

Perhaps Falvine knew what they were doing at the deadline.

Love that bb stat.