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  • White Sox 8, Twins 5: Drop Kick

    Tom Froemming

    By Tom Froemming

    Where is bottom? Just when things seem like they’re at their worst, here comes another kick to the gut. Max Kepler dropped a routine fly ball in the ninth inning of a tie game, putting a painful end on a day the Twins did nothing at the trade deadline.

    Image courtesy of © Jordan Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

    Twins Video

    Box Score

    Hill: 3.1 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 4 BB, 2 K

    Home Runs: Sanó (7)

    Bottom 3 WPA: Rogers -.451, Clippard -.240, Polanco -.109

    Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs):

    Winchart.png

    Top Down

    The first four hitters in the Twins’ lineup combined to go 0-for-16 with eight strikeouts and a pair of walks. Jorge Polanco had three strikeouts for the first time this year. Nelson Cruz also had three strikeouts. After recording just one three-strikeout game last season, Cruz has now done that twice in his last six contests.

    White Sox Gift Twins Runs

    Chicago is highly regarded in most defensive metrics, but they had a rough second inning tonight. The Twins scored three runs despite recording just two hits that inning, taking advantage of errors committed by right fielder Adam Engel and second baseman Nick Madrigal. They were unable to tack on after a third miscue by Lucas Giolito.

    The Madrigal misplay was especially damaging.

    https://twitter.com/TFTwins/status/1300606107577090051

    Twins Return Favor

    The Twins were too polite to accept those gifts and not give the White Sox something nice in return.

    The Twins’ infield nearly fell into a triple play, but botched the execution. But, the only reason the opportunity was there was because a catch was botched. So a botch that followed a botch would be a … did I just finally figure out what a Boof is?

    Anyway, here’s the play below. Arráez was trying to catch this ball, missed it, then the Twins infield missed the chance to take advantage of the confusion. Just one out was recorded on this play. Chicago would score two runs this inning.

    https://twitter.com/cjzero/status/1300606881707237376

    Max Kepler also just straight up dropped a routine flyball in the top of the ninth inning that eventually resulted in the go-ahead run scoring. Max Kepler! One of the most reliable, smoothest defensive outfielders you’re ever going to find.

    https://twitter.com/CoopCarlson/status/1300637359189512192

    What is happening here!? Tonight we definitely learned that, no, cardboard cutouts cannot boo, and there’s apparently no booing programmed into Target Field’s sound system.

    Concern Over Hill’s Control

    The bases were loaded to setup that weird missed triple play opportunity because Rich Hill walked the first four batters of that inning.

    In his four seasons with the Dodgers, Hill posted a 7.7 BB%. So far this year, he’s walked 14.7% of the batters he’s faced. Hill threw 41 of his 65 pitches for strikes tonight, a 63.1% strike rate. That actually was an improvement on his season average, which is now 62.5%. His strike rate over his time with the Dodgers was 67.9%.

    Bullpen Notes

    Tyler Duffey, the first man out of the bullpen, also struggled to throw strikes. After walking just two of the first 47 men he faced in 2020, Duffey issued a pair of free passes to the seven batters he faced tonight. Luckily, he got away with it.

    Tyler Clippard gave up back-to-back singles to open the sixth inning, but then retired the next two batters. With José Abreu at the plate, Clippard threw a wild pitch to allow both runners to advance. The count was 1-1 at that point, and the Twins decided to pitch to Abreu with first base open.

    Abreu entered tonight 0-for-5 with four strikeouts against Clippard over his career, but he’s having the type of season where stats like that are changing quickly. He entered tonight with a .996 OPS, which would represent a new career high. Abreu worked a full count, then delivered a game-tying two-run double.

    Trevor May had to bail out Clippard in the sixth inning, then came back out to handle the seventh. He’s not had much success in outings that spanned multiple frames so far this season. Tonight was the third time he’s done it, and all three times he’s given up a home run after returning from the dugout. Tonight it was Luis Robert who got him.

    When pitching in a single frame, May has surrendered just two earned runs over 10 2/3 innings pitched. He’s now given up five earned runs in 3 1/3 innings otherwise.

    Sergio Romo pitched a perfect eighth inning before Taylor Rogers had a rough ninth, no thanks to Kepler’s error. All three runs Rogers gave up were unearned, but he’s already given up half as many runs (overall runs scored, not earned runs) as he did in all of 2019.

    Cave Shines

    Jake Cave had a go-ahead single with two outs in the sixth inning and made an impressive catch in center field to prevent a run from scoring.

    https://twitter.com/TFTwins/status/1300627407892885505

    Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet

    Bullpen.png

    Postgame Pint

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Wj2oglcNC0&feature=youtu.be

    Attachments:
    //dtb3yzl0vm3pr.cloudfront.net/monthly_09_2020/ccs-8747-0-30565200-1598932730.png
    //dtb3yzl0vm3pr.cloudfront.net/monthly_09_2020/ccs-8747-0-18419900-1598932745.png
    Follow Tom Froemming on Twitter: TFTwins

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    Featured Comments

    twinbythebay

    twinbythebay 576

  • Verified Member

    • Posted

     

    It's a organization-wide slump. When your play by play man has to walk back a triple play into a humble 4-6 fielder's choice, it's a bad game for everyone involved.

    Y'know, it also just occurred to me that this losing streak has roughly coincided with Bert's stint as color commentator. How do we get Morneau back in the booth??

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    puckstopper1

    puckstopper1 1,243

  • Verified Member

    • Posted

     

    I agree. With a brittle Buxton we never should have gone in with Cave or Wade as backups. An all LH outfield with 3 of the 4 not hitting including Kepler who has been very disappointing.

    I'd like to take this further.  The WHOLE ORGANIZATION has been disappointing!

     

    Yes - injuries have played a big factor, but the F.O. left the Twins thin in some key areas.

     

    The manager has done some questionable things - like WHY do you need to have a bullpen game when your entire team just had 2 full days off?

     

    The defense has been below average.

     

    The hitting has been atrocious outside of Cruz and Sano recently.

     

    Other than Maeda and Dobnak, the SPs have been extremely disappointing.

     

    And the bullpen has been really bad over the past 3 weeks.

     

    Remember when this team was 10-2? How about 20-10? Yea - me neither....

     

    I'm not going to pretend to know what happens in the club house but someone needs to break some bats and peel some paint - anything to snap the boys out of it - and FAST.

     

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    IndianaTwin

    IndianaTwin 6,543

  • Verified Member

    • Posted

     

    ...The manager has done some questionable things - like WHY do you need to have a bullpen game when your entire team just had 2 full days off?...

     

     

     

    Well, right now, they have six games in five days. Unless you think Odo will be ready for one of the games, you either have to use a bullpen game once or call up someone else. They've demonstrated that they don't want to call up someone else. 

     

    So, in that case, the issue isn't, "They've just had two days off." It's, "Which game makes the most sense to make a bullpen game?" If there's going to be a bullpen game, I think they picked the right one. It was the second game of a double header (so you only need seven innings rather than nine) and following a pitcher who has been one of your better guys (unfortunately, Dobnak wasn't good in the first game) against the team that appears to be the weaker of the two in that stretch. 

     

    And don't look now, folks, but expect the same approach starting Friday, when we have seven games in five days. I'm hopeful Odo will be back so that they only need one bullpen game in that mix, but don't be surprised if we get two. 

     

    (Note -- I'm not arguing for or against bullpen games. I'm just saying that if you're going to go that route, I think they've taken the best approach.)

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    AceWrigley

    AceWrigley 2,650

  • Verified Member

    • Posted

     

    Y'know, it also just occurred to me that this losing streak has roughly coincided with Bert's stint as color commentator. How do we get Morneau back in the booth??

    That's it! We need the MVP in the booth.

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    USNMCPO

    USNMCPO 521

  • Verified Member

    • Posted

    This team has taken on the persona of its manager. It is very low key. There does not appear to be any fire in the belly or heart. Donaldson was brought on in part to generate that but so far, not so much. Maybe Tortuga could help in that regard.

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    Minny505

    Minny505 630

  • Verified Member

    • Posted

    It sure seems like Arraez was just trying to knock that ball out of the air, not trying to catch it. He rushed the play after that and didn't think the plan all the way thru. He just seemed to recognize that, with the bases loaded, putting that ball on the ground was the right decision.

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