Game Notes: Twins 3, Orioles 2

by Flip27 on Apr 4, 2007 2:47 AM EDT

I attended tonight's game, and I thought I'd post some of my thoughts the day after everyone usually weighs in.

Boy, I don't really remember Cuddyer striking out this much. It's even weirder because he looked good at the plate.

Morneau looks like he's on a mission to show everyone that he deserved the MVP. Every time he has come up, I felt like he could blast one.

Daniel Cabrera really pitched well for the Orioles. However, everyone and their brother in my section thought it was asking for trouble for him to get the ball in the 7th. Despite the fact that their pen pitched 3 1/3 yesterday.

The situation I'm going to pay close attention to this year: The 1-2 count. The way a pitcher handles a 1-2 count can effect his success a good deal. A good pitcher will go after the hitter knowing a 2-2 count is a much better situation for a hitter. The difference is much larger then 0-2 to 1-2.

IMO, the turning point of tonight's game was when Hunter had a 1-2 count leading off the 5th. Cabrera wasted a pitch to make it a 2-2 count. Hunter eventually worked a walk, stole second, and scored to tie the game at 2.

Speaking of steals, the Twins must really know something about Cabrera's delivery home. Tyner's belly-flop scramble included, they stole 4 bases off him in 7 innings.

It seemed like Boof labored all night. I was suprised to look at my scorecard and see that he retired the final 8 batters he faced and didn't allow a hit outside of the 2-run 3rd inning. He also struck out 6 in his 6 innings.

It's modern baseball when a team uses 5 relievers (6 total pitchers) in one game and only gives up 2 runs in that game. None by said relievers. Hopefully Ortiz can go 7 tomorrow.

Gardy usually likes to get all his players into games early. Here's the guys that haven't gotten involved yet: Luis Rodriguez, Mike Redmond, Matt Guerrier, and Chris Heintz (don't expect to see him anytime soon).

Nathan is on pace for 162 saves.

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Two Wins

One cool thing about the wins so far is they've gotten it done a lot of ways so far. They've used some good starting pitching, some timely hitting, so big power hitting, some small ball, and of course, some dominant bullpen action. They've been able to do everything so far, from whack the ball into the stands and off the baggie to scramble into second on their hands and knees and score on a blooper. Advancing runners on groundouts and holding the other team down.

Lookin' good so far, but still, that's the two good starters going...

Baseball is great because you cant take a knee or kill the clock. You gotta put the ball over the plate and give the other guy his damn shot E Weaver abridged

by AdamOnFirst on Apr 4, 2007 3:34 AM EDT reply actions

Cuddyer...

Bedard and Cabrera combined to strike out a batter per inning last year. Cuddyer strikes out a lot, but makes up for it by hitting for power when he does make contact. If Cuddyer faced Bedard and Cabrera all the time, he'd strike out a whole lot, but that won't happen, so I don't think we need to worry about it.

by ubelmann on Apr 4, 2007 3:46 AM EDT reply actions

promising

I don't think I've ever been so impressed with 5 strikeouts in two games before. In almost all of them, he made the pitcher throw a lot of pitches. We need that in order to get to the other team's bullpen.

At least his strikeout pace for the year has dropped to 405.

by adam @ Twinkie Town on Apr 4, 2007 12:49 PM EDT up reply actions

His last two in the first ga

His last two in the first game were absolutely awful. After seeing 17 pitches in hi sfirst two at bats and getting a hit, he saw no more than four pitches in either of those two at bats and struck out on sucker breaking balls.

Baseball is great because you cant take a knee or kill the clock. You gotta put the ball over the plate and give the other guy his damn shot E Weaver abridged

by AdamOnFirst on Apr 4, 2007 12:51 PM EDT up reply actions

Cabrera...

In the Washington Post this morning, there were comments regarding Cabrera allowing steals. It appears that everyone was stealing on him in ST. Perlazzo & Malzone are afraid of messing with his mechanics to correct that issue, at the moment, that is.

I don't suffer from insanity...I relish every moment of it!

by the Dragon on Apr 4, 2007 7:43 AM EDT reply actions

They also were...

...playing their number 2 or 3 catcher last night. Don't know much about him, but maybe he doesn't have the greatest arm which combined with the pitcher meant everyone had the green light. Just think if LeCroy was still up, maybe he would have gotten sent to second............

by roger @ Twinkie Town on Apr 4, 2007 3:37 PM EDT up reply actions

Catillo

Is a catch and throw guy. He's thrown out 40 % of the runners attempting to steal in his career. The reason he has bounced around the league is not because of his throwing but because of his hitting. Still, he did look bad on the Tyner steal, trying to throw from his knees and all.

Free Matt Garza.

by cmathewson on Apr 4, 2007 4:18 PM EDT up reply actions

But...

The reason the focus on Cabrera is that Castillo was only traded for a week ago. Hernandez, the regular catcher (injured) is fairly decent if I remember, so the steals in ST are mostly off Cabrera. I'll admit Castillo did't help.

I don't suffer from insanity...I relish every moment of it!

by the Dragon on Apr 4, 2007 5:32 PM EDT up reply actions

Ya, I could be wrong...

but I think I saw Castillo in the WBC at Petco and he was awesome as a thrower. Could be wrong.

by djskilbr on Apr 4, 2007 6:01 PM EDT up reply actions

Little help...

Castillo caught Cabrera in the WBC. Hernandez wasn't just "decent." He had a career year at the plate and was a workhorse behind it. I don't have the stats in front of me but I want to say he was in the 40% range.

"Hating the New York Yankees is as American as apple pie, unwed mothers and cheating on your income tax." Mike Royko.

by BPinOK on Apr 4, 2007 6:06 PM EDT up reply actions

Yes

I rank Hernandez third overall among AL catchers (behind Mauer and Rodriguez), and second defensively (behind only Rodriguez). So it's a huge break for the Twins to have Hernandez down for this series.

Free Matt Garza.

by cmathewson on Apr 4, 2007 6:13 PM EDT up reply actions

Interesting...

I actually rank Ramon JUST ahead of Mauer defensively, but both are better than Pudge at this point to me.

by djskilbr on Apr 4, 2007 6:54 PM EDT up reply actions

Pudge

Pudge slid off a couple years ago, but he's really picked it back up. I've seen him do some nice blocking lately, and that arm has really come back.

Baseball is great because you cant take a knee or kill the clock. You gotta put the ball over the plate and give the other guy his damn shot E Weaver abridged

by AdamOnFirst on Apr 4, 2007 7:42 PM EDT up reply actions

Oh, I don't deny that he's good..

just not AS good anymore to me. Defensively, the argument to me is between Mauer/Ramon/Yadier.

by djskilbr on Apr 4, 2007 8:32 PM EDT up reply actions

I'm

I'm about as big a Mauer fan as they come, but I still say Pudge is better DEFENSIVELY. Mauer is third best defensively in the league and BY FAR the best offensively, and that makes him the best by a wide margin.

But number two, I'd take Pudge.

Baseball is great because you cant take a knee or kill the clock. You gotta put the ball over the plate and give the other guy his damn shot E Weaver abridged

by AdamOnFirst on Apr 5, 2007 12:48 AM EDT up reply actions

Pudge has always been overrated...

He's great at controlling the running game, but not very good at blocking pitches in the dirt--the exact opposite of Mike Piazza. Rodriguez still deserves the vast majority of his Gold Gloves, but it's not all that clear he's the best defensive catcher in the land.

by ubelmann on Apr 5, 2007 1:35 AM EDT up reply actions

I agree, mostly

I used to think he was much more overrated than he is, particularly on handling a pitching staff. But seeing him in the division and watching him work with some of these young pitchers, I have a new respect for his ability to work with a staff.

He still is not as good as either Hernandez or Mauer on blocking balls. But he's the best at throwing out runners, and I have him second in handling pitchers (behind Mauer). This is how I would rank them:

Handling a staff

Mauer
Rodriguez
Hernandez

Blocking balls in the dirt

Hernandez
Mauer
Rodriguez

Throwing out runners

Rodriguez
Hernandez
Mauer

Catch and tag

Mauer
Rodriguez
Hernandez

Offense

Mauer
Rodriguez
Hernandez

Overall

Mauer
Rodriguez
Hernandez

Free Matt Garza.

by cmathewson on Apr 5, 2007 10:37 AM EDT up reply actions

No offense meant...

I wasn't meaning to demean Hernandez, as I am down the road in suburban DC, just didn't have stats. I know he's a decent hitter, and thought he is a good defensive catcher.

Open mouth...extract foot.

I don't suffer from insanity...I relish every moment of it!

by the Dragon on Apr 4, 2007 6:38 PM EDT up reply actions

1-2 Count

I finally got around to reading Moneyball this winter. What has blown me away since reading it more than anything else, in terms of how I watch the drama of the game, is that Paul DePodesta pointed out the difference between hitters hitting on 2-1 counts and 1-2 counts. Generally any hitter hits like a starting all-star on a 2-1 count and a replacement level bench player with a 1-2 count.

A lot of you probably already have known that for years, but it's just generally more fun watching baseball now considering the drama of the first 3 pitches.

by TheMattWilke on Apr 4, 2007 11:36 AM EDT reply actions