Buehrle paces White Sox past listless Baker and Twins

by cmathewson on May 20, 2009 12:11 AM EDT in Game Recaps

Twins continue to stumble on the road, losing their fifth straight.

In a study in contrasts on the mound, Mark Buehrle's White Sox cruised past Scott Balker and the Twins on Tuesday night at Cingular Field. Buehrle worked quickly and efficiently, busting hitters in with cutters and finishing them off away with change-ups to record out after feeble out for seven innings of near dominance.

Baker seemed to lack energy--similar to his rotation mate Glen Perkins on Monday in the Bronx--working slowly, keeping the ball away from hitters who like it away and failing to finish off his pitches. The Sox hitters looked very comfortable at the plate as Mike Redmond did not move inside all night to encourage his battery mates to bust the free swinging Sox inside. The result was predictable: Though Sox hitters just missed numerous belt-high straight fastballs and hanging sliders, they did not miss them all. Paul Konerko's two-run homer in the second looked like batting practice. Even the outs were hard hit.

Baker was fortunate to escape his five-inning, 105-pitch outing surrendering just four runs. After a 44-pitch three-run second, Rick Anderson confronted Baker in the dugout and gave him a tongue lashing the likes of which we haven't seen around here. Baker seemed to respond to the critique, pitching three effective innings and allowing just one run on a solo home run to Germain Dye.

By then the damage was done and the Twins had an up-hill climb against the efficient Buehrle. Still, they battled back, scoring single runs in the sixth--on Joe Mauer's seventh home run in just 17 games--and seventh. But the Pale Hoser's bullpen shut the door, and the Sox tacked on a couple of runs off new Twin Sean Henn to make it a comfortable 6-2 victory.

Studs:

1. Joe Mauer: Beuhrle kept painting the outside corner with his fastball for two strikeouts. The third time he tried it, Joe took him deep to left.

2. Michael Cuddyer: Nice bounce-back game for Cuddyer after a horrendous series in the New York. Cuddy went 2-4 with a double and a run scored.

3. Denard Span: He too had a nice bounce-back game, going 2-3 with a walk and making some nice plays in left field.

Duds:

1.Scott Baker: We need more fire out of our ace. He was tentative out there, leaving everything up and out over the plate without any life on it. He couldn't throw a curve for a strike to save his life. To his credit, he took his whooping by Anderson after the 44-pitch, three-run second and made the adjustments, finishing his pitches in his last three innings and getting outs. Hopefully he can build on that.

2. Mike Redmond: This White Sox team is notorious for leaning out and swinging hard on balls out over the outside part of the plate. The way to pitch them is hard in. Redmond consistently sat low and away. When Baker missed, he missed over the plate. Also, what's with calling a 3-2 curve ball from Sean Henn to Jim Thome with two outs and two on in the seventh? The guy has a great fastball and a so-so curve. Call his best pitch in on the hands. Also, Redmond felt compelled to increase the Twins streak of games in which they make an out on the bases.

3. Brendan Harris: Once again the second spot in the order is the albatross around the Twins necks. Harris went 0-4 with two GIDP. He also showed stump-like range on Jim Thome's single through the shift in the second, which was followed by Konerko's home run.

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Comments

Hey Justin,

Yeah Joe? Hurry up, the weather outside the dome is just brutal.

You ever get the feeling your hands are a little bit tied up behind your back without a number 2 hitter in the lineup?

by montanatwinsfan on May 20, 2009 12:21 AM EDT reply actions

I think Scott Baker is there on the right next to Perkins, Blackburn and Dickey.

by montanatwinsfan on May 20, 2009 12:35 AM EDT reply actions

Life is good...

Ground ball headed toward short, off the glove of the 4 Million Dollar Jack of No-trades and into left field—scored a hit. Hmmm. I dunno Bert, it looked like he had a little trouble focusing on that one—generous scoring.

"I don't think it's nice, you laughin'. See, my mule don't like people laughing. He gets the crazy idea you're laughing at him. Now if you apologize, like I know you're going to, I might convince him that you really didn't mean it . . ."

by Skippy tastes better than Jiff on May 20, 2009 3:07 AM EDT reply actions

He should have been a dud as well

But he got a hit! A hit! And a sacrifice fly!

But he did have two balls glance off his glove. One was on the pickoff play where Morneau made a perfect throw and Punto simply did not catch the ball for the tag. The other was the play you mentioned. Both runners scored.

"You're thinking too much. Just have fun." -- Bennie "The Jet" Rodriguez in Sandlot

by cmathewson on May 20, 2009 9:22 AM EDT up reply actions

Bad base running there by Redmond, Bert.

see more Fail Blog

by Skippy tastes better than Jiff on May 20, 2009 3:22 AM EDT reply actions

Baker didn't seem to have too much on that pitch...

by Skippy tastes better than Jiff on May 20, 2009 3:29 AM EDT reply actions

thanks guys!!

The comments are worth the price of admission.

Skippy, your picture says 1000 words about Baker’s night.

I keep reminding myself – a baseball team is never as good as it looks when it’s on a winning streak or as bad as it looks when it’s on a losing streak.

I keep reminding myself of that – - – - sometimes it’s hard to believe ….

“listless” is a good word. I swear, in some of the camera shots it looked like we’d sent a 13 year old out to pitch to a major league team …. Baker had a lost little kid look to him.

Losing to Buehrle isn’t much of a surprise – for whatever reason, he seems to pitch consistently well against the Twins. Baker being sooooo pedestrian … THAT is a concern.

by BD57 on May 20, 2009 8:06 AM EDT reply actions

I would loved to see a comparison of our ERA with Redmond calling vs. Mauer. I don’t think we’d be shocked by those results. This team is in trouble. They need to get a hitter in the #2 spot, even if he isn’t fast on the bases, and now, our starters are even more of a problem then the bullpen. Baker is totally lost this year. If this continues I don’t know how you can keep throwing him out there. His ERA must be close to 7.00

by jjstraka on May 20, 2009 11:01 AM EDT reply actions

6.98 to be exact

The Twins were counting on Baker and the Boys to perform as well as last year and that just isn’t happening. Add the bullpen problems and the season could very poorly from here on out.

My fear is that the Twins have started to believe their own hype, that the farm is so deep they can just go back to well for every problem. Eventually the well runs dry. It’s why it is always disappointing in the winter time b/c you know they won’t move prospects for needs. (Bullpen help this off season)

I actually think the offense will be ok but the pitching over all is not going to be enough as it currently stands.

by caluofmn on May 20, 2009 12:05 PM EDT up reply actions

But they did that!

They need to get a hitter in the #2 spot, even if he isn’t fast on the bases

Harris batted in the 2 hole last night, and he’s certainly better than what they’d been running out there. Of course, he was probably the 6th-best hitter in the lineup (after Span, Mauer, Morneau, Kubel, and Cuddyer), but Gardy has Span and Mauer etched in stone at 1 and 3, and he apparently thinks the other guys are too much in the “power hitter” mold to bat that high in the order.

"There are only two things that are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former." - Albert Einstein

by BeefMaster on May 20, 2009 12:07 PM EDT up reply actions

Harris in the number 2 hole

Harris’s OPS in the slot is .571. His OPS down in the order is much better. I know it’s small samples, but you would think he’d hit better ahead of Mauer. Quite the opposite, he seems over-eager in that spot. Would it hurt to take a walk once in a while? That question implies another: Why not get a more patient hitter in that spot? Two walks in 55 PAs won’t cut it in the two hole.

"You're thinking too much. Just have fun." -- Bennie "The Jet" Rodriguez in Sandlot

by cmathewson on May 20, 2009 12:58 PM EDT up reply actions

I am pretty sure they wont move up Mauer, so I am wondering who fits the bill. Also, if you buy into the idea of lineup protection, shouldnt it be harder for the #2 guy to get a free pass, with Mauer and Morneau looming?

by guinness junky on May 20, 2009 1:55 PM EDT up reply actions

I suppose

Then he should get better pitches to hit. But he’s not waiting for better pitches. He’s hacking at pitchers’ pitches with the best hitter in baseball hitting behind him. He had one 0-6 with two Ks and a GIDP in the Yankee series. He had the 0-4 with two big GIDPs last night against a left hander. He’s not the answer.

If they won’t move Mauer up. I think they should try Cuddyer there. He is more patient than Harris. He has better speed (5-5 in SB attempts). And, at the moment, he has a 50-point advantage in OPS after a very cold start.

"You're thinking too much. Just have fun." -- Bennie "The Jet" Rodriguez in Sandlot

by cmathewson on May 20, 2009 2:06 PM EDT up reply actions

Cuddy

was the only guy I could think of. He seems more patient to me, but I wasnt sure if that was my eyes deceiving me.

by guinness junky on May 20, 2009 2:23 PM EDT up reply actions

Cuddy's Patience

He’s leading the team in total walks, and the only players who are walking at a higher rate per plate appearance are Mauer and Punto, neither of whom is going to bat second – Mauer because he’s “The Number Three Hitter”, and Punto because he’s “The Farthest Thing Possible From A Number Three Hitter”. As Twins players go, Cuddyer’s as patient an option as there is.

I’m pretty comfortable with Cuddyer as a 2 hitter – we still kind of think of him as a power hitter, but the way Mauer’s going, Cuddyer will probably finish fifth on the team in homers, so it’s not like you’re “wasting” a power hitter by putting him at the top of the order. On top of that, he’s good at getting on base, he runs reasonably well once he’s there, and he breaks up the string of lefties at least a little bit. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him bunt, but I can’t say that I really care all that much.

Of course, Cuddyer also leads the team at grounding into double plays, although Harris and Young do it at a higher rate.

"There are only two things that are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former." - Albert Einstein

by BeefMaster on May 20, 2009 2:52 PM EDT up reply actions

the Twins do not have a solid number two man

at all. Casilla worked last year, but so far this year he has struggled. Sophomoric slump for Casilla??? could be, but none the less, the Twins have to find a number 2 man.

Punto – NO!
Harris – Works in a pinch
Tolbert – Good God
Casilla – if Casilla can hit like he has in AAA these past few weeks, he is our best option.
Mauer – Gardy always has hit him third and wont change that
Morneau – why?
Kubel – this could be rather interesting option. Kubel hit 2nd in the Minors a lot and succeeded and that was without Mauer hitting behind him. Only drawback to this is the 4 lefties that would be hitting one after the other. Interesting option that I would be willing to try, but would Gardy?
Cuddy – been there done that
Crede – doesnt feature as a number 2 man
Gomez – same as Crede
Span – who bats leadoff?
Young – he did well there in spring training…would that carry over to regular season?

So I would say our options right now are Casilla, who is still stuck in the minors, or Kubel and Young. I would give these a try, probably Kubel and Young before calling up Casilla. Nonetheless, we have to send Tolbert down and Harris isn’t an everyday 2nd baseman as we saw last year. So call up Casilla bat him 7/8/9 in the order and see what happens.

1. Span – LF
2. Kubel – DH
3. Mauer – C
4. Morneau – 1B
5. Cuddyer – RF
6. Crede – 3B
7. Harris/Gomez – SS/CF
8. Punto/Casilla – SS/2B
9. Casilla/Gomez – 2B/CF

by BCTwins on May 20, 2009 2:26 PM EDT up reply actions

Cuddyer

I know he has been better, but there seems to be so many timess when he swings for something low and outside that no human could possibly hit.

It could be my memory is getting the better of me but I’d worry about Cuddyer hitting 2nd. Maybe Harris needs the opportunity and abats to adjust to hitting 2nd?

by caluofmn on May 20, 2009 3:25 PM EDT up reply actions