Good Start, Bad Finish, Another Loss

by RandBall's Stu on Sep 9, 2011 10:42 PM EDT in Game Recaps

The Twins got off to a terrific start on Friday night, tagging Tigers starter Brad Penny for four runs on five consecutive hits, with Danny Valencia's two-run triple providing the key blow. Penny ended up throwing 43 pitches in the first, and after Kevin Slowey set the Tigers down 1-2-3 in the bottom of frame, it looked like a promising night for the AL Central's basement dwellers.

If you've watched the Twins at all this year, though, you know that hope doesn't just die, it gets hit in the neck with a shovel and bleeds out on the front lawn in front of its kids. In this case, the Twins bats went silent, and Detroit hammered away at Slowey, narrowing the lead to 4-3 in the second on a 3-run oppo dong from Alex Avila. Slowey kept working quickly and throwing strikes, which was good, but Detroit kept crushing the ball, which was bad. After a Wilson Betemit triple tied the score, Ramon Santiago blistered a 2-run homer to put the Tigers up for good. Slowey's line: 4 IP, 60 pitches, 41 Ks, some very well-struck baseballs.

Kyle Waldrop entered the game in the 5th and immediately gave up a long home run to Delmon Young, who I think used to be a Twin? (Can somebody check on that and put the answer in comments? My mom won't let me Google after 9:00.) He settled down and kept the Twins in the game, but the offense was unable to capitalize on some walks allowed by the Detroit bullpen in the 7th and 8th. Final: Detroit 8, Minnesota 4.

Studs: Valencia, Chris Parmelee (RBI single! Married well!), Waldrop (3 IP, only hit was the Young bomb).

Duds: Penny, Slowey, Nishioka (another error).

Enjoy your weekend, everybody.

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Comments

Is there any evidence Slowey has a clue?

Before the game, Anderson, Slowey & Mauer go over the lineup & develop a game plan, yes?

So how is it Slowey’s constantly shaking Mauer off?

by BD57 on Sep 9, 2011 10:52 PM EDT reply actions

He's smarter than Mauer.

by Gunnarthor on Sep 9, 2011 11:19 PM EDT up reply actions

Is there any evidence Mauer has a clue?

Before the game, Anderson, Slowey and Mauer go over the lineup & develop a game plan, yes?

So how is it Mauer can’t put down the sign Slowey wants?

by USAFChief on Sep 10, 2011 12:49 AM EDT up reply actions

Is there any evidence Anderson has a clue?

Before the game, Anderson, Slowey and Mauer go over the lineup & develop a game plan, yes?

So how is it Anderson can’t get Mauer to put down the signs and have Slowey not shake him off?

Follow me, mmk?

Fudgesicle Fudgesicle Fudgesicle

by John_Locke on Sep 10, 2011 12:56 AM EDT up reply actions

Is there any evidence Slowey has a clue?

Before the game, Anderson, Slowey and Mauer go over the lineup & develop a game plan, yes?

So how is it Slowey can’t tell Mauer in advance how he’d like to pitch to each guy?

by spanspanspan on Sep 10, 2011 1:10 AM EDT up reply actions

I know the answer to all of these

Slowey’s scared cause his eyelids are jammed and his old man’s there, they need a live — is it a live rooster? — a live rooster to take the curse off Joe’s glove, and nobody seems to know what to get Krista and Justin for their anniversary present.

They’re dealing with a lot of shit!

by ColossusOfRhode on Sep 10, 2011 4:26 AM EDT up reply actions 2 recs

Candlesticks make a nice present

by DJL44 on Sep 10, 2011 8:21 AM EDT up reply actions

So would a baby.

I'm a proud fan of the Minnesota Twins and Dallas Cowboys!
"Life is precious and time is a key element. Let’s make every moment count and help those who have a greater need than our own." – Harmon Killebrew

by Jessy S on Sep 10, 2011 1:34 PM EDT up reply actions

Is there any evidence a baby has a clue?

They’re very expensive and illegal to buy and sell in the US and CA. We should stick with the candlesticks.

"Don't take life for granted, because tomorrow isn't promised to any one of us." -Kirby Puckett
"I am laughing right now. Am I insane?" Jessy S

by less cowbell, more 'neau on Sep 10, 2011 3:18 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

Cmon people,

Their anniversary was in January….However the baby is almost 1 year old…Do we here at TT have a present in mind??

by athome on Sep 10, 2011 3:52 PM EDT up reply actions

A baby can be adopted

by Jessy S on Sep 10, 2011 8:30 PM EDT up reply actions

So Hughes has hit 4 of his 8 career home runs off detroit pitchers and 1 off Penny already this season and he’s not in the lineup?

by Brendan Sing on Sep 10, 2011 12:16 AM EDT reply actions

it's surprising

Because gardy usually likes useless stats like that as much as you do

"Pinch-bunters don't have a ton of value, even with the Twins"

by Steven Ellingson on Sep 10, 2011 10:40 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions

i’m just pointing it out man. plus he hit another one off penny in spring meaning that he’s faced pennyin 2 games and has 2 HRsoff him. just didn’t look like abad match up thats all

by Brendan Sing on Sep 10, 2011 11:16 AM EDT up reply actions

SASS

Small ass sample size

by twinscrazy_german on Sep 10, 2011 3:43 PM EDT up reply actions

Outliers are meaningful

Thome v. Rick Reed wasn’t small sample size. Sometimes small sample size flukes are because the pitcher is pwned.

by DJL44 on Sep 10, 2011 7:14 PM EDT up reply actions

As I pointed out in another thread, as a Tiger, Delmon is almost good.

So far, Delmon raised his ops by 120 points before tonight. (OPS+ is at +29 compared to with the Twins. The improvement has been across the board, due to better hitting (not plate discipline) and a hell of a lot more power.

Basically it looks like what he needed was to get away from the Twins. After that he decided to try/got better lineup protection/got competent coaches and med staff or some combination of those three.

by MNPundit on Sep 10, 2011 1:26 AM EDT reply actions

That's been on my mind too

Although I’m as “meh” on Delmon as any other fan, I can’t help but worry that he’s suddenly going to blossom now that he’s in Detroit. I’m not saying we absolutely should have kept him, but considering how dogmatic the Twins brass and coaches are about the pathetic Twins Way and all the good players that have been bounced for apparently not fitting it like a glove, I can’t help but wonder if Delmon might join that list.

When I was a kid, I would cover a blue futon with a white blanket, prop it up with a fan set on high, and pretend it was the Metrodome. That should tell you a lot.

by MarshalltheIrish on Sep 10, 2011 4:23 AM EDT up reply actions

Wrong

Twins way didn’t keep him from doing well last year. Delmon is what he is – prone to hot streaks but too undisciplined to be consistently good. Essentially, he’s Jeff Franceour, not a player you build around. It was time for him to go.

by matswilander on Sep 10, 2011 9:24 AM EDT up reply actions

I hope that stays the case

He’s definitely the most easily replaceable of all the kinds of players we’ve let go, and his attitude and laziness were just ridiculous. I didn’t say absolutely that he was repressed by the Twins Way (as you said, his season last year was excellent), but it’s worth wondering to a small degree. Maybe it just stings to see him head to the playoffs as we sink towards the bottom…

When I was a kid, I would cover a blue futon with a white blanket, prop it up with a fan set on high, and pretend it was the Metrodome. That should tell you a lot.

by MarshalltheIrish on Sep 10, 2011 6:20 PM EDT up reply actions

But

One had to love the writings produced by Randballstu. Delmon reading a book and grilling in left field, classic.

by Jessy S on Sep 10, 2011 8:31 PM EDT up reply actions

To the extent it stings me, it's because it reminds me of...

….David Ortiz.

by MNPundit on Sep 10, 2011 11:05 PM EDT up reply actions

He needed August and September

The guy is one of the coldest players in the league in April and May. He’s horrible every year to start the season. Detroit just got the two months Delmon is productive every year.

by DJL44 on Sep 10, 2011 8:22 AM EDT up reply actions

this

I don't know, but I've been told it's hard to run with the weight of gold,
'the other hand, I've heard it said, it's just as hard with the weight of lead.

by montanatwinsfan on Sep 10, 2011 10:49 AM EDT up reply actions

Is why

North Dakota is better than Montana.

Seriously, Detroit inserts Delmon into their lineup at third, and he goes on a tear. Now imagine what everything would look like if Delmon were to have an entire offseason under the Tigers coaching staff minus the person that could become a future manager, for us.

by Jessy S on Sep 10, 2011 1:39 PM EDT up reply actions

i imagine

He sucks so much ass to start the year, that he needs to hit reasonably well for two months to keep his job.

And he does exactly that.

Just like he dis here.

"Pinch-bunters don't have a ton of value, even with the Twins"

by Steven Ellingson on Sep 11, 2011 1:30 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions

Hmm I think that could describe the Twins too.

Not every year, but the past 10 years they usually seemed to struggle more in April relative to the other months. Anyhow, you’re probably right. I guess we’ll have to see what happens next season. But even so, not bad timing from Detroit.

by MNPundit on Sep 10, 2011 12:46 PM EDT up reply actions

Partly because Delmon Young is horrible every year in April

Lots of slow starters on the Twins.

by DJL44 on Sep 10, 2011 7:15 PM EDT up reply actions

Tonight was Avilla's 31st consecutive game started, all at catcher, according to JoeC.

That can’t be right, can it? I’d been led to believe by the local nine there is some MLB rule against catchers catching more than 3 games in a row, or a day game after a night game, or a game with a stiff neck, or a game with the sniffles.

What gives? Somebody should report those cheating Tigers to the commissioner.

by USAFChief on Sep 10, 2011 1:47 AM EDT reply actions

Even so

He’s only going to start about 130 games at C this year. Maybe less now that they have a backup C and have the division pretty much locked up.

Mauer only started 109 games at C in his MVP year, and as has been pointed out time after time, he’s not atypical compared to other catchers.

by spanspanspan on Sep 10, 2011 2:16 AM EDT up reply actions

Yeah, it's time for Joe to learn how to play 3B

Catching 60 games and playing 1B/3B for 75 more might be the way to go for the next few seasons until he can’t handle catching the 60 games.

If playing 3B protects his legs enough that he can get some power they need to make the move permanent. 15HR is worth the cost of not having him catch.

by DJL44 on Sep 10, 2011 8:29 AM EDT up reply actions

Pretty sure that's not right, there was one game in that stretch that Santos caught and Avila DH'd.

by rcpratt on Sep 10, 2011 10:53 AM EDT up reply actions

It's 14 games, not 31

Santos caught on August 25th, Avila sat that day. There was one off day mixed in there (Sept 8).

by DavidRF on Sep 10, 2011 12:50 PM EDT up reply actions

Even so

Players can use that off day to rest or improve their game.

Also, Avila did catch 19 games in a row from August 5th to the 24th.

by Jessy S on Sep 10, 2011 1:53 PM EDT up reply actions

I guess the result isn't too terribly surprising, given the season

But they were winning 4-0 when I left. It seemed so promising.

I guess I should have stayed away.

by ColossusOfRhode on Sep 10, 2011 3:50 AM EDT reply actions

At least we kicked Chicago’s ass this year!

When I was a kid, I would cover a blue futon with a white blanket, prop it up with a fan set on high, and pretend it was the Metrodome. That should tell you a lot.

by MarshalltheIrish on Sep 10, 2011 6:22 PM EDT up reply actions