Without question, the weekend's four-game set with the Rays at Target Field (of which the Twins lost three) was the most disheartening of the season. We saw late leads slip away in soul-crushing fashion. We saw a typically reliable bullpen cough up nine earned runs and 19 hits over 12 1/3 innings. We saw a magnificent outing from Francisco Liriano go to absolute waste.
In the grand scheme of things, this series doesn't tell us much. The Twins are still just a a half-game out of first place in the division, the offense looks fine with J.J. Hardy back and hitting eighth/ninth, and they got three strong starting performances over the four-game set. The bullpen had a rough weekend, but they've been excellent for most of the season and there's no reason to think this hiccup will become a prevalent issue.
Nevertheless, there is a perception that the Twins aren't a legitimate contender capable of hanging with the well-built AL East clubs. They're doing nothing to dispel that notion. The Twins have a .500 record or worse against every club from the East this year (including the lowly Orioles) and this weekend they were thwarted in their own stadium by a Rays team that simply seemed to want it more.
Whether an actual energy lull or just another symptom of a lingering team-wide slump, this most recent series has once again shown the Twins incapable of grinding out big victories against quality clubs. There's no doubt that this roster is talented enough to make the playoffs and succeed once there, but too many players are underperforming right now and the team is failing to execute in too many big spots.
I imagine the Twins players are anxiously awaiting the All-Star break, which will afford them an opportunity to briefly recharge and start fresh, in an effort to break out of a stretch that has seen them fail to play consistently good ball for well over a month now. (They haven't won more than two consecutive games since the end of May.)
Unfortunately, the Twins will have to go through Toronto and Detroit before the break arrives. At this rate, they'll be lucky to make it in one piece.
----
TwinsCentric will be hosting another gathering at Park Tavern tomorrow night, where folks can get together over great specials and watch the Twins face off against the Jays. There will be all sorts of cool stuff going on at the event; Tim Laudner will be there from 5-6 to chat and sign autographs, and ESPN1500 will be hosting their pre-game show there. We'll also be releasing the latest TwinsCentric publication, which I'm pretty excited about.
15 comments:
Gardenhire said of his 44-38 team's first 82 games, "I'm happy with it." That says it all about where this team is going with Gardy.
If the twins had energy issues in that atmosphere this weekend then what issues are they going to have in a play off atmosphere? Probably the same as always. Seriously though, this bullpen is NOT good. Talent wise it may not even be average. I realize statistically the E.R.A is nice but who out there do you trust? The only inning that scares me more than the 9th inning is the 8th. I'm not blaming them. They're decent pitchers. But to the last man out there they are matchup only capable. If not then why has nobody ever nailed down the 8th inning role? The person who starts it rarely finishes, usually because runners reach and Gardy has to match up. They have CONSISTANTLY faltered vs. elite teams.. Teams that beat us in the playoffs each year.
Lt. Col. L Fletcher Prouty, Ret.
Fenring:
Gardy was talking about the fact we've played this poorly for the last month and were still right in the thick of the division. He wasn't happy with the record and how we've been playing. He was commenting on how we are still right there in the division race. We all know the twins have never been a team that runs away with the division in the first half of the season. When August and September roll around is when we make our run. But only the 2nd half will tell.
I have a hard time believing that the Rays "wanted" it more, they are a better team. A more rounded offensive attack and better starting pitching let them take the series. The Twins need a top starting pitcher, bullpen help and maybe even a third basemen to compete with the 3 top teams in the East. I'm not sure Bill Smith is going to acquire all the pieces necessary for an extended playoff run.
Really nice take, walking the line between the perception that they're unproven and the fact that "perception" at this point doesn't really mean anything other than the fact that they've been really disappointing. A hot streak in the second half and a good playoff run will make all of this a moot point, and even worthwhile, b/c we'll have been through a crap stretch and been made better for it. Still, it sucks, and there's no question that fans expected - and were right to have expected - a fair amount more at this point.
Realist,
What kind of "runs" have the Twins made under Gardy? If by "run" you mean "scramble to win the lowly Central and, if successful, meekly bow out of the playoffs without a whimper", than yes, we've made a few of those.
Here's a thought, though: Why don't the Twins, being supposedly superior to the other teams in the division, play more consistently throughout the year, perhaps wrap up the division early so guys can rest and prepare for the playoffs?
It doesn't really matter though. If they do make the playoffs, they'll be playing someone from the East, and they've made it abundantly clear that they can't/won't compete with those clubs.
Realist:
That is the definition of complacency. And how well have these great second half teams done in October? These teams have been running on fumes at the end of the season and completely out of gas in the playoffs. But Gardy's happy because they make the playoffs. I notice that there has been a lot of lowering of expectations lately.
gardy doesn't like his teams to get "too high or too low" that is why when they win the 1st 2 games of a series, he sits all the starters for the 3rd game. don't want anyone to get too hot or the team to get on a nice streak.
With a harder schedule, wouldn't the Twins be a 5th place team in the East? At best they would be in 4th place, about 3-4 games out of third, even using current records. If this team is afraid of criticism, they shouldn't have hyped themselves in the offseason. I think that they could be good, but this coaching staff is willing to settle for less. We may need someone else to take us to the next level.
Bill Parcells always says, "You are what your record is." We're six games over .500, and that appears to be who we are. Maybe it's good enough to win the AL Central, but I don't know that we're much better than that.
The Rays did it again last night to the Red Sox in pesky fashion. I think it was more them playing well than the Twins doing anything wrong. The Rays are a streaky club who has found their way again. The Twins can definitely beat them, but if both teams are playing their best I'll take the Rays.
All this hype over the off season was generated in house. Looking at the roster, they're the same team as last year that needed game 163 and under 90 wins to take the central. Hudson, Thome, and Hardy... hardly guys who are "the" missing pieces for a world series ring...
Oh, and Nick, still standing by your prediction that Cuddy will outpace Delmon by season's end in "most" offensive catagories? Unless Cuddy does a 180 and drives in some runs, it's looking bleak at this point...
All this hype over the off season was generated in house. Looking at the roster, they're the same team as last year that needed game 163 and under 90 wins to take the central. Hudson, Thome, and Hardy... hardly guys who are "the" missing pieces for a world series ring...
I don't know who said they were "missing pieces for a world series ring" -- certainly not me. I just said they were good acquisitions who made the team better and largely that has been true. Hudson and Thome have both been excellent and have helped fill major holes for this club. Hardy hasn't done much but it's not like the team is hurting without Gomez -- there's no room for him to play with Young's emergence.
The Twins have been underperforming but that has little to do with the players you called out in this comment. In fact, without those players in the mix, it's likely the Twins would be further away from first place than they currently are.
Every player slumps, sometimes more than one player slumps at a time, and sometimes players conspire to slump in ways that cause long and disheartening streaks of ugly baseball. This is one of those times. And it couldn't be happening at a better time.
There is nothing like the all star break to break into a slump and turn things around. Mark my words, we will be just as reactionary in the opposite way come August when we string together impressive wins and look unbeatable. I actually think that the break will completely turn around our pitching, and I wouldn't doubt that a mixture of mental fatigue and varying degrees of dead arm will be to blame for the recent pitching woes.
As a long time fantasy baseball manager (read: obsessed geek), I have come to a fairly moronic but somehow accurate assesment of yearly production for players and teams. When I draft a player, I have some numbers in mind for how he will produce based on development and team. Assuming a lack of injury, that player will get those stats no matter what. According to my failed (but again surprisingly accurate) logic, if a player achieves a large portion of those stats in the first half of the season, its time to trade them because they are all used up. The same goes for teams. If a team uses up all of their production before the all star break, they inevitably hit a slump near the end and back into the playoffs. On the other hand, if a team slumps mid season (twins), they are saving their production for a late rally and hopefully some postseason momentum. My money is on the Twins from August onward.
(This inspirational yet illogical argument provided free of charge for the citizens of Twins territory)
The Twins have been underperforming but that has little to do with the players you called out in this comment. In fact, without those players in the mix, it's likely the Twins would be further away from first place than they currently are.
I agree, Nick, but the organization (not you) hyped up the team quite a bit this offseason. The players they added have helped a ton (and also, I can't overlook Pavano!), but are far from getting them more than a couple wins compared to last year's roster.
Post a Comment