Hitting the Foul Pole

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Well, that was fun

Random musings from last night’s victory:

The first walkoff hit in the entire history of storied Target Field was last night. A prodigious two run blast by White Sox castoff (and future hall of famer, good roster management Ozzie) sealed the victory for the Twins.

Minnesota had some shaky pitching between starter Scott Baker, Closer Matt Capps, and ex-Closer Jon Rauch. This was not encouraging. As awesome as it was to see Thome launch a 450 foot blast onto the plaza, and then get a shaving cream pie in the face from Rauch, a shaky starter and bullpen had be worried. Capps is still leaps and bounds better than Rauch, and I will feel confident if Gardy puts him in to close out a ballgame tonight.

Does anyone else have zero confidence in Baker right now? I know he was impressive against the Rays two starts ago, but his last two have been very bad. Is this someone you want starting in the playoffs? Essentially throwing a reliever out there who is a crapshoot? I do not. Granted we have to GET to the playoffs first, and that is no guarantee. We have seven games left against Texas, including four in Arlington. Those certainly won’t be a cakewalk. We have three left in Chicago, out side of those ten games nothing on the schedule really has me shaking in my boots. If I were to wear boots.

I hate to me Mr. Negative after such an awesome win, but I think it is always important to remember where we were last year (6.5 out of first, in third place) and keep in mind that a team can get white hot for five weeks and do anything. We can’t take our foot off the pedal here, kick them while they are down, etc.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, August 18th, 2010 at 8:57 am and is filed under State of the Team. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

  • Ragstoriches

    Bobby, I’m not sure how Capps is any better than Rauch was (forget leaps and bounds). Two blown saves in, what, 2.5 weeks? Both happened to come against the only playoff contenders he’s faced. I don’t trust him in the least, why should we? All he’s shown me is that he’s pretty much the same exact pitcher as Crain and Guerrier (including an uncanny ability to throw pitches in the absolute geometric center of the strike zone) except less effective.

    Plus the Capps move has just obliterated Rauch’s confidence. He’s not the same guy he was earlier in the year, that’s for sure.

    Baker, though, man. He’s got the mental toughness of an 11-year-old girl. Maybe Capps is going through a “Welcome to a pennant race, kid” type of thing, but Baker’s been through it before.

    Great win though. I’m just bitter I turned the TV off in the top of the 10th.

  • FunBobby

    I am willing to give Capps some time to put together a decent sample size before I judge his level of terribleness. If he had given up the homer to Pierre, I would be ready to string him up, but Ramierz is a good player, so I’m giving him the benefit of the doubt. For now.

  • Ragstoriches

    I’m with you, we may as well be patient with Capps. But did you see that pitch he threw to Ramirez? Pierre could’ve hit that out. Hell, Nick Punto probably could have. Next time some kids asks his dad what a “hanging curve” is, he should pull up a video of that pitch.

  • rghrbek

    I have to agree with Rags. Most of the stats I have seen since we made the trade, seem to suggest that Capps is a sl. better version of Rauch. Throws harder, a couple more strikes, but likes to put runners on base.

    In Rauch’s 30 + appearances this year, 5 times he has come in and had a “clean” inning. That my friends is bad, and if capps is anything like that, again, not good.

    I have more confidence in Baker than the post, but it is disturbing that you are up by 4, and your pitches are getting hit that hard. You figure he might go after them, but not “up” in the zone like that.

    Good win, great if we can win tonight.

  • Ragstoriches

    Should we be concerned about Liriano? Wondering how this season projects out vs. his previous inning totals – is he running out of gas? He was not good last night.

  • rghrbek

    Rags,

    Yes a little. Only if his arm is truly tired. he has been too good to think he is losing it, like baker might be. I think it might be an arm issue (tired).

    Again, not one change up thrown to lefties. i don’t get that?

  • rghrbek

    WhiteSox Twins series = Twins starting pitching….Yuk.

  • rghrbek

    read this on twinkietown:

    Par for the course: Liriano threw one changeup to left-handed hitters, going almost exclusively fastball (21) – slider (15).

    Not par for the course: Liriano threw more changeups (28) than fastballs (25) to right-handed hitters. The slider came out nine times.

    Not understanding still why they don’t call for the change up against lefties? Maybe there is a stat out there that shows lefties killing that pitch. Interesting splits though

  • rghrbek

    You guys gotta comment on the Fuentes pick up! I love it. Gleeman points out that he is an overqualified player to be a loogy, but he’s dominant for that role. Plus he’s no worse as a closer than Crapps!

    With him and Crain in the 8th, Crapps should get a lot of “gardy” style save opps, in which to make us nervous.

    Plus we got him for next to nothing. He also should qualify as a type A free agent, right? I would love it if we signed this dude, next year, let Matty G, Rauch, and everyone else go, besides Crain. Get Salama and Neshek back up here, but that won’t happen. Twins will overpay for Matty G, Crain and pick up Crapps option…

    How about the 1st inning blunder? Ulger is not quite in Al Newman territory yet, but he is getting close. Instead of 2nd and 3rd, with Joe up and no out, against a terrible team, he sends spam home. Brutal. Classic Gardy attempt to bunt, IN THE 2ND INNING. If it’s Puketera then fine, but Casilla is having an ok year, let him swing and play for the big inning.

    Oh well, a win is a win, and I’m out.

  • Ragstoriches

    Cuddy grounding into a DP to end the game: how predictable was that? I had actually conned myself into believing he’d merely strike out and we’d have one last shot. Silly me.

    Oh, and Denard Span getting thrown out trying to steal 3rd? What the f&$# was he doing trying to steal when he was already in scoring position? A stupid, stupid play. He needs to wake up from his season-long nap, quick.

  • FunBobby

    Sorry for the lack of posts. I was in vegas over the weekend, and needless to say I’m not back to 100% yet. I’ll try to get something up today or tomorrow. So I also don’t really have much regarding comments from the games this weekend as I saw very little of them.

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