***Official Twins @ Billy Ripken thread***

[SKOLMN]

I’m so over the pohlads, this team is a trainwreck

[Phil Leotardo]

I’m so over the pohlads, this team is a trainwreck

Between lying about, or at least failing to succeed in having a streaming option, and their vow to cut payroll, they really managed to kill any positive PR last season's mini playoff run earned them.

[weimy froob]

three hit night for miranda. so there's something positive. santana hits into the double play. 1-4 so he raised his average a bunch tonight.

sad, really.

[weimy froob]

at least tweeter ted acknowledged miranda's night. too early for him to say that he had a wrong take on him though.

[Hornets]

I was against putting Varland back in the rotation the minute it happened. Guy failed there last year, was absolutely lights out when put in a relief role, and now is pooping his pants back as a starter. Shame on Falvine for thinking they could just simply put Louie back as a starter to replace Sonny or Kenta....shame on them.

PS- Wallner ain't happenin

[weimy froob]

I was against putting Varland back in the rotation the minute it happened. Guy failed there last year, was absolutely lights out when put in a relief role, and now is pooping his pants back as a starter. Shame on Falvine for thinking they could just simply put Louie back as a starter to replace Sonny or Kenta....shame on them.

PS- Wallner ain't happenin

he's learning on the job. if he fails he can always go back to pitching relief. the orioles are a good hitting team. julien error and a couple of 0-2 pitches that had too much of the plate or that could have been a borderline quality start. the twins have bigger issues at the plate right now then worrying about one fifth of their starting rotation.

[feekdogg]

Luckily Larnach's turf toe healed up a little quicker than anticipated. Wallner has been demoted.

[weimy froob]

As Cedric Mullins trotted around the bases, Louie Varland paced. And paced.

And then he appeared to yell angrily into his glove. Varland’s frustration simmered over after Mullins got ahold of a 2-1 cutter and sent it out into right field for a two-run home run. Those two runs were the fifth and sixth Varland gave up in his five innings as part of the Twins’ 7-4 loss to Baltimore on Monday night at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.

“It was moreso just letting the team down,” Varland said of the frustration.

It was a difficult day — particularly with two strikes — from the outset for Varland against one of baseball’s best lineups, and he was hurt early by the Twins’ infield defense when Edouard Julien was unable to turn what should have been an inning-ending double play in the first inning.

That kept the inning alive long enough for the Orioles (10-6) to put a couple of runs on the board on a Jordan Westburg double that came with two strikes. Baltimore tacked on another pair of runs in the third inning off Varland, and they added two more on Mullins’ big swing two innings later.

“Not leaving the zone with two strikes is an issue right now,” Varland said. “I need to be better at it. I’m letting the team down, and it’s a bad feeling.”

[weimy froob]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

For Varland, it was the second straight start that he has given up six runs. To date this season, the St. Paulite has allowed 13 earned runs in 14 innings over three starts.

But despite the results, the Twins have been pleased with his stuff — it’s more a matter of his execution.

“Lou’s stuff was good tonight. I think he had actually pretty good feel for what he was doing. He threw the ball well, and that’s why it can be frustrating,” manager Rocco Baldelli said. “It’s multiple starts in a row where he threw the ball reasonably well but needs to make better pitches when he gets to two strikes. Those pitches that are in the middle of the zone, those are not quality pitches.”

[weimy froob]

Minnesota Twins
4th AL Central | 6-9
Batting Avg
30th
.194 AVG
Runs
28th
53 R
Earned Runs Avg
10th
3.72 ERA
WHIP
10th
1.23 WHIP

[feekdogg]

1. Julien 2B
2. Jeffers DH
3. Kirilloff 1B
4. Buxton CF
5. Larnach LF
6. Miranda 3B
7. Castro, W SS
8. Margot RF
9. Vázquez C

Paddack vs. Grayson Rodriguez

Fire Baldummy

[PurpleValhalla]

Correa's injury won't keep him out as long as we thought

[LwnmwrMan222]

Seems like just last week someone said it was time for Wallner to be gone and Larnach's time to shine.

[Sidewinder2k2]

As Cedric Mullins trotted around the bases, Louie Varland paced. And paced.

And then he appeared to yell angrily into his glove. Varland’s frustration simmered over after Mullins got ahold of a 2-1 cutter and sent it out into right field for a two-run home run. Those two runs were the fifth and sixth Varland gave up in his five innings as part of the Twins’ 7-4 loss to Baltimore on Monday night at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.

“It was moreso just letting the team down,” Varland said of the frustration.

It was a difficult day — particularly with two strikes — from the outset for Varland against one of baseball’s best lineups, and he was hurt early by the Twins’ infield defense when Edouard Julien was unable to turn what should have been an inning-ending double play in the first inning.

That kept the inning alive long enough for the Orioles (10-6) to put a couple of runs on the board on a Jordan Westburg double that came with two strikes. Baltimore tacked on another pair of runs in the third inning off Varland, and they added two more on Mullins’ big swing two innings later.

“Not leaving the zone with two strikes is an issue right now,” Varland said. “I need to be better at it. I’m letting the team down, and it’s a bad feeling.”

I appreciate his being accountable. That is getting more and more rare in sports. But he said himself he needs to be better. He'll either do that in the next couple starts or he should find himself back in the pen.

[LwnmwrMan222]

13 pitches through 2 for Baltimore pitcher guy.

Twins know it's not getaway day?

[LwnmwrMan222]

What was that play Margot?

[LwnmwrMan222]

And then a 2 run bomb.

3-0 and this game is over.

[feekdogg]

Orioles have an outstanding young core, and there's more highly touted guys still coming.

[Sidewinder2k2]

Gunnar is killing us.

[Sidewinder2k2]

Orioles have an outstanding young core, and there's more highly touted guys still coming.

Yeah, they have finally put it all together and really could contend this year.

[feekdogg]

Orioles have an outstanding young core, and there's more highly touted guys still coming.

Yeah, they have finally put it all together and really could contend this year.

They did something unheard of: They took a big step forward last year, but knew they needed more pitching, so they went out and traded for an ace.
I didn't know you could do that.

[LwnmwrMan222]

Paddock serving up some batting practice.

[D_H]

AWESOME!! Keep on losing hopefully no one is showing up at the yard in June, July, and August & ownership finally gets the message. Fucking lowlife crooks.

[feekdogg]

Pile it on, Baltimore. Let's get these assholes fired before May.

[weimy froob]

twins on their way to a three game losing streak. that doubleheader sweep feels like it was a long time ago. they run into a good lineup and paddack looks a lot worse than louie did--and louie gave up six runs in 4 and two-thirds. twins feel like they're not even close to this young orioles team with the lineup they're putting out there.

[LwnmwrMan222]

Pile it on, Baltimore. Let's get these assholes fired before May.

You think they'd fire Rocco?

I contend he's a yes man to the front office, and I doubt they'd fire him to risk bringing in someone that wouldn't manage like they want (analytics).

Or are you saying fire the front office as well?

[D_H]

Pile it on, Baltimore. Let's get these assholes fired before May.

It’s on ownership

[LwnmwrMan222]

I think the Twins need to go back to the polished batting helmets.

[weimy froob]

buxton hits a two out triple. wheels working.

[LwnmwrMan222]

So they're just letting Paddack pad that ERA, eh?