Twins and White Sox stumbling down the stretch
Posted on September 16th, 2008 – 11:57 AMBy Joe Christensen
CLEVELAND — The Twins are 8-13 since Aug. 22, when they reached their high-water mark for the season with an 11-inning win over the Angels.
But the White Sox are 7-10 in their past 17 games. Both teams look incapable of taking control of the division.
In September, the Twins are 5-8, the White Sox 6-7.
Since the All-Star break, the Twins are 29-26, the White Sox 29-25.
As Phil Rogers notes in today’s Chicago Tribune, the Twins’ bullpen is 3-12 since Aug. 4. He writes this to remind readers, who are tired of watching the White Sox bullpen struggle, that things could be worse.
Chicago squandered a 7-0 lead late in Game 2 of its doubleheader with Detroit on Sunday before Dewayne Wise hit his big grand slam. On Monday, Chicago’s bullpen lost another one in New York.
White Sox relievers have given up 11 runs on 12 hits in their past six innings, Mark Gonzales notes in this story.
Note: Check back later for tonight’s starting lineups.
43 Responses to "Twins and White Sox stumbling down the stretch"
If the Twins could just show some damn fire the division is right there for the taking. Talking to a Sox fan at work and he said some of Ozzie’s moves with their bullpen has left him scratching his head. So Gardy isn’t the only one who sometimes doesn’t make sense.
Yeah, no idea why is was messing with Wasserman last night. Guy has been terrible. But hey, I’ll take it! Almost makes up for all those Guerrier moves…… oh wait, no, it doesn’t at all.
The Twins’ bullpen has allowed three runs in the last 22 innings and has not allowed an inherited runner from the starters to score in that time (starting from the first game against the Royals).
Twins need to stick with the nine best players every night and move to a four-man rotation these last two weeks.
[…] Originally published by Around the Majors […]
I was thinking today with all the hype around Jeter set to break the mark for hits at Yankee stadium, who has the most hits at the Metrodome with only one season to go indoors? Has to be Puckett…or Dave Engle? What about Metropolitan Stadium. Rod Carew…or
Rob Wilfong? (LOL)
It is time to see Tolbert at ss. Too many mistakes by Punto is costing this team dearly.
I hate to say it but I don’t think the Twins have much of a chance to pull out a central title. The bullpin has given up two many runs and the CWS can slam a couple of homers whenever needed.
White Sox bullpen is just as bad as the Twins no matter what that Sox columnist said. Giving up a 7 run lead? They lucked out that some 30 year old minor leaguer hit a HR.
Whoever makes it from the AL Central will be gone in the first round anyway.
On the other hand, if the Twins go 4-2 over the next 6 games (Liriano starts twice, Baker once, and go 1-2 in the other three starts?), they will be heading into the Chicago series no worse than 3.5 games back, and in all likelihood, no worse than 1.5 games back. Then they are at home against the ChiSox, with huge crowds cheering them on. Take two of three from Chicago, and this thing could be tied going into the last weekend. This division is very winnable.
Relax Nora….at least the White Sox had a 7 run lead to give up.
umm “no worse than 1.5 games back. Then they are at home against the ChiSox, with huge crowds cheering them on. Take two of three from Chicago, and this thing could be tied going into the last weekend”
if Twin’s are 1.5 games out and take 2 of 3 they are not tied but actually .5 back with Whites having the Tigger “rainout” game at hand
Just about every team in a playoff chase is frustrating their fans lately. Detroit fans have been frustrated since April. Enjoy the tension.
Time to go with Big Sweat and Mijares. And hope that Crain comes back a new a rested “man” (very possible).
(Reyes threw a 93 mph FB last week.)
Those 3 and Nathan can hold the fort. Boof and Guerrier can be the sacrificial lambs for the blowouts, whatever.
Don’t know how good Breslow really is. But he could be valuable.
But the key experiment is for Gardy to let Mijares fly and hold back on Guerrier. I still think Guerrier’s arm is a little tired. This could allow him to rest up for the playoffs.
If Chicago doesn’t improve, I’m optimistic.
“Just about every team in a playoff chase is frustrating their fans lately. ”
except for: Angels,Rays,Red Sox,Cubs
OK, then, .5 game back going into the final weekend. My point is, this isn’t over, in fact it’s very realistic.
Baseball Prospectus gives the Twins a 23% chance at the playoffs, but I have to think it’s higher than that. I think the Twinks can take these last two games against Cleveland.
twins are the lucky ones. they are lucky that chicago has sucked just as much as the twins. twins still 1.5 gb with a 5-8 record in september - that is lucky.
Right, AM. Twins can get these two and go 5-5 the rest of the way. They will win it if The Great Whites go 5-7.*
*(ozzie bad mouthed the little piranhas in Joe C.’s blog.)
but tc, couldn’t the same be said of the white sox? that they’re lucky the twins have sucked as much as the white sox?
all the teams have flaws.
“Whoever makes it from the AL Central will be gone in the first round anyway.”
Wellllllll…….maybe not.
Tampa can still win their thing. Then the Angels and R. Sox would fight it out. It would be the best road team vs the best home team (essentially).
I would NOT want to face the Red Sox if they have home field. They’ve been Manny-less but are now born again.
I expect the Twins to win today and then lose the next 2. The last 3 games in Tampa will reveal everything. Looking for a split in Tampa.
THEN the Twins chances will look good in the playoffs if they take on Tampa while the R. Sox are the WC.
so they are both lucky. does not change the fact the twins have been playing like crap for the last 4 weeks and are lucky to be even be talking about the playoffs.
So both tams are lucky, because both teams are crappy.
Got it.
Spelled correctly, that would be:
So, both teams are lucky, because both teams are crappy.
Got it.
Relax Twinkie fans, you get to play my Sox in the Dome for 3 games. We are toast in your home park. It doesn’t matter who pitches against the WS, even Boof Bonser beats us like a drum.
You win those 3 games, win 2 against Cleveland and 2 against KC and that get you to 89 wins. I think 90 takes the division. Winning at Tampa is a tall order for either of our teams.
Would you care to swap bullpens with the White Sox?
I assume the Twins will face Garza this weekend? What are the matchups?
I kind of like the idea of starting either Humber or Bonser tomorrow. Going against an ace, having an underdog mentality is a good thing. If we’d won yesterday, that would’ve been easier to do.
OK, I just looked at the schedule. TB series should line up like this:
Shields, Jackson, Kazmir, Sonnanstine. Miss out on Garza.
Also, looks like Lee would start against CWS on the last day of the regular season (aside from the CWS-Det makeup game.)
Start Bonser??????? You have to be joking. Next To Guerrier, Bonser is the biggest joke (pitcher) on the team. Bonser spit the bit along time ago and his body language shows he thinks he is too good to be a reliever. He and Guerrier and Crain and Guardado need to be dumped over the winter. All 4!!!!
Too bad for Matt, good for us. Garza probably would have pitched a shut out against us.
Since the start of the Angels series, the Twins are 1-12 in games decided by 1 or 2 runs.
These things go in cycles. We are going to start winning some close games over the last two weeks.
“I assume the Twins will face Garza this weekend?”
Garza (3 BB’s and 3 K’s in 5 innings Saturday) is slated for Thursday vs Perkins. (I wanted it to be Baker, but there’s “not much we can do” according to Gardy.)
Sonnenstine today, Shields tomorrow (I’m presuming). So we’ll skip Shields and get Sonnenstine Sunday.
Jackson (4.33 ERA) on Friday.
Kazmir (in a downward sprial yesterday) on Saturday.
The Twins have –
Blackburn - Fri
Slowey .. - Sat
Liriano . - Sun
“Start Bonser??????? You have to be joking.”
Of course. And it’s a joke to think we’ll beat Lee twice this year.
They want to know what Humber is made of. He’s out of options. Boof too. Let ‘em blast off and see how far they soar.
Garza is starting tomorrow against Boston.
romer,
AM is correct. We get Shields, Jackson, Kazmir and Sonnestine.
Garza is pitching the final game against Boston tomorrow.
What an uninspired bunch the twins are.
“What an uninspired bunch the twins are.”
hmmm. what does that say about the 21 teams with worse records?
THE ABSOLUTE ONLY WAY THE TWINS STAND A CHANCE TO TAKE THE DIVISION IS PUTTING PERKINS IN THE PEN AND GOING WITH A FOUR-MAN ROTATION FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR. HE’S A GREAT PITCHER BUT HE ALWAYS DIES IN THE MIDDLE INNINGS, AND WE NEED SOMEONE ELSE IN THE PEN WHO CAN GET OUTS.
I like the twins chances if they can nail the division down. I Don’t give the whitesox any chance because i have never seen such a one dimensional team needing the homerun to win games more then the whitesox. I don’t have the stats but when chicago doesn’t hit a homerun their record is so bad. That’s why ozzie admires the twins so much. The twins are a complete team.
We all know this is going down to the last series of the year for both teams. I just have to take a deep breath after every game and see what happens.
Just for posterity, Fire Gardy, the Angels, Rays, Red Sox and Cubs are IN the playoffs, and even the Rays fans got on edge after a recent losing streak.
Right now it seems like neither team wants it, maybe because they’re both scared of facing the other playoff teams. I don’t blame them either, neither the Twins nor White Sox have a chance against the Angels, Rays or Red Sox.
Even if Chicago loses tonight, I don’t think I can stomach anymore of this. It was a great summer with the team exceeding everyones expectations. Thank you Twins players and Gardy, hopefully one these years ownership will care enough to do something to help you down the stretch.
beating Cliff Lee twice this season is a very hard. Im sorry, but the Twins need a miracle to beat Lee. When we get to Tampa, please Gardenhire do not start Perkins and Blackburn.Any one else will be find just not these two. Another lost tomorrow against Lee and a Sox win thats 3.5 so that Tampa series is looking very critical. Warning, that fat lady is ready to sing…….
