Execution, execution, execution.

Yes, it’s a morning where 1 1/2 games out feels like 11 1/2. I’m hoping/expecting this too shall pass.

Joe C. blogged in the wee hours about Gardy’s usual lack of flexibility in using Joe Nathan — and I understand the tie-game/ninth-inning/home-road thing. But it felt like last night was a ninth to put in Nathan’s hands, which is too easy to say after the fact. In a 7-7 game, if Gardy could have felt fairly confident that the Twins would score in the 10th, would he have been more likely to go that way?

But the Twins offense hasn’t done much to inspire confidence on this trip. In the seventh, when the Twins tied the game at 2, it really was reasonable to expect more than one run from a second and third/one out situation with three/four/five coming up. Walk/sac fly/ground out was a disappointment.

The other option was keeping Boof in the game. He’d only thrown 13 pitches to that point.

Here’s the bigger picture: When a reliever with Crain’s stuff — mid-90s fastball, good slider, sweet slow curve — has multiple failures in tense situations, it’s not about the arm. Last night, Crain simply didn’t locate his pitches to Emil Brown and Curt Suzuki. One walk and one sat-on fastball and the Twins had another painful loss against a weak team.

In his blog, LaVelle points out that Mauer has one extra-base hit in his last 40 AB’s and Morneau, while hitting the ball hard, is expanding his strike zone. (He also points out that Punto has raised his average from .256 to .293 since August 10.) LaVelle writes: The lads need to calm down and let their hitting talents show. They are good enough to hit good pitching.

Not much else constructive to add here. Oakland’s starting a winless guy with horrible numbers tonight against Slowey. The lads should be good enough to hit that kind of pitching too.

other people are here too

This entry was posted on Friday, August 29th, 2008 at 9:15 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.