A loss today breaks the Twins record of 102 losses in a season.
In franchise history, only the 1904, '07, '09 and '49 Senators have lost more than 102 ballgames in a season.
In franchise history, the current team sits in 7th place with a losing winning % of .354 ...
Over the past 6 seasons (including 2011), the team is 404-564, accumulating a .417 W-L% over that time.
Only 7 teams in franchise history have allowed more runs than the current squad (873), and I thoroughly expect them to move into 5th place (>880) or perhaps 4th (>889) on that inauspicious list by close of business Sunday.
TONIGHT:
Kyle Gibson v. Danny Duffey.
On the broadcast last night, Bert suggested Gibson needs a good outing to get his ERA below 5, as if there's some psychological benefit to having a high-4's ERA v. anything above 5. Yeah .... okay.
Twins lineup tonight contains 3 players batting .240 or better. Best numbers in the lineup belong to Robbie Grossman.
By comparison, KC's features only 1 player batting below .240.
I will not be sad when Kyle Gibson is traded for a bag of magic beans.
After I said this, Gibby has struck out about 67 people and allowed like 1 base runner. Go figure.
Gibson led the Twins in rWAR last year when they had a winning record.
Triples are sexy.
Yes!
Also, I like this version of Buxton a lot better than the K-prone version.
2-3 with a walk. Since his callup at the beginning of the month, he's batted .273/.326/.580/.906.
Still very K-prone with 34 K in 96 PAs (35%!).
The nice part is, his track record in the minors isn't terrible: a 21% K-rate in more than 1400 PA's & a BB% of 10%. If he could get close to mimicking that, I'd take it.
The nicer part is, he accumulated 1.5 WAR in only 90 games - good for 5th most on the current roster.
Through last night, he's at .286/.343/.615/.959. Assuming his K% and BB% this month matched what he did in the minors but his batting average on balls contacted matched what he's done in MLB (I'm assuming better fielders), I estimate he would instead be batting .261/.347/.557/.904. He would have three more walks, 13 fewer strikeouts and about three fewer hits (minus one home run, one double, and one single). He's been a bit lucky for BABIP, that's why I roughly estimated a BA drop. Now in the minors, he had better contact skills so it's reasonable the .261 would improve. That said, even if it doesn't, I'll take that line.
Plus some more confidence to drive up the SB numbers.
There is something to be said about the Twins annually play players that are picked up off the scrap heap, but Robbie Grossman has been a nice find (well, maybe not defensively )
Agreed.
b-r has Grossman at 2.4 oWAR and -2.5 dWAR
oofta
(Sano is next with -1.3 dWAR)
Note that dWAR includes position. Since Grossman has played in left, that will contribute to his negative dWAR. Subtract that and he's instead at -2.0 wins from fielding. Okay, yeah, he's been terrible in the field. But let's blame the pitchers instead for not aiming the balls to him.
Kintzler is giving up a gram slam here.
Good god no!
Be still my beating heart.
WIN
I dont know how to feel
That was a fun way to win.
An overturned pick off? Yeah. I liked that. Something new.
If they're this bad anyway, I want it to be historic bad. As this was my last game log of the campaign, I was hoping for history.
Well alrighty then! Loss #103 comes against the South Siders.
Kepler with the true save.
Terrance Gore has more career HBP (2) than hits and walks combined (0)
He also has more stolen bases than PAs.
He's one of nine players in MLB history with that feat. He's fourth on that stolen base list. He's no Herb Washington but he could pass Don Hopkins this year.
And the Twins avoid the 0-fer in KC for the season.
Twins scored 7 runs tonight despite having only 3 players in the lineup that were in the Opening Day lineup.
The Twins opened the season by losing nine straight. I don't think being in the Opening Day lineup was a good qualification.