Trying to be Optimistic
It was a rough day in Boston, and that really leads to it being a rough week, given how the games fell out. Off day, rainout, double header, off day. When the double header consists of a pair of demoralizing blowout losses, it's just not a fun week.
I was really frustrated watching those games yesterday*, and didn't think I'd have anything to say about it.
* You know how when the team is going well you can't help but think that "This team is awesome" and you're on top of the world, and when they look bad you shout "These guys suck! They have no chance" and want to put a fist through your screen? Well, I felt the latter for most of yesterday. But I don't think I want to be overwhelmed by such rollercoaster feelings, so I gave it some time. Hopefully that was for the best.
I was wrong, though. I do have something to say about it. While the offense looked totally flummoxed against Wakefield in the early afternoon, they woke up in the evening against Penny. It doesn't show up in the box score, obviously, but our hitters were tagging the ball, lining it all over the field. Six times a solid line drive landed in a glove, including two lineout double plays. Young put one on the warning track in front of the "420" sign in center, and Ellsbury managed to chase it down. Kubel put two to the track out there in center; Ellsbury got to one and the other became a ground rule double. Morneau, in addition to the homer he absolutely clobbered to straightaway center, bounced another one off the wall that would have been long gone almost everywhere else. The point is that the offense didn't look bad in the evening game, and if you keep swinging the bat like that, eventually the hits are going to fall in. Luck happens, but it's not bad forever.
Ultimately it doesn't matter if the offense is showing signs of starting to look good, if the starting pitching puts you deep in a hole early in the game. Both Baker and Liriano looked bad, again, and if we're going to be any good this year we're going to be leaning really heavily on those two.
But look at it this way: we're 7-9 overall, and we're 0-6 in games started by the top two guys on our staff. That makes us 7-3 when the bottom half of the rotation goes, and most teams would eagerly take that winning percentage from the bottom half of the rotation*. I don't think anything is physically wrong with either Baker or Liriano, they just have to concentrate, hit their spots, be more consistent, make their adjustments, whatever it is pitchers do. Once they turn it around, we'll be in good position to make a nice little run.
* Hell, what team wouldn't take a .700 winning percentage from the entire staff? That's 113 wins.
So, while everything looks bleak for the Twins right now, it's not all bad. Baker and Liriano won't be facing the Indians in this important series this weekend, and they have a little time to get their heads straightened out.
And soon, Mauer will be back. I hear he's swinging well down in Fort Myers.
Posted via email from sirsean.posterous
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