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 Spedito - 13/07/2022 : 06:55:37
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CINCINNATI For the most part, the Twins have the same lineup as the team that lost 92 games last year.
The core players Brian Dozier, Joe Mauer, Trevor Plouffe and Kurt Suzuki are the same, and it wasnt like the lineup was the problem last year, as the regulars at every position had an OPS+ in triple digits. Torii Hunter has proven to be a nice pickup, with an OPS+ of 105, but several players, most notably Suzuki and Danny Santana, are having worse years at the plate than they did a season ago.
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One member of this years rotation, Ricky Nolasco https://www.justseahawks.com/seattle-seahawks-t-shirts , has an FIP of better than 3.00, and hes on the 60-day disabled list, having made just seven starts. The only other starter under 4.00 is Trevor May, at 3.16, and his record is 6-7.
The Twins, who were thought to be at least a year away from contention, with lots of young talent on the way from the farm system, are seventh in the American League in scoring and eighth in team earned run average. Yet, somehow, at 49-40, Minnesota has the Junior Circuits second-best record coming out of the All-Star break, 4.5 games behind the Royals in the Central and four games up on the Rays in the wild card race.
In the middle of spring training, we got together, with Torii and Joe and those guys and we went, Hey, weve got a pretty good team, said Dozier, who made his first career All-Star appearance on Tuesday, bringing 19 homers and an .841 OPS with him to the Midsummer Cla sic. Obviously, we needed to see how the pitching and rotation would shake out, but its been awesome, man. I cant tell you enough about the confidence in our clubhouse, and the way everyones going about their busine s. When we lose, its kind of like, Screw it, well win tomorrow, rather the last few years, where it was a lot different than that. Weve been playing good baseball. Our starting pitching has been doing an amazing job, and a lot of young guys are stepping up. Its been good so far.
The Twins confidence was on display right before the All-Star break, as Minnesota took three of four games from the Tigers to solidify second place in the Central. The key game in https://www.justseahawks.com/seattle-seahawks-women-jersey that series was Friday night, when the Twins scored seven runs in the bottom of the ninth inning, capped by Doziers three-run homer, for an 8-6 win.
That doesnt happen, said Twins All-Star closer Glen Perkins. I saw teams were 0-1057 the last two years (when down by five runs in the ninth inning). It doesnt happen to anybody. I dont think thats because were a different team this year. We didnt give up. Thats been our M.O. this year is that weve battled. We started the season poorly and weve battled. Weve come back in games that weve been down. That one, we managed to come back in one inning. I dont think its because were a better team. I think its because we didnt give up.
Perkins is right that the comeback against the Tigers was a freak https://www.justseahawks.com/al-woods-jerseys occurrence, but not giving up is part of the reason that the Twins are a better team. Given that the roster is not significantly different from last years, it stands to reason that the mental side of the game, under new manager Paul Molitor, is part of the reason for the Twins surge. Its the thing that opponents notice most.
They believe, Tigers ace David Price said. They believe in themselves. They know how much talent they have on that team, and they have that win-now attitude. Thats the attitude that every team has to have on the field. For those guys, it shows. Like Dozier said the other night, that team, they never feel like theyre out of any game. They have a very solid lineup and they have a very good bullpen as well. Its a scary team. They can pitch, they can hit, they can field and they can run the bases. When you face teams like that, you have to limit your mistakes, because if you dont, theyll put up runs in a hurry.
The Twins could have had a reason not to believe in themselves. They started the season not only by getting swept in Detroit, but by getting outscored 22-1 over three games. Minnesota was 1-6 before taking the final two games of its first home series, against the Royals, and then came the game that really got the Twins believing.
Down by two runs, Minnesota scratched its way back into a tie against reigning Cy Young winner Corey Kluber, then won in the 11th inning on a Plouffe home run. It was the first of four walkoff wins for the Twins in the first half.
We kind of took off from there, and weve maintained confidence, Perkins said. Weve had bumps in the road, but its good to know that those are expected https://www.justseahawks.com/bobby-wagner-jerseys , that thats gonna happen. Succe s breeds more succe s. Thats confidence, thats all the things that weve talked about. You get in a situation and think, We can do this. Were not done.
Widely picked to finish last at the beginning of the year, the Twins are far from done as the season turns toward its climax. They may be just getting started. |
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