Issues with ALDS Game 2

[Coach1310]

Okay..... because it still bugs me after a few hours..... here are my issues with Game 2

#1. Leaving Pavano in an inning too long. Pavano is a really good pitcher when he is getting both corners.... Wendelstadt was OBVIOUSLY not calling the inside corner to lefties and against the Yanks and if you aren't a power guy it is REALLY hard to get them out without it... After Gardy saw time and time again, that Pavano wasn't going to get that corner, he should have been pulled... I thought are bullpen was as deep as its ever been... CJ Wilson was dealing for the Rangers today, had a 6 run lead and was pulled after 6 and a third...

#2. I am a HUGE Joe Mauer fan...... HOWEVER, he needs to start producing like a superstar in big spots. No doubt he'll go 4-5 numerous times in June and July, but Please Joe, can you give me ONE BIG HIT when it really matters....

#3. Umpires.... are these really the best guys in baseball. They blew MAJOR calls in every game today.... also, I know you aren't supposed to argue balls and strikes, but in the playoffs, you need to cut the manager some slack.... Maddon for the Rays hardly said anything before he got tossed and when Wendelstadt watches a replay of this game he will fully understand how poor his strikezone was tonight.... Anyone find it funny the don't show the strikezone thing very often when the ump is wrong????

#4. I am really, really, really sick of losing to the Yankees...... I'm starting to understand how you guys in your 40s, 50s, 60s feel about the Vikes and the constant dissappoinment.....

Okay, I'm done for now.........

[harvey lee]

I have watched numerous games in the play off's in both the AL and NL. Seems many of the better teams pull their pitchers before they go to that bad inning.

The Twins, we wait until the pitchers stuff is gone and we give up the lead or worse.

I agree with Joe, he is the Twins star and he sure does not play that way this year in the play offs.

The Twins will find it very hard when both Mauer and Kubel continue to strike out or pop out. Too many times we could have scored numerous runs for a tighter game or a win and we come home with a big goose egg.

Its very hard to feel that the Twins have any chance when it happens time and time again. I am sure the Yanks are now deep into the Twins heads.

I hate to be negative when I state before the play offs that they are going nowhere but in all reality, whast else can one believe. Yes, one can dream but that will not win games.

Yes, they had a great year and we do so often but in the end, we die.

It sure would have been nice to have had Cliff Lee and I believe the results could have been different.

[Mr.Seaguar]

You know why Mauer isnt hitting? Because hes thinking as he goes to the plate, here we go again, Gardy leaves the starter in too long and we blow it, AGAIN. We win the same number of playoff games as the Royals, AGAIN. He knows whats going on better than we do.

[SledNeck]

Doesnt matter that they left Pavano in too long. Twins cant score runs anyways.

[PierBridge]

That's fun part of being a sports fan is all the after the fact 2nd guessing we get to do. As bummed out as I was last night I had to chuckle along with the radio announcers at the callers that were calling in after the game and there lame brain reasoning for the loss's..

So now Gardy leaves his starters in TOO long?....LOL....that's funny to say the least.

Let's bash Mauer based on 2 play-off games, 8 at-bats. Thats another good one....do you guys realize how difficult baseball is and maybe the other team knows who the best hitters are on the other team?...LOL...me thinks not.

It's a game of inches and a split sedcond can change a series.

The pitch to A-Rod Weds night didn't go our way and we had to bring in our best reliever and he got rocked. Last night we strike Berkman out plain as day and the ump chokes like some of our players have. We get that call and its one out and one on versus 2nd and 3rd and no outs.

I'd like to blame the Umps but they are the best and they make mistakes too far less than the players but mistakes none the less. Andy Petite the all time leader in play-off wins was the key or reason for last nights game.

Definitely frustrating for sure as the Defending world champs the 250 million dollar war machine appeared to be and are beatable this time around.

Go Twins it ain't over til it's ova!!!!

[harvey lee]

And we left runners on base and big Joe left them there also. Seems the high dollar Yanks get the clutch hits to win and we get outs.

Come on.

Yes, Gardy does leave the starters in way to long and I have stated this all season. I tell my wife all the time while we watch the game its time to go to the bullpen. 4 runs later and the lost of the lead, then we do.

No, I do not have the skills to be the coach but I have common sense. All the other games when I watch they seem to get their pitchers out b-4 all he?? breaks loose.

Seems Andy P went out before he gave up a bunch of runs also.

I would love more than anyone to see the Twins win the series but, the fat lady is signing and she is almost done with her song.

[Musky Buck]

I'm sure Joe thought great, 2 nights in a row a lefty and I've eeked out 1 homerun in 84 home games or did he have 2. I wondered last night how this series might have played out in the dome. Home field is no advantage if you lose and I doubt the Yanks had zero concern over being on the road. Did you guys hear the questions Gardy was asked on the radio last night, man there were some really dumb ones. Soit's boiling down to the yankees love to play us and we don't want to face them. How many playoff game losses is it in a row now like 11 or something ? Having trouble remembering our last playoff win. If Morneau's coconut is this shaky we need a plan B quickly. We can't afford to play in playoff games without the American League MVP from a few years back, likely not the difference but not someone most pitchers enjoy throwing to.

[mrklean]

would have been nice if gardy had a major freak out like rip the bases up and kick dirt all over the plate and throw his hat in the stands, maybe that would motivate this team to hit the ball

[PierBridge]

Everybody is entitled to there opinion which is half the fun.

Go Twins!...

[Gissert]

What really struck me last night was a dougout shot of the Twins in the later innings. Mauer was sitting there with his leg gear on, looking like he was daydreaming. Everyone else was scattered about, and it looked like they were at the back half of a doubleheader in late June. It was just a quick camera shot, but there seemed to be a lack on intensity.

I remeber in '87 and '91, that there seemd to be a lot more team unity than this group.

[B. Amish]

just for the record, was gardy supposed to pull pavano before or after he got ejected? before or after the mis-called strikeout of berkman?

[harvey lee]

That was not my point at all. Thats a simple way to cover for Gardy.

[harvey lee]

What really struck me last night was a dougout shot of the Twins in the later innings. Mauer was sitting there with his leg gear on, looking like he was daydreaming. Everyone else was scattered about, and it looked like they were at the back half of a doubleheader in late June. It was just a quick camera shot, but there seemed to be a lack on intensity.

I remeber in '87 and '91, that there seemd to be a lot more team unity than this group.

I noticed that also. They looked like they could have cared less or gave up. I realize they are questioning if they can even beat the Yanks but if you go to the park with that attitude, you will get beat.

[Willy]

Let's bash Mauer based on 2 play-off games, 8 at-bats. Thats another good one....do you guys realize how difficult baseball is and maybe the other team knows who the best hitters are on the other team?...LOL...me thinks not.

WRONG!!!!

8 at bats? Mauer has been horrible overall in the postseason. Here are his numbers in his postseason career: 281/.343/.313, O HR and 1 RBI.

Even the biggest homer should know that Nick Punto bats better than that and I hate to break it to ya, but Punto actually has better numbers than Joe in the playoffs.

For the type of player Joe is and plays like all season long, he shats his pants come postseason, there is no denying it. He NEEDS to step up or we are never going to get anywhere.

[fishersofmen]

Just playing rope-a-dope with the Yanks so they can finish them off in front of the home crowd.....

[Jim Almquist]

As much as I would love hand them there behinds I just don't see that happening this year.

It sure would be fun to stick it to them for a decade or 2 just for payback

[Big Dave2]

Let's bash Mauer based on 2 play-off games, 8 at-bats. Thats another good one....do you guys realize how difficult baseball is and maybe the other team knows who the best hitters are on the other team?...LOL...me thinks not.

Somebody better alert the Yankees big money players just how difficult baseball is because it seems a whole lot easier for them than it does for the Twins big money guy.

What difference does it make if the other team knows who is the best hitter? This isn't football or basketball, they can't double team him. The same pitchers pitch against Joe as they do every other player on the Twins roster.

[edvedd91]

Finally a voice of reason concerning Mr. ground ball to second. He has done nothing in the playoffs yet again.

[Coach1310]

I know he has only struggled in 2 games, but when you lose those 2 games in a short series, it is a pretty big deal, especially when you are missing the big stick behind you.....