Re: GameTime!™

21556
Kipnis hit into a DP to end our only late scoring chance; his error help set up winning run. May recall his great first week in spring training but he's been awful since the season started; He's hitting 167/236/227. Checked his splits and he's actually much better against lefty pitching: 278/381/333. Against RH he's an anemic 125/176/188.
Let's give Erik Gonzalez some starts.

Re: GameTime!™

21557
Actually I blame this loss on Francona. Indians finally score a run in the top of the 14th. Nick Goody, our second last man left in the bullpen, had worked an easy 1-2-3 10 pitch 13th inning. But I guess the law "thou shall not pitch two innings in relief" bound Tito's hands and he "had to" bring in Matt Belisle. Who of course gave up the tying run.
I assume Belisle leaves soon to be replaced by Evan Marshall or Ben Taylor who are doing well in Columbus.

Re: GameTime!™

21558
civ - I will say it was obvious one of the agendas of BOTH clubs was to get work in for the relievers due to the weather crap up north.

Remember, Molitor took out Berrios after 80+ pitches and he was dominating. They interviewed Berrios in the dugout during the game and he said he understood that the manager wanted to get innings in for the bullpen.

Totally could have cost the Twins the game, but he got lucky. So evidently both managers were thinking more long term.
"I've suffered a great many tragedies in my life....most of them never happened". Mark Twain

Re: GameTime!™

21559
well, Belisle really hasn't shown much in cold weather or warm; was expecting him to be DFAd soon in any case. Let Goody pitch a second inning can't say his 10 pitches were enough to get him much of a workout. It wasn't going to be overstretching him.
Tito is great manager, but sometimes he overdoes it.

[for a real over-doer, take a look at the Phillies under Gabe Kapler. He's going to burn out his bullpen by the 4th of July. Hoby Milner, a LHP, who we tried out as a Rule 5 pick last year but returned, has been in 10 of the 17 games they've played; as a L on L reliever he's only worked 4 2/3 innings but he's throwing in the bullpen at the rate of about 95 games a season. And he's not the only one; 2 other relievers have been in 10 games each. Another one in 9.

All over the league box scores now feature 4 or 5 relievers per team in many games. I wonder why games last so long?