![]() ![]() With the way Gray had been rolling, there wasn’t much of a discussion when it came to who was getting the ball to start the seventh.Īfter Gray fell behind 2-0, Braves hitter Marcell Ozuna smashed the fifth pitch of his at-bat out to right-center to lead off the inning, giving Atlanta (51-27) its first lead of the night. The starter felt good throughout the night, convicted, he said, in every pitch he had thrown. ![]() But otherwise, he maneuvered his way through one of the best lineups in baseball efficiently, earning himself the chance to return to the mound for the seventh. ![]() Up until the seventh inning, Gray had allowed just one run, which came around to score on a fielder’s choice in the fourth inning. … They just kind of beat us by a tick today.” “When you’re coming in here, you’re going to have to pitch good against this team that we’re playing,” manager Rocco Baldelli said. It wasn’t until the seventh inning that the Braves broke through, scoring three runs to lift them to a 4-1 win at Truist Park. Gray, for his part, matched him for six innings. Joey Gallo’s solo home run, which he hit out to dead center, was the only blemish on a night in which he otherwise cruised through the Twins’ lineup. Twins hitters, most getting their first look at Strider, could do little against the 24-year-old righty. John LaLoggia writes about baseball at Beyond the Box Score, Banished to the Pen and Foul Territory Baseball.ATLANTA - Monday night’s matchup between Twins veteran starter Sonny Gray and young Atlanta ace Spencer Strider looked, on paper, as if it could be quite the pitcher’s duel.Īnd for most of the night, the two starters lived up to the billing. With an AL leading 26-15 record, it appears the Twins are having a blast. Along with assistant hitting instructor Rudy Hernandez, Baldelli ensured that he had at least three staff members who could help their 12 Spanish-speaking players in order to reduce miscommunication and maximize efficiency.ĭuring one of his first team meetings, he preached two main things: respect the game and have fun. In this new position, Martinez would be able to interact and assist the Spanish-speaking players from the dugout on a more consistent basis. He hired Tony Diaz as the Twins third base coach and reassigned communications assistant/translator Elvis Martinez to the coaching staff. Shortly after Baldelli was hired, he sought out to bridge the communication and culture gap between his Latin players and the rest of the team. Latin American players make up 48 percent of the Twins clubhouse, according to The Athletic. Guys have obligations, they are up early after late nights, and it’s a great way to get themselves back into peak performance.” -Rocco Baldelli “It gives them a place to get an extra hour of rest and sleep and let their bodies recover. The staff has also averaged at least six innings pitched for each start during their last 25 games. According to The Athletic, the Twins starting rotation is 17-5 with a 3.09 ERA. Starting pitcher Jake Odorizzi hasn’t given up run in his last 20 IP. His calm demeanor and a streamlined alignment with the Twins analytics department has helped the pitching rotation become one of the best in the AL. The only one better was Billy Martin, who went 19-9 to start the 1969 season.Īccording to USA Today, Baldelli wanted to personally get to know all of his players before spring training, so he traveled to the Dominican Republic just to meet Twins slugger Miguel Sanó. For those who played and coached Baldelli, there wasn’t a doubt in their minds that he would be a perfect candidate for an MLB manager position.Īccording to the Star Tribune, Baldelli started the 2019 season tied for the second best start for a first year manager in the history of the Twins franchise. He also learned from some of the best managers like Joe Maddon and even Terry Francona during his one season with the Red Sox in 2009. He was exposed to a vast number of experiences ranging from Lou Piniella’s loud tirades to new analytically-driven tactics from young GM Andrew Freidman. Playing in Tampa Bay offered an experimental playground for Baldelli to roam around in. He’s going to have a loose clubhouse, and he’s going to do well.” -Charlie Montoyo, Blue Jays managerĪt 37-years-old, the first year manager isn’t that far removed from his playing days and still speaks the same language as some of his players. “Sitting next to him all those years, and listening to him talk, for someone who never managed before, he has the instincts. ![]()
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