Changes are coming, Rocco Baldelli vowed after the Twins fell out of first place on Wednesday. But if he meant changes to the team’s personnel, they hadn’t taken place by Friday.
The Twins opened a three-game series with the Orioles at Camden Yards with the same 26-player roster and the same staff of coaches that suffered through three games — and only three runs for the visitors — in Atlanta. But more subtle changes have indeed been made, Baldelli said before the game, and he’s optimistic they will have a major effect, eventually.
Placing Carlos Correa, in the midst of perhaps his most disappointing season as a hitter, atop the lineup was the most visible change. But other alterations, intended to revive Minnesota’s stagnant and unproductive offense, were made behind the scenes, he said.
For instance, players will now lead the team’s daily pregame hitters’ meeting, in which the players review that game’s strategy at the plate. “Instead of just sitting there and listening, and hopefully absorbing something from your hitting coach, now you actively have to use your brain” and contribute to the meeting, the manager said. “It promotes growth and preparation and, ultimately, hits, I’m hoping.”
And the players particularly intend to change their approach when they face two-strike counts.
“Maybe we’re still swinging for the fences, trying to get too big and do damage when you’re in counts that, as well all know in the league, are more chase counts. It’s hard to do damage in those counts, especially now with the way pitchers are manipulating the baseball,” Correa said. “When you look at the best teams out there and the best offenses out there, they have long at-bats, they have good at-bats.
“With two strikes, you read the zone and get a little bit smaller. Change the approach a little bit on that and try to cut down on strikeouts. Put the ball in play a little more — that will give us a better chance.”
Better than they have had lately, certainly. When Twins hitters reached two strikes, no matter the count, they were batting only .144 through Thursday, the worst average among the 30 MLB teams. They had struck out 838 times, or 55 times more than the next-worst team, and had a .220 slugging percentage in those spots, also ranking 30th in the majors.
“Seeing the ball deeper — it’s OK to get jammed with two strikes,” Baldelli said. “Really, what that’s doing is telling you, well, I can touch the fastball, maybe put the fastball in play or shoot it the other way. But I’m going to be on these off-speed pitches much better if my timing is set to see the fastball really deep.
“It’s something we’re going to talk about and actually spend time on pregame. It’s something you talk about a lot in our game, but you don’t always work on it.”
Taking responsibility
The players-only meeting after Wednesday’s shutout loss “was a great meeting,” Correa told reporters in Baltimore. “Everybody got to share how they felt and how we can move forward and do a better job on the field.”
The team’s veteran players did most of the talking, he said, and everyone took responsibility for their own role in the Twins’ disappointing 40-42 start to the season.
“I think we can all get better. Look around, there’s nobody having a spectacular offensive season, where you say, ‘Wow, he’s killing it,’ ” Correa said. “But there’s a lot of people in here capable of doing that. A lot of people in here are taking accountability.”
Kyle Farmer even offered rewards for better play, although he did not reveal what the stakes are.
“I always said players play better with incentives in their contract,” Farmer said, and he hopes that dynamic will help the team get through a season-long slump, too.
“Maybe it razzes the boys up,” Baldelli agreed, although he said he too was uninformed about Farmer’s offer. “Maybe somebody will be eating good at Applebee’s if they get a couple doubles.”
Etc.
Blayne Enlow and Aaron Sanchez combined to carry a no-hitter into the seventh inning, Matt Wallner fell a home run shy of the cycle and the St. Paul Saints beat the Gwinnett Stripers 10-3 at CHS Field.
The Star Tribune did not send the writer of this article to the game. This was written using a broadcast, interviews and other material.