It's a small sample size. It's an excruciatingly small sample size.
And it's so one-sided it still appears to be significant.
Randy Flores has faced eight left-handed batters since the Twins picked him up on waivers. He has gotten one of them out.
One. There have been six hits — two of them in the bottom of the 12th inning on Saturday — and one walk.
Flores is on the roster specifically to get left-handed hitters. They're getting him — so much so that if he retired the next 13 lefties he sees, they'll still be hitting .300 against him.
It's been said that the job of a relief pitcher is to dominate small sample sizes. Flores isn't doing that.
Saturday might have been the final straw. Jose Mijares has been reactivated from the disabled list. Brian Fuentes is apparently ready to pitch again after about two weeks of back miseries. Glen Perkins was impressive in an inning of mop-up work on Tuesday against Kansas City.
The Twins picked up Flores when Mijares and Ron Mahay went down and they were out of left-handed relievers. Now they have three better options. I don't expect to see Flores face an important batter again.
I think Flores is proving himself a big waste of time and money for the Twins, unless he decides to quit being stubborn and listen to his coaches and catchers, and start throwing some breaking balls. If all he wants to throw is fastballs, and all the other side does is hit them, what good is he?
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