The Twins come into this one now boasting a winning record in the all-powerful AL Central. They won two yesterday – can they do me the courtesy of one win today?
Esmerling Vasquez gets the start – the first in his career – for the hometown nine. Luis Mendoza, also known as “Meh,” goes for the Royals in a game that nobody outside of this site cares about.
The Royals were 17-11 in August. Did you know? I did! Well, as of a few moments ago. Well, good for them. Every time I get down about how bad the Twins are, I think of franchises with prolonged streaks of futility that the 1993-2000 Twins only wish they could match.
Despite this being Vasquez’s first start, it’s his 142nd game in the majors.
In those 141 games, he pitched 137 innings and faced 610 batters. ERA of 4.66, WHIP of 1.5, ERA+ of 92, Opponents have batted .244/.358/.375/.733 against him.
This is his longest outing to date in the majors: 2.2 IP, 0R, but he did allow all three inherited runners to score. Overall, he let 22 of 69 inherited runners to score.
The good news is that he won’t allow any inherited runners to score today!
22 of 69 doesn’t sound that bad. Less than one out of three.
Don’t know what ML average is. There should be a better way of valuing that, because keeping a runner at first with two outs from scoring is worth a lot less than preventing a runner at third with no outs from scoring. Like actual inherited runners divided by expected runs from inherited runners. Something like that.
I’ve thought before that the previous pitcher should be responsible for the expected number of runs when he is replaced. Any extra runs would then be alloted to the new reliever.
With a runner on first with two outs, less than 0.5 runs are expected to score, so that extra amount would be assigned to the new reliever.
So, does the reliever get negative runs if he strands them?
No, it would just work as it is now. I would be open to considering negative runs, but need to think about how it would affect their A(ssinged)RA.
And: Vasquez gets the loss because Robertson allowed an inherited runner to score.
Somewhere Leo Rosales is smiling.
Riotous.
Parm!!!!
trying to get back to that Twins 2011/Red Wings 2012 power.
GEEEEEEEEEEEEEEENE!!! You got me again!
I get the joak, but I still think Chrissy Chrissy Parm Parm is the best TV related reference for him.
I’ve just decided I’d rather play video games than watch Vasquez pitch. I’ll catch up with you guys later.
YDRORD&EV?
Two more outs and he matches his MLB best! At 33 pitches so far, I think he’s got it in him.
Not listening to the radio, is Walters warming up yet?
Looking for minor-league stats, I came across the Red Wings leader board.
Nishioka is fourth in Slugging!
I shouldn’t have opened that spoiler- it’s definitely a rotten stench in there.
Let that be warning to everyone else:
If you think an egg might be rotten, best not to crack the shell and confirm it.
Rotten eggs float; just put it in a bowl of water and there’s no need to get out the gas masks.
Back in from the Deck.
Tested my eggs: they’re all rotten!
Nevermind… those were ping-pong balls.
okay, all eggs “float”, but the rotten float at the surface
As opposed to floating at the bottom?
So rotten eggs are just like hope?
exactly.
There goes the “scoring all nine innings” AL-record game.
There it is! Longest outing of Esmerling’s career!!!!
Beet update:
I threw them back in the oven, turned it to 375F, and waited an hour (no preheat).
Now in great shape. The skins (which I thoroughly scrubbed) were very black, but not burnt. Some suggest you toss them. I suggest you eat them because they’re delicious and give a bit of smoky depth. (Not quite smoky, carbony? But not strongly so. Some parts were a bit crispy/crunchy.)
So, 375F for 150 minutes was definitely enough.
beetz r gross, yo.
U sound like my dad.
Your Dad says yo?
“yo”, “you”, whatever.
Incorrect. Roasted beers are delish. But I would do them at more like 425 or 450.
But what I really like is beet greens. Yumm.
Roasted beets. Roasty beers are delish too.
was afraid of scorching them
Off to screw in some deck boards…
I think maybe the way to view these games is like they were an early start for next year’s spring training. We root for the guys to do well, but we don’t really worry too much about the final score, because it really doesn’t matter all that much anyway.
With the second wild card, I think 84 wins could do it!
Where’s your optimism?
I just don’t think 84 wins will be enough. But wait till next year!!!!
Back in reality, Twins Elimination number is 13, and 14 for the Tigers to be ahead of Twins. But, with 5 games left, the best outcome for the Twins to win the division is that the Tigers win 3 of their remaining 5 games against the Sox, which means the Twins real elimination number is 11.
Furthermore, the Twins E# for the second WC is 12, but with the O’s playing the second-place for second wild-card Rays three more times, and the Rays one game behind, but tied with the O’s in wins, (for another few minutes), one is guaranteed at least two wins, so the Twins real E# for the Wild Card is 10.
I have been doing that since July-- of last year.
Ryan Doumit bunting…I dont think Gardy made that call.
I hope not. I’m unprepared for Mike Quade as the team’s field manager.
*bunt forehead slap*
What are you doing that for? The bunt was clearly the key to the inning!
Time for the Twins second GS of the season!
/CasillaTime!
Laddie!!!
Half a GS is just fine with me.
.100 OBP!!!
Wow, he’s really brought it up lately, hasn’t he?
Royals have a pitcher named “Francisley”? That’s a new one to me.
In case you were wondering, yep, he’s Cuban.
(Same island nation that gave us Yuniesky, Yuliesky, Aroldis, Yoenis, Yunel, and Yasmani)
Just to mess with us, though, Yorvit Torrealba is from Venezuela.
his last name is Bueno….so rough translation ‘good Fransisco’?
5 and 2/3 innings! More than doubling his previous Major-league best. Way to go Vasquez!
I realize he is a first year player, but Tyler Robertson does not impress me.
Yeah, he struck out 35% of the first 33 batters he faced, but since then it’s only been 18% of the next 49.
My enthusiasm about the strikeouts is diminishing as well.
f.g.r.
Royals PBP: “In looking through Indians history, I realized I had forgotten that CC Sabathia was ever with them.”
I’m not really cutting on the PBP guy here. East coast infatuation by the MSM really makes it seem like CC’s a New York lifer.
Manny Ramirez was a Sawk for life, too.
It’s always interesting to hear someone who’s proud of his ignorance.
yeah, that would be Dazzle, eh?
yeah. Whenever folk trivialize sabrmetrics, they always pick on the non-SABR he’s x-for-his-last-y against so-and-so that scouts use.
There’s no way Dazzle will ever come around on that. It’s not that he’s stupid -- I mean, he seems to be but I don’t think that’s why -- it’s that he would be panned as a player today with the use of advanced stats.
I love effort. I’m really a huge fan of effort. But Dazzle and others like him seem to truly believe that a player who plays hard is automatically good.
Scouts vs. Stats is the Forbidden Zone of baseball
Stats guys really just want to eliminate the jobs of scouts.
What made it funnier is that he applauded Gardy for “using his gut” to leave Burnett in the game. He no sooner had the words out of his mouth than the next batter hit an RBI single.
Don’t worry guys, Burnett is coming in!
Hi everybody!
Howdy, flesh-man.
I am prepping up a couple of dozen Jucy Lucies for a labor day party tomorrow. These folks aren’t going to know what hit ‘em. Actually, they probably will as scalding cheese is pretty identifiable.
Who the hell is Matt Carson?
The Red Wing’s season leader in BA, Hits, HR, RBI, and SLG. He’s second behind Parmelee in HR.
*sigh*
Meat’s been busy with the move to NOLA and the two-hour commutes and the hurricanes. You must admit that Carson’s name and heroics have been nondescript.
With the Os now just 2 GB the Yankmes, and the Rays 1.5 GB them, can I dream of a postseason without any Boston, NY, Philly, or LA teams?
If the Yankees and Red Sox both miss the postseason the first year after a plan was put in place to help them get there, I will be elated.
Twins host the Yankmes for three games at the end of September. I would love those games to be decisive in their elimination.
I missed who’s warming up for the Twins.
Duensing. I guess he is a reliever now.
With Vasquez and Walters as starters, sure.
Or maybe it’s just Dunce’s bullpen session.
Dunce and Fien
Should have been warming him up before the prior inning was over, like when Burnett was warming up.
Alex Burnett should be sent to where Jeff Gray was shipped to.
Dazzle (sarcastically): “The numbers say to bring in Alex Burnett.”
me: NOTHING says to bring in Alex Burnett.
I think that was his social security number.
Dazz: Burnett has a sub-3 ERA but he stinks. This is why people look for better numbers, because how good can things like ERA be if Burnett can suck so much and still have a low ERA?
That’s what’s so interesting about people like Dazzle. He’s not opposed to “numbers”, per se. He’s quite happy to quote numbers if they support what he already thinks. What he’s opposed to is numbers that might tell him something he doesn’t know.
Remember that time Burnett got an out? That seems like a long time ago.
holy moses. a Burnett strikeout!
Burnett now has three strikeouts with the bases loaded this season.
only 26 total for the season.
Most innings he’s ever pitched in a season, fewest strikeouts in any season.
Almost a 3-2-4 double play. Those have to be pretty rare.
I like this guy more as a reliever.
Does anyone track which batters were the last out for their team (in games where the other team doesn’t walk-off)? Ben Revere must have a ton.
Royals guy: So, how’s it been for you since you were called up?
David Lough: Oh, man, it’s been ecstatic.
Well, he wants to stay in the majors. He’s hoping for ecstatic cling.
*delayed groan*
Well, it was a good game. Things just didn’t go the Twins’ way. It happens sometimes. We’ll just have to settle for 83-79!