2012 Twins Game Log

Game 8: Rangers at Twins

230 Comments

Today, the Twins will be trotting out this lineup:

1. Span, CF
2. Caroll, SS
3. Mauer, C
4. Morneau, DH
5. Willingham, LF
6. Doumit, RF
7. Valencia, 3B
8. Parmelee, 1B
9. Casilla, 2B

If that lineup looks familiar, it's because it was the opening day lineup, and most likely the one the management hoping to get a lot of mileage out of. Whether or not this is the lineup that the team ends up with, and whether or not it's the one that shows some punch, it's worth noting that this is the third time they've used it in this young season. I'm sure you remember that the team used their opening day lineup precisely never after opening day, partially due to Nishioka getting hurt, then sucking horribly, partially due to a million injuries. What you might not be aware of is the fact that there were only 3 lineups that ended up being used 3 times over the entire of last year, and none that were used more than three times.

The Twins probably won't contend for anything this year, but at least it's looking like we'll have a fairly consistent lineup to see day after day. There's a bit of comfort in that.

Today, Nick Blackburn (4.04 xFIP, 7.50 ERA) tries to find a little bit more luck, while Yu Darvish (5.23 xFIP, 7.94 ERA) tries to show that his ugly first start wasn't the shape of things to come.

Total team record, 2-5
Saturday record, 0-1

230 thoughts on “Game 8: Rangers at Twins”

  2. Kinsler doesn't believe in going deep in counts to start the game. As long as he makes routine outs, that's fine by me.

          1. Who knew that Saturday night games would beat out Saturday afternoon games?

            Between FOX and MLB I can't decide who's dumber.

              1. I point out again that Joe Buck is talking on the game I am not watching on the telly. I submit that FOX is the dumber of the two, by a hair.

  5. I have the KATE stream outta Albert Lea. Who is this on the feed today? I have to admit I don't know the radio guys by voice like I do Dick'n'Bert.

  6. Blackie trying to do his best to fill in for Baker gets two flyouts and a strikeout.

  7. Twins have not scored a run in the first inning yet this season, which means they are way overdue. Darvish gave up four to the M's in the first in his first start.

      3. Thomas in 1030 AAA PA: 252/336/409
        Burroughs in 1051 AAA PA: 307/372/442
        Plouffe! in 1414 AAA PA: 262/316/451

        Plouffe! is the youngest and is a right-handed hitter, capable of playing Cuddii+ defense at multiple positions. He's gotta stay (unless he has an option left?)

        I really don't see the point of this transaction.

        1. Thinking about it for a second, I think Revere's going down to play every day and Clete's gonna be the bench OF dude.

        1. I'm thinking he's on the 25 man roster or he's gone. If DET had an option, they could have just sent him to AAA.

  11. Well, the Twins can't score first, you know. That's not allowed. We tried that yesterday and look what happened.

  12. Dr. Chop: "So, is Willingham the new disappointment this year"?

    Me: "a-hahahhahahahahhahahahahahahahah"

    I love that my wife who hates baseball knows the memes of the Twins broadcast crew by heart.

    1. I'm thinking Darvish will probably be better than Dice-K, but the translation between the two leagues isn't easy to guess at at all.

  20. Consuela is not winning a fielding grammy this year, no matter how many dongers he jacks.

        1. I would personally rather have a loaf of stale bread out in left than _elm_n. However, Willingham is the best of two worlds: not _elm_n and capable of generating offense.

          1. Besides, when the season was over, you could make toast out of the stale bread. They'd probably frown on doing that to Delmon.

  23. I am so excited that Gameday has added a "Nasty Factor" to its "analysis". Wow. Just wow.

    1. What did it say? I missed it. So far, all I've learned is that Yu Darvish is getting the Twins to hit into groudnouts (4 of 8) and he battled back from 3-0 on Willingham, which I had just seen. Just like a real broadcast! (I think Ubes was right.)

      1. when the inning started, they had a box up on Darvish, with a slider bar on "out pitch" and something else labeled "Nasty Factor". I have no idea what it was about.

        1. Ahhh, I see. I thought you were talking about their "scout". The nasty factor was introduced last year, if I'm not mistaken, but yes, it is dumb.

        1. The fact that it was added last year or the year before does not temper my excitement.

  29. Irchiro hasn't won a world series. Ernie Banks never even made the playoffs all by himself. Both are much worse players than, say Pat Borders.

      1. I know, it's just that his permanent hatred of Ichiro irritates and confuses me every time I stumble into listening range.

        1. He's just mad that Ichiro! is a better player in MLB than Dazz was in Japan. (btw, they BOTH won "world championships" in Japan)

    2. Yeah, I'm sitting here muttering to myself. I've never really listened to the radio feed before. Much respect to those of you who have put up with this for years.

    3. Irchiro hasn't won a world series. Ernie Banks never even made the playoffs all by himself. Both are much worse players than, say Pat BordersDanny Gladden.

      FTFY.

    1. indeed. He keeps Dazzle in check somewhat, and he's got great PbP skills. His analysis is suspect at times, but that's supposed to be Dazzle's job.

  31. I've been watching a search on "Clete Thomas" on the twitters. This one just came up:

    @ChrisDallasTX: Clete Thomas: trader to are team!

    Sweet.

    1. Italian Chicken Sausage from D&D's on Franklin Ave. Broccoli rabe boiled in salt water, then rinsed and braised in olive oil and garlic. Chilled Malbec rose.

        1. It's intended to be a muse - I just got a meat grinder from the Interwebs, and am planning to make my own.

      1. Doumit has a career .793 OPS vs. righties for his career. I'll take that vs. the 22 PAs we've seen from him as a Twin.

  45. I was going to laugh and point at Dazz about Dunce "overmatching" Murphy on a fastball, but Gameday says 94-MPH. What?

    1. Duensing has been throwing the everliving fire out of the ball. Right through the Internets.

  46. card shop owner shared this trivia question from the Yanks game last night: Q: Rivera/Posada are the all-time battery mates with the most saves (>300); who are the battery mates in second place?

    4. Rodriguez and Molina? I can't think of anyone very high on the list that 1) has a lot of saves with one team and 2) had the same catcher if he did.

  58. Phil Mackey ‏ @PMac21

    It's right posterior shoulder stiffness for Blackburn. He's listed as day-to-day. More details later.

    sounds made up

  60. Gad - missed that - was showing NBBW the Mexican/Argentine soccer kick earlier.

    BTW - Where was the clip showing Hunter face planting into the wall?

  61. Mitchell: "the number of runs that are scored with two outs is amazing"

    Bremer is clearly the best man in the booth today

          1. I'd actually expect even more, given that there are likely going to be more people on base with two outs. So, not amazing at all, Mitch.

            1. about 31 percent of PA are with 2 outs, with about 13.3 pct of PA with 2 outs and nobody on. With one out, about 33 pct of PA, 16.8 pct of PA with 1 out and nobody on.

    1. It would be nice to have the bases loaded with less than two outs. Twins 0-for-3 with bases loaded today. Of course, it would help if they put the ball in play. Two strikeouts and a foul popup, so no chance for defense to allow runs to score.

      1. expected runs with the bases loaded and two outs is around 0.8, but only a 0.33 chance of at least one run, per tangotiger.

        so, we are definitely "due" today. But not due a lot.

  68. Here comes the Vulture! The Over-Under on how many pitches he needs to get the win is set at 2.5.

  70. Consuela is not making me happy with his fielding. Or did I just get Dazzed on Hamilton's advance to third there?

  71. More fun with the twitters:

    @StatFreak101 I love watching Jeff fucking Gray pitch in high leverage situations for the Twins. Screw this team. #Twins

      1. I truthfully think he wouldn't be happy with the Yankees, he wants a 162-0 team filled with nothing but elite players. Every loss, every replacement level player just eats at him in ways that I can't understand. Poor guy.

        1. I think I can understand somewhat. I was a less severe version of that with the Vikings. Every loss was crushing. I went the route of giving it all up to stop being that way.

          1. In other words, I think the dude should give up baseball instead of just following a new team.

                2. Does he have any 2nd order properties (can grow hops, deduce cards, spin vinyl, etc.)?

    1. Twins have scored a grand total of two runs in the first three innings of all their games this season. That has to change, too.

  83. Out to buy gin then mow the lawn. Here's hoping for something to make the recap more interesting than "they were close for a while, then they sucked".

  85. I'm guessing Casilla is going to be on a short leash. If he continues his normal slow start, it won't be long before Dozier is up so Casilla can be a true utility infielder. It seems like Plouffe and Hughes are pretty redundant, especially if Plouffe can't be trusted even for an inning or two at SS.

        1. Well, he didn't strike out like the other guys, and I don't dislike him as much as the other guys, so maybe just Parmehlee.

  92. The Twins need to just learn how to get guys in scoring position when Willingham is up, really.

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