10 starting pitchers before the All-Star break. I wonder how often that happens (idle question... don't anyone look up how common this occurrence is, or anything).
It seems like it's probably Brian Duensing's destiny to be a starter. By all means, he's a much better reliever, but he ends up being the type of pitcher who's just good enough at starting every once in a while that he get more and more looks at it. Also, to be honest, I'd prefer him in the starting rotation to Blackburn. We already have two late inning guys (Burton and Perkins), and Duensing's got to be a better option in the starting 5 than Blackie, right? (right??)
Duensing (1-2, 4.44 xFIP*) vs Cueto (8-3, 3.73 xFIP) today. Not many strikeouts, not many walks, not many home runs. Seems like a good time for Revere to be up to some shenanigans.
* He does has a pretty nice 3.03 FIP. Getting lucky on some fly balls, it seems (only 2.3% have left the park).
My buddy is a huge Reds fan, so after the game last night, he of course had to send me a text...
Sweep the Indians. Sweep the Mets. Lose to the freaking TWINS?!
I reminded him that a Dickey-free sweep of the Mets only counts as a half a sweep, and that he shouldn't expect to win any more games until the Twins leave town. Here's hoping they can make that slightly exaggerated trash talk come to pass.
I get that it's better than an uno, but is it really always a "good at-bat" when you see a lot of pitches?
Well, go get 'em, Duensing. If you want to be a starter again, here's your chance.
Cueto sure threw a lot of offspeed stuff. 2-0 and 2-1 to Ben Revere and he threw a slider and a changeup.
FanGraphs says 56% fastballs overall, but doesn't break it down for right and left-handed hitters.
That seems a like a low percentage. I would think the average would be somewhere around 70 percent.
Only five pitchers are above 70%. Looks like the average would be in the low 60s.
Well, it is still below average.
I'm going to be at my nephew's birthday party in fargo for the duration of the afternoon. Anyone up for taking the recap duties for tonight?
I can fill in
Thanks
Good first inning for Duensing.
Few too many pitches, but good enough. Better to walk Votto than to let him get a good swing.
At least we won't be no-hit!
Isn't it a little early for Dusty Baker to be naming his playoff starters?
Josh Willingham has 67 strikeouts so far this year. Next on the team is Morneau with 43.
This is what I think of when I hear Cueto's name:
A mild skin aberration there - might want to use some topical.
httpv://youtu.be/IzowSs9mNOM
Leathah!
Two solid innings from Duensing!
The Twins bats have been pretty quiet so far.
That applies to the Reds as well.
And now, just the Twins.
Three solid innings for Duensing! Come on, Twins, time for a bat attack!
Like this? httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZxLUNHEmPw&feature=related
we cant stop here, this is bat country
Science is cool.
I don't think that request was specific enough, padre.
Yeah. Sorry about that.
dang, nice catch there.
a real baseball player would have had a triple there.
Two bagger there by Harry Potter.
The second time through the order doesn't seem to be going quite as well.
I think Duensing is running out of gas.
Scott Rolen's walkup music is Coldplay's 'Viva la Vida'.
Hey, folks.
oy. I've got other things to do.
Yeah, I'm off to the gym.
the trivia question on FSN is pretty easy today: name the 2 managers to win a World Series in each league.
I think the Twins are incapable of doing anything about the squeeze.
I dislike it when the other team screws up and tries to give us an out and we don't take it.
Again.
They also can't stop the extra-safety squeeze.
whoops
Given that he hasn't started all year, Duensing's line is going to look a lot worse than it was.
Hey everyone. I was watching the game over at the baseball card shop. Somehow it went from 0-0 when I left there to 4-0 when I got here. What the heck??
Duensing hit 50 pitches, then the meat of the Reds order came up.
I'm going to have to miss the rest of the game. I hope, when I hear the result, I'll feel like I actually did miss it, rather than just not being here for it.
well, the TV crew has checked out of this game because Dick Bremer is talking about his field trip to a sewer treatment plant. There is probably a joke about the Twins starting pitchers somewhere in there, but Im not bright enough to find it.
I bet Anthony Shortstart will end the year with at least 70 IP out of the bullpen.
that is the 10th time this year Willingham has been hit by a pitch. The last time a Twins player reached double digits in the HBP column was Denard Span in 2009.
further, Willingham has 85 career HBP. That places him 21st on the active list and 132 all time.
Dazzle, Dusty manages this team -- 188 pitches does not necessarily mean Cueto's day is done
looks like we have passed the one year anniversary of the last time the Twins scored 8 runs in an inning
I totally forgot Parmelee is on the MLB roster
Oh, perfect Matt
I think Dick just said that Capps is under performing because this isn't a save situation. To be fair, I am only half paying attention and and hoping that I am wrong.
A disappointing effort from the boys. Just have to turn the page. We'll just have to settle for 119-43!