We're still paying attention, right?
Minnesota Twins vs. Cleveland Indians
Progressive Field
2401 Ontario Street
Cleveland, Ohio 44115
12:05 PM CT
Ricky Nolasco
0-1, 7.50
v.
Justin Masterson*
0-0, 0.00
Twins Starting Lineup
Dozier, 2B
Mauer, 1B
Willingham, LF
Colabello, DH
Plouffe!, 3B
Kubel, RF
Suzuki, C
Hicks, CF
Florimon, SS
Cleveland Starting Lineup
Morgan, CF
Swisher, 1B
Kipnis, 2B
Santana, 3B
Brantley, LF
Chisenhall, DH
Gomes, C
Murphy, RF
Aviles, SS
*Dude was born in Jamaica? Huh.
Is that idiot in your photo actually extending for a handshake? Is it possible he doesn't know what he's done?
What worse is he looks like he's trying to explain or justify something. Don't even want to know what idiocy he was spewing (this was from Friday's game, I think).
Believe it's been reported that he was explaining how they are honoring his heritage, or some such nonsense.
I guess that's better in a way than "We don't care about your heritage and we'll use it for whatever," but the lack of cognizance is astounding.
Deadspin had a write up about it
Ah, right, "Cleveland Pride". I feel safe calling that guy a massive idiot.
the folks in Chambana used to (and prolly still do) talk about their Chief Illiniwek as an "honored symbol." But this guy definitely takes the cake. I didn't know that the Joker was an Indian.
Complimenting him on his braids?
Twins knocking the cover off the ball. Looks like runs!
Coming into the game, Plouffe had 8 hits and 4 walks. Encouraging!
Also that sweet short he had made for Gardy's 1000th win and a Twitter feed full of his got wife and Lord of the Rings costumes.
Koooooob
Ribeye Kurt strikes again!1!11!!!!
4 of the 6 hits Suzuki has resulted in at least 1 run scoring.
yaaaaaaay, a run...
Bartlett in for Willingham because Hammer was hit in the wrist/hand area by a pitch. Arcia out with a sore wrist.
I have a feeling a roster move may be coming before the end of the day.
I'm hoping so- otherwise we're going to be seeing a lot of Bartlett, Kubel and Colabello wandering randomly around the outfield.
8th reliever because #6pen
I figured the three-spot by the Yankees in the top of the first meant they'd finally hit a homer this season, but apparently not. I'm following this development with much schaudenfreude.
Hang em and bang em. gah
Nolasco's already high ERA ballooning. Four years may have been too many.
Mlb needs to change the rules so the twins can bring in a reliever for the second inning, then bring nolasco back in after.
Oh, boy. How long would Yankee games be then?
Start Deduno for two, the Nolasco goes the rest of the way.
I actually don't hate that idea.
Other than the fact that it would lead Gardy to almost certainly carry 13 (or more?) pitchers.
I say if a manager comes out to talk the ump and has to look into the dugout to see if he wants to challenge it should automatically be a challenge.
Yeah, that's a decent stall tactic and I can see this being a thing they revisit down the road.
I hope so.
I can see if the manager wants to discuss with the ump a ruling.
But if he is stalling and looking into the dugout for a thumbs up or down, I feel that should be penalized.
CLE feed points out that the manager has 30 seconds to challenge after the third out. That effectively deals with the problem.
Which I imagine is strictly enforced...
If it isn't, it can be challenged
Indians announcers include one total homer and one calm (and almost cynical) realist. It's actually a lot of fun.
Mauer exploits the shift.
*cues up the clown music*
Gameday only tells me it was an error on Gomes- I'm hoping it wasn't a bunt attempt?
swinging bunt. catcher throws a second too quick as the fielders were not there yet. ball goes into CF
Nope. Swinging bunt, as they say. Defense not in position to receive the ball from the catcher.
I was hoping it was one of those power-bunts. My brother excels at doing that in slow-pitch softball. It's not really a skill you want to have, but if you're a left-handed bat with good speed, it plays the same as a single to the outfield.
Twins getting awfully lucky already today. I'll take it.
Wow. Fans are gonna get restless here.
And now they have to listen to The Eagles. I'd be heading for the exit.
I bet Kubel was annoyed.
Beautiful day for sitting out on the deck brewing up some beer and listening to the game on the radio.
I had forgotten how much I enjoy the radio crew - even Dazzle, as he doesn't seem to be GOML about too many things today.
My bottling bucket got contaminated thanks to a well-placed leak in the ceiling and buying a new one keeps falling behind other priorities, but man, today would be a great brewing day.
You could try to bleach it if there aren't a lot of scratches on the inside. Both my fermenters got contaminated last summer and bleaching then took care of the problem.
It's a plastic bottling bucket. That changes things, yes? If not, great.
if it's a food-grade bucket, I think it should be safe to use diluted bleach to disinfect.
see, e.g., http://www.rpi.edu/dept/chem-eng/Biotech-Environ/beer/homebrew/brew1.html
Fantastic news. I wish I'd looked for that on my own but really didn't think I had something salvageable.
That's why i mentioned scratches. It can be hard to get bacteria out of them when it's plastic. It's a risk either way since you may not kill it all and lose a whole batch after all that work. At least with a fermenter you know it's ruined before the effort of bottling.
Well, I do love the process, so at least it wouldn't be a total loss even if that turns out to be the case.
The radio crew is much better than the TV crew, in my opinion.
I just found the "color" option on gameday, which is basically Rhett Bollinger live-tweeting the game. Nice addition, I think.
I had thought that Masterson ate the Twins up in the past, but a quick check of bbref seems to contradict that. 3-7 with a 4.22 ERA and rate stats all worse than his career rates.
I was pretty sure the Twins "had" him but wasn't feeling strongly enough about it to say so.
I know I'm thinking of a particular pitcher, and I thought that Masterson was that pitcher, but no.
Guthrie?
Someone named "Jeremy"?
A ball hooked into the corner for a double or triple would be pretty sweet.
That...was significantly less sweet.
Brett Gardner homers in the fourth to end the Yankee drought. Well, I never minded him.
CLE cameraman completely fooled by that. Pointed directly in the stands until dropping at the last split-second to barely capture Kubel catching the ball.
I know Kubel has his issues in the field, but I didn't think they were that bad.
that's a stolen base?
This home plate ump seems to have a large strike zone.
It's been inconsistent and is growing.
just tuning in. Why is Bartlett in the game for Well-Disposed Pig?
Half-swing resulted in a pitch hitting Willingham's wrist as well as the barrel of the bat.
Willingham plunked in the wrist by a pitch (he is day to day)
why can't we have nice things?
I should know better than to say this with this team, but it didn't look disastrous.
bS, you're totally right about the deck. Worst thing is, we just stained it two years ago. Such is the way of things with cheap, pigmented stain, I suppose.
I miss the good ol' days of oil-based stains chock full of poisonous VOCs.
bases loaded. Do. Not. Like.
Like I said.
Not liking was correct.
Heh, nothing like a song about economic depression and trying (and failing) to scrape by to commemorate a base on balls.
Kids, we are going to need more than 6 runs today.
so, did Bartlett look like Willingham on that double?
I realize that none of this isn't all Bartlett's fault, but why don't we have someone who's played a single professional inning in the outfield as our backup outfielder? Do we have no minor league outfielders? Are we that afraid to lose a backup infielder with no bat who we aren't willing to use as a backup infielder?
You gotta have that Veteran Leadership, nibs.
Holy crap on a cracker, what did I miss!?!?!?!
Nolasco may, in fact, just be a pumpkin.
Also, the Indians play sloppy, sloppy baseball.
You know, if we had wanted pumpkin, we could have probably gotten it for cheaper at the grocery store.
And after the season, we could've made a delicious pie!
A Nolasco pie will probably be significantly less delicious.
I dunno, I feel like his meat is probably pretty tender.
Hmm... Nolasco Pot Pie, you say...
One of the citizens ought to be able to whip up an awesome recipe for that.
The key to making a good Nolasco Pot Pie is to always use fresh Nolasco.
Did someone say pie?
I kid you not, I just now emailed her a pie chart.
That goes for all of you!
I love that guy!
I see Hicks' BA is back around career averages....
Hey guys, Jason Bartlett is a bad OFer.
Wait, why is Bartlett in left?
see above.
Because Delmon is unavailable
Dammit Delmon, stopping beating up Jews and get back to running zigzags in the outfield where you belong.
Indians PBP, for real: "What was the name of the great pitcher that Minnesota had who signed elsewhere as a free agent? Was it the Mets?" Long pause. "Santana?"
Passed [Past] a diving Bartlett.... Le sigh. Would have been better off with Willingham letting it bounce.
I don't usually like to brag, but I could have let it bounce and given up a double.
Remember when this game was awesome? That was awesome.
I missed all teh awesome. 🙁
Well, now there's now, so we're good!
Yes!
do we have to talk about Jeetah, guys? In Cleveland?
Meanwhile, the Cleveland feed has been rather enjoyable and completely Jeets-free.
sets up the GIDP.
awesome. Steal second to open first base, so the Indians can walk Mauer to get to Bartlett. Fu-uh-yuck.
'cept Blake Wood has NO IDEA where the ball is going.
Bartlett takes one for the team. Leadership!
Bartlett can still get on base!
Way to take one for the team Bartlett.
Could we get another Dazzle special?
I'm not gonna name names, but I feel like a certain Indians pitcher is upset with Bartlett for letting the Indians tie that game because now he's going to get stuck with the loss.
COLABELLO! woooooo!
That's better than a Dazzle Special!
chris colabello for HOF. NOW.
Special WGOM election?
El Caballo!
Man Colabello has been straight up good these first 6 games.
Not only is Colabello knocking runs in, but he is hitting for extra bases. 4 doubles and a home run so far this year.
Um...It might be a good idea to get Swarzak out of the game before one of our infielders gets killed with a line drive.
I think we are going to need more than 9 runs to win this game.
OFFS. What Jeff A said. Get Gardy his 13-man pitching staff yesterday!
On that note, it's time for me to GTFO and go run. Wish me luck!
Ugh. 2 runs ahead and it already feels like being behind.
pitcher's best friend.
All's well that ends well, at least for this inning.
PHEW.
Look at Thielbar, #6penning.
Hicks regressing hard to the mean this game.
Lots of outs for Hicks today.
Listening to John+Suzyn on the way back from Middletown - Teh Captain passed Molitor on the hit list.
As long as I'm here in the game log, I might as well say something relevant, right? Let's give this a try...
TWINS BASEBALL!!!
Maybe the bullpen should try throwing something besides fastballs...
Fien dodges one there...
Brian Shaw got fired by the Nuggets already?
It would nice to see some Pauer here from the 1b.
or that. That helps.
Pussy Riot!
Oh, thank god. Escobar is SO MUCH BETTER a choice than Bartlett.
This bench is ridiculous. I was thinking of scenarios that did, in fact, end with Gibson playing left field that I preferred to Escobar pinch hitting yet again.
So Escobar is an outfielder now, too?
unless they're gonna put Gibson out there.
He's played 11 innings in the OF. Plouffe has 223. Why not put him in LF and Escobar at third. That would probably improve both positions.
That is an excellent point. Plouffe didn't seem too terrible when he got some time out there.
Heck, for that matter, I'd feel better about having Mauer play outfield than either Bartlett or Escobar.
Fantastic point. It's very possible that that move would increase the defense in both positions (I don't know about Plouffe or Escobar's outfield range or instincts). It's becoming a little grating to see middle infielders playing the outfield.
Well, you can't have sunshine every day.
that was huge.
So close to a triple play...
A scoreless inning for Burton, just like we planned it.
A Snapper mow-'em-down inning, to be sure.
I was just about to put an Eddie Guardado Bat Signal out on the garage roof.
Today's Bert Blyleven's birthday? Funny, I don't remember him mentioning it.
I couldn't even avoid mention of that with the opposing feed.
Cleveland guy spewing the old line about people drawing walks are "gift runners" who didn't have to earn their way on. They had been doing so well...
...though I'll grant that Wood was definitely in the gift-giving mood.
I can sort of live with a bunt in this game situation, but with Axford this wild, just take the balls, man.
That is not the way I would have phrased it, but it's what I was thinking.
Uh, yeah. I could have said that differently.
Was Gardy "showing confidence" in Hicks, as Dazzle says, or just trying to make sure Hicks didn't hit into another double play?
I will never understand why 2 runs up with guys on 1st and 2nd and no outs you sac bunt there.
Because Suzuki's not that good? Granted, he keeps hitting in important situations, so I'm kind of surprised Gardenhire pulled the trigger on the bunt.
because the win probability with a 3-run lead is much larger than the win probability with a 2-run lead?
Gardy knows he has a #6pen.
Hicks is due for a big hit.
Did Plouffe even touch the plate?
I think Plouffe dragged the tip of his shoe across the plate
Yeah the top of his foot looked like it touched the plate.
Anybody watching? Does Francona have a legitimate challenge? Is there even a replay that shows it?
The Twins feed hasn't even shown when he left the base.
I blame
NewmanVavra.I hate to say baseball should do something like football, but they really should have an announcement about exactly what's being challenged and on what basis it was either denied or upheld.
I liked how unlike football, that replay challenge took less than a minute.
I thot they could only do up to the 7th inning...
Seventh and later umpires can initiate reviews. Managers can always challenge and I think get a refill for extra innings.
That was a really dumb challenge.
Desperate times, I guess.
I think Bert stumbled across something here. Plouffe crossed the plate and Francona came out to ask about it. After that was settled, the pitcher threw to third to appeal whether Plouffe had left early and was ruled safe. Then Francona came out to challenge the Plouffe crossing the plate again.
Shouldnt have that been resolved when the pitcher threw to third? Or is it challenge open all the way to the next pitch.
I think Francona is just disappointed that he's about to lose the home opening series to the Twins.
I don't know how the challenge mechanics are supposed to work, but it has always been true that you need to actually throw to the base to appeal if a runner leaves early. To me, it seems like you should do that first if that's your complaint. Then if the umpire signals safe, you can complain that he got the call wrong.
Another dominating win!
Series win!
back to back wins!
.500 ball club!
Puppies!
another easy win.
It's like they say, the first 1,000 wins are the hard ones.
That was some good progression to the mean for Perk.
Hell, 3-3 in the first two series. Not bad. Not bad at all.
Puppies!
Atteberry just referred to "Brant Uh-LEE-uh". He probably played before Atteberry was born, but we old guys know it was "Brant "AL-yay".
Most of us will just take your word for it.
Yeah, someone could have clued him in on that.
Your Minnesota Twins now lead the AL in runs scored and runs allowed. That's how you get to .500!