I hope everyone has had an enjoyable and agreeable Memorial Day weekend. I'm sure there will be plenty of pomp and spectacle during the actual game, but whenever you get a chance today, maybe take a moment and quietly reflect on the holiday and those whose memory it honors.
I was thinking about trying to make yesterday's game in Chicago, but other vague plans (which didn't materialize) and threat of weather kept us away. A shame as it would have been a good one.
Anyway, now that the Twins aren't playing Chicago, I can actually watch them again. Score. They leave the Prairie State with a 4-1 road trip in their back pocket, and six games at home in front of them, where they've enjoyed a .700 record (2nd in the AL).
They'll open up that homestand with 3 games against the 3rd place Red Sox. Someone posted a link recently that mirrored the exasperation this team has been causing me. They're just not supposed to be this good, you know? Regardless, I will continue to cautiously watch, and enjoy the ride.
Happy Memorial Day, you guys.
Boston Red Sox vs. Minnesota Twins
(21-23) (25-18)
Target Field
353 North Fifth Street
Minneapolis, Minnesota
1:10 PM PDT
Game Previews
Minnesota Twins Official Game Notes
Baseball-Reference
MLB
Yahoo! Sports
Boston Red Sox Starting Lineup
1. Pedroia, 2B
2. Betts, CF
3. Ortiz, DH
4. Ramirez, LF
5. Sandoval, 3B
6. Napoli, 1B
7. Bogaerts, SS
8. Nava, RF
9. Swihart, C
Minnesota Twins Starting Lineup
1. Dozier, 2B
2. Hunter, RF
3. Mauer, 1B
4. Plouffe, 3B
5. Suzuki, C
6. Escobar, SS
7. Nunez, DH
8. Rosario, LF
9. Hicks, CF
Probable Starting Pitchers
Joseph William Kelly
1-3, 5.13
v.
Carlos Enrique Nolasco
4-1, 6.00
I have a niece and nephew (and I'm assuming, brother) at the game today. Here's hoping Nolasco is a little wild and plunks Pedrosa
a coupleseveral times.No Hitter done.
TWINS BASEBALL!!
Pitcher's best friend.
DDozier DDouble.
Torii hasnt been as bad as i was expecting/sort of hoping. I think I'm mostly over it, though I'll beore than happy to mock him when the opportunity allows.
And now Pedroia robs him of a hit. I know I dont like that.
For the first two weeks of the season, he looked washed up.
559 OPS in March/April, 1017 OPS in May.
meanwhile, Joe had an 804 OPS in March/April, but 594 in May. Oy.
I'm...troubled by that.
He did.
He's still not particularly good (I would say he'd be better as a DH, though that will most assuredly never happen), but as long as he's not going to retire, he may as well get an ocasional base hit.
His bat is slow and his outfield is slower.
DRS has him at -7 for the year so far, projected to -30 if he keeps it up.
Josh Willingham's worst season for the Twins was -13 over just shy of 120 games.
Delmon had the same over about 150 games.
Torii is a horrible fielder these days.
pussy SF.
A ribeye on the grill for Mauer.
speaking of which, I'm marinating chicken thighs in a greek-style marinade (garlic, oregano, dill, a pinch of crushed red pepper, salt, lemon zest, lemon juice, lime juice, red wine vinegar, olive oil) to grill later, along with Anaheim peppers. On the side: boiled red creamer potatoes tossed in a lemony vinaigrette and a salad with the same vinaigrette.
I think we're going to be grilling brats - keeping it fairly low profile.
I got my outdoor stove from my parents' house this weekend. It's a little gloomy, but I'll be damned if that's gonna stop me. Got brats and a pot of beans getting ready to go on.
Earlier
Brats and premo. You've arrived!
I love the hih-tech approach to heating the beans.
except that the interior of that can is probably coated with plastic....
Turns out, yes, it was. I won't be making that mistake again.
One the other hand, I'm not dead yet. Which, really, is all any of us could say.
Brian Dozier in the AL lead for runs scored.
Joe Mauer, RBI machine.
Always amused when a pop-up is hit around the pitcher's mound that the pitcher usually shows no interest in actually catching it. I don't think Nolasco moved whatsoever after finishing his delivery for Sandoval's pop-up.
Heh, that was a weird balk.
Good Lord, Hicks!!
Hicksies!
Aggressive baserunning!
Look at that aggressive base running!
Also, Hanley Ramirez is not a good fielder.
Núñez!
Does Nuñez's helmet EVER stay on?
Kelly looking at a short outing.
EVERYbody hits!
I'll trade an out for a run there, I guess.
5 straight mid-90s fastballs to Joe.
6
w00t!!!!!!
PLOUFFE
yes!!!!
Incredible at bat for Plouffe.
Mad bombin!!
Keep it going, Twins. We've got Nolasco pitching. I'm not comfortable that seven runs is enough.
I'm confident that Nolasco will be on a short leash, but then it's on to the "ripe for regression" bullpen.
So yeah, keep it up, hitters!
wow. Just wow. Fear the Twins!
An absurd inning.
Let's not be giving a bunch of giveback runs, Ricky.
Ho Hum.
Almost a home run for Mauer.
I'm listening, not watching, but it seems like, with Hunter running with the crack of the bat, he should've had a chance to score on that. Was it a really hard-hit ball, did Hunter get a poor jump, or is he just that slow now?
It was hard hit line drive type ball. Hit hard off the fence and a good bounce to the defense.
Hanley Ramirez made a pretty good play out in LF.
Also, Torii is really slow.
The Twins minor league Players of the Week have been posted now. Some pretty good performances.
Gladden references Nolasco needing to have a "shutdown inning". I think one way or another, it will be. Either he'll shut down the Red Sox or he'll be shut down for the day.
Glad it was the former.
NolasKo
Ricky, you have my full permission to keep proving me wrong.
Have been listening on the ear buds while staining the deck posts, and I've got to say it was so cool hearing Bruno and crew explode on the dugout mic when Plouffe hit his HR.
Also, Provus & Dazzle are SO much more tolerable when the Twins are playing winning baseball.
So is Hawk Harrelson.
Except for all the Hunterbation
Ho, hum. Another one-two-three inning for Nolasco.
Good job Nolasco!
72% winning percentage in May... don't change the boxers, boyos.
7 different Twins scored 1 run today.
Joe Kelly gave up 7 runs while record 5 outs (game score 10) and that was not even close to the worst pitching performance of the day
Guthrie's game score was -11.