2016 Game 81: Rangers at Twins

First Pitch 1:10 pm

Kyle Gibson (1-5, 5.12 ERA, 29 K, 1.489 WHIP)
Cole Hamels (9-1, 2.60 ERA, 102 K, 1.206 WHIP)

Today's tilt marks the midway point in a season that many Twins players and fans would just as soon forget about. As such there's not a lot to say about the rest of the season. It probably can't be any worse than the first half, and it just might get better. So here's a toss away random thoughts game log just like the professionals write when they don't have a decent idea for a column.

  • Max Kepler had himself a banner day at the ballpark yesterday, knocking two home runs and driving in seven, a Twins RBI record for a rookie, in the 17-run crushing of Texas. Tony Oliva, Miguel Sano and Oswaldo Arcia each have a 6-RBI game as rookies.
  • Miguel Sano is looking good since coming off the disabled list, blasting a two-run homer and driving in a total of three runs yesterday.
  • Eduardo Nunuz got in on the offensive fun yesterday with a four-hit game that included a sacrifice fly.
  • Eduardo Escobar is listed as day to day after injuring his left hamstring sliding into home plate yesterday.
  • Down on the farm, Jose Berrios takes the mound for Rochester today as he tries to extend a streak of scoreless starts to three. The Red Wings play Syracuse at 6:05 pm (MiLB.TV)
  • The Braves and Marlins will play each other today in front of 12,500 service personnel Β at Fort Bragg, the largest US military base in the world. I appreciate MLB's support of our military and while I sometimes feel they've become a PR wing of the Pentagon, this is a very nice beau geste.
  • After his first week in the major leagues with the Mets, my friends' son Brandon Nimmo is slashing .286/.310/.393/.703. I watched the Mets-Cubs game on TV last night; Nimmo went 1-3 with a walk and run scored.

It's way too nice outside not be at a ballgame today, so I snagged some Legends Club seats on StubHub and the wife and I are going to the game.

Play ball!

45 thoughts on “2016 Game 81: Rangers at Twins”

  1. I think one of the most surprising things about the first half of the season is that Eddie Nunez is still batting ~.320 .

          1. As I look at Romero's 2005 season, I don't know that it was really "selling high", but at least he hadn't fallen off a cliff.

        1. Hicks maybe? He had his best season yet. Span was traded after his batting had returned to above average, but it wasn't exactly trading high on him.

          1. It is looking that way now. Further chapters in the Hicks story could change that perception, of course. And Murphy hasn't done much so far, although there's still time for that to change, too.

        2. trading high? Doesn't that kinda describe the deal to get Delmon Young?

          Oh, you weren't talking about the Twins front office being on drugs?

  2. 2 singles, a double (but actually ended on third), and a SB
    and yet zero runs scored
    TWINS BASEBALL!!

    1. I was disappointed that they didn't figure out a way to get a runner thrown out at home for the third out, too.

  3. We've missed three chances this inning to get a runner thrown out at the plate! How are we going to set a record that way?

  4. "... It's a phenomenon, like gravity. Like Joe Mauer's beard..."

    Gravity is a phenomenon? It's a stupid ad to begin with, but it's been dated even before the first game of the season. Who writes this drivel?

    1. From dictionary.com: "Phenomenon, noun , 'a fact, occurrence, or circumstance observed or observable'". So yeah, I guess gravity would qualify as a phenomenon.

      1. Yup. He'll go down as one of my favorite Wolves of all time, but foot problems in guys that big just ain't gonna work.

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