2017 Game 19: Minnesota Twins vs. Texas Rangers

So, at what point do we resign ourselves to another crappy season of baseball? While we all enjoyed the 5-0 start, I don't think many of us felt any corners had been turned (okay, I'll admit to experiencing a few pangs of optimism (certainly nothing reaching socal levels), but they quickly subsided). Should we acknowledge it at all, or just try to remain as ignorant as Andie McDowell? Seems more pleasant that way. More wet though.

In any case, I suppose it's too early to start reaching for the alarm levers, however, I've seen this movie before, and I have a feeling I know where it's headed. Anyway, onto less existential topics:

The Twins flee Target Field, managing a meager 2-7 on the home stand. Kyle Gibson and the Twins (the former of which is pretty sure the Tigers were stealing signs) were clobbered yesterday in a messy affair to the tune of 13-4. They now hit the road for a 6 game trip, where hopefully their fortunes will improve. Tonight, they send Phil Hughes and his bulky ERA to the mound. Ol' Phil only made it 3.1 innings last time, so hopefully he can give the bullpen a little bit of a break tonight. If not, I may have to update the "Aces Through The Years" banner again.

The Rangers began the year a little iffy, however they're fresh off a 4-game sweep of the Royals, so their fortunes may be improving. Perez is also coming off a less than spectacular start, managing an extra .1 innings more than Hughes. Both pitchers will be fighting for redemption! And their mother's love (perhaps)!!

In other news, Boshers, one of the few brights spots of yesterday's pitching, was unceremoniously dumped back to AAA as a thank you. They will bring up Spring Training invite Nick Tepesch who has been pitching well in Rochester as of late. In a corresponding 40-man roster move, Ryan O’Rourke was moved to the 60-day DL.


Minnesota Twins vs. Texas Rangers

(8-10)                                          (9-10)
Globe Life Park in Arlington
1000 Ballpark Way
Arlington, Texas
76011
7:05 PM CDT

Game Previews
Minnesota Twins Official Game Notes
Baseball-Reference
MLB
Yahoo! Sports

Minnesota Twins Starting Lineup
1. Dozier, 2B
2. Mauer, 1B
3. Sanó, 3B
4. Grossman, RF
5. Polanco, SS
6. Vargas, DH
7. Gimenez, C
8. Rosario, LF
9. Buxton, CF

Texas Rangers Starting Lineup
1. Gómez, CF
2. Choo, DH
3. Mazara, RF
4. Napoli, 1B
5. Odor, 2B
6. Andrus, SS
7. Gallo, 3B
8. Lucroy, C
9. Profar, LF

Probable Starting Pitchers
Philip Joseph Hughes
2-1, 5.40
v.
Martín Pérez Jiménez
1-2, 3.60

51 thoughts on “2017 Game 19: Minnesota Twins vs. Texas Rangers”

      1. It was not at his head. It was behind his backside. But I agree that throwing a projectile at someone, no matter where, should get at least as much punishment as the supposed punch to a guy wearing full catching gear.

    1. I finally remembered to watch the incident this morning. That's.... terrible. I think I'm less mad that Sano got the one game. It's lame, but it registers more on the "whatever" scale. What I'm furious about is that, but doing nothing to either tigers player is a clear endorsement of these stupid, stupid unwritten rules, including the extremely dangerous one of throwing at guys. It's disgusting, really.

      1. I would not have a problem with Sano getting a game suspension if the Tigers pitcher and catcher had gotten one as well. But either all of them needed to get one or none should have. Singling Sano out is ridiculous.

  1. One of my pet peeves is when someone says, as Paul Molitor just did on the radio pregame, that he was "forced" to use a lot of relief pitchers yesterday. No, Paul, you weren't forced to do that. You chose to do it. You especially chose to use four relief pitchers (not counting Gimenez) after the fifth inning, when the game was clearly gone. You made that choice knowing that you'd used six relievers the day before and three the day before that. You are not the innocent victim of circumstances here. If you're short in the bullpen, that's the entirely foreseeable result of the choices you made. If you want to say that you think you made the right choices and you're willing to deal with the result, that's fine. But nobody forced you to do it this way. You had other options.

      1. Yes. To be fair, I hear lots of managers, coaches, and announcers say it. But it always bothers me, because it absolves the manager/coach of responsibility for the choices he makes.

      1. So would we all, I imagine. In fact, I'd be quite happy if he could do that everywhere. It's the actual doing of it that's the tricky bit.

  2. I'm thinking I'm gonna have a pretty quick hook for this game. I'm finding it fairly easy to bail the last couple weeks.

    1. Possibly a bit of both. They did show the flags whipping around pretty good, so it's pretty likely the ball changed course mid flight.

    2. A buddy of mine had a brother who worked as a juggler on the tight rope at the Renaissance Fair. The main part of the act was to make it look like he was about to fall.

    3. He definitely struggled to get to the ball, but great coordination to make the catch and surprisingly quick on his feet to jump up to make a very strong and accurate throw home.

  3. I'm not pretending Buxton is doing well, but it also seems like any time he hits the ball hard, it's still an out.

    1. When hard-hit balls happen so rarely, it's pretty easy to have bad luck. That said, that was a very encouraging at-bat by Buxton. Didn't chase. Got ahead in the count. Hit it a long ways just foul down the right-field line before hitting it pretty hard to left.

      1. When hard-hit balls happen so rarely, it's pretty easy to have bad luck.

        Or good luck. That's the nature of SSST.

    2. His fly out last inning wasn't hit that hard, but he hit a very loud foul ball earlier in the AB.

  4. I think Hughes has the worst stuff of the starting pitchers, but he at least seems to have an idea of what he's doing out there, unlike Gibson. I'd much rather watch Hughes pitch than Gibson nibble, nibble, nibble even if the results aren't necessarily that much better.

  5. So after yesterday's game, I've seen Victor Martinez play in person 15 times. In 65 plate appearances with me in attendance, he's hit 410/431/705. Sheesh.

      1. Yeah, but Alphanso Marquez has an iffy zone all night (probably favored the Twins some).

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