2018 Twins Game Logs

2018 Game 110: Royals vs. Replacements

68 Comments

It was an eventful week in Twins Territory. It started with the approach of the non-waiver trade deadline and the departures of Eddie Escobar, Brian Dozier, Zach Duke, Ryan Pressley and Lance Lynn. In return the Twins got Logan Forsythe and a gaggle of farm hands, including a couple of power arms, that may or may not be the future of the team. TINSTAAPP. In addition by subtraction, Taylor (Whatsa) Motter was shunted off to Rochester because he plays baseball like Taylor Motter. To fill the holes left by trades, the front office recalled Miguel Sano, Addison Reed, Gabriel Moya and Trevor May. Somehow amidst all the movement and excitement, Matt Belisle and his 8.15 ERA/-6 RAR managed to elude the grim reaper and remains on the 25 man roster, a monument to the staying power of confirmation bias and mediocrity, I suppose. Over the course of the week the Twins won three games and lost three games and dropped another game behind the division-leading Clevelanders. So while we can safely settle our hopes and dreams of a postseason berth in for another long winter's nap, there are still two months of Twins baseball to watch before we turn our attention to football or basketball or hockey or curling or bowling or the occasional acid flashback for diversion. The week was finished off yesterday with the induction of Johan Santana into the Twins Hall of Fame. He will forever be the player by which Rule 5 draft picks are measured, and we tip our hats and raise our glasses to El Presidente.

Our present day pitching Santana toes the rubber for his third start of the season today as the Twins look to complete a sweep of the even more hapless Royals. Kansas City counters with Danny Duffy, so it's probably best to keep the brooms in the closet in the event of an assbat outbreak, at least until we we get into the Royals' bullpen. Play ball!

68 thoughts on “2018 Game 110: Royals vs. Replacements”

  1. Sano in the four-spot today! No Bobby Wilson! Of course, no Joe Mauer, either. As the saying goes, it's always something.

  11. I see The Old Professor (assuming he's in the green shirt), but he's surrounded by occupied seats. I'm a section over and a row up waiting for an opening to introduce myself.

  14. Is Santana still on a pitch count? If not, I don't understand why you'd take him out now.

    1. Maybe it's more about finding out about Moya, if he's a guy you can bring into the game to get out a tough lefty batter.

  18. I suspect Logan Morrison has not made a lot of pinch-running appearances in his career.

  19. I have to admit I don't really see what the advantage is that you gain from the "opener".

    1. Theory is that since the most runs are scored in the 1st, use your better pitcher in the 1st

      1. Also, the best hitters are at the top of the order. Using an opener let's the starter change when they are faced the second, or third, time.

        1. That, of course, assumes that you're going to use one of your best relief pitchers as the opener. Which, in turn, means he won't be available late in the game. Plus, your "starter" is still going to have to face those best hitters sometime. If it's the second or third time through the order, it might be with men already on base. I'm not opposed to people trying new things, but I'm going to have to see quite a bit more evidence before I buy into it.

          1. I will admit that my opinion may be colored by the Twins' use of openers in the minors, where it seems mostly to just put the Twins behind early in the game.

          2. Let's say you're facing the Twins. If you start your second-best lefty reliever, you get to guarantee that he faces Mauer and Rosario rather than an extra time with your mediocre for starter (who happens to be a righty) facing them three times. Or, you might even convince Molitor to rest Mauer.

            1. I doubt that an opener would convince a manager to rest somebody, unless they were somewhat marginal anyway--you'd know you were only going to see him once. Possibly it might convince them to bat someone lower in the order, but I doubt that would happen often.

              Another thing about it is that you're putting both your "reliever" and your "starter" into unfamiliar roles. I don't know how much of an effect that has, and if you did it a lot the effect would diminish, but I think it's something to consider.

    2. Looked like he tweaked something (knee or back?) running out of the batters back.

  21. I would prefer moving Kepler from DH to the outfield rather than playing an infielder in the outfield.

    1. Not sure about trading offense for defense with just a one run lead, but that’s me.

        1. And unless the Twins have a big inning, what would become the pitcher's spot won't come up until the ninth, which we hope won't happen.

    1. Sano could have made a better throw, but yea. Weak scoop.

      Then Sano could have caught the line drive that went off his glove.

  23. Again, Twins pitchers struggle enough to get three outs. I don't like seeing them have to get four.

  30. There's no way to know what would've happened, but had we put Kepler in the outfield, we could've pinch-hit for the pitcher (who was coming out of the game anyway) with Mauer and had a better chance to score.

  31. I'm a broken drum, but my oh my I do love myself The Fernando Rodney Entrance.

  39. All in all, it was a very fun first trip to the Bullseye. Wish I could have made the rounds to see some folks, but...it wasn't in the cards. 😔

    1. It would be interesting to hear more of your perspective of TF. Obviously you’ve heard about it, seen photos, etc. how does that line up with actual experience. What surprised you, what was spot on?

      1. Kramarczuk's polish was better than Kramarczuk's brat. Frozen lemonade was the bomb. I expected more of the stone in right field. But it was beautiful. What was the deal with the mural out past right field that looks like it has a mister blowing across it? Pretty neat effect.

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