Today the Twins will be doing their "Opener" experiment, sending Gabriel Moya to the mound to pitch the first inning only. Zack Littell will take over in the second inning as the "Primary" pitcher. The quotation marks are mine, intended to convey my high level of skepticism with this approach. The Rangers will counter with Yohander Mendez as their starting pitcher. I guess my point is that if you're going to experiment with opener and primary pitchers, it really doesn't make sense to be using as your primary pitcher a rookie who has pitched in just two games, who lost them both, and who carries an ERA of 18.90 to the mound. I don't see how much you're really going to learn from doing it this way with this particular couple of pitchers. I'm not opposed to innovation and evolution, nor to data-driven strategy, but until I see hard evidence that this approach will help the Twins win more ballgames, I'm going to cross my arms over my chest, shake my head and frown a lot, spit sideways in disdain on occasion, and shoo the neighborhood kids off of my lawn. Free Buxton!
The "opener" didn't exactly help today. That doesn't prove anything, obviously, but I share Twayn's skepticism about it. I can see where it might help in certain situations, but I don't think those situations are all that common.
If you have a lights out bullpen and a lot of blah starters. Don't think the first part matches the Twins current situation.
I don't know if you have to have a "lights out" bullpen, but I think it needs to be a pretty good one. It seems to me that you want to open with a pretty good reliever--you certainly don't want to put yourself in a hole early on. But you need to have some other good relievers, too, because you need someone to pitch in the late innings if the game is close. So if you're going to do it, you'd better have some bullpen arms you can count on.
May may
I find the conversation about the "identity" of the Twins rather uninteresting. Get some good ballplayers and have them play well, and the "identity" will take care of itself.
Why is Giminez playing first base?
On the other hand, at this pace he may well pitch!
Can we just end this one on a mercy rule?
At least this is the proper use of Matt Belisle. Assuming, of course, that there is a proper use of Matt Belisle.
Like with the Tsar.
"May God bless, and keep Belisle far...away...from us."
Unless there's something going on that I don't know about, I see no reason whatsoever to think Belisle was throwing at anyone there.
Mark Ginowski (sp) in full sarcasm mode. I don't remember hearing that before.
Well, thank God they didn't Greekhouse us.
Gimenez may have to pitch two innings today.
Unfortunately, he hits like a pitcher and pitches like a first basemen instead of vice versa.
Reed's been ejected.
Have to give Molitor credit for not getting thrown out. If I was him, I'd probably be looking for an excuse to leave at this point.
Gardy'd be on his second sub sandwich by this point.
No shutout, at least.
This lineup is ridiculous. No Sano, Austin or Garver against a left-handed starter. Is Molitor protesting using an opener? If this is what's going to happen on a regular basis this month, I may be in full checkout mode like 2016.
The comeback continues. All we need is three grand slams, and we take the lead!
And there it is. Good to have our ace reliever back!
That totally counts as a pitcher home run, right?
Yes, first "pitcher" HR for the Twins since the DH era began.
His pitching stats are listed in B-Ref, so if his pitching counts as pitching, then his hitting while pitching counts as hitting as a pitcher. Then funny part is, if Molly hadn't made such a lame lineup and started Giminez at first base, he wouldn't have hit.