2019 Game 70: Kansas City at Minnesota

Starting Lineups

Happy Fathers Day! I'm always reminded on this day of the two men drinking at the bar. One is commiserating at length on the pitfalls of fatherhood and proclaims finally that ten minutes of pleasure can lead to a lifetime of obligation and aggravation. The other man takes this in while staring into his drink, and after a long pause turns his head and says, "How do you make it last for ten minutes?"

The Twins wrap up Joe Mauer weekend at Target Field with a chance to sweep the beleaguered Kansas City Royals and extend their 25.5 game lead over the AL Central cellar dwellers. Watching the number retirement ceremony yesterday and seeing Joe with his little boy and the rest of his family confirmed for me that the Chairman made the right decision when he prioritized his health and family over another year of major league baseball and one last chance at a championship. I'm sure that given how the team is performing he sometimes wishes he'd given it another year, and frankly I do, too. I do think the reluctance the front office showed to even talk about a contract extension last year helped tip the scale toward retirement and like an inside fastball off the handle of the bat, that still stings a little. But in the end, we're left with a career's worth of memories (the no-look, behind-the-back crouching backhanded pick without missing a beat on a wild pitch that ricocheted straight off the sandstone backstop - I could watch that on an infinite loop). The great thing about baseball memories is that we feel them personally, we make them our own and the best ones we tuck away like treasures. We take them out from time to time to polish and admire, but we also share them freely and happily with our families and friends and other fans around the world, and that makes them even more special because they connect us in a way that transcends differences.

Jake Odorizzi proved himself human yesterday, gave up four runs and saw his ERA balloon to 2.24. Today's starter, Martin Perez, is also human but having a better year than I, for one, anticipated. He's 7-2 with a 3.97 ERA and 67 strikeouts in 70.1 innings pitched. He's served as a good pivot between our aces Berrios and Odorizzi and the less effective end of the rotation in Gibson and Pineda. The Royals today give the ball to 26-year-old Jakob Junis. The KC right-hander is probably better than his 4-6 record and 5.35 ERA, but that will happen with Kansas City's defense and offense backing you up. The Twins start today's game with a 62.6% win probability, so I believe I'll dust my broom. Play ball!

97 thoughts on “2019 Game 70: Kansas City at Minnesota”

  1. I don’t know, but if two of the three guys on base drew walks I’m probably taking a pitch or two.

  2. I think I'm way out on the Perez reclamation project and would like to see him moved to the pen.

  3. I miss the old days when the Twins would score a bunch of runs early and win by 10

  4. jiminy. Looking at the KC lineup. BAs for the bottom 4 in the order: 200, 207, 201, 221. Guh.

  5. Bert digs in his heels on human umps β€” even umps as conspicuously terrible as this crew β€” then refuses to talk further. I think I'm fine with his schedule being reduced further next year.

    1. I will never understand why people prefer games being influenced--and in some cases decided--by incorrect ball-and-strike calls, but to each his own, I guess.

      1. I don't mind it when there is a bit of human error, but this entire crew is just guessing on every pitch and making a leak proof case for robot umps.

  6. Syndergaard with a pulled hammy today. That will put a bit of a chill on the trade market.

  7. Well, time for some post-stretch take-back runs. We have the right guys coming up.

  8. Huh, pretty fun seeing an ad for Wollersheim winery. Been there a number of times. It's a point of southern Wisconsin pride.

    1. Missed the target. πŸ™

      Left to Garver. Not a bad option to turn to off the bench.

      1. It's gotta be a good feeling as a manager to have either Castro or Garver as a catching pinch hit option.

  9. Diekman seems to be a True Outcomes kind of pitcher. I'd like to see a true outcome here, Garver.

    1. Which makes sense, really. ERA is supposed to be a measure of pitching ability, not fielding ability.

  10. Ok, Nellie. You had a practice opportunity with the bases juiced before. Make this one count. For, you know, four.

  11. Kepler's had a very nice day at the plate. And the right guy up to keep it going.

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