Well, the Twins basically got the series sweep, if not technically (I forget what happened at the end of that first game). I'd call it a decent start to the year.
They hop over Lake Michigan for a three game set with Tigers, all DAY GAME ALERTs. Looks like we'll be spending our lunch breaks with the Twins this week.
A lot of familiar faces in the other dugout this series, including Akil Baddoo who cranked a donger on the first major league pitch he saw. I have a feeling he won't be offered back to the Twins this year...
Shoemaker makes his Twins debut facing off against Jose Urena in a battle of the righties. Nelson Cruz also debuts in his natural position, so hopefully the Boomstick can start to get into a groove. It's a nice, warm day to enjoy some afternoon baseball.
stellar defense. Thank you Tiggers
Tigers treating themselves to some TWINS BASEBALL!!
Nice to join the game with the boys already in front.
Oh fer dumb.
Yep, five former Twins in the lineup for the Tigers
Wow, Grossman’s line coming into today’s game is 0-5, .000/.615/.000 (89 OPS+), with league-leading 8 walks. Grossman has 8 of the Tigers’ 13 walks on the season.
Ump giving Ureña an unearned “lefty up, get me in the zip code” strike to Arráez.
Ball five.
The Twins need to get some hits here and break the game open when they've got the chance.
That'll work.
Dazzle is emphatic that it hit the pole.
It's not impossible, but I can't tell.
HA!
You don't often see someone hit two grand slams in the same at-bat.
😂
Pretty sure that one isn't foul.
Cruz should ask them to check with New York.
That ball is probably not round anymore.
LMAO, nice.
ha!
CRUZZZZ!
This is fun!
Dazzle's right though, I don't see why they don't have a camera mounted on each pole.
I approve of that three true outcome inning.
Are we going to have to start a pool, like the home run pool we used to have, to pick each day which Twin is going to leave the game due to injury?
And now Arráez is out of the game after having a trainer come out mid-at bat.
Four hundred foot outs are still outs, I guess.
Other than some hiccups on defense, the Twins have looked really good to start the season.
Sano strikeout. Drink!
I’m thinking we need to do a poll ranking the roster + taxi squad by watchability.
Twins show Indians the key to pitching Grossman is just strike his @ss out.
Twins show who?
The team that walked him eight times in the previous series.
Spiders
Tortuga needs a cutout in the back of his batting helmet for the hair
Nelson Cruz also debuts in his natural position, so hopefully the Boomstick can start to get into a groove.
Well this came true in a hurry. 3 HRs in 2 ABs!
Gonna need an additional nap
Yowza!
That baseball had a family!
Lol at that Cuddyer anecdote from Justin.
For those of us on radio, what was it?
He was talking about a milestone HR for Thome that he was on base for and when Thome got to the plate, Cuddy cut in front of him for the high fives because it meant he "would be in all the pictures".
As Justin is in the background high fiving the air
Looks like it backfired because Justin has more image real estate.
(which home run was that, anyway? I missed that part of the story)
600. He didn't have many milestone home runs with the Twins.
Good point. I'm still going to consider the one he hit to pass McGwire a milestone because I was at that game.
Offseason idea for FSN. Get Morneau, Cuddy, Eddie G, and Johan at a round table and hit record on the camera as they tell stories
Is it too early to say, "Save some for tomorrow"?
There's more where this is comin' from.
Don't worry, I'll incorporate that into tomorrow's Game Log intro.
Send Shoemaker down.
Too much time on the bench so no no-hitter today.
Has anybody said what the expected pitchcount for Shoemaker is? He got out of the fifth, but he was getting around pretty good after the home run. If the Tigers were within 5 runs of the Twins, I'd say there's no chance he'd be going out for the sixth.
Maeda threw 88, Berríos had 84, and Pineda tossed 81 pitches yesterday. Shoemaker is at 78 pitches after five innings. I could see him starting the fifth and being pulled after a few batters.
Okay, can we play this team about 18 more times this year?
Well, can they make the playoffs? Let's get greedy.
Yep, I'm convinced that having runners on base are giving Max a big bonus by not facing the shift. Definitely a reason not to have him leading off
stopithesalreadydead.jpg
Dazz: "in comes Rooker...and it's gonna be Garlick, making contact with Cave."
Me: ??
The extra point is good!
One more and they'll have equaled their run total from the Milwaukee series.
Uh...the 5th FG is good!
It'd be cool for Dobnak to get a three-inning save here.
Talk about changing the batter’s eye level...
I don't know if I've ever seen a pitch go off the screen on Gameday.
launch angle of 45
second base Tortuga
With Sano at third, Garver at first, and an outfield of Rooker/Cave/Garlick.
If not for Simmons, this would be a contender for worst defense ever. Strike folks out, Ubermensch.
Simmons' punishment for the clank in game one
This position player should have started the game
Oof on Cave's afternoon.
Not the ground ball Dobnak was hoping for.
Nor that.
Or that.
etc.
I'm not really having fun with this three inning save attempt anymore.
including Akil Baddoo who cranked a donger on the first major league pitch he saw. I have a feeling he won't be offered back to the Twins this year...
Also coming true in a hurry.
stoopid two-out rally
NICE save.
I'll take the blame. I hung up on the game at the start of the 9th.
Giving Dobnak a "save" is just so absurd.
Wes Littleton convinced me to embrace the absurdity of the three inning save. Now I'll always hope a pitcher can finish the final three.
Indeed. If they insist on the terrible stat, may as well root for maximum idiocy
Well then. At work and finally checked in to see this absurd score. What do we know about Arraez?
mlb.com says it's "upper gastrointestinal discomfort".
Sounds to me like a non-COVID related illness
a different one than buxton apparatenly.
Hopefully different from Kaz Matsui’s issues in that area
"Cruz, Giancarlo Stanton (Oct. 6, 2020) and Matt Davidson (March 29, 2018) are the only players with two 114+ mph homers in a game since Statcast began tracking in 2015."