Game Time - 7:10 p.m. CT
Gates Open - 5:30 p.m. CT
During the last home stand I noticed a few ushers sitting in the bleachers during BP collecting baseballs hit up there. I asked one of them about it and he said they give them to kids during the ballgame. I think I'm gonna be one of those guys now. Lots of promotions at the ballpark this weekend. Tonight is Celebrate Diversity day with free shirts to the first 10,000 fans. Friday is postgame fireworks and Josh Donaldson Bobblehead night with the wobbly souvenirs going to the first 10,000 fans through the gates. Saturday and Sunday are Back to School weekend with an undisclosed back to school item going the the first 5,000 fans 12 and under each day.
My wife is convinced that every year the Twins get on a roll of winning right before the All-Star break and then go on a losing streak after the break. I haven't done the research on previous years yet, but this year we won the last four games before the break and lost the first three games after, and we've only won two and lost five since coming off the mid-season intermission. That's mainly due to bad luck from not playing very good.
Kenta Maeda (4-3) today gets his 16th start of the year for the Twins. He's sitting on a 4.71 ERA, almost a point higher than his career total, but he's got 79 Ks in about 73 innings. He's only walked 14 batters, though, and over his last seven starts his WHIP is a meager 1.14.
Andrew Heaney (5-7) gets the start for the Angels today. He sports a 5.56 ERA, also about a point higher than his career total. He's lefthanded and breathing. Play ball!
No Cruz
No Kirilloff
Going to be lots of Miguel Sano
This might be his last chance with the Twins to prove he can play. I've always rooted for the guy, but he'll be twenty-nine next season. If he's going to do something, he'd better do it soon.
Strong statement for a former All-Star with a career 118 OPS+.
Emphasis on "former". His all-star selection was in 2017. He also had a solid year in 2019. Maybe I should've said "still play", because last year and this, he's batting a combined .202 with a slugging percentage of .443. He has 28 home runs and 190 strikeouts in 431 at-bats over that time. He led the league in strikeouts last year and the only thing keeping him from leading it this year is that he hasn't played as much. He's twenty-eight, so while he could still get better, it's not real likely. The Twins have been more than patient with him. If he doesn't get things going the rest of this season, they may well decide it's time to move on.
Polanco leathah!
Ullger'd
Mumford and Sons cued up for the delay
Miguel Sano has more steals of third in his career than Byron Buxton
that was a good inning!
this one not so much
Maeda'd