The report of
mytheir death was greatly exaggerated.
-Samuel Clemens
A win today gets the Twins a sweep and back to .500. Kevin Correia (0-1) faces off against Jason Vargas (1-0). Another 2nd Inning like yesterday is a good way to go, IMHO.
Lineups:
KC
1. N. Aoki, RF
2. O. Infante, 2B
3. E. Hosmer, 1B
4. B. Butler, DH
5. A. Gordon, LF
6. S. Perez, C
7. M. Moustakas, 3B
8. L. Cain, CF
9. A. Escobar, SS
Min
1. B. Dozier, 2B
2. J. "Power" Mauer, 1B
3. T. Plouffe, 3B
4. C. Colabello RF
5. J. Kubel, LF
6. J. Pinto, DH
7. K. Suzuki, C
8. A. Hicks, CF
9. P. Florimon, SS
Joe Mauer (1, 4) has as many HR and RBI as Miggy Cabrera.
MVP! MVP! MVP!
Through 12 games, the Twins have scored the 2nd most runs in the AL, having focused on upgrading their starting pitching during the offseason. TWINS BASEBALL!!
Heh, that's a terrific thought.
Inspiring the offense is veteran pitching leadership. Think Black Jack.
Hello, beautiful!
Suzuki catching again. I like that Pinto is batting, but he should be catching more frequently.
It is no secret that I agree.
I also wouldn't mind seeing Escobar getting a week or two at short.
If they're going to make a change, I'd like to see them give Escobar a good, long chance, rather than a week or two. Otherwise, you're just shuffling them around, hoping desperately that somebody gets hot.
I don't disagree with that. I was speaking in baby steps, though.
It's all irrelevant anyway, because Nunez!
Did you know: heading into todays game the Twins lead the American League in walks taken?
Also, 3 of the top 4 teams are AL Central teams (Min, Cle, CWS)
I get a kick out of how Dick Bremer apparently believes that home runs are just sort of random, but hitting with two outs is a learned and repeatable skill.
So to practice that, so you have to keep getting a hot or your bp session is over for the day?
Throwing to first must be the hardest thing ever, judging by how often pitchers do it wrong.
Pitchers are generally the ones who throw the ball with the most movement and are taught how to make it move more. Infielders are taught how to throw it straight.
I would be surprised if infielders use a different grip than what pitchers use for a fastball. The reason probably comes down practice.
In a rush, I'm not sure infielders always get their pick of grip, but I think that typically they take more of a 4-seam fastball grip on the ball as opposed to a 2-seam fastball, which seems to generally have more movement. I think you're right that it mainly comes down to practice. Though I think positioning probably has a lot to do with it, too. Anecdotally, it seems lefties have less trouble throwing to first than righties, and infielders don't generally start their throwing motion with their back to first base.
If this is the case, then Mike Pelfrey should be the best pitcher at throwing to first in the league.
Royals baseball?
If it was the contact play, then I think that still qualifies as TWINS BASEBALL!!!!
Those watching on TV--was there a good reason Plouffe! didn't go for the double play there, or is Dazzle correct that he messed up?
I thought it was a good play since Aoki is hard to double up, its just that Cain made a move to avoid the tag allowing the runners to move up a base.
DicknBert agreed there was little chance of a double play. Dick was disappointed that the out wasn't made soon enough to prevent the runners moving up. Bert said (and I agree, shocker!) that there really wasn't anything else Plouffe could have done because of Cain's superior foot speed.
Wow. DicknBert on one side, Dazzle on the other. I have no idea who I should disagree with now. Can they somehow both be wrong?
so, what happened? I left the room for a minnit.
Dazz: "Florimon...handles the bat well."
Me: I don't think that word means what you think it means.
Maybe he very rarely drops it after he picks it up.
well, yea, he probably rarely drops it when he strikes out.
I fully expected a double play after the missed bunt.
Maybe he's a woodworker and has a partner with whom he makes bat. His partner specializes in the barrel and he specializes in the handle, so when it's his turn to go, he handles the bat very well.
At least that's what I thought when I read that.
I'm glad you went that way with it. I don't want to say where my warped mind went with it.
I would be much less upset at the number of times the Twins bunt if they had some players who were actually good at it.
SEND HIM!!!!
Pauer hitter at the plate. Let's see some man muscles.
Well, that inning could've gone better.
Nice inning for Correia.
Am I the only one who gets a little annoyed when they have little kids make the public address announcements? Yeah, I probably am, but I still find it annoying.
You are not alone.
x2
I'm thinking we're going to have to score more than zero runs to win this game.
Maybe these teams want to play 24 innings in the cold.
"Wheels" Mauer
=O
Wheels Mauer.
You beat me, dw.
Stauler!
Well that ended poorly.
Very good outing for Correia today.
This game has the this vibe about it....like a Aaron Hicks triple deck HR for a 1-0 Twins win.
I had to run an errand...man, this game flew by while I was out.
Let's have a couple of those random home runs this inning, guys.
It worked out, but why in the world was Jason Kubel bluffing a bunt?
He heard Dick Bremer talking about it earlier in the game (seriously, it was a discussion point in the 5th or so inning)
I'm guessing there was a shift on, in which case I'm all for bunting for a base hit.
Yeah, the Royals have been playing Kubel with the heavy RF shift.
That does make some sense, then.
If it doesn't work, he could always blame Mauer.
Not a huge fan of the pinch-runner here. It may work--I'm not outraged by it--but I'd rather keep Kubel's bat in the lineup at this point.
And it becomes irrelevant, because after the home run, Mastroianni probably would've gone in for defense anyway.
PINTO POWER!!!!!!!!!
Random homer for Pinto!
That HR doesn't happen unless the pinch runner was put in.
PintoTheSeats!!
I like this guy, dudes.
Not-Punto!!!
Good thing the Twins called up Tonkin just in time for Nolasco and now Correia pitch deep into the game.
*forehead smack*
PlouffE
Some interesting throws to first today. Mauer wasn't there but I think I'll boo him anyways.
Correia leaves with 87 pitches.
Well crap.
Remember when the Twins had the lead? Yeah that was fun.
#6pen?
That was fun for a good five minutes or so.
Well, this game sure went to pot in a hurry.
And they're not even playing the Mariners
This game is going to come down to Mastro at the plate instead of Kubel
against a LHP. sounds great!
They did us a favor by walking Florimon. Take advantage of it, guys!
If Dozier goes out here, do they walk Mauer and put the go-ahead run on base?
I guess we'll never know.
Is the pitcher "behind" in the count when it's 3-and-2?
Me gusta walks.
But now that pansy Mauer is up. He never hits 3-run homers.
We're not likely to have a better chance to score than this. Go get 'em, guys!
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A double down the RF line would be so amaze
Mauer sux
How about a rrannodom grrannd slam?
all we need is a ssinngglle.
TWINS BASEBALL!!!
TWINS BASEBALL!!TWINS BASEBALL!!
TWINS BASEBALL!!
OH MY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!TWINS BASEBALL!!
Royals baseball!
TWINS BASEBALL!!
Twins mother-flippin' baseball!
That ball was hit about 30 feet and scores two.
That should please AMR.
Pedro Florimon, igniter.
wade Davis seems to really like throwing the ball in the dirt.
remind me again which team leads in drawing BBs?
It's a strange game, this baseball.
That's quite the way to end a ballgame.
Puppies!!!
So, how do you score that on the scorecard?
I don't think that ending could've been more TWINS BASEBALL!!.
On the other hand I don't ever remember a batter ever just standing there staring at his own popup.
You've obviously never watched Little League.
Get swept. Sweep. So it's gonna be like that this year, eh Twins?
#itshappening
If they finish .500, I'm just fine with the strategy.
This was a very TWINS BASEBALL!! game.
I was going to say I never seen a game end on interference, but then remember the World Series game from last year.
Twins are now .500 with a +3 run differential despite their three FA pitchers having ERAs of at least 5.50.