Hang onto your hats, gentlemen. Today's tilt features a match-up of two rookie hurling phenoms. In this corner, weighing in with a 3-1 record, a 4.10 ERA, and a 0.4 WAR is Shohei Ohtani. In the other corner, sporting a 2-0 record, and a 0.8 WAR, undefeated and unscored upon, Fernando Romero. It's only my humble opinion, but I'll put it out there - these are the two most exciting young pitchers in baseball at the moment. My brother-in-law in Orange will be in the stands today - wish I could join him. Play ball!
All posts by Twayn
Game 30: Twinkies at Pale Hosers
There’s little room for argument that Kyle Gibson has been a frustrating pitcher to watch, and probably to coach, over his four full major league seasons. Brilliant one start and seemingly brain-dead the next, far too often nibbling away his advantage after getting ahead in counts, and never seeming to trust his best stuff in tough situations despite ample evidence that he can and should. But we may be witnessing a metamorphosis of sorts with Gibby and this could be a breakout season for the 31-year old Hoosier, with the normal caveat about staying healthy.
Late last year Gibson finally started to show some confidence and consistency on the mound and finished the season strong. His Achilles heel continues to be inefficiency as he’s only averaged 5 1/3 innings per start this season despite notching impressive performance stats, to wit a 3.38 ERA (good for a 129 ERA+) that's nicely in line with his 3.42 FIP. He’s allowed only two long balls in 32 innings and pitched to a meager .212 opponent batting average while maintaining a low 1.28 WHIP. And he’s been an effective control and ground ball pitcher, tallying 36 strikeouts with a 2.25 K/BB ratio and 1.57 grounders for every fly ball struck. All told it’s been worth 0.9 WAR from Gibson through April.
Opposing Gibson today is James Shields, who has struggled some out of the gate to a 1-3 record. His 5.35 ERA and 4.73 FIP indicate he’s been a bit unlucky and the Pale Hose have lost five of his seven starts, four of them by a single run. Twins on the current roster have 200 at bats against Shields with a respectable slash line of .260/.323/.465/.788. Dozier especially has feasted, sporting a .333 average and 1.224 OPS against Shields, who has contributed just 0.2 WAR for the Southsiders this year.
Enough with the egghead stats already, this game happens on a field, not a spreadsheet. Play ball!
2018 Game 16 – Twins vs. Rays
In baseball, there are real-deals, wannabes, and has-beens. But some players fall into a different category, the what-could-have-beens. After nearly a year on the disabled list, Phil Hughes makes his return to a major league mound today. One can't help but wonder what his career would have been like had he not been plagued with injuries. When healthy, he's been very, very good, but his career feels like one long series of rude interruptions. 2014 was without a doubt his best year; he won 16 games with a 3.52 ERA and a thoroughly ridiculous 11.67 K/BB ratio while garnering seven Cy Young award votes. I'm too old and jaded to expect Hughes to return to his 2014 form, I don't think anyone does. But if he can stay healthy and throw 160 innings or so he can still be a significant rotation asset for this team. Tampa sends right-hander Yonny Chirinos to the hill, he's got an ERA of 2.70 and 15 strikeouts, but he got touched for five runs in his last outing after pitching 14.1 scoreless frames over his first three starts. Play ball!
2018 Game 8 – Mariners at Twins (Postponed) Houston Astros at Minnesota Twins
's.I'm looking at my AtBat app and it's telling me today's game is postponed due to inclement weather. I'm looking out my window and don't see any precipitation falling in any form. I'm looking at my weather app and the radar shows the snow won't even start falling until 4:00 pm or so. If this game is really postponed, somebody screwed the pooch on the call.
hj: sorry, gonna hijack this post. like one of those weird bugs that eats a fish's tongue then takes the tongue's place. nibbs, spoonto, you should check those out.
2018 Game 3: Twins at Orioles
Okay, how do you do this again? Just put the words in this box thing and press enter? Wait. Is there a button to click or anything? Oh, hell. Don't worry, I'll get the hang of this again eventually. Berrios on the mound today, I'm expecting great things. Play ball!
2016 Game 162 – Gemini vs. Laundry
First pitch 2:10 p.m. Central
Jose Berrios (2-7, 8.61 ERA, 46 K, 1.913 WHIP )
Chris Sale (17-9, 3.21 ERA, 227 K, 1.026 WHIP)
A summary of the Twins' 2016 season, in Tamarian:
Kira at Bashi. Gemini; Uzani, his army when the grass grows. The beast at Tanagra. Kadir beneath Mo Moteh, Kiteo his eyes closed. Zima and Bakor. Zinda, his face black, his eyes red. Shaka, when the walls fell. Darmok on the ocean - Kiazi's children, their faces wet. Sokath, his eyes open. Kailash, when it rises. Darmok and Jalad on the ocean.
Play ball!
2016 Game 156: Mariners at Twins
First Pitch 1:10 pm
Taijuan Walker (5-11, 4.32 ERA, 109K, 1.203 WHIP)
Hector Santiago (12-9, 4.82 ERA, 137K, 1.339 WHIP)
The Twins will likely complete the 2016 campaign with more than 100 losses, and it could happen as early as today in the last home game of the season. It's going to be a long winter.
Play ball!
2016 Game #150: Twins at Metropolitans
I just flew home from San Antonio and boy are my arms tired. Gibson pitches today, so be prepared to see him throw 25 nibblers an inning and hit the showers after 4 or 5. Not that it matters much since our bullpen can't hold a lead to save their frigging lives. This Twins team has a lot of position talent, but the pitching is a damn landfill fire.
Play ball!
2016 Game 143: Clevelanders at Minnesotans
First pitch 1:10 p.m.
Jose Berrios (2-5, 9.21 ERA, 41 K, 1.976 WHIP)
Corey Kluber (15-9, 3.16 ERA, 198 K, 1.044 WHIP)
If Corey Kluber were to have any pitching advice to offer Jose Berrios, I imagine it would go something like: "Trust your stuff. Work fast, throw strikes, change speeds. And don't let so many fucking guys on base."
Play ball!
2016 Game 137: Hosers at Twinkies
First pitch 1:10 p.m. CDT
Anthony Ranaudo (1-1, 8.76 ERA, 13 K, 1.476 WHIP)
Andrew Albers (0-0, 6.97 ERA, 8 K, 2.129 WHIP)
I remember Andrew Albers debut a few years ago when Gardy ended a complete game bid by pulling him in the 9th inning of shutout due to pitch count. I bitched about it for almost a week, right up until Albers' next start when he pitched a complete game shutout. This will be Albers' first major league start since 2013. I hope it goes as well for him as his first two major league debuts. On another note, Byron Buxton has man muscles and runs like a cheetah chasing dinner.
Play ball!