I mean, a sweep is a sweep, but it wasn't pretty. Especially against one of the historically worse teams ever, but who cares! I'll take it. This next series will be a bigger challenge though.
The M's, like the T's, have good pitching and bad batting. They're at .500 (though have only played 92 games) and they are a +31 to the Twins' +32. Gilbert is having a decent year so far, which isn't good news for the hitting staff.
Fingers crossed, friends!
It's mowing day!
There's nothing like having the game on while mowing for a few hours. The lady of the house is planting the new rose bush, and the kids are golfing around the yard (or, in the case of the one year old, poking the club at the ball and giggling if he happens to make contact). The only thing today needs is some baseball on the radio.....and a good result to that baseball.
Enter Pablo Lopez.
As good as the rotation has been through the first half (and they've arguably been the best in the game), I'd give Lopez the slight edge as the best of them all. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that he pitches back to back shutouts. No one has done that since 1884, so that would be fun.
Either way, I'll be listening, first on the mower, then on the deck looking out over my yard, basking in a beautiful day and a Twins win.
The second half starts now. Except for the part of it that started earlier. It's worth pointing out that the Twins have the easiest schedule in baseball in the 2nd half, so hopefully they can make the most of that.
Just a game under .500, it feels like this team has so much more potential. Will their fire their hitting coach? Will they make a big trade? Will they find out that the power of friendship was inside them all along? Tune in and find out!
Let's try to get a win in before the break, yeah? The Guardos are down 4-1, so maybe get first place back too.
Bailey Ober opens against our opponents, the Orioles in one last series before the All-Star Break.
Alec Marsh
vs
Pablo López
March is making his second career MLB start. His first was against the Dodgers and it did not go so well, giving up five runs in four innings. Checking his minor league numbers and while he had decent strikeout (11.4 K/9) and walk (3.9 BB/9) numbers, the ERA was not decent at 5.72 over 245 ⅓ innings, mostly in AA. He's 25 but was drafted in 2019 so lost his first year of MiLB development in 2020. Expect all three true outcomes today as the Twins get a tiny buffer in the "above .500" category.
Fourth of July! Grab a cold beer, hotdog, drive your Chevy truck to grandmas and go watch some baseball just like Tom Jefferson told you to do some 247 years ago.
Twins play the unfortunately (for today) named Royals at Target Field. Maeda v. Grienke. Can't get any more American that that.
First pitch at 1:10
The Royals come into Minnesota for a three game series. Hopefully the Twins can get themselves back to .500 by the end of it.
Morning Baseball for the second Sunday in a row!
Sonny Gray for the Twins.
This one sneaked up on me! Game log! Give us a win, Ober!
