Archived Game Threads

Game Thread, Blue Jays v. Twins May 21 1:10pm Starters: Happ (5-1, 3.40 ERA) v. Dean (0-1, 4.50 ERA) 1: Pat Dean So, who is this Pat Dean guy? Let’s take a look at this AAA numbers from 2015 and 2016. AAA 2015 – ERA 2.82 – H/9 8.5, BB/9 – 1.8, K/9 – 4.9 AAA 2016 – ERA 3.00 – H/9 8.2, BB/9 – 1.8, K/9 – 5.0 The first thing that pops out to me is that K/9. In a full season of AAA last year, Dean struck out 4.9 per 9 innings (for those who don’t know, 4.9 is inordinately low). And this is in AAA! Yikes. This is one of the prime reasons why many people here at Twins Daily didn’t want Dean to be added to the 40 man roster. In my opinion, Dean definitely deserves a cup of co…

Welcome one and all to the inaugural Twins Daily Game Thread live broadcast! We're closing in on one hour to first pitch. I'll be keeping things brief in the intro this afternoon. Don't let that discourage you from checking in closer to game time, when you'll find a link at the bottom of this introduction that will bring you into the live broadcast. So, grab yourself a tasty beverage and find a comfortable seat, turn up those speakers and enjoy the game. A brief note: the site which hosts today's audio will offer a built in discussion board. Please ignore that and keep your discussion within the friendly confines of the Game Thread. Tigers Michael Fulmer ® 1.…

http://wolterskluwerblogs.com/mediation/wp-content/uploads/sites/55/2015/05/magic-number-7.png Good afternoon and welcome back to another exciting game thread! After last nights win I'd prefer this game just go a standard 9 innings and we win by 10 or 12 runs. I can honestly say I stayed up until the final out was made and very glad I did. Entertaining game to say the least...Magic number now at 7!!!! Tonights game I think goes to the Twins. The momentum is there and I believe the Twins players can smell a division win just around the corner. If the Detroit Tigers had any pride in themselves and for the great game of baseball they should beat Cleveland tonight makin…

Good afternoon and welcome back to another exciting Twins Daily Game Thread extravaganza! I have to admit, watching the game last night against the Yankees was depressing. Participating in the Game Thread was at times like a melancholy walk through a memory lane of Yankees games gone by... Yesterday was yesterday. Today is today. The depression, anxiety and frustration ends now! Today, our pitching ace takes the mound and returns to us the pride and excitement we have for our beloved Minnesota Twins. Everyone needs to take a deep breath and relax. Crack a beer open, pour a scotch, eat some ice cream, whatever you like but tonights game will be entertaining. I …

Twins Win! Twins Win! Another chance today for a Series win. Both the Twins and Mariners are 7-10 and the Twins are in 3rd place in the AL Central, ahead of Chicago and Cleveland. We saw last night that the Twins may not have the worst defense in the league. Everything is a work in progress. The Mariners were originally scheduled to start righty Hisashi Iwakuma but he went on the DL this morning with a Grade 1 strain of his right lat muscle and will be expected to miss two to four weeks.(1) The Mariners are bringing up 26-year-old lefty Roenis Elias from AAA Tacoma. Like Trevor May, Elias lost a ST battle for the 5th starter spot. Unlike May, he did not…

I love these west coast games as a night owl. It gives me something to do while I lay in bed, but having no intentions of sleeping. It is especially fun when you are winning these games, and the Twins secured a winning road trip with the victory yesterday. They have yet to drop a stand, whether it be home or away. I think if we keep doing that, we get to raise a trophy at the end of the year. Don't quote me, though. The Pitchers: Michael Pineda (3-3, 5.55 ERA, 41 SO) vs Trevor Cahill (2-4, 6.95 ERA, 33 SO) Michael Pineda hasn't exactly set the world on fire, but he did look better in his last start out, but did have an advantage of pitching with a fairly large lead. …

Good morning and welcome back to another fun filled Twins Daily Game Thread! I don't know if its because the Twins are winning baseball games or if its the beautiful spring day here in Minneapolis but I have a little bounce in my step today. This ball club is starting to look like the real deal. Yes, we all know the starting rotation has some issues along with the bullpen. However, there are some wonderful things blooming at Target Field. I see a team that's starting "gel"...Sano, Buxton, Vargas, Dozier, Kepler, Polanco, Ervin, et al. There is some deep talent within this club and it's just starting to develop. I'm truly enjoying watching this team play! Let's …

http://www.thegamblingforum.com/sites/default/files/field/image/twins%20vs.%20royals_0.png Good afternoon and welcome back to another exciting game thread experience from Twins Daily! Too bad we snapped the 6 game win streak yesterday...I was actually thinking we could go 58-2 this year. Regardless, 57-3 is still a good year! I will say this is one of the most talented Minnesota Twins team I've ever seen (over 35 years). I only wish we were playing a full season. This group of players could put up some awesome numbers over a full 162 game schedule. It's nice to sit atop the win column over the rest of the league as well. The +29 run differential is nice to look at too.…

Game-time forecast: Mostly cloudy with a 60-percent chance of rain. Winds blowing out to center field at 10-15 m.p.h. Temperature near 45. Dodgers: SP, Greinke Gordon 2B Puig RF Ramirez SS Gonzalez 1B Kemp CF Ethier DH Uribe 3B Butera C Crawford LF Twins: SP, Gibson Dozier 2B Mauer 1B Plouffe 3B Colabello RF Kubel LF Pinto DH Suzuki C Fuld CF Escobar SS ----------------------------------------- This space reserved for Brian's thoughts. ------------------------------------------------------- Hostess: Reservation Riverbrian party of 1,478... your table is ready. Riverbrian your table is ready. Riverbrian: Thank You... This way gang!!! Hostess: A party …

Game-time forecast: 55 deg F, partly cloudy (sunset 8:10pm), 0% chance of precipitation, winds from the ENE at 9pmh. Lineups: TWINS Dozier 2B Hunter RF Mauer 1B Plouffe 3B Suzuki C Escobar DH Rosario LF Hicks CF Santana SS Hughes P WHITE SOX Eaton CF Cabrera LF Abreu 1B LaRoche DH Garcia RF Gillaspie 3B Ramirez SS Soto C Sanchez 2B Samardzija P --------------- Pluses and minuses are a matter of perspective. Here are mine from my perspective. You can put yours below in the comments. 1. Plus – The Twins are 5-2 against the ChiSox so far this year, including that sweep we all fondly remember. Go Twins! Keep it rollin’! Minus – The Twins are 5-2 against th…

Game Thread: Twins @ Indians, 5/9, 3:10 p.m. CT Game-time forecast: A mix of clouds and sun. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 83 °F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph. Line ups: Minnesota Twins Phil Hughes {R} SP Brian Dozier {R} 2B Torii Hunter {R} RF Joe Mauer {L} 1B Kurt Suzuki {R} C Kennys Vargas {S} DH Eduardo Escobar {S} 3B Eddie Rosario {L} LF Jordan Schafer {L} CF Danny Santana {S} SS Cleveland Indians Bruce Chen {L} SP Jason Kipnis {L} 2B Carlos Santana {S} 1B Michael Brantley {L} LF Brandon Moss {L} RF Lonnie Chisenhall {L} 3B Nick Swisher {S} DH Michael Bourn {L} CF Roberto Perez {R} C Jose Ramirez {S} SS The Gardy Boys In The Case of the…

Indians: SP Danny Salazar CF Bourn 1B Swisher 2B Kipnis SS Cabrera DH Santana C Gomes LF Brantley 3B Aviles RF Stubbs Twins: SP Andrew Albers 2B Dozier DH Mauer 1B Morneau LF Willingham RF Arcia 3B Plouffe C Herrmann CF Thomas SS Florimon Things to think about: 1. Think about Andrew Albers... There is no way he is not thought number one after his debut. Wouldn't we love to see him do it again. 2. Think about Salazar... He's a young pitcher for the Indians who is also just getting started with his career. Indian Fans like us Twins Fans are hoping that Salazar can keep pitching well like we are with Albers. 3. Think about Canada... A country full of pleasa…

Game-time forecast: Clear. 0% PoP. Winds 8mph from the south. Temperature around 95. Twins: SP, Nolasco Dozier 2B Mauer 1B Plouffe 3B Colabello RF Pinto DH Suzuki C Fuld LF Hicks CF Florimon SS Rays: SP, Bedard Zobrist 2B Jennings CF Joyce LF Longoria 3B Loney 1B Myers RF DeJesus DH Escobar SS Molina C -------------------------------------------------------------------- Things to Think About: 1. Birthday Presents -- I absolutely tickled that Chris Colabello hit a home run. I think it's even better that it happened on his mother's birthday. I think it's even better that it happened while she was being interviewed. I think it's even better still that it was …

Almost 7 years ago, i watched the Twins play in the Coliseum. I was sad they had sold out of $2 tickets, but i had my pride, and didn't pay a scalper. It just meant i think i limited myself to <5 $1 hot dogs rather than 10-15... But while i was waiting in line, someone out of the crowd recognized me from being in the chorus of a theatrical production some 5 years before. Small world, eh? And i guess i'm hard to forget, or something. Anyway, game was fine, and alas you miss some of the game if you get in line for hotdogs, so i was okay with the rationing. Kubel homered to tie it in the 8th, then the Twins plated a couple more in the 9th to win it. That trip i got to …

It's been a quiet week at target field. Unlike the opening series against the Royals, Chicago and Cleveland have not exactly been walking everyone in. And if they aren't beating themselves, why should we rub it in that we're the better team? They might do that in big east coast cities, but i like to think we are more civilized. This portion of the game thread introduction has been brought to you by Ralph's pretty good groceries. If you can't find it at Ralph's you're probably better off without it. Many have noticed Rosario has been laying off some of those outside pitches he used to occasionally deposit in the stands, but more often than not. We can attribute thi…

Game-time forecast: Clear. Winds blowing from right to left field at 5-10 m.p.h. Temperature around 80. PALE HOSE: SP, Noesi Eaton CF Ramirez SS Garcia RF Viciedo DH Konerko 1B Taylor LF Flowers C Semien 3B Sanchez 2B TWINS: SP, Milone Santana CF Dozier 2B Mauer 1B Vargas DH Plouffe 3B Arcia RF Suzuki C Escobar SS Schafer LF --------------------------- Okay, Brian ... what have you got? ------------------------------------------- Love Is... What I Got... I said remember that... Love is... What I got. Things to Think About: 1. The Bench -- The Lineup looks like the same guys we were rolling with before roster expansion... Not that there is anything wrong with …

Another game thread, another dollar. Well, not really ... I'm not paid to do this. So ... here we are ... we've won 3 games in a row! Okay, against Detroit ... still ... a win's a win, and we've had 3 in a row, with a comeback from 4-0 yesterday to Berrios on the mound today. I don't want to jinx things, but I'm hopeful we can extend that streak to one more. And a win today means ... we could tie with Detroit for 3rd in the AL Central! Woohoo! heh. And then after the game today starts the MLB draft! I don't usually do much 'research' beforehand, other than reading the articles and various discussions on TD, but I'm always excited to follow along, to learn about who t…

The Twins and the White Sox will kick off a four-game series tonight at Target Field. This is a very important series for both teams, but more pressure is on the White Sox, as they are currently 5 games back in the AL. The spectrum of outcomes this series can either have Chicago 1 game out or 9 games back from the Twins. With all the managerial firings this year, one has to wonder if this series could determine Tony La Russa's fate. The Twins have done their part in managing the White Sox this season, with a 5-1 record that could have been 6-0 if the bullpen was firing on all cylinders last Wednesday. The last time Chicago was at Target Field was April 22nd-24th, i…

Hi everybody, and welcome to today's game thread. I'm not going to try to do any analysis because we have plenty of contributors to this site who perform this function much better than I could. Instead I'm going to use my usual 5-topic introduction. 1. Happy Mother's day to all, especially to those who are mothers. Your mother contributed a lot to your life. For one thing, over half of your DNA was inherited from your biological mother. Also please remember that any woman who contributed to your upbringing was in some sense your mother. Father's Day and Grandparent's Day are coming later in the year. Speaking of grandparents, my parents used to make me spend two week…

Fractionally Speaking My wife, who is a freaking genius when it comes to baking, has a helluva time with fractions. So whenever she runs into a new dessert recipe she wants to try, but only after she makes her personal “adjustments”, I have to convert any fractions used in the original recipe to match her planned adjustments. I gave up trying to teach her how to convert fractions about 30 years ago; about the same time she gave up trying to teach me how to bake. So we reached a typical fractional husband/wife compromise on dessert responsibility; 4/5 for her, 1/5 for me. Speaking of fifths, remember when whiskey was sold by fifths? You could buy a pint if you …

Whew ... what a relief! No runs allowed and we still remembered how to lose! I was beginning to worry a little after all that winning ... Something to think about: Pizza - when chicken dinnah goes scarce, pizza steps in. I made pizza the day of the 2015 NFC Championship, but I waited to put the cheese on until after Jermaine Kearse carried the ball into the end zone. I made a Facebook post that night along the line of, "I think my family is glad they got cheese on their pizza tonight," and my friend (who is a HUGE Packers fan) responded innocently, "Is this an unusual thing in your family?" Um ... well, now that you mention it, yeah, I guess they usually take it for g…

Game-time forecast: Partly cloudy with a 30-percent chance of rain. Winds blowing out to left field at 5-10 m.p.h. Temperature near 70. ChiTown is in Chicago right now getting the lineups from the Managers directly and she will post them here once released. Because she is in Chicago getting the lineups from the Managers directly... She'll posting lineups from the White Sox vs. Padres game. Just pretend... you are interested anyway. Chi here: I was very tempted to post those for fun, but game-time is serous time! Twins: SP, Nolasco Santana CF Dozier 2B Mauer 1B Willingham LF Arcia RF Plouffe 3B Suzuki C Nuñez DH Escobar SS Yankees: SP, Nuño Gardner …

Weather: I'm not far from the Cell, so when I step out onto my balcony it feels warm and sunny with a slight breeze. Mid-upper 70s. It feels good. Lineups: TWINS Dozier 2B Robinson LF Plouffe 1B Hunter RF Suzuki C Escobar 3B Nunez DH Hicks CF Santana SS May P WHITE SOX Eaton CF Cabrera LF Abreu 1B LaRoche DH Gillaspie 3B Ramirez SS Shuck RF Flowers C Sanchez 2B Sale P ------------ On the fly here ... thoughts. 1. Sale. Hmm. He's tough and we've handed him his only loss this year. He's coming off a pitcher's duel game against Cleveland. I'm hoping for a stellar outing for May as he's gonna need it going up against Sale. Unless we can do to him what we did l…

Game-time forecast: Mostly sunny. Winds blowing from right to left field at 5-10 m.p.h. Temperature around 75. Twins: SP, Nolasco Daniel Santana CF Brian Dozier 2B Joe Mauer 1B Josh Willingham LF Oswaldo Arcia RF Kendrys Morales DH Trevor Plouffe 3B Kurt Suzuki C Eduardo Escobar SS Jays: SP, Dickey Jose Reyes SS Melky Cabrera LF Jose Bautista RF Adam Lind DH Edwin Encarnacion 1B Juan Francisco 3B Brett Lawrie 2B Josh Thole C Anthony Gose CF ------------------------ And now we wait. And wait. And wait. And wait ... It has nothing to do with patience. It's all about timing. ----------------------------------------- And Perfectly Timed Things to Think Abo…

Twins SP: Scott Diamond 2B Dozier 3B Carroll 1B Morneau DH Doumit RF Herrmann LF Thomas CF Hicks C Butera SS Florimon Mariners SP: Felix Hernandez RF Bay 2B Franklin LF Ibanez DH Morales 3B Seager 1B Smoak CF Ackley SS Ryan C Blanco Things to think about: 1. Think about the Twins lineup... Right Now Aaron Hicks and Clete Thomas are hitting the best out of everyone. 2. Think about Joe Mauer... Enough time with the babies already... The Grand Parents have seen them... They are cute and cuddly... You can come back now and hit a home run for each one. 3. Think about King Felix... Yeah... He's just the tonic this struggling offense needs. With that said... W…

Welcome to another fun filled, sometimes mostly agonizing Game Thread. With a Twins record of 55 and 96 it can be difficult to stay interested and focused on a team playing this way. Being 32.5 games back at this point of the season can be demoralizing if not downright depressing. Your average fan has moved on from this mess and started watching football or scheduling root canals. For the die-hards, the truly passionate Twins fans out there (if you’re reading this you probably are one) what can you do? After all of the complaining, arm chair quarterbacking and second guessing that’s occurred this season there is only one thing left to do: Fantasize. That’s right, …

"On the fine art of Dumpster Diving." Looking at the Pitchers for this afternoon, one might say they are reclamation projects of a sort. One might even go on a long rant about populating the roster from players viewed as cast-offs from other organizations. I, for one, appreciate the time and effort that our organization puts into evaluating all possible options. Finding/creating value where there wasn't before is noble. Anyway, off my soap box. Soap can and should be put to better use. Gant did fine last time out, and i heard, so did Happ, so that trade was a double win situation. We been hitting better of late, and i like to think that isn't jus…

I Have Heartburn So Bad It's Coming Out Of My Ears An enterprising scientist with time on his hands decided to explore the differences in verbosity between the human male and female. I’m not sure what his motivation was behind this new research project but I suspect he was Buxton-like when it came to picking up women; he struck out a lot. Regardless of his motivation, our word-counting scientist discovered the average female utters approximately 80,000 words a day while the average male gets by with around 14,000 words per day, approximately 25% of which are expletives (you ever wonder why Webster came up with a 10-letter word to define 4-letter words?). The fact …

Wednesday 5/18, 12:10 PM CT at Comerica Park TV: FS-N; Radio: Go 96-3, TIBN Fantastic baseball weather with clear skies and a high near 65. Northeast wind 6 to 8 mph. Introduction I would like to thank Joseph Mauer for leading off the game in the DH spot; in an alternate universe with no Joe, this Twins team would be significantly worse. A warm thank you to Eduardo Nunez for batting second and playing shortstop, and a very special thanks to Miguel Sano in the three-hole and performing his duties to the very best of his abilities in right. I am deeply grateful for Byung-ho Park who has the cleaning duties for the day and will be covering first; also Trevor Plouff…

ANNND Welcome back! To Minnesota Twins Whine Line on a Sunday. Well, that game didn't go exactly as planned yesterday... On a positive note, Mejia looks like he's gelling into a decent pitcher they can count on in the future! The Twins have one last game in Oakland before taking the day off for moving day. Before we get into more debauchery, let's talk weather and lineups. It's looking like a picture perfect day! Sunny without a cloud in the sky and 74 degrees at first pitch. REAL FEEL of 78 degrees. Winds out of the W at 10 MPH. Minnesota Twins (50-52): P - Big Sexy ® - How many more starts do we have the privilege(?) of watching. Oakland A's (45-59): P - …