Archived Game Threads

Good morning and welcome back to Game Thread central! We have another great game on tap today against the struggling Chicago White Sox. I think the Twins will bounce back today in a big way to take 3 of 4 from Chicago. With the White Sox trotting Mr. Covey out on the mound today I would look for another multi-homer game from the Twins. My pick to click today is Nelson Cruz. I apologize for the brevity of my post today but I was up in Alexandria, MN bass fishing with my son yesterday and got extremely sunburned. My face looks like Rocky Balboa after going the distance with Apollo Creed in Rocky I...The big news besides my sunburn is the trade the Twins pulled off with th…

I think the schedulers of MLB did a good job putting the White Sox on our schedule just after the Yankees. We needed the pick-me-up that the Sox provide. We played the Yankees tough and lost a very, good game, epic even, in the process … yes, you can lose and it can still be a very, good, epic even, game, even though it sucks we lost, imho … and only won one of the three. Our July over all hasn’t been so good, our last home stand wasn’t so good, Cleveland appears mostly healthy again and is bearing down on us … so … it’s good timing for us and our morale to be playing the White Sox right now. They are a good pick-me-up. And I’m glad that the Yankees are having their post-…

Well, that was fun!! Now that we've got Lucas Giolito out of the way, and La Makkkkkkkkina and Poppen gave the bullpen a much needed rest, we should be able to increase our lead over Cleveland this weekend. Right? Oh, right, Cleveland never loses to bad teams, and according to Randball Stu, they are going on a month of playing against KC. Or as my wife calls them, the "Royales with Cheese." Good to see the Bomba Squad doing its thing as well. Although, I had to miss much of the game last night because my 7-year-od daughter had to watch Moana again. I had seen two Cruz missiles, and enough of JO to feel pretty comfortable just following the Game Thread until about the …

After the Twins won the home run battle against the Yankees, but lost the war, I was in a bit of a funk. However, with liberal application of Dr. J., I was able to put things behind me and look forward to the series against the Sox. *Yes, I've already used the image. However, recycling is in and, what part of "funk" don't you understand? Now the Twins face off against a team, the White Sox, that is in "rebuilding" mode. However, in looking at the Sox fielding stats, it appears the coaching staff needs to be rebuilt too. *The above really has nothing to do with errors, but, still it's fun to watch. And, it's about the only time Harrelson is worth listening to. Becau…

Everyone better get ready for World War III! Last nights game was probably one of the most drama filled regular season games I've seen in years. I will not call it the best regular season game I've seen in years as the Twins lost. However, it was drama filled. I expect the last game of this series tonight will be a lot like the first two. As I mentioned above, better get ready for World War III. I fully expect the Twins will come out charging hard and playing with something to prove. My take away after watching the entire game last night is that this Minnesota Twins team will not roll over to the Yankees. They seem to have a confidence I've seen lacking in other Twi…

Yankees: The Twins Nemesis? I may have mentioned in past writings on this site how much I despise the Yankees. Then again, maybe not. I tend to hold things in… like my gut while trying to slip into an old pair of jeans, or my honest opinion of my blonde sister-in-law’s cooking, or the gas from politely eating my blonde sister-in-law’s cooking. My Yankee despisement (is that a word?) goes back to those thrilling days of yesteryear when every kid in Little League had a favorite team. Mine was the Dodgers (the Twins hadn’t been invented yet). My nemesis at the time was another kid who was a self-proclaimed Yankees fan. His old man was the high school principal, who, as…

After the exciting win yesterday, and after perusing the game thread yesterday, I came to the conclusion some of the Twins faithful needed some help surviving the game Nothing like high comedy, drama and angst....all in one game, which encapsulates everything that goes with being a Twins fan this year. The highs and lows of following the Twins this year have been nothing short of spectacular. Now, the Yankees come to town and they've been playing good baseball, boo!, and, have been a Twins nemesis for as long as Target Field has been in existence. Not to worry, though, Twins fans, because I have come up with the perfect way to deal with watching the Twins play the …

I’ve been kind of hanging in the lowlights for the past month. A lot of stress-induced games by the Twins have led me to stay away from the online keyboards so I don’t say anything I regret. However, I do have a few questions to start off this series finale. Why do teams have elephants as mascots, but not as the actual name of the team? (Looking at you, Oakland and Alabama) Is it bad that I’ve never heard of half of the pitchers on Oakland’s roster? (Blake Treinen and (gulp) Liam Hendriks are exceptions) Are there actually going to be five good teams in the National League this year? What a disaster! Why was the last game thread named after my dog?

Once upon a time, in the '80s, there was this athlete named Bo Jackson, no relation to Hugh, so far as i know (and i know pretty far*) And being a professional athlete in multiple sports, folk figured he must know something, and ran popular advertising to that effect. I was a wee tike then, so the advertising must have been a mixed success. I remember it existed, but not what was advertised. So to this day i am left wondering what or who does this pro Bo know? But enough with the history lesson. Which is sadly lacking in both history and lesson. The real choice for naming this thread Bo, is it starts the word Bomba. And only read th word, so forgive me for forgetting …

Welcome to another Game Thread. A few thoughts: Big Momentum Shift Game This is a big game today. The Super Rosario homer last night was a turning point. It seemed like the lineup was able to relax and be themselves after that – and we got a couple more bombas as a result. It kind of reminded me of Brian Harper's 3-run homer against the A's in 1991 . . . . Baseball seasons are long. They’re like epic sagas. The teams are like the Fellowship of the Ring. There are going to be good stretches and bad stretches. But there are also defining moments. I’m hoping last night’s turnaround was one of those defining moments that launches this team back on the path to the WS. …

Today marks another day in the saga of Twins Daily game thread brilliance. Well, some call it mediocrity, but, as the author I say, "Brilliance." The Twins got off to a decent start the second half, taking two of three from Cleveland. Then, some team from some where came into town and some things happened. And that's all we'll say about that. Today, another good baseball team comes to town and the Twins get another tough test. And, unfortunately, this kind of test is not graded on the curve. This is a pass/fail test across 4 days. Even more interesting, this test continues over the next few months in different locations. And there is no mercy rule with this te…

The Twins face the Mets in the finale of a two-game series. After a tough 3-2 loss and two straight one-run defeats, can the Twins bounce back? We’ll soon see.

I am getting this game thread up a lot earlier than I normally do. I typically like to wait until lineups are out so I am able to talk about them, but my brother is playing in a playoff baseball game tonight (Thank you Iowa High School Athletic Association for playing baseball in the SUMMER, when it is supposed to be played), and he takes priority over the Twins, albeit very close The Twins come in to the series with a 1-1 record vs the Mets this year, both games agains the Mets' aces in Noah Syndergaard and Jacob DeGrom. Thankfully for the Twins they aren't expected to see either of them. The Twins will send Michael Pineda and Martin Perez to the mound for their first s…

But sampleSize, how can a game thread have 2 names? Um... They are Twins of course... (But note: it is still only one thread... I have some sense of how far i should take a joke. Not many, but i do have my moments...) Winning. It is new territory. A place we have visited in the past, but weren't sure we could live there. So to help folk get used to the idea, i figured would reminisce somewhat. Good ol' Tom Jefferson had just got himself his version of Nelson Cruz called Louisiana. And wanted to know what he got so he sent Lewis & Carole with their guides Sacajawea and Susan B. Anthony off to hunt the Snark in the new territory. It was a long time ago, but …

The Twins picked up a big first win out of the All-Star break featuring a fantastic bullpen performance, and some timely hitting. Taylor Rogers was dominant once again, and it is scary to think what this bullpen will look like after adding a few more impact arms to pair with Rogers. The bad news is the Twins faced the worst of three starters they would see this weekend, as they face off with Trevor Bauer in tonights matchup. The Twins send their All-Star Jake Odorizzi to the hill. The Pitchers Jake Odorizzi (10-4, 3.15 ERA, 96 K's) vs Trevor Bauer (8-6, 3.61, 149 K's) Are the Twins potentially facing a future Twin within this month? I sure hope so. Trevor Bauer ha…

I was sitting quietly, minding my own business, imbibing some game thread inspiration when, wouldn't you know it, someone thought they should tell me my behavior was inappropriate. I looked at the interloper with a steely glaze and asked them who they thought they were, interrupting my contemplation of a very important matter? I further explained that drinking inspiration is a time-honored method of writing and how dare they question my methods? Next thing I knew, I was on the street, my meager possessions in hand and cursing the busybody who dared question my methods. I guess I shouldn't have been drinking amber colored liquid from a cut glass tumbler during working …

The two ex-Senator franchises square off in a final session before recess. I will be content if none of our Senators decide to take the mound only to fillibuster. I almost typed Sano-torros just because. As the saying goes, "Go bid or go home." Since we are home, that only leaves one option. I think i'm okay with that. Things to think of: Miller's Crossing - closing lines of opening scene: "Tommy, you know i don't like to think." "Well think about whether you should start." The Secretary will now call the roll: Washington Ex-Senators: absent Texas XX-Senators: 0. Jose Leclerc (R ) P 1. Shin-Soo Choo ( L) DH 2. Willie Calhoun ( L) LF 3. Elvis Andrus (R ) …

The Twins entertain Texas today at Target Field today at 1:10 PM in the middle game of a three-game series immediately prior to the All-Star break. The Twins will send out big Mike Pineda while the Rangers counter with Jesse Chavez making his seventh start of the season (he's relieved in 30 other games). Pineda has pitched pretty consistently in his last 10 starts, but with a few encouraging factors. He has limited free passes, has increased his velocity and has been getting a good number of strikeouts. Crooked numbers have been his nemesis. Yesterday, the Twins got well against the Rangers. The flagging defense was good to spectacular, power was there and outside of a …

Because we're winding down into the All Star break, I thought today would be a good day to look back. With a quick Google Search, I came up with some stuff that will allow me to escape the rigors of putting together a real game thread and, instead, dine off the work of others, while taking credit for my complete lack of inspiration. Without further ado, here goes: 1687 Isaac Newton's great work PRINCIPIA published by Royal Society in England. Outlines his laws of motion and universal gravitation. *How we got Launch angle, spin rate, WHIP and WHIP. 1904 NY Giants 18-game winning streak ends as Phillies win 6-5 in 10 innings at Huntington Park *I'm going…

Last night's game ... whew ... it's over, we won. Had a lot of very good reviewed calls help us on our way. The game recap has it all so no need to rehash here, other than to say ... The Joy of Victory ... And the Agony of Defeat ... And the 'I think I can' will of determination (look at the eyes) ... Onto today's game. I like the match up ... Berrios vs Anderson. Berrios had a bit of a rough outing last time up, but he will give us his best. Coming off the news that he will go to the All-Star game in place of the IL'd Odorizzi, I hope he's pumped up to shine. And Anderson ... a rookie ... who has not yet faced the Twins. I hope that last night's g…

Local Clockwatcher claims he can write a better game thread. At the coffee machine in the break room, handyman Earl tells coworkers that game thread intros have gone down hill in recent years. They weren't as lively as back when he first joined the site. Most of the folk coming through just shrugged it off, and returned to work. "He's always on about something, best to leave him be untilhe gets it out of his system." But Epy-Sue, a recent hire, egged him on. "And i suppose you could perhaps hit better'n Kepler too, eh? That's just swingin' a stick, right?" "Oh sure could, why just lemme at it, i'll..." at which point the Boss leaned through the door. "Breaks over! Every…

We interrupt your day with this important announcement: The Twins will be on the West Coast, enjoying the hospitality of the Oakland Athletics. This special announcement was made possible by a generous grant from the following company: *Sponsor note: May also be of use to calm some Twins fans. Now, on to the game itself, but first a word from our sponsor: *Coming soon to a store near you The Twins are coming off a tough outing against the Sox, but, the "June Swoon" this year saw the Twins go 15-12, which I suspect is an acceptable outcome, all things considered. Now, on to Oakland, but first, a brief commercial break: *Man, I wish the IT departm…

Happy Sunday and welcome back to another exciting installment of the Twins Daily game thread! We've got a lot to talk about today. The final All-Star rosters will be posted today, the Twins look like they have their offensive mojo back and Aussie Lewis Thorpe makes his first major league appearance today starting for the Twins. 1. Who else on the Twins team will make the All-star roster today? Stringer Bell started a nice post about this topic earlier so I won't go into this much but I expect the Twins will have another 5 players named: Berrios, Odorizzi, Kepler, Cruz and Cron. I would add Rosario to this but since he's on the IL I doubt he'll make it. That's an impr…

What a weird time for a first pitch on a Saturday afternoon in June. Not 3:05, or 3:07, or even 3:15. Instead, the White Sox decide to throw first pitch at 3:12. Not that it really matters, but I just found that odd. Maybe it will help the Twins bats wake up today, as they have been fairly cold the last few outings. Michael Pineda faces Ivan Nova in a matchup that I would've found intriguing six or seven years years ago. In 2019, not so much. I expect runs to be scored in bunches today. http://mlb.mlb.com/images/1/3/4/150487134/091915_min_sano_hr_med_yb5990h3.gif The Pitchers: Michael Pineda (4-4, 5.02 ERA, 67 K's) vs Ivan Nova (3-6, 5.91 ERA, 58 K's) Pineda had a…

Today represents the half-way point of the Twins schedule. The Twins sit currently at 52-28 and the math says (Add the 2, carry the 6, divide the numerator and multiply by 1) this evening represents game 81. I'm still surprised the Twins have 52 wins at this point of the season. I'd have been happy with 51, maybe even 50! But 52? Get out of town... The Twins train, despite injuries, continues to roll on and win games. Which depth, as has been pointed out by others, has been key to the Twins continuing success this year. Now, the Twins, after playing all day and half the night, move on to Chicago to play the White Sox. Hopefully, the Twins shake off the…

Good morning! The Twins go for a sweep of their three-game series (and homestand) today. Weather may be a factor with thundershowers forecast today. The Twins have had the good fortune of facing a Tampa Bay team on the third leg of a three-city, two coast road trip. The Rays haven’t been sharp in the field or on the bases and the Twins have beaten two good pitchers. Today, Martín Pérez is scheduled to try again to win his eighth game. Pérez’ command and velocity have been off in his most recent starts. Tampa knocked him around in his previous start against the Rays. Tampa’s starter is listed as Stanek. I believe he will be their opener with a primary pitcher to f…

Good afternoon to all of you wonderful Twins Daily Game Thread participants! Beautiful day here in Minneapolis to watch a ball game. The bats woke up yesterday for our beloved Twins and I think it will continue tonight as well... Tampa Bay is a very good baseball team. The fact we beat up the reining Cy Young award winner last night says a lot about the potency of this lineup. The fact Tampa even has a Cy Young award winner seems crazy. I was living in Tampa/St. Pete when that team came to be. Went to a lot of games but just couldn't get excited about the team back then. I was then as I am now, too much of a Twins fan to switch allegiances that easily. This Ta…

It's Tuesday, no baseball yesterday, well, no baseball that counts, which means Monday was an off-day for the home town nine and, it gives me a chance to toss some word salad and create this series opener thread masterpiece. The object of this opener, much like the opener used in games, is to get the ball rolling and then pass the baton to the bulk-writers. The guys who do the heavy lifting for the rest of series. Which brings me to the Rays. The Rays are credited with starting the "opener" then "primary" pitcher. Truth of the matter is, though, TD has long used this format. I think the Rays merely lifted the idea from Twins Daily and rebranded to suit their needs. …

Pull up a lawn chair, pour yerself a ice tea or limeade, and enjoy the game! Twins Michael Pineda (R ) 1. Max Kepler (L) CF 2. Jorge Polanco (S) SS 3. Nelson Cruz (R ) DH 4. Eddie Rosario (L) LF 5. C.J. Cron (R ) 1B 6. Luis Arraez (L) 2B 7. Miguel Sano ( R) 3B 8. Jason Castro (L) C 9. Jake Cave (L) RF Royals Homer Bailey ( R) 1. W. Merrifield ( R) RF 2. Nicky Lopez (L) 2B 3. Alex Gordon (L) LF 4. Hunter Dozier (R ) 3B 5. Jorge Soler (R ) DH 6. C. Cuthbert ( R) 1B 7. H. Arteaga ( R) SS 8. M. Maldonado (R ) C 9. Billy Hamilton (S) CF Apologies for a degenerate intro, but i didn't plan as well as i shoulda, and a friend is waiting for me in Madison.

The Twins battle the Royals today in game three of a four game series, currently tied 1-1. On the mound Duffy (KC) vs. Berríos (MN). We're two-thirds through the month of June and predictably there have been some slumps and swoons from the Twins. Of note, Pérez has a 5.91 ERA, Parker is at 10.20 and Magill at 11.88 this month. Hitters OPS: Castro .588, Schoop .646, Rosario .704, Sanó .737, Garver .747. Going well in June, Berríos 1.31 ERA, Duffey 1.00 ERA in 9 IP, Rogers 1.13 in 8 IP with 5 saves. Hitters: Kepler .299 with a 1.084 OPS and Cruz .293 with a 1.043 OPS. Schoop held out with a sore ankle today, so a limited bench. Lineups: Twins Polanco ss Cron 1…