Archived Game Threads

With the finish line in sight, it’s now or never for the Minnesota Twins. And with the division-leading Cleveland Guardians coming to town, the opportunity to reach the postseason in 2022 takes center stage. Coming off a grim 2-5 road trip in Chicago and New York, the Twins somehow still remain just 1.5 games back of the Guardians, who arrive in Minneapolis today to begin a 3-game series at Target Field. A lot can happen in one weekend: a series sweep for Minnesota would see the teams switch places in the standings, and the Twins could enter next week with at least a share of first place. Minnesota sends Dylan Bundy (8-6, 4.34) to the hill tonight, and one coul…

The funny thing is, I assumed the Twins would scratch out a win in one of those games yesterday. I mean, a person can’t be that jaded to believe the Yankees will sweep the Twins again, can they? Tonight is Sonny Gray (7-4, 3.10 ERA) for the Twins, versus Nestor Cortes (9-4, 2.68 ERA) for the Yankees. Lineups as they are available. (EDIT 4:30 PM - Lineups at bottom of this post) In the doubleheader yesterday, both the Twins and the Yankees blew chance after chance in Game 1, and in Game 2 a grand slam by former Twin Isiah Kiner-Falefa, off of current Twin Joe Ryan, was enough to seal a win. The grand slam came while Thad Levine was tal…

Today The Twins play the Yankees in a doubleheader in the Bronx. Twins fans obviously have nightmares about facing this opponent, especially on their home turf, but fortunately I happen to have at least one fond memory of a Twins-Yankees game in the House of Horrors. I've always lived in New York State and over the years I've tried to catch the team on their visits to Boston and New York. (My trips to Boston have been much more enjoyable on many levels!) The last game I attended was in May of 2019 against the Yankees in the new Yankee Stadium, which is a monolith and is as far removed from a Fenway-type ball park as you can get. My 20-something daughter and I took a …

Welcome to the Labor Day edition of the Game Thread, as our Twins head to Gotham to take on the Evil Empire. And given that it's Labor Day, I'm going to take a quick look at the career of Curt Flood. I grew up with St. Louis as my favorite NL team, thanks to an older brother who was a fan of the Redbirds. I remember Lou Brock and Bob Gibson, but I'm not quite old enough to remember Flood as a member of the team. Flood's Wikipedia page lists him as a "baseball player and activist." Folks may know him for the latter, but here's a few tidbits on the former. After all, it wouldn't have been as big a deal to threaten the reserve clause if he wasn't a good player. …

Welcome to the Stopper Edition of the Twins Daily Game Thread series, as Dylan Bundy takes to the hill to face Lucas Giolito in a game the Twins badly need. After a truly masterful performance (and it pains me to say this about any Team That Shall Not Be Named player, but it truly was masterful) by Dylan Cease, the afore-referenced-but-not-named team has climbed within a game of our Twins, who trail a recently renamed, but still disliked, team by a single game. Should all things turn out well today, our Twins will exit the weekend tied for first and three games up on the third-place team. Usually when I write a Game Thread edition, I try to come up with a witty them…

Most know my mantra pretty much is "It's just a game." Or sometimes "Hope for the best, prepare for the worst." Sometimes it's both at the same time because sometimes it's necessary to work harder at trying to keep perspective when you lose when you don't want to lose and/or you need to win. Of course, I never want to lose, but that just isn't reasonable or practical. It happens, move on, get over it. But we have reached that point in the season where 'moving on' from a loss means you are done for the season. Yeah, okay, so some of you are saying, there is still plenty of baseball left. I don't really agree with the plenty part, but we are still in striking distance, and,…

And a Happy Labor Day/End-0f-Summer greeting to TD regulars, guests, and visitors! Our hometown heroes begin the turn to fall with a 3-game set against the Pale Hose at Guaranteed Rate Field. It’s fireworks off the Dan Ryan as Sonny Gray looks for some payback. Gray’s only other start against the Sox was ugly, as he ended up going only 3.2 innings, allowing 6 runs on the way to a 12-2 loss back in July at Target Field. But in his last three starts, Gray has given up only 3 earned runs in 17 innings. Which Sonny shows up tonight? Opposing Gray in a game –day change is Joe Kelly, making a spot start in replacing the previously scheduled rookie Davis Martin. Kelly’s lin…

Fun With Numbers The Twins are currently in 2nd Place in their division, 1.5 games back of Cleveland. The BoSox are currently in last place in their division, 17 games back of New York. Total Twins salary: $143,413,800 Total BoSox salary: $240,168,494 Conclusion: W-2’s don’t win games Top Four Twins Hitters Player Ave. OPS Salary OPS Point Return Per Dollar Invested Arraez .319 .809 $ 2,125,000 .0003807 Gordon .276 .752 $ 706,000 .0010652 Correa .274 .788 $35,100,000 .0000225 Miranda .274 .774 $ 700,0…

Hello once again, Game Thread readers! I'm back for yet another adventure in type! Today's adventure on the baseball diamond features your Minnesota Twins taking on the Boston Red Sox. After last night's solid performance, hopefully we'll get a repeat of that tonight. Before we get to the lineups, those that know me a bit know that I enjoy me some history. Now and then, I like to look back at what's taken place on this day throughout history. And today has got some interesting stuff, both on the diamond and off. For instance, on this day in 1146, European leaders outlaw the crossbow with the intent to end war for all time. That worked splendidly, didn't it? O…

Sox, Red: 0. Brayan Bello (R) P 1. Tommy Pham (R) LF 2. Alex Verdugo (L) RF 3. X. Bogaerts (R) SS 4. Rafael Devers (L) 3B 5. J.D. Martinez (R) DH 6. Trevor Story (R) 2B 7. F. Cordero (L) CF 8. C. Arroyo (R) 1B 9. Reese McGuire (L) C Half way through the introduction.. It's like one arm of a shirt. Or one leg of pants. Or handing a lead over to your bullpen. You can go on for me... Go on! What else is it like? Are we half way though Byron's IL stint? (Notice, i just used half his name.) And presumably i can only half pay attention to the game. I am in the copious black out region of the visiting te…

Sorry this is so incredibly early. Running in my first 10k and 5k this morning here in Sioux Falls so my game thread starter post will be more brief than my mile time. If this season is a reminder of anything, it’s that it’s a marathon, not a sprint. It definitely gives a person perspective. Let’s hope they finish strong. If someone could post the lineups when they came out, that’d be great. Thanks in advance. GO TWINS!

The Twins face San Francisco in game two of a three game series this evening at Target Field. The Twins won last night, breaking a six-game losing streak, 9-0 with good pitching defense and productive hitting. We haven't seen much of the Twins' "A" game recently, so it was refreshing to see them win comfortably. Tonight, Sonny Gray will start for the Twins. His numbers look good, but he's only 95+ innings so far this season, in part due to two trips to the Injured List and in part due to only averaging five innings per start. The Giants counter with veteran Alex Cobb, who has good strikeout numbers, a losing record and averages 5 and one third innings per start. …

Greetings to all from Portland, where (at this time of year) the skies are not cloudy all day. Tonight, the Twins take on the San Francisco Giants, a team for which I used to cheer until Barry Bonds’s biceps grew to grotesque proportions. The two teams have similar records this season, but the Twins are actually within sight of the top of their weak division (4 games back), while the Giants stand 25 games behind the Dodgers. The Giants come into this one well-rested after a day off. The Twins come in well-bested after six straight losses, few of them even close. Injuries! The Twins have been fielding a depleted lineup lately. I was curious what sort of line…

Didn't see one Started. Polanco hit HR to Start! Go Twins!! Twins 4 Astros 2

It's August 24th, but the urgency to end the current four-game skid makes it feel like September 24th. Cleveland keeps winning (and are on their way to another victory today), and the injured Twins are lifeless. The only silver lining is that the White Sox are in the doldrums as well. Upon checking FanGraphs this afternoon, both the short term chance of a victory tonight and overall playoff odds appear bleak. Not impossible.... but bleak. FanGraphs Probabilities: Twins Win: 31% Astros Win: 69% Twins Playoff Odds: 28.6% A series against the Astros in Houston is never an easy feat, but the timing could not have been worse. Injuries are racking up, …

Stream* of consiousness game thread introduction... (which despite my occasional attempts to impose order, most all my intros end up being this... believe me, if i figure out how to write them in my sleep, i am sure i will, if only for the novelty of it) On paper we are looking at a three game losing streak on the line, depending on journeyman injury replacement pitcher on the road facing a future hallof famer and Cy Young candidate at home heading AL West juggernaut. Has there been more lopsided epectations since David met Goliath** in the Bible? Probably... (feel free to name a few) like Karate Kid or just because of the name: ROCKY! 0. Aaron S…

Good afternoon Twins fans and welcome back to more Game Thread fun! Tonight our beloved Twins take on the Texas Rangers. We need a win tonight to split the series with our I35 rivals Texas. Sonny Gray will take the mound for Minnesota while southpaw Cole Ragans will toe the line for the Rangers. Ragans is 0-2 with a 5.02 ERA while our sunny-side up Gray boasts a 7-3 record with an 3.11 ERA. Our lineup (1-7) looks decent tonight with the exception of Tim Beckham at DH and big Sandy Leon batting 9th. I'm honestly at a cross roads how I feel about the Twins right now. There are so many injuries but there are some bright spots too. Stranger things have happened but…

Hi everybody, and welcome to today's game thread. I check the obituaries every day. My name was not listed so that means I have to keep my promise to write today's opening post. I do not include any kind of baseball analysis in my thread openers because there's plenty of that on this site already, done by people more skilled and more knowledgeable about such matters than I am. So I use a 5-topic format. Today I'm going to mention something from baseball history from 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 years ago. 2012: Miguel Cabrera wins the triple crown. 2002: After the Twins survive the threat of contraction, Jacque Jones hits a home run in the first plate appearance …

The Twins meet the Rangers in game 2 of a 4-game wraparound series at Target Field. Chris Archer starts for the Twins, while the Rangers are sending out Glenn Otto. I haven't paid much attention to the Wildcard race, assuming the AL East would provide all of the wildcard teams. Seattle has moved into good position to take a spot. I wouldn't be surprised to see an AL Central team sneak in as well, so even if the Twins don't win the Central, they still have a chance. Lineups: …

Howdy, y’all. Tonight the Minnesota Twins (61-55) and Texas Rangers (53-65) kick off the “I-35 Series” at Target Field. That’s right, these two teams are separated by just 14 hours and 922 miles of good ol’ American concrete. The drive takes a leisurely 14 hours from Target Field to Globe Life Stadium, all the way down Interstate 35 door-to-door. Since we’re talking about freeways, let’s take a look at what’s under construction tonight in Twins Territory. Minnesota sends hardhat-wearing, lunchpail-carrying Dylan Bundy (6-5, 4.76 ERA) to the mound. He’s earned plenty of criticism but he’s been showing up for work every 5th day which you’ve got to respect. The guy thr…

Good morning/afternoon, Twins fans! A two-game winning streak has rekindled a few embers of optimism in Twins-world. Is three in a row too much to ask? * * * Today I’d like to throw out the following discussion topic, which is related to the Twins for those who weren’t born into Twins fandom. How do/did/should you pick a favorite team when obvious factors such as geography don’t matter? I am a Twins fan because I was 7 years old when the Senators moved to Minnesota and it was obvious that our family should switch allegiance from Cleveland (where my father was born) to the new local nine. Similarly for the Vikings and the other Minnesota sports franchises wi…

Have you ever played Tri-Bond? It’s a board game where three items are listed, and the guesser is to identify what the three things have in common. For example, here’s an easy one: Metropolitan Stadium, HHH Metrodome, Target Field. The answer, of course, is “Stadiums the Minnesota Twins have called home.” So, that’s the subject of tonight’s Game Thread. Take a shot at these, which may or may not have anything to do with tonight’s game, and check out the answers below: The Queen of Soul, the Sultan of Swat, the King of Rock and Roll. Dick Howser, George Brett, Frank White. Paul Molitor, Dave Winfield, Jack Morris. Archibald Leach, Bernar…

The ruby slippers intorduction: Things to think about. 1. Sometimes the house lands on ya. Sometimes its merely a glass of water. Hard to say which is worse though.... (But y'all been paying closer attention to our road woes than i. I'm on the road now, so you can attribute my brevity to that.) 2. There's no place like home! (Tap heals) There's no place like home! There's no place like home! Isn't a good haiku Relaxing to read these days? Go ahead. Write one! 3. Kansas City... How are they these days? We often do well against them, but even when they aren't winning world serieses, they tend to p…

Due to too much fun at the Saints game last night, today's game thread will be like a Chris Archer start...short and not overly sweet. After another frustrating loss in a game they should've won last night the Twins woke up today still 1.5 games out of first in the central and 1 game out of the final wild card spot. Plenty of season to go for the hometown boys to get things turned around and heading in the right direction, and that hopefully starts today! Chris Archer vs Tucker Davidson on the mound Arraez 1B Correa SS Buxton DH Miranda 3B Polanco 2B Celestino CF Gordon LF Leon C Cave RF Fletcher 2B Ohtani DH Rengifo 3B Ward RF …

The End Of The Beginning There has been much weeping and grinding of teeth over the Dodger’s slaughter of the Twins. Yet, did not most of us expect the blood-letting? At least in moments of weakness (clarity) when all alone in our bisexual-cave, staring at our empty shot-glass and pondering the end of the world? By the way, that’s “bisexual” as in a hideout for humans of either sex, male and female (didn’t want to appear sexist), not, you know, that other thing whose orientation-shall-not-be-mentioned… okay, so I mentioned it obliquely. En passant if your French. In which case call the social gendarmes. You’ll find them under mayonnaise. Check! But I divest……

And welcome back to TD Game Thread, August 12, 2022 variety, as our Hometown Hero's begin a 3-game set with the Anaheim Angels of Los Angeles, or is it Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, or Anaheim Angels, or whoever they are. Let's just say they are not the Dodgers, and thank goodness for that, as our Twins are coming off a 2-game spanking at the hands of one of the very best in MLB. But that unhappiness is in the rear-view mirror, and tonight, the Twins have a chance to get back on track as they will face an Angels club coming off a 3-game sweep of Oakland. On the season, the Twins stand at 57-53, good for second place in the AL Central, 1.5 games behind Cleveland. Wi…

Even the most optimistic Twins fan has to be worried right now. Minnesota is no longer alone in first place in the AL Central. Cleveland’s pulled even and is playing Detroit, while Chicago is sitting 1.5 games back and playing KC. Is this the beginning of the end for the ‘22 Twins? Or will they step up tonight in LA and hand the best team in baseball a home loss? With their playoff hopes suddenly fading and the division lead on the line, the Minnesota Twins turn to Sonny Gray tonight against the Dodgers in the series finale tonight in Los Angeles. Games like tonight’s are why the Twins brought Gray (6-3, 3.19) to Minnesota in a preseason trade. The 32 year-old vet h…

The Pitchers RHP Joe Ryan (8-4, 3.67 ERA, 89K, 90.2IP, 1.1 bWAR) vs LHP Julio Urias (11-6, 2.57 ERA, 109K, 115IP, 2.3 bWAR) The Twins hand the ball to Joe Ryan in game one of a quick two game set against the best team in baseball at Dodger Stadium. He'll be opposed by one of the most underrated starters in the MLB, Julio Urias. Urias relies on a mid-90's 4 seam fastball that he throws nearly half the time and opponents are hitting under .200 against the pitch. He also features a slow, loopy curve that doesn't get a ton of swings and misses. He will go to the changeup against right handed hitters, which has a whiff rate over 30 percent and has only gone ov…

Good Day, aTwinsFanInMaryland here today with your game thread. The big news of today came this morning with confirmation that Alex Kirilloff will undergo season ending surgery to shorten his ulna, you’re guess is a good us mine as to what that is. This surgery means the Twins number one and number two prospects have undergone season ending surgery this year. Roster Moves: No roster moves to report today The Pitchers: RHP #17 Chris Archer (2-5, 4.05 ERA, 62K’s) vs RHP #34 Kevin Gausman (8-8, 3.06 ERA, 132K’s) The Lineup: Twins: 1. Luis Arraez DH 2. Jorge Polanco 2B 3. Max Kepler RF 4. Jose Miranda 1B …

Bad ideas for game thread intros: 1. Spoonerisms (work it out for yourself. The least of it is the relative immunity Borrea and Cuxton from spoonerisms) 2. Shaggy dog stories. Take too long to tell, and too hot for the dogs. 3. Pitch puns. 440hz is a recent standard. And who plays High, Low, Jack, and the Game anymore? 4. Peanut Allergies. Charles Schulz not with standing. Is the Doctor in? Will Mr. Brown ever kick the football? 5. Johnny. Who remembers Short Circuit? And are there not better robotics examples more recent in fictiona nd real life? Canada Toronto: 0. Mitch White (R) P 1. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (R) LF 2. Vlad…