Archived Game Threads

Andriese vs. Santana – Matt Andriese may be 0-1 with a 15 ERA in one career appearance against the Twins, but that was last year when he pitched 3 innings in relief for Nathan Karns and gave up 5, allowing a Brian Dozier home run which scored Byron Buxton, an Escobar double which scored Plouffe and Suzuki, and a Buxton double which scored Escobar. In those 3 innings, he also struck out 5. Ervin Santana happened to start that game and only went 2.2 innings, allowing 5 earned runs on 8 hits whilst walking 2 and striking out only 1. Fortunately, Andriese (and, of course, J.R. Graham and the Twins' offense) saved the day. One game is, of course, a very small sample size. …

Welcome to today’s game thread. I’m your host, USAFChief. Here's a recent photo: For those of you who have been around a while, you might remember me (along with Carole) as the keeper of the game thread duty log. Well, Stringer Bell was gracious enough to volunteer this year, and wouldn’t you know it, he immediately pulls rank and assigns me today’s game thread. Thanks for nothin’. Tonight, the Twins kick off a three game series vs the Tampa Bay Rays. So here goes, in honor of RiverBrian’s time honored “Five things” format. For those of you who have been around a while, you might remember RB. Back in the early days of TD, he used to do all the game thread intro’s, …

Game 2 of the four game series between the Twins and Rangers in Arlington. Today it will be Minor versus Odorizzi, a matchup of surprise All-Stars. Runs should be hard to come by at least while the starters are on the mound.Minor had a lousy July (20 earned runs in 27.1 innings), but has thrown fifteen shutout innings so far in August. Odorizzi has similarly bounced back from a tough patch and has won his last two decisions and pitched effectively in his last three starts. Both bullpens have had issues since the All-Star break. The Twins' pen will be rested because Pineda and Smeltzer combined to pitch all nine innings yesterday. There probably will be an additional arm…

Game-time forecast: Sunny. Winds blowing in from center field at 1-5 m.p.h. Temperature near 75. Twins: SP, Hughes Dozier 2B Mauer 1B Plouffe 3B Arcia RF Willingham DH Kubel LF Suzuki C Escobar SS Hicks CF Yankees: SP, Whitley Gardner LF Jeter SS Ellsbury CF McCann C Solarte 3B Suzuki RF Roberts 2B Johnson 1B Almonte DH --------------------------- Again, we are waiting on the coffee ... once up, engaged, thinking, thoughts will be posted. By Brian. By all. ---------------------------------------------- Things to Think About: 1. Phil Hughes -- Returning to Yankee stadium... Ballplayers publicly will express the "just another game" cliché from time to time…

The Twins face Cleveland for the first time with their new moniker, and the Guardians will be missing several parts of their coaching staff. Is this a good time for the Twins to beat up on a mediocre team, or will their downward spiral triggered by the Astros continue further? Lineups Aaron Civale R 1-2 9.45 ERA CF Myles Straw R LF Steven Kwan L 3B Jose Ramirez S 1B Owen Miller R SS Amed Rosario R DH F. Reyes R 2B A. Gimenez L RF O. Mercado R C A. Hedges R Sonny Gray R 0-1 3.48 ERA CF Byron Buxton R 1B Luis Arraez L 2B J. Polanco S RF Max Kepler L DH Gary Sanchez R 3B Gio Urshela R LF Nick Gordon L C Ryan Jeffers R SS …

Sigh. Twins: Brian Dozier 2B Joe Mauer DH Ryan Doumit C Justin Morneau 1B Trevor Plouffe 3B Oswaldo Arcia LF Aaron Hicks CF Clete Thomas RF Pedro Florimon SS (P.J. Walters P) Yankees: Brett Gardner CF Ichiro Suzuki RF Robinson Cano 2B Travis Hafner DH Zoilo Almonte LF Lyle Overbay 1B Chris Stewart C Luis Cruz SS David Adams 3B (CC Sabathia P)

Game-time forecast: hot and humid. TWINS: SP, Milone Santana CF Dozier 2B Mauer 1B Vargas DH Plouffe 3B Suzuki C Parmelee LF Escobar SS Schafer RF ASTROS: SP, Peacock Grossman RF Altuve 2B Carter DH Dominguez 3B Castro C Santana LF Singleton 1B Marisnick CF Petit SS --------------------------------- Okay, Brian ... you're not in the hole, not on deck ... you're up! Now go! -------------------------------- Thanks... ChiTown... It's hard to describe this hole that I'm in... It's dark... There are strange noises... a dripping sound.... Like a giant faucet that doesn't quite shut off. I figure I'm about 200 feet below the surface and it's definitely lonely down here..…

Welcome to another exciting Twins Daily Game Thread! I am writing this introduction today from the beautiful Virginia Tech campus in Blacksburg, Virginia. I had an entirely different introduction planned for today until I found out at the last minute my high school senior decided he really wants to join the Corp of Cadets at Virginia Tech the NROTC program and go to college here...This weekend was our only chance to tour and visit before he commits so I thought it best we stop here one more time before he makes the big decision. What does any of this have to do with baseball you ask? Well, leave it to me to draw the connection. On the plane ride out here from Minnea…

Good afternoon Twins Daily readers and thank you for making your way back to another exciting game thread! We saw a lot of offensive action last night for both teams...I'd prefer to see a little less offensive action tonight from the Royals. Since we didn't have anyone signed up to open the game thread tonight I told Stringer Bell I would throw something together to kick this game thread off. Since I didn't have a lot of time to plan something fun, I'm just going to spew random thoughts that come to my mind regarding the Minnesota Twins while I write this. Random thought #1: I think we have a better than legitimate shot at going the distance this fall. Consider t…

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 …

(Note: If you want to jump in where today's postponed game thread starts, click here.) Tuesday 9/29, 6:10 PM CT at Regressive Field TV: FS-N; Radio: Go 96.3, TIBN, BOB FM Weather: Temperature: 70 °F Dewpoint: 65 °F Heat Index: N/A Surface Wind: N 7mph Sky Cover (%): 100% Precipitation Potential (%): 80% Relative Humidity (%): 85% Rain: Occasional (80%-100%) Thunder: Slight Chance (10%-20%) Lineups: TWINS (81-75): Brian Dozier R 2B Joe Mauer L 1B Miguel Sano R DH Trevor Plouffe R 3B Eddie Rosario L LF Torii Hunter R RF Aaron Hicks S CF Kurt Suzuki R C Eduardo Escobar S SS Kyle Gibson (11-10, 3.96 ERA) INDIANS (77-78): Jason Kip…

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.

After yesterday's game thread, i think i'll go for short and sweet, so as not to think so hard. Fifth day of the fifth month... that's like... 5 squared, or 25. Is that Buxton day? Yes, but that's a trick question, 'cause every day is Buxton day. It is also el Cinco de Mayo, or Mexican Independence day. I claim no Mexican wisdom, but i support Independence for all! I'm not sure i would trust the accuratcy of much in the video, but i bring it up for the catchy music, animation style, and determination not to compromise. And i hope the last aspect rubs off on the Twins! We welcome Sano back to the roster, and hope he picks up _right_ where Kirilloff _left_ off. …

Can you imagine playing 53 games in 44 days?!? That's what the St. Louis Cardinals face for their final stretch of the season, after a COVID-19 outbreak led to games being cancelled for over 2 weeks. This season has been very odd, but luckily for the Twins, today's doubleheader was caused by weather, and not a virus. Jake Odorizzi and Jose Berrios will start today with a well-rested bullpen and possibly an extra player on the roster. Lineups Twins Maximilian Kepler RF Jorge Polanco SS Nelson Cruz DH Marwin Gonzalez 3B Miguel Sano 1B Luis Arraez 2B Byron Buxton CF Alex Avila C Jake Odorizzi P Royals Whit Merrifield CF Jorge Soler DH Salvador Perez C Hunter Dozi…

Roster Moves: OF Alex Kirilloff heads to the 10-day IL with recurring right wrist issues that caused him to miss time last season. The move is not official yet, but OF Trevor Larnach is expected to be recalled to the Twins. Larnach is currently slashing .105/.182/.105 at AAA in 5 games. Larnach OPS'd over 1.000 in 20 ST plate apperances. Jharel Cotton, who pitched in last nights ballgame, has been DFA'd. The Twins have added Dereck Rodríguez to the 40 man, and called him up. The Pitchers LHP Clayton Kershaw (10-8, 3.55 ERA, 144 K's, 121.2 IP) vs RHP Chris Paddack (7-7, 5.07 ERA, 99 K's, 108.1 IP) The Twins get to see one of the best pitchers in…

The Twins return to Bally Sports North this afternoon looking for their second straight win against the Tampa Bay Rays. And while you don’t need to plunk down your credit card to watch the team play on TV today, Byron Buxton definitely has Twins ownership checking their wallets. Incentives in Buxton’s new $15M per year contract include at least a $3M bonus if the electric center fielder finishes in the top 10 in the AL MVP vote. With two more home runs last night, the molten-lava hot Buxton now has 17 on the year and it would be hard to imagine Byron finishing lower than 5th in that race. Furthermore, after playing in his 4th straight game last night, Bux is on pace …

Tonight the Twins open their first series of 2017 against the defending AL champions, the Cleveland Indians. In a perfect world Riverbrian would be writing this game thread opener, but we do not live in a perfect world. 1. There is ongoing controversy about whether the Indians' logo is racist. Last week, baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred suggested that the Indians should phase out the logo. http://www.cbsnews.com/news/mlb-commissioner-urges-cleveland-indians-to-eradicate-chief-wahoo-logo/ Above is a graphic that shows the current logo on the left and the prior logo on the right. In my opinion the current logo is marginally better than the prior logo, but still insulti…

Forecasts: 75 degrees, and 72% chance of rain after 2 p.m. LINEUPS Royals: 1. Alcides Escobar (SS) 2. Whit Merrifield (LF) 3. Lorenzo Cain (CF) 4. Eric Hosmer (1B) 5. Salvador Perez (DH) 6. Paulo Orlando (RF) 7. Cheslor Cuthbert (3B) 8. Omar Infante (2B) 9. Drew Butera © vs. Tyler Duffey (RH) Twins: 1. Eduardo Nunez (3B) 2. Brian Dozier (2B) 3. Joe Mauer (DH) 4. Miguel Sano (RF) 5. Robbie Grossman (LF) 6. Byung Ho Park (1B) 7. Eduardo Escobar (SS) 8. Kurt Suzuki © 9. Danny Santana (CF) vs. Dillon Gee (RH) Things to think about: 1. Protests and Fate. Albuquerque was in turmoil last night after the Trumpster rolled into town. This was inevitable after he …

You can view the page at http://twinsdaily.com/content.php?r=1830-Series-Preview-Twins-Royals-6-4-6-6 Lineups: Twins: Jamey Carroll 3B Joe Mauer C Josh Willingham LF Justin Morneau 1B Ryan Doumit DH Chris Parmelee RF Brian Dozier 2B Aaron Hicks CF Pedro Florimon SS (Sam Deduno P) Royals: Alex Gordon LF Alcides Escobar SS Eric Hosmer 1B Billy Butler DH Lorenzo Cain CF Mike Moustakas 3B Salvador Perez C David Lough RF Elliot Johnson 2B (Luis Mendoza P)

We're not this bad. We're really not. That's not even the problem though. The problem is, if you're good, you just don't have a 32 game stretch like this. Just using last year's data as an example, the worst 32 game performance by a playoff team was the Rangers, going 11-21 from June 20 to July 29. It's just a 3 game difference, but it seems like a chasm. If you believe in the power of a hot start, Texas began last season 14-18, a far cry from our current 8-24. If you love baseball, you can just take it one day at a time. You can enjoy a Wednesday getaway game on a dreary day....if you try really, really hard. Pitching Matchup Tyler Wilson takes the hill for the O…

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……

The Twins are still up five games on the Indians, and we are almost halfway through the month of September. The Twins go against two great starters the rest of this series, and I wouldn't be surprised at all to see them lose the series 2-1. However, they did exactly what they needed to do last night to set themselves up for a victory. The Pitchers Stephen Strasburg (16-6, 3.50 ERA, 222 K's) vs Martin Perez (10-6, 4.75 ERA, 121 K's) This is the first time that Strasburg will have pitched in Target Field, and it will be a treat for the fans there, and watching on TV. Strasburg is one of the best in the game when he is healthy, and that is what he has done so far this ye…

The "What have i missed." Game Thread intro... The passed week, i've missed a couple of possums, i think, a rabbit, a few exits and turns, and happily every other vehicle or obstacle in the road. Sadly i have missed a few of my predicted arrival times as well, but getting enough sleep in driving cross country is kinda non negotiable. Oh, and i guess i missed the instructions on how to keep a plant happy on long road trips. Oh well. I really meant to ask it specifically about the Twins. Who are swinging hot bats, flashing the leather, throwing heat? I kinda been out of touch, and don't know. As usual i seek to hide my inadequate research habits with clever wordp…

Welcome to tonight’s game thread where the three people that tune in to watch the game will be treated to what most certainly will be the battle of the aces. Our Twinkies will bring their young and up-in-coming ace Jose Berrios to the mound to face the established Red Sox ace of Chris Sale. It’s a classic David vs. Goliath, except that our offense of late has made most pitchers look like Chris Sale. I hate to think what they can make Chris Sale look like. Could the strike out record be in play here? Kerry Wood, Roger Clemens*, and Max Scherzer all hold the record at 20Ks in a game. Fortunately for the Twins, Sano and Buxton won’t be in the lineup, so Sale won’t be assured…

The setting: Minnesota come's into this game with a record of 1-6, while Kansas City come's into the game with the best record of baseball sitting at 7-0. The line-ups: ROYALS: Escobar (Alcides) SS Moustakas 3B Cain CF Hosmer 1B Morales DH Gordon LF Perez C Infante 2B Dyson RF Volquez P TWINS: Santana SS Hunter RF Mauer 1B Dozier 2B Vargas DH Plouffe 3B Arcia LF Suzuki C Schafer CF Gibson P Can a mod please add these, I will be at church when they are announced! Thanks. (Edit from Chi: yes) 1st pitch Weather: 65 degrees, 0% chance of rain, and winds will be blowing SE at 13 MPH Things to think about: 1.) Kyle Gibson - Gibson has had some up's and downs …

Game-time forecast: 86 deg F, partly cloudy, very slight chance of rain, but not likely, winds from the S at 6mph. Lineups: YANKEES Ellsbury CF Young LF Rodriguez DH Texeira 1B Beltran RF Headley 3B Murphy C Ryan SS Drew 2B Sabathia P TWINS Dozier 2B Hicks CF Plouffe 1B Sano DH Hunter RF Escobar 3B Robinson LF Suzuki C Santana SS Milone P Oh, where to start ... hmmm ... 1. We beat them last night, and good. One could say we spanked them, and good. I'm not sure we can expect the same tonight, but given our home record, we can hope. But I loved last night's game. It's always way more than fun to beat the Yankees than most teams, or maybe any team, and last nig…

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…

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…

Good Morning Twins fans! Get ready for punch number two today. On the mound this morning (Minnesota time) is the now fearsome pitching phenom Jose Berrios. He is part of the now pitching one two punch of Minnesota's starting rotation of Santana and Berrios. The game last night was fantastic. Twins are still in first place and Santana threw his second shutout of the year (only major leaguer to do that so far this year). I'm expecting a great showing today for the young Berrios. I think he is going to thrive after Santana's performance last night. They say hitting is contagious but I think pitching can be too. It's an early game today for us Twins fans back home…

Saturday 6/13, 3:05 PM CT at Globe Life Park in Arlington TV: FS-N; Radio: Go 96.3, TIBN, BOB FM Weather: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 87. South wind 10 to 15 mph. Lineups: TWINS (33-28): 1. Dozier, 2B 2. Rosario, RF 3. Mauer, 1B 4. Plouffe, 3B 5. Nunez, DH 6. Suzuki, C 7. Robinson, LF 8. Escobar, SS 9. Buxton, CF Phil Hughes, RHP (4-6, 4.81 ERA) RANGERS (33-29): 1. DeShields, LF 2. Choo, RF 3. Fielder, DH 4. Moreland, 1B 5. Gallo, 3B 6. Andrus, SS 7. Martin, CF 8. Chirinos, C 9. Alberto, 2B Nick Martinez, RHP (5-2, 2.65 ERA) BIG LEAGUES, WELCOME TO BYRON BUXTON!! At first I …