Article: Game Thread: Twins @ Reds, 6/29 @ 6:10pm CT

[Riverbrian]

'More-pitchers-swinging-the-bat' fun as the Twins travel from Milwaukee to Cincinnati.

 

The Reds combination of speed and power make them a fun team to watch. So lets watch them. Hopefully watch them lose!!!

 

Here are some things to think about:1. The Big Red Hardly Works Anymore Machine -- For all of you trying to figure out the magic formula to produce winning baseball teams, you must take a look at both teams playing today; and then take all your ideas and roll them up in a ball and set them on fire before dropping them off a tall building with a landfill below. The Twins on paper don't have that big power hitter or that #1 Ace in the rotation but here they are above .500. The Reds they have that big power hitter in Todd Frazier and that Ace in Johnny Cueto and here they are below .500. Baseball is a funny game and both these teams are funny that way. It's been a long time for the Reds since the Big Red Machine was unstoppable in the 70's. Lately... the powers that be have been struggling to find that magic formula like the Cardinals have.

 

2. Todd Frazier -- This guy is stroking it!!! 25 Dingers with a .290 Average and yet he's a million votes behind Matt Carpenter in all star voting. The Reds can yard on you and it's Frazier... not Bruce or Votto leading the way. Frazier is a good example of why you don't give up on youngsters or expect too much of them. He didn't hit the majors until he was 25 and he did just Ok. At age 27 he hit .213 with 19 dingers but just look at him now. With a little seasoning he's found his stride. Pitch him carefully... He's the real deal. Actually... these are major league hitters... you should pitch everyone carefully. Except... Dustin Ackley... go ahead and throw Dustin anything you want. (Side Note: I don't know why I singled out Dustin Ackley... but I did).

 

3. Twins Starting Pitching -- Ervin Santana is coming back this week. They are paying him some big money so I'm sure they will be dropping him into the rotation somewhere. Paul Molitor would be crazy to take out Pelfrey, Milone, Gibson. Those three have been great... it's been a long time since the Twins had 3 starters with ERA's under 3.50. It ain't going to be Hughes because... he's starting to come around after a slow start and he was our perceived #1. So... unless it's a 6 man rotation and I don't think it will be... that leaves Trevor May as the guy out; and his meltdown in Milwaukee kinda made the difficult decision a little easier. Trevor will get at least one more start on Wednesday against the Reds. Trevor is going to have to show he belongs and when Ricky Nolasco comes back... the Twins will... OK... let's no go there.

 

4. Billy Hamilton -- I wonder if Kurt Suzuki and the pitching staff is ready for the base path terror that is Billy Hamilton. The guy is really fast... perhaps one of the best base runners in decades. I think the best approach to Billy Hamilton is to not walk him. Don't do it... don't even think about doing it. Walks can become triples with this guy. It's a good thing his on base percentage is .264 because if it was higher, those 36 steals would be around 50. Pitchers need to make a few throws over to 1st base to keep him honest. They will need to have that slide step down. Suzuki will need good pop time... no double clutching allowed. I love speed... Billy Hamilton has been fun to watch... Not so much fun when he's playing our team.

 

5. New Watch -- I bought a new watch... I'm now living in Eastern Time and my old watch was Central time. It was hard... there are a lot of watch choices and none of them blew me away. After a half hour of shopping ... I strongly considered keeping my old watch and moving back to Central Time.

 

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Game-time forecast: 73 deg F, cloudy, with a 20% chance of rain/thunderstorms, winds from the WSW at 8 mph. That chance of rain goes up as the evening progresses, but it looks like we'll get it in. Better forecast than earlier today.

 

Lineups:

 

TWINS

Dozier 2B

Mauer 1B

Hunter RF

Plouffe 3B

Rosario CF

Suzuki C

Escobar LF

Pelfrey P

Santana SS

 

REDS

Hamilton CF

De Jesus 2B

Votto 1B

Frazier 3B

Bruce RF

Byrd LF

Barnhart C

Suarez SS

Leake P

 

Play ball! Go Twins!

 

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[Craig Arko]

As much as I hate to say it, it does look like May is the odd man out when Santana joins the team. Since Nolasco had another setback even with the orthotics I do wonder if surgery is in his future.

[Blackjack]

Your mention of the Big Red Machine brought back good memories!!  When I was in the Navy in San Diego me and a buddy could get seats on the third base line cheap, put four beers in your coat pocket, bag of sunflower seeds, and then we'd get to watch Bench, Rose, Morgan, Perez, etc.  After the game we'd play frisbee in the parking lot until the traffic cleared. Good times!!!

 

Hopefully Buxton is still around during his injury stint to watch how a real base stealer gets it done.

[stringer bell]

 

As much as I hate to say it, it does look like May is the odd man out when Santana joins the team. Since Nolasco had another setback even with the orthotics I do wonder if surgery is in his future.

I was going to "like" this post. I don't like it, but agree with it word-for-word. May does have one more chance, and he'll need to be more than effective. Also, if he is demoted, will he go to the bullpen or the minors?

[Squirrel]

 

I was going to "like" this post. I don't like it, but agree with it word-for-word. May does have one more chance, and he'll need to be more than effective. Also, if he is demoted, will he go to the bullpen or the minors?

Our bp needs help and changes need to be made there. But I'm mixed about moving him there.

[HitInAPinch]

I'm still not a believer the Twins are a real contender for a playoff spot.  I'd be happy with .500+. 

 

Hughes, perceived #1 or not, is the first one I'd trade.  He has more value than the rest of the staff and showing some life.  Twins may actually get something for him. 

 

Trevor May:  just when you think he's got it figured out, he get's tagged hard and often.  Let him work it out and re-evaluate at the end of the year.

And I don't think sending any of the current starting staff to the bullpen will really be of any benefit. 

 

Billy Hamilton:  that's an easy one.  Treat him the same way teams treated Vince Coleman.  Ignore him.  Let him steal bases because he doesn't get on base often enough to make those steals all that valuable.  I wouldn't risk a ball ending up in centerfield.

[Kirby_waved_at_me]

I went to a Reds game earlier this year and Billy Hamilton was caught stealing -- by AJ Pierzynski - it can be done!

http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CIN/CIN201505120.shtml

 

Nolasco is probably going to have to get surgery. He might end up with Santana's spot on the Playoff roster if he's healthy in time, but other than that I am skeptical that he's back this year.

 

Go Twins!

[James]

 

Hughes, perceived #1 or not, is the first one I'd trade.  He has more value than the rest of the staff and showing some life.  Twins may actually get something for him. 

They just signed Hughes to an extension.  They're not going to trade him.  No player would ever sign an extension with your team again.  Simple as that.  

 

I actually think that Hughes will have more value in 2016 and 2017 than he will in a trade at this point, so I would hang on to him.

 

I was at the Friday and Saturday Twins Brewers games, and I was against using the DH in the National League.  After watching pitchers flail away helplessly, I'm all in favor of the DH now.  

 

Here's hoping the Twins forget about Milwaukee and really take it to the Reds.  

[diehardtwinsfan]

I really hope it isn't May.  I'd like to believe that Milone has generated enough value to fetch a decent spec or some significant international dollars.  I'd much rather roll with May. 

[DaveW]

Twins:

 

1.Dozier 2B

2. Hunter RF

3. Mauer 1B

4. Plouffe 3B

5. Rosario CF

6. Suzuki C

7. (sigh) Escobar LF

8. Pelfrey P

9. Santana

 

What an embarrassing 2nd half of the order, hopefully the first 5 can get it done for us tonight.

[stringer bell]

I was kind of expecting the return of Aaron Hicks, with Buxton on the shelf. Sugar Shane and Esco don't hit enough to be playing a corner, but one does with what they have. Good luck to Pelfrey tonight. Let's hope he keeps the ball on the ground in Cincy because that place is a bandbox.

[USMCTwin]

 

Twins:

 

1.Dozier 2B

2. Hunter RF

3. Mauer 1B

4. Plouffe 3B

5. Rosario CF

6. Suzuki C

7. (sigh) Escobar LF

8. Pelfrey P

9. Santana

 

What an embarrassing 2nd half of the order, hopefully the first 5 can get it done for us tonight.

 

When your 8 hitter is batting 1.000 it's hard to complain too much.

[DaveW]

 

When your 8 hitter is batting 1.000 it's hard to complain too much.

I'd consider batting him 6th.

[Squirrel]

 

I was kind of expecting the return of Aaron Hicks, with Buxton on the shelf. Sugar Shane and Esco don't hit enough to be playing a corner, but one does with what they have. Good luck to Pelfrey tonight. Let's hope he keeps the ball on the ground in Cincy because that place is a bandbox.

Yeah … I was thinking we'd see Hicks … and Robinson would be the odd man out, imo. But, you'd likely still see Esco in left in that scenario from time to time as filler in left when you need Rosario to spell Hicks in center or Hunter in right. Or, who would go down in his place? 

[stringer bell]

I actually hope Pelf is hitting .400 by the end of the game. That would mean he pitched deep into the game and the Twins didn't need to pinch hit for him late in the game.

[stringer bell]

 

 

Yeah … I was thinking we'd see Hicks … and Robinson would be the odd man out, imo. But, you'd likely still see Esco in left in that scenario from time to time as filler in left when you need Rosario to spell Hicks in center or Hunter in right. Or, who would go down in his place? 

A pitcher, please! Actually, they could send Santana or Vargas down, as well. Vargas had the one good game, but overall he's struggling. DanSan hasn't captured the magic of 2014 yet.

Edited June 29, 2015 by stringer bell

[Squirrel]

 

A pitcher, please!

You want to go back up in numbers? I'd rather keep the pitching numbers to what they are and just replace the bp arms with more reliable ones.

[DaveW]

 

Yeah … I was thinking we'd see Hicks … and Robinson would be the odd man out, imo. But, you'd likely still see Esco in left in that scenario from time to time as filler in left when you need Rosario to spell Hicks in center or Hunter in right. Or, who would go down in his place? 

Hicks and Robinson could be on the roster at the same time until Buxton returns and it would be fine. There is any number of pitchers in the pen who could be sent down, or cut (Duensing)

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

I was going to "like" this post. I don't like it, but agree with it word-for-word. May does have one more chance, and he'll need to be more than effective. Also, if he is demoted, will he go to the bullpen or the minors?

I hope it's the bullpen. The Twins could use the help and Trevor doesn't deserve a demotion.

[DaveW]

 

 

You want to go back up in numbers? I'd rather keep the pitching numbers to what they are and just replace the bp arms with more reliable ones.

Why on earth does a team need 8 bullpen arms? Espeically when half of them are guys you don't want to pitch in big spots anyways: Meyer, Graham, Duensing, etc

 

7 is the absolute max a team should have.

[Squirrel]

 

Why on earth does a team need 8 bullpen arms? Espeically when half of them are guys you don't want to pitch in big spots anyways: Meyer, Graham, Duensing, etc

 

7 is the absolute max a team should have.

Meh … I read stringer's response wrong … yeah, now I'm with y'all. I thought he was implying to add a pitcher. My bad.

 

Hicks for a pitcher is fine with me. But I still want to replace some of those bp arms with others.

[stringer bell]

 

You want to go back up in numbers? I'd rather keep the pitching numbers to what they are and just replace the bp arms with more reliable ones.

The starters are good and pitching deeper into games than previous seasons, and yet they are carrying an eight-man bullpen. They have two or three guys who aren't good, reducing by one shouldn't be that big of a deal. yes, there were hiccups along the way, but they should get down to a 12-man staff sometime soon.

[Squirrel]

 

I hope it's the bullpen. The Twins could use the help and Trevor doesn't deserve a demotion.

I hope he doesn't see going to the bp as a demotion … but I'd rather have him there than just about anyone else we have not named Perkins.

[DaveW]

 

 

 

I hope it's the bullpen. The Twins could use the help and Trevor doesn't deserve a demotion.

I don't think they would send him all the way to AAA, I think he could be a nice asset in the pen.

May seems to have trouble going deep into games anyways: 50% of his starts have gone less than 6 IP, and he has only gone 7IP in 14% of his starts. Now May is still young and all, but if he is going to "make it" as a starter in the league he is going to have to figure out how to be more consistent and give you more innings.

[Squirrel]

 

The starters are good and pitching deeper into games than previous seasons, and yet they are carrying an eight-man bullpen. They have two or three guys who aren't good, reducing by one shouldn't be that big of a deal. yes, there were hiccups along the way, but they should get down to a 12-man staff sometime soon.

yeah, yeah … I'm with you now (see post above yours) … misread what you were saying … thought you were implying to add a pitcher not lose one.

[DaveW]

 

 

 But I still want to replace some of those bp arms with others.

Agreed.

[SwainZag]

When is Hicks eligible to come off the DL?  

[stringer bell]

When is Hicks eligible to come off the DL?

 

Today.

[Platoon]

I went to a Reds game earlier this year and Billy Hamilton was caught stealing -- by AJ Pierzynski - it can be done!

http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CIN/CIN201505120.shtml

 

Nolasco is probably going to have to get surgery. He might end up with Santana's spot on the Playoff roster if he's healthy in time, but other than that I am skeptical that he's back this year.

 

Go Twins!

He must have stopped for a beer and peanuts if AJ got him! Lol

[HitInAPinch]

 

They just signed Hughes to an extension.  They're not going to trade him.  No player would ever sign an extension with your team again.  Simple as that.  

 

I actually think that Hughes will have more value in 2016 and 2017 than he will in a trade at this point, so I would hang on to him.

 

Oh, if you offer a play enough money, they'd still sign.  It really is that simple