The Twins dropped the middle game of the 3 game set with the Tigers last night in a hard fought game that saw rookie phenom Miguel Sano strike out with the tying on 2nd to end the game.  Phil Hughes labored through 3 innings, throwing 65 pitches and giving up 3 runs on 6 hits in his first start in nearly 5 weeks after coming off of the DL.  Tonight's game will be one of four these two teams have against each other, and the last at Target Field for the year.

 

1. Tiger's Run Over.  The Royals winning last night officially eliminated the Tigers from the AL Central division race and ending the Tigers 4 year run of Central Division Championships is over.  Think about this.  The last time the Tigers didn't win the Central......the Twins did.

 

2. Wild Card.  With the Rangers beating the Astros for the 2nd straight night and the Stros dropping 7 of their last 10, Texas now sits atop the AL West.  The Twins are now chasing the Astros for the 2nd Wild Card spot and sit 1.5 games behind them.  This could all change again if Houston could top Texas tonight, but for now it's Houston dead ahead.

 

3.  Mauer.  With his 1/3 night with a couple of walks, he extended his streak to reaching safely to 35 straight games.  Before last night's game in the 34 games streak he was hitting .292/.376/.400.

 

4. Norris. Last night we saw Hughes on a pitch count coming back from injury and tonight we will Daniel Norris in a similar position.  Norris will likely be capped at around 50 pitches so it could be a long night for the Tigers pen, which would very much be in the Twins favor.  Norris, as you know, was the main piece coming to the Tigers in the David Price trade.  If Norris pans out the way the Tigers hope he does, this could be the first of many times he takes the bump against the Twins.

 

5. Santana.  Has their been a bigger enigma for the Twins this season outside of Ervin Santana?  After the whole big contract/PED suspension debacle, he is like a yo-yo with his small stretches of great pitching or getting shelled.  In his last 3 starts he has given up 3 ER, has walked 4 and struck out 27 in 22 innings.  In the 3 starts prior?  14 ER, 6 BB and 9 K in just in 16.1 IP.  Let's hope the current mini run of good starts will continue.  

 

6. Miggy.  Coming off the DL and hitting like a man possessed, Cabrera has found himself in a rare slump in the month of September.  In 14 games and 59 PA, he is hitting a Drew Butera-esk .192/.288/.231.  He will be absent from the Tigers lineup.  Even with him in a slump, in my mind, no Miggy in the lineup is positive for the Twins.

 

Weather: It should be a nice night in the Twin Cities for tonight's game as we have a game time temperature of 80 degrees with a small chance of precipitation and a slight breeze blowing to the south.

 

Lineups:

 

Motor City Kitties

 

Gose CF
Kinsler 2B
J.Martinez RF
V.Martinez DH
Castellanos 3B
Collins LF
McCann C
Avila 1B
Romine SS

 

Norris P

 

Minnesota Twins

 

Aaron Hicks CF
Brian Dozier 2B
Joe Mauer 1B
Miguel Sano DH
Trevor Plouffe 3B
Torii Hunter RF
Eddie Rosario LF
Chris Herrmann C
Eduardo Escobar SS

 

Ervin Santana P 

 

So far in my two game day threads I am 1-1.  Seeing as this will more than likely by my last one of the season, bring me home a win and a winning record for the season boys!  Thanks for allowing me to help out, these have been fun.

 

GO TWINS!

Edited September 16, 201511 yr by SwainZag

Great job SZ! Much appreciated!

Great job SZ! Much appreciated!

Concur.

 

6 thoughts? That's, like 20% more...

 

^{_{Resisting the temptation to quote A Princess Bride. Or to ask Bark's Lounge what a possessed batter looks like...}}

Concur.

 

6 thoughts? That's, like 20% more...

 

 

 

I don't think math is allowed in a game thread!

Edited September 16, 201511 yr by Winston Smith

Yeah it's been a little rainy for the past hour. Nothing serious, I think.

I don't think math is allowed in a game thread!

Sorry...

 

Are you positive?

 

I thought that was what was important... being positive.

Edited September 16, 201511 yr by sampleSizeOfOne

 

I don't think math is allowed in a game thread!

 

Everything and anything is allowed in a game thread! Well, almost anything, but math is okay.

... Nothing serious, I think.

Words to live by (at least in my little world)

 

Can i borrow them for a signature?

If folk aren't tiger musiced out from yesterday, it occurred to me at some point there's always the frosted flakes jingle...

Words to live by (at least in my little world)Can i borrow them for a signature?

Why ceutainlee.

Sorry...Are you positive?I thought that was what was important... being positive.

Although if you suddenly turned into anti-matter...

Why ceutainlee.

Thank ye kindly!

 

(How's that?)

 

And is there any existing estimate for the delay of rain?

 

Lookin' at ye olde online radar, the storm has come halfway from Mankato in the past hour, so an hour late is a reasonable guess?

Although if you suddenly turned into anti-matter...

Fortunately, we're only talkin' about posts, but yeah... that'd explain how these forums get so explosive from time to time.

Cedar Rapids up 3-0 entering the 7th inning.

 

Chattanooga game just startin'...

 

CBU

Edited September 17, 201511 yr by sampleSizeOfOne

Thank ye kindly!(How's that?)And is there any existing estimate for the delay of rain?Lookin' at ye olde online radar, the storm has come halfway from Mankato in the past hour, so an hour late is a reasonable guess?

I suppose so. I see the Rangers are up on the Astros 4-0 in the first.

Everything and anything is allowed in a game thread! Well, almost anything, but math is okay.

Couldn't agree more.

 

http://projecteuclid.org/download/pdffirstpage_1/euclid.dmj/1077378639

I suppose so. I see the Rangers are up on the Astros 4-0 in the first.

6-0 in the second?

 

0-0 in AA after 2

3-0 Cedar Rapids after 7

 

CBUniversal

any idea on start time. No rain in SLP....

Anyone know any bad jokes while away the time?

 

I'll help ya out.

 

A horse trots into a bar...

any idea on start time. No rain in SLP....

Gameday has game status as "warmup" rather than delay (rain) if that means aught.

 

 

So far in my two game day threads I am 1-1.  Seeing as this will more than likely by my last one of the season, bring me home a win and a winning record for the season boys!  Thanks for allowing me to help out, these have been fun.

 

GO TWINS!

So, this is like your rubber game thread, then.  Good luck, hope you win the series.

 

If folk aren't tiger musiced out from yesterday, it occurred to me at some point there's always the frosted flakes jingle...

That would be Grrrrrrreat!

 

Sorry, low hanging fruit there.

Gameday says "Warmup". Has it been saying that for the last 75 minutes?

Gameday says "Warmup". Has it been saying that for the last 75 minutes?

No. 60 minutes or so ago it said Delay (rain)

 

(note, i'm still using classic display, so things might be different for me...)

And if radar is to be believed, the bulk of it is there now...

That would be Grrrrrrreat!

 

Sorry, low hanging fruit there.

No worries.

 

Someone's gotta pick 'em. They shouldn't go to waste. (or is that waist?)

Gameday says "Warmup". Has it been saying that for the last 75 minutes?

Warm up, truly. Getting ready to start soon.

...

 

A horse trots into a bar...

through the horse entrance.

 

First time in a long time it's been used.

 

People (and horses) decided it was too neigh-gate-ive...

Play ball!

 

(a wee bit late)

Win series, and split the four-gamers, that's likely all we need. That would be 11-7, 86 wins. That be enough?