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 impressive amount of players representing our team.  Looking forward to seeing who's picked.

 

2. Our Twins looked like they got back to their old ways again yesterday by pounding the ball all over the park. I posted a comment yesterday on Tom's post game write-up about how crazy good this team is when our full lineup is playing (hurry back Eddie). I honestly have never seen anything like it. I can't imagine what an opposing pitcher must be thinking before the game or how they prepare to pitch through our lineup. I would love to be a fly on the wall listening to an opposing teams pitching coach talk to their starter about preparing for a game against us.  I've been a lifelong Twins fans for over 35 years and have never seen a lineup mash like our team has done so far this year. Enjoy this people!  It doesn't come around very often.

 

3. Lewis Thorpe will be our starting pitcher today and also making his first MLB debut.  Thorpe hails from Australia and will become the 34th Australian to appear in the Major Leagues. Thorpe is the Twins number 9 prospect per MLB pipeline but has had an up and down year in the minors. I'm looking forward to seeing how he does. On a more human note, it looks like Thorpe's parents surprised him yesterday and flew all the way from Melbourne, Australia to see his MLB debut. According to reports, Thorpe was led outside the visitors' clubhouse by the Twins travel director and froze when he saw his parents waiting for him in the tunnel.  Thorpe pulled his mother into a big hug and then his father. According to Thorpe, "he's never seen his dad cry like that".  Reading that actually brought tears to my eyes too.  My son stayed out east this summer for a college internship and hasn't been around much this year.  I think I can relate a little bit with Thorpe's dad...

 

Go Twins!

 

Lineups:

 

Twins:

1. Luis Arraez, LF

2. J. Polanco, SS

3. Nelson Cruz, DH

4. Mitch Garver, C

5. M. Gonzales, 3B

6. C.J. Cron, 1B

7. Ehire Adrianza, RF

8. J. Schoop, 2B

9. B. Buxton, CF

Lewis Thorpe, SP (L)

 

White Sox:

1. Leury Garcia, SS

2. Yoan Moncada, 3B

3. Jose Abreu, 1B

4. James McCann, C

5. Jon Jay, RF

6. Eloy Jimenez, LF

7. Jose Rondon, DH

8. Y. Sanchez, 2B

9. Ryan Cordell, CF

Lucas Giolito, SP ®

 

Weather: Partly cloudy and 82 degrees, 0% chance of rain

 

I hope Thorpe isn't a flyball pitcher, yikes that is an... interesting outfield.

I was hoping Kepler and Sano would be starting today.  The outfield is a little odd.  

I believe Molitor or Gardy would be crucified on Twins Daily for putting out a similar lineup. 53 wins in 82 games tends to blunt such criticism.

I was hoping Kepler and Sano would be starting today. The outfield is a little odd.

Yeah, if we’re going to have Arraez in left I’d like to have Kepler in right. I’d like to see Sano get more reps now that he’s heating up.

A little odd? 2 infielders and Buxton? That’s the understatement of the year!

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A little odd? 2 infielders and Buxton? That’s the understatement of the year!

Oh no... do I need to whip up another Infielders in the Outfield poster?

I hope Thorpe isn't a flyball pitcher, yikes that is an... interesting outfield.

I was just gonna say.... eeeeeeeeeeek

Also surprising that the most established outfielder of the non-Buxtons (Gonzalez) ended up as the third baseman.

By the way ...

Also surprising that the most established outfielder of the non-Buxtons (Gonzalez) ended up as the third baseman.

I get giving days rest but geeez, give Thorpe a chance!

And, I wanted to see Sano hit against Giolito

 

A little odd? 2 infielders and Buxton? That’s the understatement of the year!

I usually try to keep a low profile...

Pre-game warm up ...

 

A little odd? 2 infielders and Buxton? That’s the understatement of the year!

I think this is Rocco's way of saying Buck can cover the whole OF by hisself.

Big strike zone 

Why not Adrianza at third and Gonzalez in the OF?

 

Before criticizing someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way, you’re a mile away, and you have their shoes.

Whoa. After watching that last K, maybe I change my mind about trading Thorpe. Pretty good stuff.

 

Why not Adrianza at third and Gonzalez in the OF?

Before criticizing someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way, you’re a mile away, and you have their shoes.

Reminds me of possibly my favorite Steven Wright joke: I was sad because I had no shoes until I met a man who had no feet. So I asked him, "Got any shoes you're not using?"

 

Also surprising that the most established outfielder of the non-Buxtons (Gonzalez) ended up as the third baseman.

Marny reports from the sideline that they didn't want to make Marwin do a lot of running as he returns from the hammie injury.

 

Reminds me of possibly my favorite Steven Wright joke: I was sad because I had no shoes until I met a man who had no feet. So I asked him, "Got any shoes you're not using?"

Also love:

"I woke up this morning and everything in my house had been replaced with exact duplicates."

 

Also love:

"I woke up this morning and everything in my house had been replaced with exact duplicates."

It's a small world but I wouldn't want to paint it.

Holy buckets! Cleveland's blowing out the O's 1-0 in the sixth!

Great AB from marwin.didnt get on base but pushed up that pitch count quite nicely.feel like our best bet is getting to the bullpen asap

Nice AB Marwin.

Whassup, Thorpedo? All strikes until 2 outs in the second inning? 

 

Hey, nice throw Adrianza! Saved the inning. 

Nice throw Ehire!!!!!!!!!

 

I hope Thorpe isn't a flyball pitcher, yikes that is an... interesting outfield.

Very interesting so far