The Twins entertain Texas today at Target Field today at 1:10 PM in the middle game of a three-game series immediately prior to the All-Star break. The Twins will send out big Mike Pineda while the Rangers counter with Jesse Chavez making his seventh start of the season (he's relieved in 30 other games). Pineda has pitched pretty consistently in his last 10 starts, but with a few encouraging factors. He has limited free passes, has increased his velocity and has been getting a good number of strikeouts. Crooked numbers have been his nemesis.

 

Yesterday, the Twins got well against the Rangers. The flagging defense was good to spectacular, power was there and outside of a five-run seventh inning, the pitching was good. The Twins scored fifteen runs, hit four homers, and every position in the batting order had at least two hits. Slumping Jonathan Schoop and CJ Cron had multiple hits and Schoop hit a homer. The team set a record for the most homers prior to the All-Star break. I have my doubts that the Twins will eventually set the major league single season home run record (probably the Yankees), but they will shatter their own team record and probably most importantly will set a club record for home run differential.

 

Yesterday's game was delayed almost two hours. Weather forecast for the rest of the weekend is promising. A series win is essential and a sweep would be very helpful. If the golf course is dry enough I'm there, so please post the lineups. Enjoy this first-place club! 

Lineups:

 

TEX

Jesse Chavez
3-3, 2.97 ERA, 56 SO

Shin-Soo Choo (L) RF
Willie Calhoun (L) LF
Elvis Andrus ® SS
Joey Gallo (L) CF
Nomar Mazara (L) DH
Rougned Odor (L) 2B
Asdrubal Cabrera (S) 3B
Ronald Guzman (L) 1B
Jeff Mathis ® C

-

Twins

 

Michael Pineda

5-4, 4.78 ERA, 75 SO

Max Kepler (L) RF
Jorge Polanco (S) SS
Nelson Cruz ® DH
Luis Arraez (L) 3B
Miguel Sano ® 1B
LaMonte Wade Jr (L) LF
Jonathan Schoop ® 2B
Jason Castro (L) C
Byron Buxton ® CF

Arraez in the cleanup hole again.

 

As expected.

 

Arraez in the cleanup hole again.

As expected.

 

Just riding the wave.

 

Arraez in the cleanup hole again.

As expected.

Put one in the seats last night.

 

Well, okay, so did every other batter last night, but still....

Cron on the IL. Anyone know who gets the call up?

 

Cron on the IL. Anyone know who gets the call up?

 

Wade, in the team today.

Wade, in the team today.

Excellent. Looking forward to seeing Wade play.

 

Probably just a couple of games before Rosie comes off the IL, though.

Edited July 6, 20197 yr by Don Walcott

Pineda's Shrug Factor is down, which is good. The less he shrugs, twitches, waves his arms, and does that odd push motion towards home, the better. It means he's feeling more prime physically. Pineda is trending towards being dominant. 

I'm liking Tim Laudner in the booth. He's kind of like Morris, but with a little less edge. 

I like Laudner in the booth. Seems to really have a good way of conveying nuances of the game without necessarily focusing on any one aspect.

 

Edit:Ninja'd by PDX

Edited July 6, 20197 yr by Blake

I like Laudner ok. But I miss Morneau.

With the way Perez and Pineda are pitching, I'm starting to wonder if the Twins offer a contracts to them both and Odorizzi is the odd man out?

 

I like Laudner ok. But I miss Morneau.

Morneau and Laudner would be a good tandem to work with Dick.

Arraez is a player!

Arraez just can't stop hitting

ARRAEZ!!!!!!!!

The Yankees have “all rise” for judge but we can have “all rise” for Arraez

I hope Arraez is careful about that popup slide at second when there's a defender nearby.

Good eye, Miguel.

Good eye Sano!!!!

I would've liked to see Wade bunt there

Way to take one for the team and pick up your teammate Schoop!!!!

 

Arraez in the cleanup hole again.

As expected.

 

Look at this way.

 

1. Left

2. Switch

3. Right

4. Left

5. Right

6. Left

7. Right

8. Left

9. Right. 

 

He is check and balancing his lineup to make it difficult for Woodward to bring a left hander or right hander out of the bullpen to face a run of left handers or right handers. 

 

The left handed choices for this game are

 

1. Kepler

2. Polanco (Switch)

4. Arraez

6. Wade

8. Castro

 

The next piece of the puzzle goes back to something I've questioned a lot and still don't understand the virtue of. Why does any Manager need to somewhat consistently slot certain hitters in the same place in the lineup. Why can't Buxton bat 9th one day and 3rd the next day and 6th next day? Will it mess with him or any other player's head? 

 

I think it's smart to alternate your left and right handed hitters like Baldelli is doing and taking that approach, it could be done this way. 

 

1. Arraez - L

2. Polanco - S

3. Cruz - R

4. Kepler - L

5. Sano - R

6. Buxton - R

7. Castro - L

8. Schoop - R

9. Wade - L 

 

Just an idea... but... all in all... I don't care much about the batting order. 

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My goodness, Gallo... I'm not sure if I've ever seen someone throw a ball that far from CF.

BUXTON!!!!!!!!!

Great job, Buck!!

Sometimes lucky is a better outcome than good!

Great bat control by Buck.