Game Thread: Minnesota @ Cleveland 9/7/21, 5:10pm CST

[TwerkTwonkTwins]

Remember when the Twins traveled to Progressive Park in September of 2019 to decide the fate of the AL Central? Oh how these teams have taken a step back. Minnesota more so than Cleveland, but misery doesn't like to live alone. Maybe I need to stop living in 2019, but man - was that a fun season. 

Gant wait to see how this start goes.

The Twins are throwing John Gant at Cleveland today, for his fourth start as a Minnesota Twin. Gant was effective as a reliever in his first few outings since being traded for J.A. Happ: 

Reliever Gant:

8.2 IP, 13 Ks, 2 BBs, .651 OPS, 4.15 ERA

Starter Gant:

12.1 IP, 12 Ks, 4 BBs, .749 OPS, 7.30 ERA

While starting pitcher Gant hasn't been as effective, his overall body of work shows that he's been unlucky since being traded. FanGraphs values his time as in Minnesota at 0.4 WAR, despite a 6.00 ERA in 21 total inning pitched. While that's an ugly ERA, the underlying stats are positive.  His FIP is 3.50, and xFIP is even lower at 2.99 (the lowest of his career). 

John Gant will be arbitration eligible in 2022, probably making roughly $3 - $4M, a slight raise from his $2.1M mark. I wouldn't pencil him into the starting rotation, but he's not an immediate cut for me. It's important to build depth beyond 5 guys that an organization pencils into their rotation in March. Gant provides some swingman depth, but at a price that's higher than average for that role. Would you bring back Gant for 2022, at $3.5M? He has a few more starts to plead his case. 

Civale shows that you can return from a sprained finger

Gant's opponent on the mound tonight is Aaron Civale, making his first start since 6/21. Civale was having a stupendous season until that point, accumulating 1.2 fWAR over 15 starts with a 3.32 ERA. Civale has been out with a sprained finger, an injury that has haunted the Twins with Randy Dobnak and Taylor Rogers missing significant time with this diagnosis. Ervin Santana was never the same after his finger injury in 2018. 

I'll be interested to see how all these pitchers bounce back. Dobnak had an encouraging end to his most recent start, but I'm doubtful we'll see Taylor Rogers until 2022. On the flip side, that gives him plenty of recovery time to properly heal. Fingers crossed!

Rocco  Papa Baldelli

Bill Evers will be managing today, as Rocco and his wife welcomed Louisa Sunny Baldelli. That is an 80-grade name, in my book. Louisa has been added to the human population's active roster. 

THE LINEUPS

Your Minnesota Twins (60 - 77)

1. Luis Arraez - DH

2. Byron Buxton - CF

3. Josh Donaldson - 3B

4. Jorge Polanco - 2B

5. Miguel Sanó - 1B

6. Max Kepler - RF

7. Brent Rooker - LF

8. Ben Rortvedt - C

9. Andrelton Simmons - SS

SP - John Gant (4-9, 3.98 ERA)

 

Cleveland Soon-To-Be-Guardians (68 - 67)

1. Myles Straw - CF

2. Andrés Giménez - SS

3. José Ramírez - 3B

4. Franmil Reyes - DH

5. Harold Ramirez - LF

6. Bradley ZImmer - RF

7. Yu Chang - 1B

8.  Owen Miller - 2B

9. Austin Hedges - C

SP - Aaron Civale (10-2, 3.32 ERA)

 

[Dodecahedron]

3 minutes ago, TwerkTwonkTwins said:

Civale has out with a sprained finger, an injury that has haunted the Twins with Randy Dobnak and Taylor Rogers missing significant time with this diagnosis. Ervin Santana was never the same after his finger injury in 2018. 

I'll be interested to see how all these pitchers bounce back. Dobnak had an encouraging end to his most recent start, but I'm doubtful we'll see Taylor Rogers until 2022. On the flip side, that gives him plenty of recovery time to properly heal. Fingers crossed!

Ouch!

What else could we say at the end there?  Break a leg?  Knock 'Em Dead?

[Brock Beauchamp]

As far as pitching matchups go, this one is about as uneven as they come.

[Mike Sixel]

Still not sure I understand Gant as starter vs reliever.....

[shortround81]

10 minutes ago, TwerkTwonkTwins said:

Rocco  Papa Baldelli

Bill Evers will be managing today, as Rocco and his wife welcomed Louisa Sunny Baldelli. That is an 80-grade name, in my book. Louisa has been added to the human population's active roster. 

She has been immediately placed on the IL due to bilateral leg weakness. Corresponding move will be announced after the game.

Seriously, though. Welcome to the team, Baby Baldelli

[Brock Beauchamp]

8 minutes ago, Mike Sixel said:

Still not sure I understand Gant as starter vs reliever.....

With Pineda back, there's even less reason for it. I hope this is Gant's last start.

[jimbo92107]

John Gant has very good form. Good balance, and he finishes ready to pounce on anything in front of him. 

Only thing I'd change is his glove hand. Point the palm forward, fingers up, then pull down into the ribs, like Koufax. That puts the glove out front to distract the hitter. 

[TwerkTwonkTwins]

I Gant believe the no-no attempt is over... 

[sampleSizeOfOne]

What i miss?

[sampleSizeOfOne]

1 hour ago, Mike Sixel said:

Still not sure I understand Gant as starter vs reliever.....

When a pitcher opens a game on the mound, that pitcher is starting.

 

If the pitcher takes the place of another pitcher in the middle of the game, that pitcher is said to have relieved the other pitcher, making him a reliever.

Mr. Gant was doing the latter with the Cardinals, as well as his first few outings as a Twin. Now he is doing the former.

Does that help?

[sampleSizeOfOne]

2 hours ago, TwerkTwonkTwins said:

Rocco  Papa Baldelli

Bill Evers will be managing today, as Rocco and his wife welcomed Louisa Sunny Baldelli. That is an 80-grade name, in my book. Louisa has been added to the human population's active roster.

Hurray!

[shortround81]

From the tv broadcast it seems like a lively Cleveland crowd

[RickOShea]

Who's the dead guy sitting on the Twins bench?

[shortround81]

2 minutes ago, RickOShea said:

Who's the dead guy sitting on the Twins bench?

Miguel Sano?

[sampleSizeOfOne]

11 minutes ago, TwerkTwonkTwins said:

I Gant believe the no-no attempt is over... 

Some no-no bids are still intact... Balks and hit-batters, for example.

[sampleSizeOfOne]

Buxton catches that.

 

As expected.

[shortround81]

Okay, the d-bag in the stands isn't even Rick Flair. He's (I'm assuming) in a frat and hasn't had 2-4-1s at a ballgame before

 

[downunder twins fan]

Gant getting it done. Who had that on your gantt chart?

[downunder twins fan]

Setting up the double play 

[LA VIkes Fan]

Ok, who predicted 5 shutout innings from Gant AND that the only run of the game through 5 would be driven in by Andrellton Simmons? If so, get to Vegas. Now.  

[LVTwinsfan]

Bremer thinks he knows what hitters are thinking and he’s almost always wrong. Ramirez swung and missed a high fastball and he was visibly upset. Bremer suggested that Ramirez reacted that way because he should have done something with that pitch. No Dick that pitch was high out of zone and Ramirez was upset because he didn’t lay off that pitch.

[RickOShea]

Did Smalley just call that one pitch, " nice pitch with some sink, or Nce pitch with some stink?

[LVTwinsfan]

Those are good takes for Sano

[LVTwinsfan]

3 minutes ago, RickOShea said:

Did Smalley just call that one pitch, " nice pitch with some sink, or Nce pitch with some stink?

Pink

[h2oface]

I'll take 5 innings of what Gant did today over 5 innings of the usual 3 runs given up in 5 by Pineda just about every outing...... plus... he knows how to wear his hat. 

[RickOShea]

1 minute ago, LVTwinsfan said:

Pink

Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh!  Thanks.

[h2oface]

When balls are called strikes and strikes are called balls..... there is a human calling them.

[Brock Beauchamp]

Seriously, Donaldson. Wow. 

[TwerkTwonkTwins]

I love when Rooker goes deep to the opposite field. This has been his first back-to-back starts since August 28th and 29th.

 

There will always be major contacct concerns, but I hope they find a way to mix him into the lineup down the stretch. 

[LVTwinsfan]

35 minutes ago, h2oface said:

When balls are called strikes and strikes are called balls..... there is a human calling them.

Damn humans