I've managed to stave off @Dave The Dastardly's bid at a series Game Thread sweep.  It was a very difficult task to accomplish (I picked the day before he did), but I managed to do it!  It took a strenuous training regimen and no less than four keystrokes in a message to @stringer bell to accomplish this monumental feat.  If you're up to the task, be sure to train hard and message @stringer bell about getting in on the glory!

But, enough of my modesty and on to the Game Thread intro!

I grew up and got hooked on baseball almost mainly because of the Twins and A's duals of the mid to late 80s and early 90s, so these series with the A's are always somewhat nostalgic for me even if the luster has long worn away.  I remember being fortunate to attend a game or two where the Bash Brothers brought their show on the road and into the ol' Metrodome.  We'd always get those dirt cheap general admission, worse than nose bleed, upper deck in the outfield seats, but it was still fun.  And as a small kid, how can you not enjoy getting literally blown out of the place when you leave!

Speaking of the ballpark experiences, RingCentral Coliseum has had some interesting ones!  Sidebar, RingCentral Coliseum is right up there with Guaranteed Rate Field as among the worst stadium names in existence.  Anyway, in the late 70s, the place was dubbed the "Oakland Mausoleum" because attendance was so sparse for A's games that they TWICE had crowds of less than 1,000 fans.  Of course, you've got the 1989 World Series that was interrupted by a major earthquake.  I remember 8 year old me being angered when Game 3 was postponed because I was allowed to actually stay up and watch the game!  A 1996 renovation added a third deck of seating in the outfield serving mainly football games.  Within 10 years, the A's had tarped off these sections with the names and numbers of A's greats.  

And who can forget the state of the art plumbing!  The field level is actually below grade and sea level, so there are some engineering hurdles to overcome with such a facility.  There have been multiple sewage backups, most recently in 2013 after a game against Seattle.  Sewage had backed up into the visiting team's training room, showers and offices.  It was bad enough that both teams ended up having to share the Raiders locker room on the 2nd floor.  I'm sure that didn't add to the problem at all.  And the problem has even crept up with the A's on the road!  Food service at the stadium's restaurants has been halted due to sewage backups in the kitchens!  I'll eat before I get there, thank you very much!  And now they've got possums roaming about forcing broadcast teams to vacate their booth!  What's next?  Hopefully not an earthquake...

On to today's game!  The forecast calls for a sunny day with highs in the upper 70s.  On the bump for this rubber match, Sonny Gray will square off against Daulton Jeffries. 

At the dish facing those guys will be:

Visiting Twins

1 - Buxton, CF

2 - Arraez, 1B

3 - Correa, SS

4 - Polanco, 2B

5 - Kepler, RF

6 - Sanchez, DH

7 - Urshela, 3B

8 - Jeffers, C

9 - Gordon, LF

 

Hosting Athetics

1 - Kemp, 2B

2 - Neuse, DH

3 - Laureano, CF

4 - Brown, 1B

5 - Bethancourt, C

6 - Pinder, LF

7 - Barrera, RF

8 - Andrus, SS

9 - Smith, 3B

Coliseum Possum! (Possums are essentially rats who went to theater camp)

 

5 minutes ago, shortround81 said:

Don't forget Coliseum Possum! (Possums are essentially rats who went to theater camp)

 

Possums are marsupials, not rodents. They have pouches to carry their young like kangaroos, koalas and wombats, it's a big distinction from a stupid rat!

The other distinction is that folks in Georgia think they're delicious!

 

Correa and Buxton together in the lineup and the field!

2 minutes ago, nicksaviking said:

Possums are marsupials, not rodents. They have pouches to carry their young like kangaroos, koalas and wombats, it's a big distinction from a stupid rat!

The other distinction is that folks in Georgia think they're delicious!

Consider me schooled

2 minutes ago, Vanimal46 said:

 

Correa and Buxton together in the lineup and the field!

Well, just on paper so far...

@nicksaviking Oh, look! Arachnids too! (I kid, I kid!)

Who else wanted Provus to ask Baldelli why Lewis couldn’t learn other positions at the Major League level like other players on the team have? (Even though I know he would never call them out like that)

Very nice to see CC back!

Twins 5, A's 1

PTC: Gary

25 minutes ago, brockbesler said:

Who else wanted Provus to ask Baldelli why Lewis couldn’t learn other positions at the Major League level like other players on the team have? (Even though I know he would never call them out like that)

Those moves were made last year out of desperation. But it would still have been a good question (not that I actually care what the FO or manager says in public).

how 'bout a hit with RISP in the 1st?

 

How many runs is it feasibly possible for one Byron Buxton to generate in one game? Let's see... 5 runs, 12 RBIs? I predict the Twins will win 17-2. 

1 minute ago, Muppet said:

How many runs is it feasibly possible for one Byron Buxton to generate in one game? Let's see... 5 runs, 12 RBIs? I predict the Twins will win 17-2. 

Whoops. I see that the game has already started and Buxton is 0 for 1. Guess I'll have to change my prediction to 13-2. 

A walk works.  let's go Sanchez!

Gary!

Sanchize!!

5 minutes ago, wsnydes said:

how 'bout a hit with RISP in the 1st?

 

Thank you!

The Yankees get the Twins out to an early lead!

2 minutes ago, wsnydes said:

Thank you!

thank you again!

Good start. Glad to see the players are handling the Lewis situation better than us (me)!

Though, at minimum at least one player was happy to see him sent down.

Giving runs that were just scored back annoys me to no end.

Alright, I might need to go the radio route if Dick is going to justify Urshela's job security with the comment that he's been every bit as good as Nolan Arrenado.

It would be really helpful if Gray pitches 6+ innings in this game.

1 minute ago, nicksaviking said:

Alright, I might need to go the radio route if Dick is going to justify Urshela's job security with the comment that he's been every bit as good as Nolan Arrenado.

Always better to listen to music during sports.

One of our best pitchers with all our A squad, how can we lose against the A's.

3 minutes ago, Mike Sixel said:

Always better to listen to music during sports.

I'm the same way.  Unfortunately, that's harder to do when I can't watch the visuals too.  

4 minutes ago, Craig Arko said:

It would be really helpful if Gray pitches 6+ innings in this game.

My confidence is dwindling.

Max...