Game Thread: Twins @ Arizona, 6/17/22 @ 8:40pm CT

[twinssporto]

 

 

Good evening Twins fans and welcome back to more Game Thread fun! 

Have you ever attended a MLB game and sat next to some over zealous fans? Did you sit next to fans that were knowledgable about the game and the teams that were playing? The Game Thread experience is all about that and more...

As Twins fans this is our forum to debate and play arm chair quarterback. Don't be shy! Speak up and tell us your opinion about a specific play, umpire mistake or coaching move...Most of the Moderators on the site allow a little bit more leeway in what people say during the Game Thread. Please don't swear but remember, games that start this late a majority of Mods are asleep or 8 beers into the evening.   

Now for the game information: The Twins kick off a 3 game series against the NL West Arizona Diamondbacks. The Diamondbacks are 11 games behind the NL West leader San Diego Padres. Arizona has a 30-35 record (.462 winning average). The Twins are 37-28 (.569 winning average) with a 2 game lead over Cleveland. The Twins starter tonight is lefty Devin Smeltzer (3-0, 2.38 ERA) going up against Arizona southpaw Madison Bumgarner (2-6, 3.50 ERA).

The lineup looks good for the Twins tonight. I foresee a lot of runs for the good guys. Bumgarner has not been as sharp as he has looked in the past. Tune in and find out what happens. Grab a favorite beverage and cheer for the Minnesota Twins today! Don't forget to share your opinions and participate in the Game Thread fun tonight! The Moderators will be asleep...trust me!

Tonight's lineups:

Minnesota Twins:

1. Byron Buxton, DH

2. Carlos Correa, SS

3. Gio Urshela, 3B

4. Gary Sanchez, C

5. Luis Arraez, 2B

6. Jose Miranda, 1B

7. Max Kepler, RF

8. Gilberto Celestino, CF

9. Trevor Larnach, LF

SP - Devin Smeltzer (LHP)

 

Arizona Diamondbacks:

1. Carson Kelly, C

2. Josh Rojas, 3B

3. Jordan Luplow, LF

4. C. Walker, 1B

5. Daulton Varsho, RF

6. Buddy Kennedy, DH

7. Alek Thomas, CF

8. Jake Hager, 2B

9. Geraldo Perdomo, SS

SP - Madison Bumgarner (LHP)

 

Weather: Hot! Like really hot.....106 degrees. Zero chance of rain.

[sampleSizeOfOne]

1 minute ago, twinssporto said:

Hot! Like really hot.....106 degrees.

Really?

[Dave The Dastardly]

Buxton leading off? Arraez batting 5th?

Holy Mixed Up Lineup, Batman!

[stringer bell]

Does Arizona have a roof for the hot weather? I hope so. 
 

Thank you Google! Retractable roof. 

[CRF]

17 minutes ago, Dave The Dastardly said:

Buxton leading off? Arraez batting 5th?

Holy Mixed Up Lineup, Batman!

All part of the Roc's "Master Plan". Don't like it at all.

[sampleSizeOfOne]

22 minutes ago, Dave The Dastardly said:

Buxton leading off? Arraez batting 5th?

Holy Mixed Up Lineup, Batman!

Basic strategy: If your enemy expects you to be somewhere, don't.

[sampleSizeOfOne]

14 minutes ago, stringer bell said:

Does Arizona have a roof for the hot weather? I hope so. 
 

Thank you Google! Retractable roof. 

Does it mean it is retracted?

[sampleSizeOfOne]

38 minutes ago, twinssporto said:

The Moderators will be asleep...trust me!

They'll read everything when they wake up.

 

"That's Writing. Words that stay. My master taught me."

[ashbury]

4 minutes ago, sampleSizeOfOne said:

They'll read everything when they sober up.

FTFY

[PDX Twin]

31 minutes ago, stringer bell said:

Does Arizona have a roof for the hot weather? I hope so. 

After last summer's heat in Portland, we finally had a heat pump installed last week. First time with central air here in 34 years. Of course, today it's heating, not cooling, with the high not quite making 60 outside...

[sampleSizeOfOne]

21 minutes ago, ashbury said:

FTFY

What is this sober you speak of?

[wabene]

50 minutes ago, Dave The Dastardly said:

Buxton leading off? Arraez batting 5th?

Holy Mixed Up Lineup, Batman!

The eminently likeable Luis Arraez' split against leftys this year 209/306/209/515. Well look at that by golly his batting average matches the power stroke slugging percentage. 

 

Well sheet I'll have to make him my PTC! 

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

8 minutes ago, sampleSizeOfOne said:

What is this sober you speak of?

Sleep, nay, for one and all shall monitor thy keystrokes with woke eyes 

*hiccup*

[wabene]

Luis has been better in his career vs leftys, career 250/351/286/637

2022   209/306/209/515

I thought that might be because he was getting more at bats vs leftys in the past but for his career he has a 3 to 1 ratio of at bats right to left and this year it's 3.5 to 1, so pretty close. His value as a one sided hitter rests in the fact that he is a lefty. 

[wabene]

Just because I'm smitten I'll keep going. The article by Dan Hayes about Luis Arraez was great. He worked this off-season with Nelson Cruz on his hitting and building his body. Not only is that awesome it shows too. Nelly is the gift that keeps giving to the Twins! I recommend that article and also if you can view his interview by the YouTube broadcast team after that game. The guy has charm in spades. 

[sampleSizeOfOne]

1 hour ago, Hosken Bombo Disco said:

Sleep, nay, for one and all shall monitor thy keystrokes with woke eyes 

*hiccup*

So you're saying the pressure's on?

We shall double our effort(s)!

(And double our effort(s)!)

Yea verily shalt those keys be stroked until they stay stroked!

Edited June 18, 2022 by sampleSizeOfOne
A true daily double.

[Squirrel]

2 hours ago, twinssporto said:

Have you ever attended a MLB game and sat next to some over zealous fans? Did you sit next to fans that were knowledgable about the game and the teams that were playing?

I was at a Twins-White Sox game once at what was then called the Cell. At some point in the game talk, three Sox fans behind me mentioned how much they disliked the Cubs ... not unusual among Sox fans. So I turned around and asked, 'Would you rather beat the Cubs or the Twins?' They answered correctly and I told them they passed the test. They were good fans.

I once was at a Cubs game, at Wrigley. The fans there are over zealous all right ... over zealous about their beer and getting drunk. I don't even think they actually knew that the Cubs played at Wrigley.

[Squirrel]

1 hour ago, CRF said:

All part of the Roc's "Master Plan". Don't like it at all.

I'm reserving judgement ... if they win, it was masterful. If they lose, it wasn't masterful.  

[Squirrel]

2 hours ago, twinssporto said:

The Moderators will be asleep...trust me!

I am bound and determined to stay awake for this game. Bound and .... ?

[Mill1634]

First Twins game I'll get to watch this week. A bit puzzled that Garlick wasn't the one activated today as he's in Arizona and they're facing a lefty. Could've done him today and sent down a RP/Miranda for AK tomorrow.

Twins 6, Dbacks 3

PTC: Sanchize

[PDX Twin]

Thanks, Rocco. King of the one-run homer.

[sampleSizeOfOne]

Buxton!!!!

 

[Mill1634]

BUCK BOMB!!!

[cHawk]

BUCK YEAH

[sampleSizeOfOne]

Just now, sampleSizeOfOne said:

Buxton!!!!

 

Google translates that as just his way of saying "play ball!"

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

41 minutes ago, sampleSizeOfOne said:

Yea verily shalt those keys be stroked until they stay stroked!

Double, triple, and even homer your efforts; I hope so — for everyone’s sake!

 

[Squirrel]

58 minutes ago, wabene said:

Just because I'm smitten I'll keep going. The article by Dan Hayes about Luis Arraez was great. He worked this off-season with Nelson Cruz on his hitting and building his body. Not only is that awesome it shows too. Nelly is the gift that keeps giving to the Twins! I recommend that article and also if you can view his interview by the YouTube broadcast team after that game. The guy has charm in spades. 

Do you have links? You should post it in the Twins Talk forum ... I'm sure others would be interested ... and I've said from the first year Cruz was with the Twins, I want them to get him as a coach when he's done playing

[Squirrel]

5 minutes ago, PDX Twin said:

Thanks, Rocco. King of the one-run homer.

Where would you have batted him? 3rd?

[PDX Twin]

Just now, Squirrel said:

Where would you have batted him? 3rd?

Yes, or fourth. That's the kind of hitter he is right now. Few walks, few long AB to let his teammates see pitches, lots of XBH.

[Mill1634]

Dammit!