Lineups:

 

Twins:

Jamey Carroll 2B

Joe Mauer C

Josh Willingham LF

Justin Morneau 1B

Chris Parmelee RF

Trevor Plouffe 3B

Oswaldo Arcia DH

Aaron Hicks CF

Eduardo Escobar SS

(Mike Pelfrey P)

Indians:

Michael Brantley LF

Jason Kipnis 2B

Asdrubal Cabrera SS

Nick Swisher DH

Mark Reynolds 1B

Carlos Santana C

Ryan Raburn RF

Lonnie Chisenhall 3B

Drew Stubbs CF

(Corey Kluber P)

I'm not even going to bother picking an in-game avatar for Pelf. Nothing I've tried has worked, he's on his own. And the sunshine avatar lost it's magic for Correia yesterday. All in all, I think this joke's been run into the ground. Anyone who cares can look at my updated blog posting on the subject - link - or if you want to ogle the blonde t-shirt girl or the others.

It's about time, maybe we can get a win today.

P floof Klubered it!!

Not impressed. He's gotta learn to take that the other way.

I'm so glad he hit that home run, that "Plouffe rbi recognition" discussion was getting pretty brutal.

Pluffy

Pluffy

 

I once worked for a White House Chef, of Filipino descent tell me, "It's important that your rice filap is pluffy. True story.

Is it my imagination, or are both teams playing like it's getaway-day? With the exception of Swisher, doesn't look like the batters are being overly patient, and/or the pitchers are not messing around and nibbling (thus punishing the patient ones with "struck out looking").

So don't leave us hanging, Gibby. Did you learn the secret of pluffy filap? Please share.

Was that 5 pitches, or 6?

Was that 5 pitches, or 6?

 

For those of you keeping score at home, it was, uh, I wasn't watching. Checking the ESPN pitch-by-pitch count, and ... they weren't watching either. Quick game.

Ruh roh. Gardy got 3 good innings out of Pelf. Now a leadoff double. If they cough up this 2-0 lead I blame the manager.

Things sure slow down when Pelfrey has a man in scoring position. I'm all for "don't be in a hurry to lose" but this is pretty extreme.

 

Pelf is not a good manager of game sequences: should have switched the order of the strikeout and flyout.

People keep complaining about Plouffe getting singled out by Gardy, but that missed tag on the steal of third is a prime example of why. You have got to hold your glove down until you tag the guy. It's like he's more interested in looking flashy than playing fundamentally sound.

So don't leave us hanging, Gibby. Did you learn the secret of pluffy filap? Please share.

 

I think it's still classified. I was never really baffled by rice, but this chef was obsessed with it. Hell of a nice guy and a ticket to some great jobs.

What was that, about an hour in the bottom of the fourth?

Coomer ate himself out of breath.

People keep complaining about Plouffe getting singled out by Gardy, but that missed tag on the steal of third is a prime example of why. You have got to hold your glove down until you tag the guy. It's like he's more interested in looking flashy than playing fundamentally sound.

 

Why does it have to be either/or? Can't Plouffe be a bonehead while Gardy simultaneously stuffs his foot in his mouth?

Considering that a knock on Anthony Slama has been that his gaudy K rate is based on called third strikes that would not translate well to the majors... the Twins hitters have three of them thus far today, so maybe we should call up Slama to the majors quickly and see if this umpire would give him the calls too.

Why does it have to be either/or? Can't Plouffe be a bonehead while Gardy simultaneously stuffs his foot in his mouth?

 

While at the same time both of you are incorrect in your respective positions?

Coomer ate himself out of breath.

 

A quick google search turns up no previous use of this phrase. +1 Internets to you, good sir Gibby, for this coinage.

Coomer sounds overweight.

Coomer sounds overweight.

 

A trick I learned a while back when reading Dear Abby, instead of the answer Abby gives, substitute "Dear Hurting in Alabama: you sound fat."

 

Not politically correct, but there's a kernel of humor in there maybe. And inside that kernel, maybe even an atom of insight now and then: the world often doesn't treat overweight people with kindness.

The Tigers killed the Astros last night. The Tigers offense may take them far this year -- scary good.

People keep complaining about Plouffe getting singled out by Gardy, but that missed tag on the steal of third is a prime example of why. You have got to hold your glove down until you tag the guy. It's like he's more interested in looking flashy than playing fundamentally sound.

I think he's just not a smart ballplayer.

I think he's just not a smart ballplayer.

 

It seems to me that Plouffe has lapses in his concentration. He needs to be thinking more when he is playing defense.

Here we go.

Bases loade, no one out, Morneau up.

 

Go HBP?

Bases loaded, nobody out. What can morney do?