Game Score: Dodgers 7, Twins 0

4 hours ago, wavedog said:

At least Shoemaker and Happ are no longer in our rotation

Not to mention Colome in the pen.

5 hours ago, mikelink45 said:

I know it is early in the season and in a month it might be turned around, but I sure did not enjoy the Dodgers coming in and kicking butt - scoring more runs per game than all the hits we accumulated in both games combined.  

I agree with everything here, BUT ... the only way to field a dominant team like the Dodgers is to buy one (we'll never spend that kind of money) or build one. And building one is going to be a decade+ of Astros/Rays like futility, coupled with major scouting/developmental changes. And even then, you gotta keep all the right guys at the right time,

Personally, I was kinda ready for a long rebuild. And it may happen anyway. But I do appreciate that this FO made improvements, here and there, to see if things might click and we could squeak into a WC berth. And that's still possible, because it's very very very very early, The 1991 Twins stunk in April, for example.

In short, we ain't the Dodgers. But we don't have to be to have a satisfying season.

What's blue and rhymes with, "buzz saw?"

Why did Correa need a day off when the next day is a sheduled day off? Unless he asked for it, he'd be out there every day. I know there is only one Cal Ripken Jr. but when I'm paying someone $35M plus, he's going to play every day he can. Rocco babies his players to the point of extreme. It also makes no sense to lose one of your starting outfielders and then put your best outfielder at DH. I guess Buck needed a rest too even though he also has the next day off. If anyone needs to take an extra day off it is Sano hitting 0-19 with 9 strikeouts but he's played every day. It almost seems like Rocco wants to play his worst players every day. 

I agree with the comments about putting in a c lineup on getaway day.  Twins have a long history with that back to TK.  I heard Correa didn't play because it was his scheduled day off.  Good grief!  Barely a week in and he needs a day off?  They have Thursday off already.  Don't put a c lineup in at home.  If you need to do it, do it on the road.  People pay money to watch your team at home.  To not put your best lineup possible out there at home is signalling you don't care.  Baldelli obviously gave Dodgers the game before it even started. What a joke.

16 hours ago, Yawn Gardenhose said:

Removing Kershaw was bad on several levels. The idea that these athletes are worth 100s of millions of dollars, yet teams treat them like pieces of porcelain because they didn't get two more spring training starts this year is frustrating and illogical. The idea that Kershaw just can't crack 80 pitches belies his actual performance that was visible to anyone watching; he showed no signs of fatigue or fading. Most concerning of all is that baseball is in an era of "anti-drama" where historical performances are intentionally avoided or aborted, always reasoned away using the word salads of new-age baseball philosophy where players are reduced to never-ending stat lines and probabilities. The role of the starting pitcher is becoming extinct, and unnaturally so - teams are purposely limiting the impact of the starter for various reasons. It's perhaps the main reason why I've found the postseason to be nearly unwatchable over the last half-decade. For a sport in decline, which already is light on drama, this strikes me as suicidal for the long-term health of the sport. Bad, bad stuff. 

I guess you know Kershaw's body/arm better than him.  He told the manager he would be done.  He was asked how he felt and if wanted to keep going in the 6th inning.  He said give me 1 more inning around 80 to 85 pitches.  Guess the manager should have told him, nope I do not care how you feel Kershaw, you can make history here so go out there pitch tell you either give it up, your arm is injured, or game is over.  

If Kershaw told his manager he was good to go and wanted to try it, then I would have some level of agreement with you, as you should trust the person and what they say, but he said he would be done.  

2 hours ago, Whitey333 said:

I agree with the comments about putting in a c lineup on getaway day.  Twins have a long history with that back to TK.  I heard Correa didn't play because it was his scheduled day off.  Good grief!  Barely a week in and he needs a day off?  They have Thursday off already.  Don't put a c lineup in at home.  If you need to do it, do it on the road.  People pay money to watch your team at home.  To not put your best lineup possible out there at home is signalling you don't care.  Baldelli obviously gave Dodgers the game before it even started. What a joke.

One reason TK did that was to keep other players from rusting on the bench. I never liked the way he did it all at once, but giving Correa a day off also lets someone else have some extra ABs and maybe break out a little bit (not that any of that actually happened on that particular day). It's a long season.

3 hours ago, VivaBomboRivera! said:

What's blue and rhymes with, "buzz saw?"

Blue Fuzz Paw?

18 hours ago, KirbyDome89 said:

Not sure if there's statistical truth to the adage that bats take longer to get rolling than arms to start a season, but they're swinging in 30 degree weather right now, I wouldn't be all that concerned just yet.

With you on the Ks/reliance on the HR though, it's not a fun style of play to watch. 

Problem is, the Dodgers were also swinging in 30 degree weather, and they scored 14 runs in two games.