stringer bell

Here we go!

I hope Jeffers is wearing a double cup, if there is such a thing.

Smalley's right. Dobnak needs to find secondary pitches.

Now, to be Debbie Downer, I fully expect the Twins won't cash in the leadoff double this inning.

Seriously, I have been wondering when things would bottom out. With the newest injuries, I'm saying this is the bottom. However, maybe we'll see the bottom when they play KC.

This game will be interesting to watch for curiosity alone. I hope the young guys do well.

I really don't want to defend Baddoo, but his BA fell below .200 after an out of this world start, but when last I checked his BA was back to .250, with an OPS above league average. I just checked again and he's hitting .236 (including 1 for his last 10), but has an OPS of .845.

OK, yes it is nice to see the young guys get a chance. It is sad that it is due to all of the injuries. Celestino is going to be raw and nervous, but who knows? Nobody thought Baddoo would be as good as he has been for the Tigers.

Ildemaro Vargas continues the merry-go-round ride by returning to the D-Backs in a trade with the Pirates.

It appears Big Mike might have an arm issue--the dreaded "forearm tightness". Before any extension is considered, it is paramount that the arm issue be cleared up.

On another thread, it was suggested that the Twins might call up an outfielder. The problem with doing that is they really need a center fielder and the only one on the 40-man roster is Celestino, who didn't hit much at Wichita and was just yesterday promoted to St. Paul. Non-roster choices would include Broxton, who hasn't hit at St. Paul and Wichita outfielder Aaron Whitefield, who has cooled after a hot start in AA. If Garver is going to be out for weeks or months, it is a really good opportunity for Jeffers to show that he can hit in the major leagues and is a candidate to be a first-string catcher.

More pain, but in what is probably a lost season, a chance for Jeffers to reestablish himself as a capable major league hitter (and catcher). Hopefully Garver will recover in a matter of a couple weeks and be able to come back strong this year.

You’re right. Let’s keep this to roster moves. Probably best to discuss DFAs of former Twins in the ex-Twins thread.

It looks like the Twins have made decisions on Gordon and Rooker and neither looks to be in their long-term plans. If Gordon is a second baseman who call fill in at shortstop, he’s number 3 at that position (behind Polanco and Arraez) and Rooker is clearly behind both Kirilloff and Larnach as a corner OF.

It occurs to me that we could add an additional five disappointing players without much problem. Sanó, Happ, Shoemaker, Duffey, Stashak and Maeda could qualify. The Twins finished 13-16 for the month and the holes in the lineup and pitching staff are pretty deep. Barring the near-miracle of rising to contention, the club is in for at least a major retooling next year.

Not that I don't agree with most of your comment, but the Twins are right in the middle of MLB as far as strikeouts go and that includes Sanó, who, if he get 600 plate appearances, might break the all-time strikeout record by quite a bit. The same is true for run scoring. The Twins sit a 11th in MLB in scoring runs, not elite, but better than average. Strikeouts are up everywhere and run scoring is down everywhere. Baseball is trying to remedy these trends, but so far they are bailing out the boat with a teacup. I would guess just about every fan site in every big league city would have the same complaints.

Nope, Rocco sent Berríos out for the ninth, but pulled him after a leadoff bloop single.

The Orioles are a major league team. They have many players with major league talent. Obviously, they don't have enough major league talent. The pitchers the Twins faced had pretty good stuff, so I won't totally blame the Twins for their lack of offense. Berríos looked great against a questionable offense. The Twins won the type of game they've lost many times this year.

Teams like KC and Cleveland have won their share of games like this. The Twins have not. They have to win games like this against more than the Orioles.

Had ém all the way!

Nice!

Close Alex!

Donaldson with three hits today. Maybe a hot steak?

BTW, it's not against the rules to score more than one run in the tenth inning.

OK, scored a run in extras without a homer.