stringer bell

Yes!

Need to get that second run in here.

Tough assignment tonight with Giolito dealing for the Sox. Hoping for six good innings from Dick Mountain. The Sox are righty heavy, so this is a challenge for Hill as well. I do agree with Diesel above. The Twins need to get their guys healthy and productive. They’re built for success now and have plenty of proven veterans that have underperformed thus far. It’s up to them to get going.

I very much doubt that the Twins will call up rookies now to try to jump start their offense or supplement their pitching staff. I really don't think they should either. This was a club designed to win now. They have two guys over 40 and several in their thirties. They were very successful last year and on paper figured to be again this year. So far, a lot of key performers have not performed well and they've been slowed by a lot of what appear to be nagging injuries. They have been ultra-cautious with starting pitchers and also with two key position players--Donaldson and Buxton--I do think they need to get the pitchers going and position players in the lineup. While the last bullpen game was a loss, it really didn't put a strain on the bullpen. The team lost because two of their most trusted BP arms, Duffey and May, each gave up a two-run homer. They had plenty of people available to pitch on Sunday and only needed two hurlers in that game. Pineda will be back this week and Odorizzi should follow him shortly. It is the veterans who will determine whether this team makes the playoffs and how far they go.

Sanó robbed!

It would have been nice to get Wisler through two innings. I hope May is good to go for the third.

I was going to credit the rookie ump with doing a good job on balls and strikes and then he misses calls giving the Twins a strike three and a ball four.

Rosario's aggressive base running nets the first run.

Lineups: Twins (20-13) Polanco SS Kepler RF Cruz DH Rosario LF Sanó 1B González 3B Arraez 2B Cave CF Jeffers C Wisler (P) 0-1 1.29 Detroit (14-16) Reyes CF Schoop 2B Cabrera DH Candelario 1B Goodrum SS Stewart LF Maybin RF Greiner C Parades 3B Skrubal (P) 0-1 10.38 ERA

Well, this has not been fun.

Tough crowd! Edits performed on the intro to properly format the pitchers' records and properly name the Twins 29th player. 1-1, in the 3rd.

The Twins face the Tigers in a doubleheader in Detroit. Detroit and Kansas City are well behind the leaders in the AL Central. The Tigers appear better, but still aren't contenders for postseason. They face Matthew Boyd and Terik Skubal, both left handers. Boyd has struggled so far while Skubal is making his third start. The Twins open the series as co-leaders along with both Chicago and Cleveland. They still are struggling offensively and the bullpen has lost a couple of games in part because the starters aren't giving much length. They will probably go with a bullpen game in Game 2, most likely using 29th man the so-far disappointing Lewis Thorpe and new call-up (and ex-White Sox) Juan Minaya. Fourteen innings with an extra arm in the bullpen wouldn't be too much of a strain on bullpen, which is fresh with the last two games postponed. Lineups for Game 1: Twins (20-12) Polanco ss Sanó 1b Cruz dh Gonzalez rf Vargas 2b Rosario lf Adrianza 3b Kepler cf Avila c Dobnak (p) 5-1 1.78 ERA Detroit (13-16) Reyes rf Schoop 2b Cabrera dh Candelario 1b Goodrum ss Jones cf Stewart lf Romine c Castro 3b Boyd (p) 0-4 8.48 ERA

I think Jason Castro and Avila are pretty much of a wash. Avila is playing a bit more with Garver's struggles and now his injury and he's acquitted himself pretty well. Pretty much what Castro did for the last 2/3 of 2019. A classic fourth outfielder would be fine--I think Cave does much better when he's in the lineup on a regular basis as opposed to once or twice a week--but with health of the starting outfielders, a fourth outfielder won't get much run and in that case it would be preferable to have either a switch hitter or right handed hitter.

OK, in another thread the Twins DFAed Coulombe and add Juan Minaya. Lewis Thorpe is the 29th man for today. It wouldn't surprise me if Minaya is here for today and on the DFA list tomorrow. I would wager that both Thorpe and Minaya will pitch in today's doubleheader.

Astudillo was already optioned. He's on the taxi squad and the 40-man. I think reducing their position players is a whole other deal and if Buxton is ready to come off along with Donaldson, that is two positions to reduce. LaMonte Wade would be one obvious choice. The other?

OK, I've got a Google Doc for September Game Thread Introductions. There are only two spots left, so if interested, please message me or put a response in this thread Thanks. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vgHt0Bki18Lpuf0SC4jDieHqQzF8WBBjaswj6x5wQtQ/edit

The Twins play a doubleheader tomorrow starting at 12:10 PM and I suppose they will recall a pitcher, perhaps Duran, for the doubleheader. On Monday, Pineda returns and they will have to reduce both their active roster and their 40-man. Pineda's return will give the club five starters (four veterans and Dobnak) with Odorizzi waiting in the wings. Dobnak, Berríos and Maeda are fullly stretched out, although Dobnak hasn't gone much more than five innings. Hill went five innings his last outing, Pineda will probably be on a pitch count and so will Odo. Perhaps Rocco will piggy-back two of the guys or else he can go with a six-man rotation. Of course, there will probably be someone else going on the IL by then. Who gets taken off the 40-man? My guess is Coulombe.

The Twins lost two of three to a good team in their home ballpark. That does not discourage me too much. It is a disappointment because they caught both Bieber and Clevinger when they weren't on top of their game and let them escape. Berríos also wasn't sharp, but did get 17 outs against the top-heavy Cleveland lineup. The offense continues to sputter, this series including Nelson Cruz. Getting back Donaldson will help if it is the 2019 Bringer of Rain. Same for Garver. Romo got hit and didn't have great command again. That's his third straight shaky appearance. I don't think he's a better option to close games than Taylor Rogers. Duffey pitched for the first time in a while and was lights out. I was concerned when his first pitch was a fastball at "only" 91, but he got his heater up to the mid 90s and struck out both Ramirez and Lindor on three pitches. Finally, let's hope Kepler is OK. In one plus inning he hit a homer and robbed the Tribe of multiple runs. He has a lot of value for this club.

So far, Clevinger is not fooling many hitters.

Here's my fearless forecast--the Twins win this game if their 8-9 hitters outperform Cleveland's 8-9 guys.

Really nice catch by Kepler.

OK, Cleveland loses a base runner too.

3 hits and a walk in an inning and they only send five guys to the plate and only one run.

Why Eddie?

Last chance for any game thread fans to volunteer to do an introduction to a game thread. Our current volunteers are doing a great job, but we continue to look for new perspectives and to give anyone willing to volunteer a chance to set the tone for a game or games. If anyone new is interested, please send me a message or reply on this thread. I will have a schedule done today and there will only be a few open dates.