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There's only one commonality between Arraez and Astudillo: Both rarely whiff. However, where Tortuga could barrel up just about any pitch, he did not have a plan for where to hit the ball. Arraez actually picks his spots to hit the ball depending where he sees gaps in the defense. Also, Arraez is perfectly willing to take a walk, which El Cherubo considered an insult to his manhood. Or something. It's almost like Astudillo was more concerned with looking like a hero than with doing whatever he could to help the team win. I still liked Astudillo, because he was a gamer all the way. But Arraez is fully engaged in winning games, whatever it takes. Both are fun to watch, but Arraez is a more effective ballplayer.

Soto is getting his pro forma cuppa coffee because he's a long-time minor league veteran, so they are doing him a bit of respect. The only way he doesn't get DFA'd pretty quickly is if he hits home run after home run, a Twilight Zone scenario where he does a deal with a mysterious stranger in a darkened hallway. I hope he at least gets to play in a game or two... Meanwhile, deep within the lead-shielded confines of their sanctum sanitorium, the FO's hivemind is bubbling over the same issues we are. After exhaustive statistical analysis and billions of computed probability scenarios, they will conclude on the previously mentioned platoon of Kirilloff, Larnach and Arraez. This will give the team plenty of DH's, and bats on the bench, while saving Sanchez from DH duties. Don't be surprised if Kirilloff is called back up within the week. Certainly in the next couple weeks...

Kirilloff's bat will give him at least a decade in the majors, IF his wrist issues don't drive him out of the game. Baddoo was unforgivable. The kid was clearly dynamite, and should have been protected. Tyler Wells was just another tall, lanky minor league pitcher among several we heard about at TD. Their success goes up and down, and Baltimore grabbed him after a downturn, I assume. Anybody's guess which tall, lanky minor league pitcher will actually make it. Jax could be a solid middle reliever for years to come. Gotta like that guy.

Tony Gwynn seems a better comp to Arraez. One of my favorite features is how Luis will stretch an at-bat out for several extra pitches, making the pitcher run up his count. Then he strokes an easy single, right where he aimed it. Remember Carew's advice, right before Arraez's hot streak? "Crouch a little lower."

Emilio Pagan, you have passed the test! Go pick up that chicken dinnah!

Big test for Pagan. A one-run lead against a good hitting team.

Adding to the difficulty is, what contending team will trade away a good pitcher? Correa will refuse a trade to a poor team looking to unload talent for prospects. He will insist on going to a contender.

I think Cole Sands has a good chance to be a solid mlb pitcher. We have all seen his good innings, where his heat rides low and his curves bend right near the edge, also low. That stuff will definitely get a lot of guys out. Regardless of age, it takes a year or two of experience for a rookie to figure out how to plug the holes in his game. Sands may not be quite ready to dominate, but what he needs to learn will not come at the AAA level. Twins should consider moving him to the bullpen, maybe replacing one of several weak links there. Let Sands cut loose with a hotter heater and fewer pitches for the remainder of the season. Then build him up physically and mentally to get back into the starting rotation.

Listening on radio, I heard Dan Gladden repeat what I said a few days ago, that Duffey's curveball has lost its bite. Since spinning the ball has been his bread and butter his whole career, losing the spin is a very bad sign for Duffey. Possible that he's hiding some muscle or tendon pain, but without his curve, Duffey's other stuff is delicious cookies for hitters. At this point, if he needs to seriously reinvent himself (again), I think it's time Duffey did that somewhere it won't hurt the team. Twins desperately need to pursue a couple of veteran relief pitchers, so they can DFA Duffey. Not saying he can't come back, but his tricks aren't working anymore.

Keep Sweet Luis at First Base all season to save those knees. When he gets a day off, either rest him or DH him, depending how his knees feel. He will win a batting title. Farewell to Chi Chi, we barely knew yea, except by your inflated ERA. The Twinkies have very modest requirements for their starting pitchers, beginning with, don't give up three runs in the first couple innings. The team appears to have a better bet with other arms on the roster or emerging from St Paul. So it goes. Meanwhile, good win for the "B team" of position players. Good plate discipline to draw a couple walks before Arraez walked up. Yes, he can hit for distance. Normally he does not, because he's so good at advancing runners, and swinging for homers would lower his average drastically. Arraez is more valuable than a typical power hitter for a couple reasons. First, he can very quickly dispel the notion that the opposing pitcher has "unhittable stuff." Second, he shows the rest of the team how to work counts, draw walks, and induce pitches down the middle. Today we saw the ultimate example of the result of plate discipline. Two walks to load up the bases, pitcher opening up his chest too soon, balls sailing arm-side. After six straight balls, he could not afford to walk in a run, so at 2-0, Arraez knew he could load up and sit on something pretty much right down the middle. Boom, there it is.

I have always had the deepest faith in Emilio Pagan. Gack!

Luis always has had HR power, he just saves it for special occasions. This was one such occasion. Pitcher just walked two guys, having trouble bringing the ball back glove side. Arraez waited for that makeup pitch... BOOOOOOM!

I'm struggling here... Why do the Twins have Chi Chi Rodriguez? He looks like a shaky AA pitcher to me. Ah, there it is! He's got a quick move to 1st base!

Smeltzer further cements his rightful place in the starting rotation. Who else on the staff goes that deep into a game, more than once? Pagan was used properly this time. Five runs ahead, and his worst implosion was for two or three runs. With little pressure, he worked his stuff the way he's supposed to. Very live arm, just needs to get his confidence back.

Surgery, then rehab rehab rehab, for twelve freeeekin months... What is Royce Lewis going to do with all his free time? Can he sing or paint? Will he do some community work? Appear as a guest commentator with Dick Bremmer? I would love to see him show up at Little League parks in the Twin Cities, to give fielding and hitting tips to kids. I bet he'd love that, too. Imagine getting a key tip on how to throw a ball from Royce Lewis. Any little kid would die for that. Pass along some of your pro knowledge to kids, Royce. It will make your rehab year a joyful time.

Devin Smeltzer is now my #3 Twins starter, behind Ryan and Gray. The man pitches so well within himself, great poise on the mound, excellent command of three pitches. You don't need a big heater if you command three pitches.

Bundy is today what he's going to be for the rest of the season - a 50/50 chance of pitching well or poorly. He'll wind up with an ERA of over 6, yet now and then he'll shut down some team. Would Canterino or Balazovic do worse? We'll be wondering that until it happens.

You play the Nyorks, you go to war, baby. You better bring some mean old relief pitchers that give up runs only after the toughest fight. Our boys weren't ready. How are they supposed to get ready in the cushy, weak Central Division? This bullpen needs some serious changes.

I was surprised how Chris Archer dominated the usually potent Yankee lineup. Even more surprised was I to learn that he has won 20 games against them. What is it about Archer's style that gives all those home run hitters such difficulty? He definitely attacks the zone, throwing a lot of pitches in what looks like hittable locations, but on the periphery. He also attacks outside the zone, but he manages to deliver his sucker pitches with the same motion as his strikes. Mostly he keeps the ball low, but he'll sprinkle in a high tight pitch now and then. Good job of mixing up pitches. Even so, his stuff looks "hittable." It doesn't have a lot of late action, just good location, and he does avoid the middle of the zone pretty well. Maybe that's the lesson for Twins pitchers facing the Nyorks: Don't try to throw anything freakish, just attack around the periphery, avoid the middle, and mix up your pitches. Sounds simple, but actually it's not.

I gotta bone to pick with the Twins organization about Jermaine Palacios. Here is a young man with the size and shape of a young Alex Rodriguez. He's a big, athletic guy, yet they have him hitting in a stance and style hat guarantees he will never hit for power. Jermaine Palacios should have a stance like Chili Davis: Front shoulder closed, front hip pointing at the pitcher, front heel lined up with rear toe, weight back on inside of rear foot. It's a simple power stance I once taught to a complete novice in 30 seconds. Then you meet the ball no later than a line you draw from the front toe. This guy should be terrifying opposing teams with exit velocities rivaling anybody in the league. Why the Twins taught him to tippy toe through an at-bat, that's just coaching malfeasance. Let this man swing a bat for real!

On the Russian Roulette scale, Duffey is now a 4, which means you have 4 rounds in your 6-shooter pistol. That's the worst on the Twins, followed by Pagan, who is a 3. The rest of the relievers are a 2 or better.

Moran for the save. Skol. 20-20 hindsight, but if you let Duran go the 9th with a six run lead.... a little less drama?

Good call, Baldy. Get Duffey out of there. He and Pagan are doom right now.

Yup, something's wrong with Duffey's arm. His curve never just floats in like that. He's not getting the usual bite downwards, which means he's got some kind of muscle pull in his forearm. This is bad.

Don't panic, this was expected. Duffey's still got a 2-run cushion. Odd tho, Duffey walked into this situation with disturbingly nonchalant body language... And then he's been throwing his curves like there's something wrong with his arm.