Hello everyone and welcome to the game thread for the Royals vs. Twins on Joe Mauer Day. The weekend is all Joe Mauer all the time and his elevation to the Twins' Hall of Fame along with the retirement of number 7 has brought back many Twins' greats and Mauer teammates. There will be a sellout crowd tonight and I would expect the game to start later than the posted 6:10 start time. Mauer and his career have been discussed to death on this site, so I will leave that topic and concentrate on the game.
First thought--With now a two-catcher rotation and ten very capable players everyone is getting days off. Adrianza is in the lineup at least twice a week and Gonzalez gets four or five starts in a week. This is keeping everyone fresh and shows the quality and versatility of the position players on the 2019 Twins.
Second thought--Jake Odorizzi has been nothing short of fantastic this year. The win-loss, ERA and WHIP numbers are off the charts. I would think unless he stumbles there will be an All-Star berth for the free agent-to-be.
Third thought--One of the Twins' most indispensable players left the game early. I suspect Buxton will sit out today, but a long-term injury for Buxton could be damaging. Let's hope Byron stays healthy.
Fourth thought--Except for Taylor Rogers, the bullpen had last night off. Getting a couple of the struggling members in a low-leverage situation would be a chance to "hit the reset button" and be more effective going forward.
Fifth and last thought--The opponent. The Royals aren't very good, but they have gone about rebuilding in a good way. They have lots of young players, team speed, decent defense. They need to hit and pitch better. Today's starter, Glenn Sparkman, is coming off a good start.
Please post lineups when they become available. I'll be enjoying a parade in my former hometown tonight, so I'll have to catch up after the game. Go Twins!
