Game Thread: Twins v Rangers, 5/28@7:10pm CT

[Squirrel]

Game-time forecast: Clear. Winds blowing in from left field at 5-10 m.p.h. Temperature around 75. (Have to say ... that sounds about perfect for a game.)

 

Rangers:

SP, Saunders

 

Choo LF

Andrus SS

Moreland 1B

Beltre 3B

Ríos DH

Choice RF

Martin CF

Chirinos C

Sardiñas 2B

 

Twins:

SP, Gibson

 

Dozier 2B

Mauer 1B

Plouffe DH

Arcia RF

Willingham LF

Suzuki C

Núñez 3B

Escobar SS

Santana CF (Hicks scratched with a stiff lower back)

 

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Brian is up next ... stay tuned.

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Things to Think About:

 

1. Josmil Pinto -- Might as well start right off with the thought that nearly everyone is thinking. The disappearance of Josmil Pinto from the starting lineup. With Josmil Pinto not starting tonight... he is now out of the starting lineup for 47 games in a row!!! Josmil Pinto has 7 Homers in 112 at-bats... That's a home run every 16 at bats and that percentage leads the team. So... On paper and maybe reality... that's your top power hitter collecting dust. Gardy I'm sure feels that there are plenty of power options available if Ben Revere can go deep for Philly.

 

2. Lineupology -- If I was personal advisor to Ron Gardenhire here's who I would have started tonight.

 

Because they haven't played since December: Pinto

Because they came through with big plays last night: Arcia, Nunez, Hicks.

Because they are hitting hotter than others: Escobar, Mauer, Plouffe

Because he needs some swings back from injury: Willingham

Because you need a 2B: Dozier

 

As you can see... Gardy was close... Just play Pinto and the lineup would have been perfect. I don't know why Gardy doesn't call me or at least call Jokin.

 

3. Kurt Suzuki -- None of this is knock against Kurt Suzuki... He's been great and I think he is a dark horse candidate for a spot on the all star team if he keeps going. At the very least... he is a candidate for the all motor name team... Along with Lew Ford and Disco Dan Ford.

 

4. Joe Saunders -- The Rangers toss 32 year old left hander Joe Saunders at us tonight. Joe was born in Virginia and played college ball at Virginia Tech. He has played for 37 of the 30 major league baseball teams and he's just going to sink everything. His fastball sinks... His bathroom sink sinks. His sinkhole sinks. If he finds himself up in the zone... he will find himself in trouble. He sinks so much that when he started pitching he was 6-6 in height... He's now 6-3.

 

5. Alphabet Soup -- I had some for lunch today. As I looked into the bowl and saw the letters... I thought to myself... It's pretty cool that I can read... Otherwise all those shapes would be pretty strange.

[LaBombo]

Unless he gets one tonight, Pinto will finish a ten day stretch with 7 plate appearances. One in the Rangers series.

 

It was bad enough when it was two-thirds KS and one-third JP. But this is inexcusable.

 

At least the middle of the order is starting to look like something resembling a functioning offense, and the outfield is filled with outfielders again.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

Unless he gets one tonight, Pinto will finish a ten day stretch with 7 plate appearances. One in the Rangers series.

 

It was bad enough when it was two-thirds KS and one-third JP. But this is inexcusable.

 

At least the the middle of the order is starting to look like something resembling a functioning offense, and the outfield is filled with outfielders again.

 

Agreed. Gardenhire risks wearing Suzuki out too soon.

[Joe A. Preusser]

Thought Pinto would get the start since Suzuki is 1-11 off Texas SP tonight.

[jokin]

Unless he gets one tonight, Pinto will finish a ten day stretch with 7 plate appearances. One in the Rangers series.

 

It was bad enough when it was two-thirds KS and one-third JP. But this is inexcusable.

 

At least the middle of the order is starting to look like something resembling a functioning offense, and the outfield is filled with outfielders again.

 

Punto starting tonight is a no-brainer. In the last 14 days, Punto has been the starting catcher twice, both of the last 2 Saturdays and DH'd once. So apparently he's going to catch for Deduno one day a week and DH once or twice a week? Even though Pinto projects as the 4th (or maybe 5th) best hitter? And currently the Twins' 2nd best hitter in OPS and wOBA?

 

Gardy being Gardy, falling in love with a certain veteran, to that veteran's eventual detriment through overuse and overexposure.

[stringer bell]

Thought Pinto would get the start since Suzuki is 1-11 off Texas SP tonight.

The curse of being Deduno's personal catcher. Pinto starts tomorrow. Should he be DHing tonight? I think so, but those opportunites are going to be less with corner OFs Arcia and Willingham back. I hope Pinto catches for Nolasco and perhaps the rotation can be Pinto with Nolasco and Deduno and Suzuki catching the other three, with a DH assignment once or twice a week.

[drock2190]

Hicks is out of the lineup I heard. Whos takin his place, Pinto?

[LaBombo]

Agreed. Gardenhire risks wearing Suzuki out too soon.

That's a problem too, but my concern is more for Pinto getting enough playing time, both behind the plate and at it. He has 500 total MLB at bats, and 5 or 10 plate appearances per week isn't going to cut it.

[Squirrel]

Hicks is out of the lineup I heard. Whos takin his place, Pinto?

 

I've edited the lineup above. Santana takes Hicks' place. Hicks was scratched due to a stiff lower back.

[LaBombo]

Hicks is out of the lineup I heard. Whos takin his place, Pinto?

 

Huh. Espn still shows him in center. Santana pretty much the only other candidate. Heh. Was going to 'realistic option', but realized there have already been a bunch of unrealistic options in the outfield, less than a third of the way into the season.

[LaBombo]

I've edited the lineup above. Santana takes Hicks' place. Hicks was scratched due to a stiff lower back.

Thanks for the update. Is there a healthy center fielder anywhere above low A?

[JB_Iowa]

• Mike Berardino ‏@MikeBerardino 1m
  Mike Pelfrey has been recalled from rehab with shoulder soreness. Seeing doctor tonight.
   
   
  It's weird when you can't decide if something is good news or bad news.
   
   
  

[LaBombo]

• Mike Berardino ‏@MikeBerardino 1m
  Mike Pelfrey has been recalled from rehab with shoulder soreness. Seeing doctor tonight.
   
   
  It's weird when you can't decide if something is good news or bad news.
  

 

The obligatory 'nobody wants to see him hurt' factor aside, yeah. Coin flip. Gonna go with good news, because it may mean that both Pelfrey and the Twins will benefit from him getting healthy and then pitching better.

[zchrz]

• Mike Berardino ‏@MikeBerardino 1m
  Mike Pelfrey has been recalled from rehab with shoulder soreness. Seeing doctor tonight.
   
   
  It's weird when you can't decide if something is good news or bad news.
  

 

I don't mean to wish big Pelf ill, but that's pretty good news in my book, if there is a spot to be had in the rotation May, Meyer, or Darnell should be the ones filling it.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

Thanks for the update. Is there a healthy center fielder anywhere above low A?

 

Would be nice to hear something about Fuld other than "cardio"

[LaBombo]

Good thing it's not a drinking game night for me. "Downward plane" twice in the first inning. Would've made for a short night...

[LaBombo]

Would be nice to hear something about Fuld other than "cardio"

It's almost certainly my imagination, but it seems like the increased scrutiny of the Twins' training and medical staff has made the Twins less likely to give updates and forecast return dates. That being said, it was a concussion, one of the least predictable injuries there is when estimating a return date.

[Guest USAFChief]

Good thing it's not a drinking game night for me. "Downward plane" twice in the first inning. Would've made for a short night...

That's why I always try to get a head start on Bert. I started around noon and have enough "banked" to last until at least the 4th inning.

[JB_Iowa]

Would be nice to hear something about Fuld other than "cardio"

 

 

Fuld saw a concussion specialist in Pittsburgh.

 

Initial report was positive per Berardino .... but who knows if that's the whole story.

[stringer bell]

• Mike Berardino ‏@MikeBerardino 1m
  Mike Pelfrey has been recalled from rehab with shoulder soreness. Seeing doctor tonight.
   
   
  It's weird when you can't decide if something is good news or bad news.
   
   
  

Finally a real explanation for Pelfrey's decreased velocity. I am one of the few who has some hope for Big Pelf. Something wasn't right and shoulder issues explain his problems.

[Guest USAFChief]

Arcia Arcia Arcia.

 

-Jan Brady.

[stringer bell]

Not very good hitting from the 3 and 4 batters.

[LaBombo]

Our cleanup hitter's slash against lefties in 2013: .254/.274/.386.

 

Maybe Goin had a personal matter that prevented him from his usual role of heavily influencing Gardy on lineup construction...

[stringer bell]

Gibson takes Rios apart!

[diehardtwinsfan]

Arcia and Willingham up, Parmelee disappears... typical Gardy.

[stringer bell]

C'mon Plouffe! Oh wait.....

[stringer bell]

Please Mr. Gibson, throw strikes.

[Beezer07]

Arcia and Willingham up, Parmelee disappears... typical Gardy.

 

Did you....want Parms to keep playing?

[LaBombo]

Arcia and Willingham up, Parmelee disappears... typical Gardy.

 

But at least it's vs. a lefty, the only kind of pitcher Willi has resembled a major league hitter against this season. Of course, since Arcia is batting cleanup, that may have had nothing to do with it.

[Guest USAFChief]

Our cleanup hitter's slash against lefties in 2013: .254/.274/.386.

 

Maybe Goin had a personal matter that prevented him from his usual role of heavily influencing Gardy on lineup construction...

Twins cleanup hitters, as a group, in 2014: .197/.251/.345. OPS is .008 better than the OPS of the 8th place hitters.

 

Yeesh.