Game Thread, Twins vs. White Sox, 5/2 @ 1:10pm CT

[sampleSizeOfOne]

Game Thread, Twins vs. White Sox, 5/2 @ 1:10pm CT

Weather.

Line ups.

1. Ssssh, this is the "don't wake 'em up" game thread.

Those who follow the Wild probably had a hard night last night. I bear some responsibility, perhaps jinxin' 'em at the end of the Twins game thread. Also the Twins game wasn't over until the end, with only a run lead and runners on 2nd and 3rd with 2 out, when Perkins reared back for the 3 pitch strike out to end the game. So yeah, let 'em sleep. It might improve their disposition. Speakin' of not sleeping in (as obviously i'm not) is it true that the historical institution of Saturday Morning Cartoons has finally seen it's last? I heard the rumor, was sad, but in these days of watchin' what ya want when ya want to, perhaps it isn't a big deal. What all cartoons would you be watchin' now, if you had your d'ruthers?

2. Control.

But alas, i'm tired too, and severely tempted to say "every scientific experiment needs a control group to validate the data. I perhaps might say this is the placebo game thread to verify all our effort is worth it, but for the fact i told Chief i'd do it, and he'd probably be nonplussed if i didn't. Don't non-plus Chief. You wouldn't like it when he's nonplussed. (CArko, did Avengers have that catch phrase somewhere in the movie? Or has it gotten used to death?) Besides, i might get the label of a control freak if i did. So i'll try to shunt this non productive thought to how the twins pitching is doing regarding the walk? Not to bad, only 6 teams have issued fewer walks, one being the White Sox (but with 3 fewer games) Not quite as good as the hay-day of Rick Anderson, but respectable.

3. Pitching backwards

Um, yeah. I got the silly out of the way first, now i should buckle down to some interesting baseball related thoughts... It's meant to keep you, the batter reader on your toes. Nolasco is coming off the DL. It'll be good to see what he can do. And the White Sox counter with Hector Noesi, who has started almost as rarely, having his spot skipped, then a game cancelled in Baltimore. Who'll get their rhythm first?

4. The slumping

Vargas, Schafer, and Escobar are batting south of the mendoza line. It was good to see Vargas rip the long single last night, and i guess we didn't need a second run as much as we'd have liked one. Hope they all can get going pretty good sometime soon.

5. Fielding

Yeah, Santana didn't quite make some of the plays, and Escobar sent folks' hearts into their throats in the 9th with that bobble. But folk came through. There were some pretty good plays to counterbalance them. I liked seeing Hunter hit the wall again. Anyway, last night it had a happy ending, and maybe they'll get better before this afternoon. Er, getting up early and getting some work in. Or perhaps resting if they've been working too hard. I guess i only pay attention to the game, so i don't know what's the right course to get them on track (or is it untracked? never figured that one out either. E-writer of game thread intro.)

Well, sleep well all! Without the cartoons, i might actually join ya. If i oversleep, can someone save my bacon with the lineups and weather and whatnot? Thanks in advance!

[sampleSizeOfOne]

Weather:

Forecast: Sunny, with a high near 81. South southwest wind 5 to 10 mph.

Currently at Airport: Fair 69°F/21°C

Humidity 47%
Wind Speed S 7 mph
Barometer 29.91 in (1012.6 mb)
Dewpoint 48°F (9°C)
Visibility 10.00 mi
Last update 2 May 10:53 am CDT

Lineups:

Chicago White Sox:

Pitching: Hector [R]

1. J.B. Shuck [L] CF
2. Melky Cabrera LF
3. Jose Abreu [R] 1B
4. Adam LaRoche [L] DH
5. Avisail Garcia [R] RF
6. Alexei Ramirez [R] SS
7. Conor Gillaspie [L] 3B
8. Geovany Soto [R] C
9. Micah Johnson [L] 2B

Minnesota Twins:

Pitching: Ricky Nolasco [R]

1. Brian Dozier [R] 2B
2. Torii Hunter [R] DH
3. Joe Mauer [L] 1B
4. Trevor Plouffe [R] 3B
5. Kurt Suzuki [R] C
6. Eduardo Escobar LF
7. Oswaldo Arcia [L] RF
8. Jordan Schafer [L] CF
9. Danny Santana SS

[stringer bell]

Thanks, Sample Size.  Great job!  Vargas out, Escobar back in left. 

[bluechipper]

I know it doesn't matter much, but why is Escobar batting 6th and Arcia 7th? Does that make sense to anyone?

[formerly33]

 

I know it doesn't matter much, but why is Escobar batting 6th and Arcia 7th? Does that make sense to anyone?

Molly is still experimenting. Either he's trying to be a genius and isn't quite succeeding, or else he knows he's not a genius and is going to try every possible variant until one works out. Hope it doesn't take too long.

[Blake]

Cartoons reached their peak with Loony Toons. Although Tiny Toons was pretty good. 

 

Now, on to less serious subjects: The Twins.

 

Nolasco dominated AA ball in his rehab start. 

 

Can Nolasco make the jump to MLB? Recent history says "no."

[JB_Iowa]

Some of us are old enough to remember when Saturday mornings meant westerns -- Sky King, Roy Rogers, The Rifleman, The Lone Ranger and Rin Tin Tin!

[ashbury]

Don't non-plus Chief.

Words to live by. I plus him every chance I get.

[ashbury]

Cartoons reached their peak with Loony Toons. Although Tiny Toons was pretty good.

Concur, on the excellence of the ones you named. But for me the peak was the MGM series when Tex Avery was in the house. Droopy Dog, FTW! And don't forget Red Hot Riding Hood.

 

 

(While a bit racy, I'm virtually certain I saw Red on Saturday Mornings now and then, making her eligible for this discussion.)

[ashbury]

Nolasco tiptoes the tightrope in the top of the first to escape scoreless. CBU.

 

/ edit - Noesi mows 'em down on six pitches, in his half.

[James]

Not a lot of comments yet.  It's almost like people have lots to do on a beautiful Saturday afternoon than watch baseball on TV.

[sampleSizeOfOne]

 

Nolasco tiptoes the tightrope in the top of the first to escape scoreless. CBU.

 

Looks like it might be more of the same in top of the second, with a bloop single.

[sampleSizeOfOne]

And i'm guilty of not having a tv when i was growing up, with summer interludes where my grandma made me run around the house during commercials, as i watched too much.

 

My appreciation are more along the line of Animaniacs, and Samurai Jack, and what i distracted myself with this morning when i shoulda been napping: Rocko's modern life.

[James]

That was quite the bender Nolasco just threw there.  

[ashbury]

Rocky start to Nolasco's second, as well, with men on second and third with no one out, but the slow bender for a called strike three and out number one was a beauty.

 

/ and then Nolasco is a bit sluggish to cover first on the next batter and fails to convince the ump he got the out - subsequently awarded on challenge

[70charger]

Greetings from Bratislava. (For real.) I'm just checking in but headed out for some good beer later. Win Twins.

[JB_Iowa]

Tell me again why we had to bring Nolasco back right now.  We could have had a few more days reprieve, I think.

[Paul Pleiss]

 

/ and then Nolasco is a bit sluggish to cover first on the next batter and fails to convince the ump he got the out

 I hate that this is a thing that you're supposed to do. You have to sell the out. Seems cra cra.

[sampleSizeOfOne]

2 runs in, but they challenged the first base call, and got it overturned for the out, and caught someone trying to go to second on a throw home (or stretching a double, it wasn't entirely clear to me)

[70charger]

You would not believe the banner ads on this site right now. Something about "plastickej chirurgie." I don't speak Slovak but I think they just called me ugly.

[ashbury]

Bad baserunning decisions by the ChiSox don't cost them as much as they should, and the Twins trail 2-0 in the middle of the second. CBU.

[formerly33]

Okay, gameday's acting up as usual. Got the "single" sign and then the ads popped in. Did we really pull Nolasco already? Don't tell me he got hurt.

[formerly33]

What. Happened?

[ashbury]

Greetings from Bratislava. (For real.) I'm just checking in but headed out for some good beer later. Win Twins.

I know there is difference of opinion, but I love Bratislava with sauerkraut and coarse ground mustard.

[JB_Iowa]

PLOUFF-IE!!

[ashbury]

PLOUFFE!

 

/ mines's bigger

[formerly33]

T. Plouffe homers (4) on a fly ball to left center field.

 

Gameday Update.

[James]

 

Greetings from Bratislava. (For real.) I'm just checking in but headed out for some good beer later. Win Twins.

Bratislava, huh?  The pictures I see from the google make it look like a nice place.  How'd you end up there?

[ashbury]

 I hate that this is a thing that you're supposed to do. You have to sell the out. Seems cra cra.

No, it was genuinely close. Get to the bag before the runner does (you've got less distance to travel) and you give the ump a better shot at getting it right.

[formerly33]

 

Bratislava, huh?  The pictures I see from the google make it look like a nice place.  How'd you end up there?

Let me guess - a plane.