Game Thread, Twins @ Red Sox, 6/4 @ 3:05 pm CT

[Shane Wahl]

Weather: 60 degrees and partly cloudy

 

Lineups:

 

Twins:

 

1. Brian Dozier, 2B

2. Torii Hunter, DH

3. Joe Mauer, 1B

4. Trevor Plouffe, 3B

5. Eddie Rosario, RF

6. Eduardo Escobar, SS

7. Kurt Suzuki, C

8. Shane Robinson, LF

9. Aaron Hicks, CF

 

vs. Steven Wright, RH

 

Red Sox:

 

1. Dustin Pedroia, 2B

2. Hanley Ramirez, LF

3. David Ortiz, DH

4. Mike Napoli,1B

5. Xander Bogaerts, SS

6. Pablo Sandoval, 3B

7. Mookie Betts, CF

8. Blake Swihart, C

9. Rusney Castillo, RF

 

vs. Tommy Milone, LH

 

Things to think about:

 

1. Guess who's back? Tommy Milone went and dominated AAA hitters, essentially start after start. He probably has enough stuff to be an adequate fifth starter for the Twins. Or somebody else. Yeah, hopefully somebody else by August 1st. Anyway, I think Milone will be ok today, but I worry about the Pedroia-Ramirez top of the order right out of the gates. I expect a lot of jams, but we know that he is really good at "minimizing damage" so we should be good. Hopefully, the Twins bats are awake today . . . just in case.

 

2. Nothing. As in nothing is ever going to keep Eduardo Escobar out of the lineup and batting sixth or seventh. He is rocking a .595 OPS. Now that is 60 points higher than Danny Santana's OPS! So, Jorge Polanco. There I said it.

 

3. Not very good. Steven Wright isn't very good. The ERA is 3.90 and the FIP is 5.36. Lucky dog. He isn't striking anyone out and is giving up some homers this year. The Twins should be able to take advantage with a bunch of left-handed bats. But they don't have those. Vargas and Arcia are deemed not worthy of this squad. See no. 2 again. One of those guys plus one of the four million pitchers on the roster instead of Vargas and Arcia.

 

4. Day games. I like day games a lot. Night games come at night-time go the bleep asleep rituals for my two boys. Day games also remind me of playing baseball as a kid, where I started in summer day ball. Even high school games started at 4:30 for a double header. Not that Bemidji was all that good back in those days (late 90s). Great summer programs with great teams and then terrible baseball coaches in high school. For years and years . . .

 

5. Individual predictions. The Twins will get 5 and 2/3 out of Milone and only three runs at the time he leaves. Whoever comes in will need to work out of a jam. The offensive player of the game will be Aaron Hicks (and I predict a defensive gem . . . on the warning track from him).

 

6. Game prediction. Twins win (I will never pick them to lose) 6-4. They get out of Boston with a split in the series and welcome the terrible Brewers tomorrow before a big series at home against the Royals.

[Ben Noble]

Second game in a row with Rosario batting fifth...I like him there a lot more than Suzuki.

[sampleSizeOfOne]

Good intro!

 

Lookin' forward to another good game.

[amjgt]

Great lineup, or greatest lineup?

[mickeymental]

today is the day that joe mauer peppers the monster. right?

[Craig Arko]

 

Great lineup, or greatest lineup?

I might actually try moving Hicks up pretty soon.

[JB_Iowa]

 

[diehardtwinsfan]

common split...

[Danchat]

I think we know that Eddie Escobar can hit better than his .595 OPS implies. He just has to get on a hot streak. And hey, he did hit a homer yesterday!

[Thegrin]

what if Milone pitches 7 inn and gives up 2 runs or less ?  do they send him back down ?  

[Bark's Lounge]

 

 

JB, I think you are misleading people about the kind of individual TC Bear is with your positive pictures of him.

 

It turns out he is a hood rat, low life, crack dealer.

 

[Craig Arko]

 

what if Milone pitches 7 inn and gives up 2 runs or less ?  do they send him back down ?  

Since Nolasco is on the DL now it seems unlikely.

[JB_Iowa]

 

JB, I think you are misleading people about the kind of individual TC Bear is with your positive pictures of him.

 

It turns out he is a hood rat, low life, crack dealer.

TCB Crack.jpg

 

 

Even TC can be taught!!

[sampleSizeOfOne]

JB, I think you are misleading people about the kind of individual TC Bear is with your positive pictures of him.

 

It turns out he is a hood rat, low life, crack dealer.

TCB Crack.jpg

As bears and raccoons and such tend to get into everything, do they also have drug problems?

[twinsnorth49]

" I've been getting into astronomy so I installed a skylight. The people who live above me are furious"

 

Steven Wright might not be pitching very well but he's still one funny dude in my book.

[JB_Iowa]

I blinked .... and the top of the 1st was over.

[sampleSizeOfOne]

I blinked .... and the top of the 1st was over.

Only thing ya really missed was that Dozier didn't like the called strike 3.

 

So called because it dropped a lot after crossing the plate. What Dozier saw was eye high. (but not elephant's eye height)

[Bark's Lounge]

 

As bears and raccoons and such tend to get into everything, do they also have drug problems?

I couldn't tell you if he has any addiction issues, I think he is just trying to make some extra cash as being a mascot pays minimum wage and is a part-time job. He has to pay child support for his 8 kids.

 

It's not easy being a Playah.

[twinsnorth49]

 

Only thing ya really missed was that Dozier didn't like the called strike 3.

So called because it dropped a lot after crossing the plate. What Dozier saw was eye high. (but not elephant's eye height)

Hippopotamus eye high? Rhinoceros maybe?

[JB_Iowa]

Tommy not catching any breaks here.

[sampleSizeOfOne]

.... He has to pay child support for his 8 kids.

 

It's not easy being a Playah.

Ah, cub support. Noble of him, as the traditional bear is a roamer...

[JB_Iowa]

Plop, Plop

 

Fizz, Fizz

 

Oh, what a relief it is....

[sampleSizeOfOne]

Boston with 3 infield hits, and nothin' doin'.

 

0-0 after 1 for your CBU.

[sampleSizeOfOne]

Plop, Plop

 

Fizz, Fizz

 

Oh, what a relief it is....

I know it's just alkaseltzer, but it gives my imagination so much leeway.

[formerly33]

 

Hippopotamus eye high? Rhinoceros maybe?

I was thinking giraffe's eye high.

[zchrz]

Random site question, where do images have to be posted from?  Every time I try it says that link location is not supported.

[sampleSizeOfOne]

Hippopotamus eye high? Rhinoceros maybe?

I wonder what they could do with a bat...

[gil4]

 

" I've been getting into astronomy so I installed a skylight. The people who live above me are furious"

 

Steven Wright might not be pitching very well but he's still one funny dude in my book.

I'm guessing the likes you get will be from a fairly narrow age range (45-55, maybe a little more on the low end)

[Bark's Lounge]

 

I know it's just alkaseltzer, but it gives my imagination so much leeway.

Quiz time!

 

What do Sample Size of One and Chuck Berry have in common?

[twinsnorth49]

 

Random site question, where do images have to be posted from?  Every time I try it says that link location is not supported.

That little green box that says images, you have to copy the image URL and paste it in that box after clicking on it.