Game Thread: Twins vs. Royals 6/8/15 7:10 PM

[stringer bell]

The Twins take on the Royal at Target Field today. The winner of today's game will take over first place in the American League Central. The Twins and Royals have split the first six games of their season series. The Royals started the season on a tear. They have been at or near the top of the division since the season started. The Twins started slow in April, but caught fire in May. They currently hold a one-game lead in the Central.

 

Here's a look at the prospects for today's game: Who's Hot/Who's Not--(HOT) Royals bullpen. They've been the #1 strength of the team this year and last year. If the Royals get a lead in the seventh, the game is basically over. Royals are #1 in run suppression in the American League. They have a staff of hard throwers and perhaps the best defense in baseball. (NOT) Offense. No one is going really well and several regulars are struggling (Cain, Rios, Perez, Morales). The Royals now rank just behind the Twins in runs scored per game next to last in homers.  (HOT) Brian Dozier leads the league in runs scored, extra base hits and doubles, leads second sackers in homers. Dozier has never hit .250 in a season and currently is hitting .267. Twins starters are a net 24-15 with a 3.89 ERA, a huge improvement from the last three years. (NOT) Most of the lineup is struggling. Starting shortstop Danny Santana was sent to AAA on Sunday. 

 

Starters: Phil Hughes vs. Jason Vargas. Hughes  hasn't been the pitcher he was in 2014. He's been okay in most starts, but has allowed too many home runs. His strikeouts and velocity are down. This will be Hughes first start this year against the Royals. Vargas was hit pretty hard by the Twins in two early starts, getting a loss and a no-decision. He spent time on the Disabled List and so far hasn't gone longer than six innings in any game. 

 

The Royals were eight games over .500 in April, but have played .500 ball since. This is a pretty big series for early June. A series win would be nice for Minnesota, but there is a lot of season left. If either team sweeps, it will be a big boost. Short of that, the battle will go on. I like the Twins to win the opener with some power and solid pitching from Hughes.  

[stringer bell]

Lineups to follow!

 

I'm posting this early because tonight is league golf night.  I should be able to check in by the middle innings.  Best of luck to my favorite team.

[mickeymental]

just curious: what happened to spaces after periods? whynotremovethemall?

[formerly33]

 

just curious: what happened to spaces after periods? whynotremovethemall?

becausethatwouldgetwaytoocomplicated.

[JB_Iowa]

 

just curious: what happened to spaces after periods? whynotremovethemall?

 

Isn't Brock trying to answer this question?  But I don't  have any trouble putting them in although it will only allow me one not two.

[mickeymental]

Isn't Brock trying to answer this question?  But I don't  have any trouble putting them in although it will only allow me one not two.

i'll probably get branded as grammar police, but i'm really curious about the no spaces after periods that some posters seem to favor. by the way, one space (not two) is the modern way to go -- two is from the old days of typesetting.

 

nevertheless (and back to baseball), i'm anxious to see what vargas.2 can bring to the lineup ...

[Vanimal46]

 

becausethatwouldgetwaytoocomplicated.

 

#youguysunderstandtwitter #savingspaces

[Squirrel]

 

just curious: what happened to spaces after periods? whynotremovethemall?

It's a glitch … for those using Firefox. If you use a double space after punctuation, it shows no space when you post. The trick is to use only one space after punctuation, then it reverts to normal. Those of us who once upon a time used actual typewriters, both manual and electric, were taught to use a double space after punctuation. So, it's difficult for us to revert to the one-space methodology which I have been told is standard and correct. Right, Brock?

 

Edit: And, incidentally, there wasn't an issue for me using Chrome or Safari, so … and I think I have since learned to type only one-spaced after punctuation.

[diehardtwinsfan]

yeah, it's a bug with this software.  You can put 1 space after a period and it's fine. Follow proper grammar rules with two spaces, and it gets rid of it.

 

That said, let's hope the Twins make a statement about being for real.  Sweep baby.

[mickeymental]

#youguysunderstandtwitter #savingspaces

makes sense -- hadn't thought of that (wait'll you get to be my age!). sincere thanks.

[mickeymental]

again, thanks everyone. (and one space IS proper modern grammar; at least no space won't bug me anymore!)

 

back to baseball ...

[Vanimal46]

 

makes sense -- hadn't thought of that (wait'll you get to be my age!). sincere thanks.

 

 

Oh don't worry, it's already happening to me with technology and I'm 25! A friend of mine showed me an app called Periscope and I was completely lost.

[D. Hocking]

 

again, thanks everyone. (and one space IS proper modern grammar; at least no space won't bug me anymore!)

back to baseball ...

 

For someone entering his comments from a Commodore 64, only having one space after a period seems very radical and subversive.  Accepting change is hard sometimes.

[Craig Arko]

i'll probably get branded as grammar police, but i'm really curious about the no spaces after periods that some posters seem to favor. by the way, one space (not two) is the modern way to go -- two is from the old days of typesetting.

nevertheless (and back to baseball), i'm anxious to see what vargas.2 can bring to the lineup ...

While we're at it, sentences begin with a capital letter.

[Craig Arko]

This should be a really fun series, and a good benchmark for where this team is at.

[formerly33]

I'm not old (most of you already know that), and I used to think that periods/colons/question marks/exclamation points (am I missing anything?) were supposed to follow up with double spaces. TD taught me otherwise (I just realized yet another thing I learned on here!).

 

I think it's kind of like the "like" button. You click once, and "You like this." You click again, and (well, I haven't done it, but it says "unlike" so let's just assume that's an option), and it goes away. You click a third time, and voila, there it is with "You like this" ... once.

 

You make a period. And put one space after it.

 

You make a period.  And put two spaces after it.

 

You make a period.   And put three spaces after it.

 

I hope my demonstration works. I'm currently using Internet Explorer, so it might not. But there's only one way to find out.

[Craig Arko]

And never forget the Oxford comma.

[mickeymental]

And never forget the Oxford comma.

you mean the song by vampire weekend? or the grammatical annoyance?

[formerly33]

There's a punctuation rule that I generally choose to ignore for the sake of a more conversational literary atmosphere: don't start sentences with coordinating conjunctions.

 

And while I'm at it (look, I just did it!), I might as well add that a lot of older people don't like it when you use slang in writing. That's a rule that I religiously disregard.

[D. Hocking]

 

And never forget the Oxford comma.

 

Rollie will never forget.

 

 

http://www.neboagency.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/Rollie-Fingers-mustache-for-eyebrows-oxford-comma2.png

 

 

[Craig Arko]

you mean the song by vampire weekend? or the grammatical annoyance?

Have at thee.

 

[JB_Iowa]

 

[Vanimal46]

With the 6th pick in the 2015 MLB Draft, the Twins select... Tyler Jay, reliever, University of Illinois.

 

The next Glen Perkins?

[formerly33]

 

 

Would this work as Stringer's desktop background?

[Kirby_waved_at_me]

 

With the 6th pick in the 2015 MLB Draft, the Twins select... Tyler Jay, reliever, University of Illinois.

The next Glen Perkins?

I'm hoping the next David Price or Hamels or Bumgarner . . . I think they will want to try having him start some games instead of close them.

[Craig Arko]

Okay, the site is painfully slow; I suppose because of the draft.

 

Will check in after a few innings.

[JB_Iowa]

 

Would this work as Stringer's desktop background?

 

If he wants it, he can download it from my gallery.  It's public.

[JB_Iowa]

Just got to watch the eaglets have supper.

 

One parent (Mom, I think) came home with a fish.  Then other parent came home and the 1st one wouldn't let the 2nd parent have any until the 1st had finished.

 

I have to get my watching in now because the eaglets are getting really close to flying.

[Blake]

 

There's a punctuation rule that I generally choose to ignore for the sake of a more conversational literary atmosphere: don't start sentences with coordinating conjunctions.

 

And while I'm at it (look, I just did it!), I might as well add that a lot of older people don't like it when you use slang in writing. That's a rule that I religiously disregard.

There are rules to writing a gameday thread? Really? 

 

I thought the only rule was to avoid "excessive negativity."

[JB_Iowa]

 

Would this work as Stringer's desktop background?

 

 

That might be a reverse double whammy or something though.