Game Thread, Twins @ Royals, 7/4, 6:10 PM

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

Trevor May is avaiable tomorrow. So I predict:

 

Ervin Santana 5 innings

+

Trevor May 2 innings

+

the 2 innings Perkins didn't pitch last night, he can pitch tomorrow

[LaBombo]

 

ok, but how many did we use last night and tomorrow is a day game right?

 

Not really defending his usage, just allowing for how he's probably outside his normal bullpen parameters when he's trying to hang on to a road win against the Royals.

 

Tough call either way, and overuse doesn't show up all at once, so it will be awhile before we know if this kind of night hurts them down the stretch.

 

Pitch counts were 11, 13, 4, and 7, so nobody should get an automatic sit tomorrow based only on tonight.

[jimmer]

 

Not really defending his usage, just allowing for how he's probably outside his normal bullpen parameters when he's trying to hang on to a road win against the Royals.

 

Tough call either way, and overuse doesn't show up all at once, so it will be awhile before we know if this kind of night hurts them down the stretch.

 

Pitch counts were 11, 13, 4, and 7, so nobody should get an automatic sit tomorrow based only on tonight.

yeah, I wasn't trying to be critical, just conversating.

[jimmer]

They are praising the Twins for treading water lately.  Bert praises our close game winning (and for the season, we have done well there). Thing is,  we haven't been winning Bert.  We had a winning % in the .300s in June, and going into today 1-2 in July.

 

We are 'treading water' due to a great May and no one else pouring it on yet.

[jimmer]

earlier this year people were talking about how strong the ALC is and how weak the ALE is.  We still believe that?

[LaBombo]

 

yeah, I wasn't trying to be critical, just conversating.

 

Didn't take it that way; just thinking out loud about the pro's and con's of PM's moves.

 

It gave me no end of satisfaction to see Molitor not hesitate to dump Pelf just 3 outs away from a win when Gardy would have probably rather gone down in flames with the vet instead.

 

But the bullpen doesn't have a Swarzak so far this year, who can go 2+ scoreless on a good night.  So if Molitor leans on the pen too heavily on nights like tonight, it could be an ugly last third of the season if no relief help arrives.

 

Off to the fireworks.  Will try to avoid jinxing Twins and turn off the radio if 8th goes bad.

[jimmer]

bring on Perkins right now

[jimmer]

did we get lucky there?

[LaBombo]

 

 

earlier this year people were talking about how strong the ALC is and how weak the ALE is.  We still believe that?

Verlander not exactly lighting it up since he returned and MigCab to the DL for six weeks, and I would have answered 'no' even before those developments...

[jimmer]

enjoy the fireworks

[drock2190]

 

Verlander not exactly lighting it up since he returned and MigCab to the DL for six weeks, and I would have answered 'no' even before those developments...

 

Verlander hasn't been good in like 3 years...

[LaBombo]

Clean 8th in the books, and now I can save my profanity for bad drivers instead of the Twins pen!  Happy 4th!  Peace out!!!

[jimmer]

Bert just said we had a very good second half last year?  Anyone remember it that way? Maybe he was just talking about the offense.

[ScrapTheNickname]

Is everyone presuming that Perkins will get the Save? Yes. But he has to blow one sometime. His historical average is below 90%. I am predicting nothing. Nothing I says.

[jimmer]

 

Is everyone presuming that Perkins will get the Save? Yes. But he has to blow one sometime. His historical average is below 90%. I am predicting nothing. Nothing I says.

what's his historical save % when he comes in with a 2 run lead?

[Danchat]

Mauer is having a really good game!

[ScrapTheNickname]

 

what's his historical save % when he comes in with a 2 run lead?

This is where your veteran research abilities come into play.

[jimmer]

 

This is where your veteran research abilities come into play.

All I was saying, not all save situations are created equal. I figured if you had the first set on info handy, you'd have the other quickly available as well.

 

 

[ScrapTheNickname]

 

This is where your veteran research abilities come into play.

I looked on Baseball Reference and there doesn't seem to be a category for saves with 2 run leads. Anyone?

[jimmer]

 

I looked on Baseball Reference and there doesn't seem to be a category for saves with 2 run leads. Anyone?

Probably have to go to game logs in baseball reference.  Old school :-)

[ashbury]

Perk does the job, with two strikeouts and a fly out. 5-3, final CBU of the evening.

[Aggies7]

Bullpen did a great job. Perk is the team mvp

[JB_Iowa]

Let's win the series tomorrow.

 

C'mon Santana.

[Brock Beauchamp]

Well, that's a win. Steal tomorrow's game and the Twins are inexplicably back in this thing.

[jimbo92107]

The reason I would send Chris Herrmann down to AAA is really about reps at the plate. Right now Herrmann looks so out of sync when he comes up, where a guy like Eric Fryer has been playing more steadily in AAA, and so Fryer has more of a chance to walk up with the plan and timing to get some hits. Let Fryer be the backup for a month or so, and let Herrmann get regular at-bats in Rochester, so he can get his batting eye back.

[jimmer]

TWINS WIN!!!!

[Craig Arko]

Nice game for Mauer. And Plouffe.

[JB_Iowa]

Fryer is not available until about July 20. The Twins allowed him to play on the Pan-Am team.

[sampleSizeOfOne]

Nice game for Mauer. And Plouffe.

Concur.

 

How long 'til teams start playing Mauer to pull?

[Craig Arko]

Half-way point of the season. On pace to win 86 games. Good enough for a wild card?