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

[Brock Beauchamp]

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

I'm still of the mindset that I'll be thrilled with 82 wins.

[jimmer]

 

I'm still of the mindset that I'll be thrilled with 82 wins.

I'd be giddy if this team could manage 75.

[Hawkeye12]

 

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.

Fryer is on the US team at the Pan Am Games for (hopefully if they adance) a couple weeks.

[Brock Beauchamp]

I'd be giddy if this team could manage 75.

After April and May, I think 75 is a given. It would require a monumental collapse that we didn't see even in the darkest days of 2011-2014.

[curt1965]

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.

Herman literally has no chance at the plate. I would get Fryer back ASAP. I'll keep repeating this: games count the same in July as they do in September. If they are playing for next year, well then-ok!

[twinsnorth49]

I'd be giddy if this team could manage 75.

Seriously? I'm pretty realistic about where this team is really at, but only the most hardened cynic could believe they might play 17 games under. 500 in the second half and only reach 75 wins.

 

If you meant from the start of the season I understand, but not at this point.

[drivlikejehu]

Ending up at 75 would be really bad, but it's not impossible or anything. That's a 64-win full season pace... horrible, but exceeded by the 2011 Twins and nearly reached by the 2012 and 2013 clubs. The Twins have a horrid lineup and atrocious bullpen, with rotation depth but no top-of-rotation starters. I don't see why they are immune to continued June-like struggles.

[twinsnorth49]

Ending up at 75 would be really bad, but it's not impossible or anything. That's a 64-win full season pace... horrible, but exceeded by the 2011 Twins and nearly reached by the 2012 and 2013 clubs. The Twins have a horrid lineup and atrocious bullpen, with rotation depth but no top-of-rotation starters. I don't see why they are immune to continued June-like struggles.

Who said impossible? Yes, a 64 win full season pace without the benefit of having 43 wins at the midway point, just a little different.

 

I don't expect near that pace in the 2nd half without some pretty big upgrades, but not 17 games below. 500, they simply are not that bad.

[Brock Beauchamp]

Who said impossible? Yes, a 64 win full season pace without the benefit of having 43 wins at the midway point, just a little different.

 

I don't expect near that pace in the 2nd half without some pretty big upgrades, but not 17 games below. 500, they simply are not that bad.

Yeah, this. One the Twins got 11-12 games over .500, the likelihood of them finishing with under 75 wins became microscopic.

[jimmer]

 

Seriously? I'm pretty realistic about where this team is really at, but only the most hardened cynic could believe they might play 17 games under. 500 in the second half and only reach 75 wins.

If you meant from the start of the season I understand, but not at this point.

Well, I meant from the beginning of the season but even so, last year they went 33-48 in their last 81 games to finish the season. They only won 30 games in the last 81 games of 2013 and only 31 in the last 81 games of 2012.  So not only is it not cynical to believe it's possible they may not reach 75 wins, we have recent history to suggest it could happen. And we are trending down since the end of May.

 

But again, when I said that, I meant in relation to how many wins I thought we'd end with before the season started. I've enjoyed this season a lot, especially seeing all the prospects, and I don't actually think we won't reach 75s.

[Craig Arko]

How'd all these White Sox fans get here?

[ashbury]

I'd be giddy if this team could manage 75.

I'm now rooting for this just to find out what a giddy Jimmer is like.

[AlwaysinModeration]

I'm personally hoping they win 75 games in the second half of the season. Too much to ask?

[ashbury]

I'm personally hoping they win 75 games in the second half of the season. Too much to ask?

If Trevor May pitches the 8th inning in 70 games, it's a definite possibility.