Game Thread: Twins @ Astros, 9/5 @ 6:10pm CT

[sampleSizeOfOne]

 

No No ir...

 

It was a hot and humid Houston as i sauntered into my Private investigator's office. Business was slow, and i was even slower. Hadn't been any decent action in who knows how long. And i had gotten used to it, in a slovenly sort of way. I stumbled to the door, pulled it open, and got the shock of my life! There in my office was a sight to behold! But alas, it wouldn't do to discuss my clients...

 

Suffice it to say, someone got away with a crime yesterday, at trope i canna field i mean minute man maid field. maid... man... that could even be the problem.

 

On the outside, it looked like your average, even expected baseball game last night. A home team won going away, 8-0. But i'll have to dig deeper. There are play off implications. The whole country could be watching.

 

There's another game tonight. This time we'll catch the miscreants. I'm staking out Minute Maid Park, where, under the guise of an innocent national pastime, a most hanous crime might be recommitted. But this might blow up in my face, so i'm not going alone. I'm calling all my favors in... Every one of you's got my back, right?

 

Here's the files on the usual suspects:

 

(Please add anything relevant to these files, as "Knowing is half the battle" -GI Joe)

 

Twins

0. Ervin Santana {R} -- Done time for PEDs

1. Aaron Hicks {S} RF -- Fresh of the DL

2. Brian Dozier {R} 2B -- Demolishes fastballs of the high variety

3. Joe Mauer {L} 1B -- The Face

4. Miguel Sano {R} DH -- The Bat

5. Trevor Plouffe {R} 3B -- The Plouffe

6. Eddie Rosario {L} LF -- The canonical cannon

7. Eduardo Escobar {S} SS -- The spark plug

8. Kurt Suzuki {R} C -- Iron Man

9. Byron Buxton {R} CF -- The Kid

 

Astros

0. Lance McCullers {R}

1. George Springer {R} RF -- No relation to Jerry?

2. Jose Altuve {R} 2B -- Little Batting champ?

3. Carlos Correa {R} SS -- 1 upped the Kid in the Draft?

4. Evan Gattis {R} DH

5. Jed Lowrie {S} 3B

6. Carlos Gomez {R} CF -- The X factor

7. Marwin Gonzalez {S} 1B

8. Preston Tucker {L} LF

9. Hank Conger {S} C -- The center of last night's intrigue...

Gametime Forecast: 85°F • Mostly Cloudy • 2% PoP

 

I know better than to let the cat out of the bag. Just be ready for anything!

[Willihammer]

SSS Factoid

 

Santana pitching to Herrmann: 3.92 ERA, 4.25 K/BB

Santana pitching to Suzuki:      6.09 ERA, 1.56 K/BB

[stringer bell]

 

SSS Factoid

 

Santana pitching to Herrmann: 3.92 ERA, 4.25 K/BB

Santana pitching to Suzuki:      6.09 ERA, 1.56 K/BB

Yeah, yeah, but regression to the mean!

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

Plus the three good starts pitching to Fryer in Rochester: 1.74 ERA, 11:4 K/BB

[sampleSizeOfOne]

SSS Factoid

 

Santana pitching to Herrmann: 3.92 ERA, 4.25 K/BB

Santana pitching to Suzuki:      6.09 ERA, 1.56 K/BB

How's that also line up with his home/away splits? I'm under the impression he's done better on the road?

 

Has Suzuki caught all his home games?

[Willihammer]

 

How's that also line up with his home/away splits? I'm under the impression he's done better on the road?

Has Suzuki caught all his home games?

Zuke has caught all but one road game and all but two home games. Herrmann's only caught him 3 times, although last time being the Aug. 30 game against Houston (at home) when Santana went 7 scoreless and 10 punchouts.

[spinowner]

What if the Twins were in the AL West instead of the Astros and the Astros were in the AL Central instead of the Twins? Current record of the AL Central minus the Twins: 271-263. Current record of the AL West minus the Astros: 260-277. Current record of the NL Central (which the AL Central plays this year): 357-311. Current record of the NL West (which the AL West plays this year): 331-343. This shows that the Astros played an easier schedule this year than the Twins.

Now I understand woulda coulda shoulda. As my Grandfather used to say, "If my aunt had (male endocrine glands) she'd'a' been my uncle!" But it makes me think the Twins would be leading the AL West if that's where they were aligned.

[USAFChief]

Great seats tonight. Santana's got this. CBU.

[Blake]

samplesizeofone..you're also on my Tonya Harding list if the Twins make the playoffs.

 

Or would that be a Nancy Kerrigan list?

 

Anyway: 

 

http://stream1.gifsoup.com/view7/3260398/i-m-watching-you-o.gif

[spinowner]

 

6. Carlos Gomez {R} CF -- The X factor

 

Gardenhire had it right: The loose cannon.

[sampleSizeOfOne]

I made the mistake of leaving a football game on that isn't over before the baseball game starts.

 

Lemme know what i miss.

[spinowner]

 

I made the mistake of leaving a football game on that isn't over before the baseball game starts.

Lemme know what i miss.

Don't you own a remote?

[sampleSizeOfOne]

Don't you own a remote?

I make it a practice to always mote correctly the first time...

 

And it looks like BYU won.

 

Alright, now i'm on the job.

[mlynch16]

This feels like one of those games that we have no chance.  I don't mean to be a naysayer after 1/2 an inning, but I don't think we will score more than 1 or 2 against their pitcher.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

Every Sano strikeout gets us closer to his next home run.

 

(cheap illogical motivational talk that I learned in my sales days)

[Squirrel]

 

As my Grandfather used to say, "If my aunt had (male endocrine glands) she'd'a' been my uncle!"

Huh. My Grandpa said the same thing! So does my mom!

[Jerr]

Ok, Twins need THIS win!!!!  'nough said......

[Jerr]

Finally a score update.....0-0 top of 3rd.....

[Jerr]

This must be the game thread as I couldn't tell what the score was.....                 

[sampleSizeOfOne]

Finally a score update.....0-0 top of 3rd.....

Now it's the bottom of the third.

 

Funny that.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

Score update......0-0 middle of 3rd

 

I hope they pull this one out tonight, doesn't get easier tomorrow.

[sampleSizeOfOne]

Every Sano strikeout gets us closer to his next home run.

 

(cheap illogical motivational talk that I learned in my sales days)

Let me know when it's 10 feet away.

 

I'll try and catch it.

[Halsey Hall]

Santana is looking sharp.  Could be a tight one tonight.

[jimmer]

So on Sano's 'strikeout' didn't look like he went at all.  And the home plate umpire has a generous inside strike to lefty zone.

[Jerr]

Gonna watch Wisconsin football......better be a Twins win, when I come back, it's up to you all....at least I got score updating going     .....   keep it up  

[sampleSizeOfOne]

naughty naughty after 3.

 

CBU.

[Blake]

Both pitchers are dealing so far.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

 

Let me know when it's 10 feet away.

I'll try and catch it.

 

It could be a line drive, you know.

[sampleSizeOfOne]

It could be a line drive, you know.

I can still try, can't i?

 

Though i do concede that perhaps discretion is the better part of valor...

[jimbo92107]

Looks like the good Ervin Santana showed up tonight. Good!