Game Thread, Twins @ Royals, 9/9 @ 7:10 pm CT

[formerly33]

Wednesday 9/9, 7:10 PM CT at Kauffman Stadium

TV: FS-N; Radio: Go 96.3, TIBN

 

 

Weather:

 

Mostly clear, with a low around 64. East northeast wind around 6 mph becoming calm after midnight (I'm just going to go ahead and leave that in there in case we go into extras).

 

 

Lineups:

 

TWINS (71-67):

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

 

Mike Pelfrey (6-9, 4.17 ERA)

 

ROYALS (83-55):

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

 

Kris Medlen (3-1, 4.88 ERA)

 

 

This contention thing has proved to be too stressful for me. I used to always write the game threads at least a day in advance, and, in the case of the failed Chicken Dinnah attempt, a week or two before necessary, but today I am starting from scratch for the first time. It's a good thing too since I always start out with the intention of keeping the opening post short, but when they're sitting around for 24 hours or more, the temptation to add more proves to be too much.

 

Here are your things to think about:

 

1. The playoff race -- And losing. After last night's loss to the Royals - and Seattle's loss to the Rangers - we find ourselves 2.5 games back from the 2nd wildcard spot ... still technically in the race, but I don't think we can do it. It hurts to be put yet another game back by the Royals. It hurts to give up 4 runs in the 1st inning and then have Gibby shut them down over the next 7 innings, throwing his first complete game. Does it count as a complete game though? or do you have to go 9 innings to qualify?

 

2. Mike Pelfrey -- Maybe he shouldn't be in the rotation at all anymore. Maybe he wouldn't be except for the fact that Duffey is going to be given a few extra days off instead of making what would have been his scheduled start on Saturday versus the White Sox. Maybe Molitor shouldn't be worrying about Duffey and should have put him out there against all odds. Or maybe he made the right choice given the situation and Ryan should be giving him better odds to work with. I won't even get into the argument of which minor league pitcher(s) should be up here; such discussions are better left outside of game threads.

 

3. Serena Williams -- We have a diehard Serena Williams fan on Twins Daily ... well, not diehard, as I suspect it's nothing more than the fact that she really wants to see a calendar grand slam, kind of like the way my sister really wanted American Pharaoh to win the triple crown this year and pretended that he'd been her favorite all along though I have authoritative evidence that she rooted for Dortmund in the run for the roses ... but if Serena was Chi's favorite 5, 10 years ago, I'm willing to cut her some slack. On the other hand, we have a diehard Serena Williams hater who either does not want to see a calendar year grand slam or else does not want to see ChiTown happy. And then we have me, who doesn't really care, though I'll root for Serena because I don't care either way but don't want to side with the TDite who's being an obvious troll.

 

4. Jerseys -- The Twins shop is a bit of a joke, as I assume are the Royals' and White Sox' and … well, maybe not the White Sox … but you get the idea. Say I want a shirt that says "Sano" on the back; the only way to get that is to buy a jersey.  Those cost an arm and a leg, and to put it simply, I value both my arms and my legs and wouldn't want to sacrifice either of them, even for a Sano jersey. The only way I can get a player shirt is if I go with Mauer, and while I like him a lot … he is outdated.

 

5. Snails -- A couple years ago I opened the door in answer to a knock, expecting to see a random character campaigning for a local politician. It turned out that someone was playing ding dong ditch ... at least that's what I thought, because all I saw when I opened the door was a snail on the doorstep. I picked it up and threw it as far as I could. This morning I heard another knock on the door. I opened it again and there was that same snail. It looked up at me indignantly and said, "What the hell was that all about?"

[stringer bell]

Fine job Always33. Brevity can be a good thing!

[Kirby_waved_at_me]

Royals Starter Kris Medlen has given up at least 3 Runs in his last three starts, hoping for more of the same tonight. Last time out, he surrendered 11 hits and 7 runs in 5 and 2/3 innings.  

 

His only start against the Twins was several years ago when he was still with the Braves.

[LaBombo]

Pelfrey's home/away splits are unrecognizable as belonging to the same pitcher.    Since it's a road game tonight, let's go with his Away numbers:

 

 

4.17 K/9       1.45  K/BB       .90  HR/9      .351 Opp BA            1.83 WHIP          4.73 FIP

 

 

Well, as Mark Twain once said to a friend who was nervous about making a speech,  "I wouldn't worry if I were you;    they're probably not expecting much".

[SwainZag]

Always where have you been looking?

 

Sano - http://shop.mlb.com/product/index.jsp?productId=69418426

 

Bux - http://shop.mlb.com/product/index.jsp?productId=67296066

 

Perk - http://shop.mlb.com/product/index.jsp?productId=67294336

 

Dozier - http://shop.mlb.com/product/index.jsp?productId=67407516

 

 

[big dog]

I went to a Twins game about 3-4 years ago and went into the store at Target Field.  Was thinking I'd get my daughter a t-shirt with the name of her favorite player on it.  Went up to a clerk and asked if this was all the shirts- he said "who are you looking for?"  I said Alexi Casilla.  He looked at me like I was nuts.  He said something like "we only carry shirts for the popular players".

 

I went with the Mauer shirt.  My daughter assured me she thought Alexi was cute, but she would much rather wear a Mauer shirt to a game.  So that worked out.

[twinsnorth49]

Tennis in the game threads.......oh dear.

[twinsnorth49]

My son got a Buxton shirt this summer and I snagged a Dozier one, both at the main Target Field shop.

 

If you can't get one at the park the online store always has plenty and will also customize one for you if they don't have it.

[DaveW]

1. Hicks RF

2. Dozier 2B

3. Mauer DH

4. Vargas 1B

5. Rosario LF

6. Nunez 3B (ugh)

7. Escobar SS

8 Suzuki C

9. Buxton CF

 

[SwainZag]

 

1. Hicks RF

2. Dozier 2B

3. Mauer DH

4. Vargas 1B

5. Rosario LF

6. Nunez 3B (ugh)

7. Escobar SS

8 Suzuki C

9. Buxton CF

 

With Sano banged up and Trevor hitting under .200 in his last 130 AB, I don't mind them running Nunez out there.  Slightly confused why he would be hitting in front of Esco though.

[formerly33]

 

Always where have you been looking?

 

[--]

Thanks, SwainZag! I'm surprised I never saw that before ... I guess I didn't look hard enough.

 

If personalized jerseys didn't cost an arm and a leg (at least my arm and leg ... I'm sure that the value varies from person to person depending on what they're worth ... for instance, Bill Gates could probably pay for a jersey with less than his pinky toe nail shaving), I'd wear this customized jersey:

 

 

And one day you guys would be watching the Twins game and see me catch one of Sano's bombs and then turn around to show the ball to my wildly jealous little brothers, and you'd be asking each other if that was our Always33.

[sampleSizeOfOne]

5. Snails -- A couple years ago I opened the door in answer to a knock, expecting to see a random character campaigning for a local politician. It turned out that someone was playing ding dong ditch ... at least that's what I thought, because all I saw when I opened the door was a snail on the doorstep. I picked it up and threw it as far as I could. This morning I heard another knock on the door. I opened it again and there was that same snail. It looked up at me indignantly and said, "What the hell was that all about?"

You have courteous snails who think to knock. We got slugs who just slither under the door on warm rainy days.

 

Anyway, i hope their pitchers are likened to snails (shelled) and our batters to the shellless (that they slug)

 

Oh yeah, good intro, as always!

[sampleSizeOfOne]

With Sano banged up and Trevor hitting under .200 in his last 130 AB, I don't mind them running Nunez out there.  Slightly confused why he would be hitting in front of Esco though.

So Suzuki won't trip on his helmet. Escobar is quick enough to dodge it...

 

(Just speculatin' upon a hypothesis)

 

Slightly more realistically, don't Suzuki and Nunez both bat right handed? Separating them so that um, KC's bullpen can't get two with 1 specialist? Okay, so maybe their bullpen is above such petty concerns...

 

I guess i just don't know.

[Dr. Evil]

If we had kc's pen would we have 10 more wins?

[ScrapTheNickname]

 

1. Hicks RF

2. Dozier 2B

3. Mauer DH

4. Vargas 1B

5. Rosario LF

6. Nunez 3B (ugh)

7. Escobar SS

8 Suzuki C

9. Buxton CF

I second the "ugh." What a waste of space in the lineup. (Not to say he won't get a hit, etc., but that he's not far of the FUTURE which is NOW.

[ScrapTheNickname]

Got such rain here in Bisbee, AZ yesterday that I didn't have Internet for 24 hours. Couldn't watch last night's game. Was like going back in time. Didn't like it.

[Jerr]

Not totally confident in a Good Guys win tonight, BUT GO TWINS we NEED a WIN!!!!!!

[twinsnorth49]

 

If we had kc's pen would we have 10 more wins?

You mean just in July?

[FattCrapps]

 

Got such rain here in Bisbee, AZ yesterday that I didn't have Internet for 24 hours. Couldn't watch last night's game. Was like going back in time. Didn't like it.

Say what up to my guy Doug Stanhope.

[ScrapTheNickname]

 

Say what up to my guy Doug Stanhope.

Yes, I know he lives here, but I think we "travel in different circles," if you know what I mean (and I think you may!). I loved his guest appearance on "Louis" a few years ago. Cheers!

[ScrapTheNickname]

Speaking of Doug Stanhope here is his "controversial" take on baseball!

 

 

[USAFChief]

Kind of a big game tonight, IMO.

 

Don't want to make too much of it, but a win, and you're at 3-3 on this trip, with a real chance of coming home with a positive trip.

 

Lose, and you feel like you need a sweep in Chicago.  

 

The deficit is 2.5, which is bad enough.  Hate to see it get any larger.

 

Time to step up, Pelf.

[Ultima Ratio]

 

Kind of a big game tonight, IMO.

 

Don't want to make too much of it, but a win, and you're at 3-3 on this trip, with a real chance of coming home with a positive trip.

 

Lose, and you feel like you need a sweep in Chicago.  

 

The deficit is 2.5, which is bad enough.  Hate to see it get any larger.

 

Time to step up, Pelf.

Yeppers, need this to stay locked in -- mentally.

 

 

*auto spellcheck is suggested by my appetite (peppers).

[sampleSizeOfOne]

Kind of a big game tonight, IMO.

 

Don't want to make too much of it, but a win, and you're at 3-3 on this trip, with a real chance of coming home with a positive trip.

 

Lose, and you feel like you need a sweep in Chicago.  

 

The deficit is 2.5, which is bad enough.  Hate to see it get any larger.

 

Time to step up, Pelf.

Concur.

 

Up-stepping time for Mr. Pelfrey.

 

Here he comes...

[USAFChief]

Mauer takes two fastballs over the middle of the plate, ends up putting a tough pitch in play for an out.

 

That's odd.

[sampleSizeOfOne]

knotted at naught naught after 1.

 

CBU.

[Riverbrian]

 

 

6. Nunez 3B (ugh)

 

 

(ugh) When you put it in small letters and parenthesis around it. It means "Alright... One of top 5 hitters all year is finally in the lineup. 

 

So Yeah I'm with you. (ugh)

[twinsnorth49]

That was a hell of a swing there 'Duardo.

[Blake]

 

Mauer takes two fastballs over the middle of the plate, ends up putting a tough pitch in play for an out.

 

That's odd.

I love the smell of fresh sarcasm on a new thread.

[ScrapTheNickname]

 

(ugh) When you put it in small letters and parenthesis around it. It means "Alright... One of top 5 hitters all year is finally in the lineup. 

 

So Yeah I'm with you. (ugh)

I'm not sure if you're being sarcastic or Socratic on this.