Game Thread, Twins @ Tigers, 9/26

[NoCryingInBaseball]

Game Thread: Twins @ Tigers, 9/26 6:08pm CT

Never started a game thread before, so let’s give it a go…The Twins play the second game of the series with Detroit tonight. Here are some things to think about:

 

1. Last night’s loss to Detroit clearly falls into the woulda, coulda, shoulda category. Less than 10 games remaining in the season and the team seems to be trying to limp toward the finish line. The Twins held a 4-1 lead into the seventh inning, but another short outing from Pelfrey then a cluster fumble by the bullpen….judges, what say you?

 

 

2. Technically, the team can still make it to the wild card one-game playoff. Although they have slipped to fourth, place now that the Angles have leap-frogged over the Twins, they are only a game and a half out of a playoff spot. Tomorrow is the beginning of the last week of the season and the twins are STILL playing relevant baseball!

3. Today’s pitcher is Tyler Duffey. I did not pay much of attention to him at the beginning of the year and now I have started to feel like he is about the best in the team’s rotation to send out every 5th start. I now have him included as a likely starter in next year’s rotation.

4. This season was supposed to be a devilment year when many prospects make their way to the “Bigs” and begin to learn how to adjust to “The Show”. I think everyone is in agreement that the Twins surprised everyone that their ahead of schedule and some of the young guys (Rosario, Sano) are here to stay, Hicks isn’t a complete flop and that Escobar can play a decent short stop.

5. They may not cross the finish line as a playoff team, but the fact that they are playing relevant baseball the last week of the regular season is great learning experience for the young guys!

 

 

--------------------

Game-time forecast: 71 degrees F, partly cloudy with 0% chance of precipitation, winds from the ESE at 11 mph.

 

Lineups:

 

TWINS

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

 

Duffey P 4-1, 3.15 ERA

 

TIGERS

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9

Simon (not Paul) P 13-10, 5.21 ERA

 

Go Twins!

[DaveW]

I would give Kepler and Vargas starts today.

[glunn]

I share Dave's desire to see Kepler start.  Vargas not as much.

[Craig Arko]

Texas-Houston 4-4 after five.

[ScrapTheNickname]

 

I would give Kepler and Vargas starts today.

The Twins need to 8-1. As soon as they lose 2 games, then Kepler gets his shot.

[ScrapTheNickname]

Houston won today. Twins down by 2 games. No band-aid will fix this but an 8-1 run. Until they lose 2 I'm on board. Then it's breathe easy, a fun year, wait til next year, let's see Kepler, etc. And in a week it's over. Start warming up the stove.

[Danchat]

Just came out today that Tiger's manager Brad Ausmus is keeping his job for 2016.

 

That's too bad... I wanted to see Gardy coach them.

[sampleSizeOfOne]

I share Dave's desire to see Kepler start.  Vargas not as much.

I'd be satisfied with the Twins putting up a 10 spot early on so that the late innings offer a low pressure intro to the bigs.

 

Seems like line ups are (up, that is) and we don't get to see either yet...

 

Halftime for the Gophers' game, and it's a game.

 

Oh, and if folk don't know, Astros apparently defeated the Rangers 9-7

 

And Liriano got the win in a potential preview o' the NL Wild card. Good for Liriano!

 

CBU... 2ish hours until the game starts.

[NoCryingInBaseball]

 

 

Haven't

figured out how to edit yet.....

 

Good Guys:

Dozier

Mauer

Sano

Plouffe

Rosario

Hunter

Hicks

Suzuki

Escobar

 

Udder guys:

Gose

Kinsler

Cabrera

V-Mart

JD-Mart

Castellanos

McCann

Machado

Davis

 

[Craig Arko]

Won't be able to watch much of this one, so go get 'em, guys!

[USAFChief]

Nice job, NoCrying!

 

Much appreciated!

[USAFChief]

Big inning in progress...then the dreaded DP ball.

 

sigh.

[sampleSizeOfOne]

 

Big inning in progress...then the dreaded DP ball.

 

sigh.

 

Plouffe increase his MLB lead, if i'm not mistaken?

 

I'll won't bemoan him that. I'm sure he'll find something to do to make up for it.

[sampleSizeOfOne]

CBU game is maximizing the double play potential. After 1 inning, 2 double plays, Twins lead 1-0.

 

(Still tryin' to figure out how you get more than two per inning.)

[spinowner]

 

CBU game is maximizing the double play potential. After 1 inning, 2 double plays, Twins lead 1-0.

(Still tryin' to figure out how you get more than two per inning.)

Maybe there's some quirky way you can tie together the third out of the top of an inning and the first out of the bottom of the inning.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

 

Plouffe increase his MLB lead, if i'm not mistaken?

 

I'll won't bemoan him that. I'm sure he'll find something to do to make up for it.

He can learn to build sailboats when he's traded to the San Diego Padres in the offseason.*

 

 

* Just one possibility. Not saying its the most likely possibility 

[DaveW]

Gotta bring home Escobar here.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

done

[DaveW]

Dozier has looked so so so much better as of late.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

yeah that was a pop fly to almost the left center warning track.

 

Another millimeter down the barrel and it's a 450-foot bomb

[sampleSizeOfOne]

Dozier has looked so so so much better as of late.

He's played better too.

[DrNeau]

Nice gapper by Escobar to start the third for a triple. Dozier follows with a sac fly. 2-0 Twins. Duffey looking sharp again. Love this kid. 

[sampleSizeOfOne]

Sadly, Plouffe will not be able to increase his total this inning.

 

But at least he can advance Sano.

[sampleSizeOfOne]

Sadly, Plouffe will not be able to increase his total this inning.

 

But at least he can advance Sano.

Or not, i suppose.

 

I hereby decree Plouffe is only allowed to cause even numbers of outs from the plate.

 

Not that anyone will listen to me.

 

Oh yeah. 2-0 halfway through 3, Twins are ahead.

 

CBU

[spinowner]

So here's something for your brains to do while watching the game: To the nearest inch, what is the distance between home plate and first base? Hint: it's not 90 feet, 0 inches.

[jimbo92107]

After his second scoreless inning, Tyler Duffey stomped off the mound with an angry expletive. That was ambition. Duffey wants to be better than good; he wants to be completely dominant. I think he could get there.

[DrNeau]

 

So here's something for your brains to do while watching the game: To the nearest inch, what is the distance between home plate and first base? Hint: it's not 90 feet, 0 inches.

89 feet, 4.5 inches.

If the base itself is 15 inches, 7.5 inches (1/2) of that base would impede into the 90 feet from home to first. Hence the 89' 4.5".

 

[spinowner]

 

89 feet, 4.5 inches.

If the base itself is 15 inches, 7.5 inches (1/2) of that base would impede into the 90 feet from home to first. Hence the 89' 4.5".

Incorrect. I recommend looking up the dimensions of a base, the dimensions of home plate and the position of home plate and first base within an infield.

[sampleSizeOfOne]

Incorrect. I recommend looking up the dimensions of a base, the dimensions of home plate and the position of home plate and first base within an infield.

Oh, it's a research project?

 

I was figuring it was a geometry project...

 

Or do we have to do research before we do geometry?

[DrNeau]

 

Incorrect. I recommend looking up the dimensions of a base, the dimensions of home plate and the position of home plate and first base within an infield.

Hmm. I thought I had it. Neat trivia question. I'm stumped.