Game Thread: ST Game #14, Twins @ Cardinals, 3/14 @ 12:05pm CT

[Squirrel]

This game is being televised on the MLB Network today, if you get it ... which means it will likely be streamed for free, yes? Anyway ... I will get to watch it on a real TV today. Yay!

 

Lineups:

 

TWINS

Polanco 2B

Rosario CF

Plouffe 3B

Vargas DH

Park 1B

Arcia LF

Escobar SS

Hicks C

Kepler RF

 

Milone P

 

CARDINALS

Carpenter 3B

Piscotty RF

Holliday 1B

Grichuk CF

Gyorko SS

Adams DH

Garcia, A LF

Garcia, G 2B

Molina C

 

Leake P

 

Umpires: Buckner (h), Hernandez (1), Estabrook (2), DeJesus (3)

[Brock Beauchamp]

Twins running their B/C squad out there today.

 

Which, in some ways, is more interesting to watch than their A squad.

[Squirrel]

 

Twins running their B/C squad out there today.

 

Which, in some ways, is more interesting to watch than their A squad.

Yeah, actually, it is. It's some of those players that are still 'undecided,' so I'd almost rather see what they do than the ones we know 'for sure.'

[Riverbrian]

Leake looks sharp

 

However... someone should tell him that pitchers don't wear single digit numbers in the show

[scottz]

Did we win yet?

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

Did we win yet?

The offense is definitely scaring - but not making contact with - the ball.

[Platoon]

Every time I look to see if Sano is playing RF, he isn't. It might just be coincidence, but shouldn't he be getting every inning he can out there? I truly like Kepler, but he has as much chance as me of being on the opening roster. (Maybe less, my service time will never be an issue! )

[Riverbrian]

Milone also looking sharp

 

and... double digits on his back. 

[Platoon]

Milone also looking sharp

 

and... double digits on his back.

 

Twice the pitcher!

[USAFChief]

 

Milone also looking sharp

 

and... double digits on his back. 

You just wait till he has a couple starts where he doesn't look sharp, and see how many folks are on his back.  

 

More than double digits, I guarantee.

[Linus]

How many times will we miss the cutoff man?

[Blake]

I honestly don't get some of the barbs slung at Milone. Milone reminds me of a Mark Buerhle, in that he's someone who will take the ball every 5 days and, if given the chance, will pitch 200 innings a year with an ERA around 4.

 

Is Milone a front line starter? No. However, it seems some people think the #4 or #5 pitcher should pitch like a #1 starter.*

 

*Edited due to bad initial editing. Editing my editing, as it were.

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

I honestly don't get some of the barbs slung at Milone. Milone reminds me of a Mark Buerhle, in that he's someone who will take the ball every 5 days and, if given the chance, will pitch 200 innings a year with an ERA around 4.

 

Is Milone a front line starter? No. However, it seems some people think the #4 or #5 pitcher should pitch like a #1 starter.*

 

*Edited due to bad initial editing. Editing my editing, as it were.

Tommy Milone is not, and never will be, in the league of Mark Buerhle (Buerhle was a consistent 2/3 guy, Milone will never be better than a 4 and slots in best as a 5).

 

But yeah, your general point stands. He receives far too much flak because he's not a sexy stat guy.

 

He gets the job done and should be in the rotation until he stops getting the job done or is traded.

[Halsey Hall]

 

Every time I look to see if Sano is playing RF, he isn't. It might just be coincidence, but shouldn't he be getting every inning he can out there? I truly like Kepler, but he has as much chance as me of being on the opening roster. (Maybe less, my service time will never be an issue! )

Sano has a tweeked ankle.

[Platoon]

Sano has a tweeked ankle.

I did not know that. Is this the cause of the infamous Sacemonto phot controversy?

[Halsey Hall]

No. And I don't think it's bad. Santana starts tomorrow in the minors. Should be fun!

[stringer bell]

Watched the truncated replay this afternoon/evening. Some thoughts:

 

Arcia looks faster and more athletic. So far, he hasn't hit, but I think he will be much better this year.

 

Does Hicks have a chance of beating out Murphy? He's done well so far, and Murphy has been unspectacular.

 

Vargas is notably trimmer, but so to are his early batting stats.

 

It looks like the Park signing will at least be okay.

 

Aaron Thompson has been bad so far. O'Rourke was unimpressive today, but has been pretty good. Alex Meyer still doesn't look fluid on the mound.

 

No Tommy Milone isn't another Mark Buehrle, but he's quite a functional pitcher. Milone hasn't shown the kind of durability or the ability to consistently pitch deep into games, but he's capable. I think he's a better starting pitcher today than Duffey, May, Nolasco and Berrios. He deserved the inside track for a rotation spot coming in and so far has kept that track.