Game Thread: ST game #22-Twins vs.Red Sox, 3/18 @ 10:05 am PT (12:05 pm CT)

[sampleSizeOfOne]

Books have intros that tell ya what's so good about 'em. Problem is, of course, that it turnsout not to be so good when it isn't a surprise. If ya already know the Butler did it before ya read the first chapter, that kinda puts a damper on some of the suspense.

 

So i encourage you to skip this intro and get right into the game thread...

 

That said, things to high five about:

 

Framed, i tell ya! Our pitching couldn't have improved that much, could it? Well tempered expectations are not too be discouraged, but where's the fun in that?

 

Buxton. He fast. Faster than the verb to be. Not exactly a slouch in linguistic terms. I'll slow down and get it right this time. He is fast.

 

Sano, Dozier, and Park have a propensity for what is commonly referred to as "the long ball"

I, for one, approve of souvenirs.

 

I have it on good authority that Kepler is the spiciest meme lord. One of those facts which, for some reason, once known, are hard to unknow, and apparently i have Jeopardy to thank for it.

 

Can Mauer now be considered underrated? And if folk think Dozier's last year a fluke, we may yet surprise someone. Hopefully me. I like surprises.

 

We are home. Rumor has it 76F and clear.

 

Boston Red Sox

 

P. Rick Porcello ( R)

 

1. Dustin Pedroia ( R) 2B

2. Andrew Benintendi (L) LF

3. Mookie Betts (R ) RF

4. Mitch Moreland (L) 1B

5. Chris Young ( R) DH

6. Jackie Bradley Jr. (L) CF

7. Pablo Sandoval (S) 3B

8. Brock Holt (L) SS

9. Blake Swihart (S) C

 

Minnesota Twins

 

P. Ryan Vogelsong (R )

 

1. Brian Dozier ( R) 2B

2. Byron Buxton (R ) CF

3. Joe Mauer (L) 1B

4. Miguel Sano ( R) 3B

5. Max Kepler (L) RF

6. ByungHo Park ( R) DH

7. Jorge Polanco (S) SS

8. Jason Castro (L) C

9. Danny Santana (S) LF

[sampleSizeOfOne]

Play bill!

 

Er, i mean play ball!

[ashbury]

Dozier leads off the bottom of the first with a clean single. Nice to see.

[ashbury]

... and then scores aggressively on Mauer's bingle.

[ashbury]

Kepler drives in Mauer and Sano with a triple. 3-0 Twins with one out in the bottom of the first - Circus Boy, are you listening?

[ashbury]

Kepler drives in Mauer and Sano with a triple. 3-0 Twins with one out in the bottom of the first - Circus Boy, are you listening?

[ashbury]

Yikes, Kepler gets his hand stepped on by Panda as he slides back into third on Park's groundout.

 

/edit - didn't harm his speed getting home on the wild pitch that came next. 4-0.

[Squirrel]

... and then scores aggressively on Mauer's bingle.

Was this a typo or is this new terminology describing Mauer's hit?

[Squirrel]

Yikes, Kepler gets his hand stepped on by Panda as he slides back into third on Park's groundout.

 

/edit - didn't harm his speed getting home on the wild pitch that came next. 4-0.

Uh oh ... Kepler is out of the game replaced by Grossman. Hope it's precautionary.

[ashbury]

Was this a typo or is this new terminology describing Mauer's hit?

So old, it's new again?

[ashbury]

Ladies and gentlemen, your non-left-fielder, Danny Santana!

 

/ for those not witnessing, he botched a routine-looking warning-track catch

 

 

[ashbury]

Red Sox broadcast team not in mid-season form, declaring that last catch in RF by Kepler instead of Gross, man.

[sampleSizeOfOne]

Was this a typo or is this new terminology describing Mauer's hit?

Yes.

 

But next time i hope Mauer can stretch it into a bouble...

[gil4]

 

Ladies and gentlemen, your non-left-fielder, Danny Santana!

 

/ for those not witnessing, he botched a routine-looking warning-track catch

Is he a non-left-fielder or a left-non-fielder?  You'd think after Sano in RF last year I would know this...

[sampleSizeOfOne]

Red Sox broadcast team not in mid-season form, declaring that last catch in RF by Kepler instead of Gross, man.

But two are so much alike...

 

And hopefully they still are, though Panda has tromped on a hand.

[ashbury]

Is he a non-left-fielder or a left-non-fielder? 

Yes^TM .

 

And I am hoping that by Opening Day he is Left Out.

[sampleSizeOfOne]

Is he a non-left-fielder or a left-non-fielder?  You'd think after Sano in RF last year I would know this...

Don't worry.

 

He'll make up for it with the bat.

 

And spring training is the time to get this sort of thing out of one's system.

[sampleSizeOfOne]

I am hoping that by Opening Day he is Left Out.

Or out right?

[ashbury]

Or out right?

Perhaps outrighted and Designated for Ass-whupping.

[sampleSizeOfOne]

Personally i hope Mr. Santana can find that BABIP magic he had at one point.

 

Maybe he could even share it.

 

And Spring Training is the time to quest for such things.

 

Anyway, i said i might do things, so i am off to do them, maybe.

 

Take good care of the game for me!

[ashbury]

 

Personally i hope Mr. Santana can find that BABIP magic he had at one point.

Maybe he could even share it.

And Spring Training is the time to quest for such things.

Anyway, i said i might do things, so i am off to do them, maybe.

Take good care of the game for me!

If he can find the secret to elevated BABIP, he'll go into the Hall of Fame for that alone.

 

I need to step away too. But I'm not worried. Vogelsong's got this.

 

 

[Craig Arko]

Any news on Kepler?

[Squirrel]

Any news on Kepler?

Yeah. Was going to ask that, too

[mickeymental]

ich bin ein berliner.

[Craig Arko]

ich bin ein berliner.

I can just imagine how that would sound coming from the current Potus.

 

Carry on.

[Squirrel]

 

Any news on Kepler?

Got this off the Twins' website:

 

• Twins right fielder Max Kepler exited Saturday's game against the Red Sox with an abrasion on his left pinkie when he slid into third base in the first inning. X-rays came back negative, and he's day-to-day.

[diehardtwinsfan]

Another sterling performance by Vogelsong.... 

[sampleSizeOfOne]

Got this off the Twins' website:

 

• Twins right fielder Max Kepler exited Saturday's game against the Red Sox with an abrasion on his left pinkie when he slid into third base in the first inning. X-rays came back negative, and he's day-to-day.

Thank ye kindly for the update.

 

Meanwhile, back on the field, we apparently lost us a lead.

 

CBu of Boston 12-5 after 9 innings.

 

But we'll come back during the post game interviews...

[ashbury]

But I'm not worried. Vogelsong's got this.

Another sterling performance by Vogelsong.... 

Called it.

[ashbury]

ich bin ein berliner.

You're a jelly doughnut?