Game Thread: Twins v Astros, May 31 @ 12:10pm CT

[Cap'n Piranha]

According to the Houston announcers, the Astros have now set a franchise record for most runs in a 3 game series.

[LaBombo]

 

I get the animosity toward Pressly, but he looked unhittable against Baltimore.  I gotta figure something is physically not right with the guy.  Belisle never looked like he had the stuff and I've always considered Breslow the junk baller that takes one for the team in a blowout.

So do I, and thus I find myself asking the question "What is he doing on a team that lost 103 games last season?"

[Mike Sixel]

anyone still want to argue that Houston isn't legit, or ahead of the Twins? How about the Cubs?

 

Those were fun arguments last year, and even for some, this year (on Houston).

[gocgo]

If it's my MLB debut, and I'm called in to pitch in a blowout, I'm really tempted to bean the first guy.  Who's gonna know?  I'm nervous and my heater got away from me.  Who can blame me?...it's my MLB debut, and my teammates are buying me beers after the game.

[wsnydes]

 

yeah the kid's been in this organization a long time, props...however, he hasn't hit 90 once today...again, soft tossing lefty, who is a below average pitcher at AAA, and he is pitching for us?

 

At some point the FO really has to be taken to task, if this is where we are at...needed to have a better plan.

I agree with you completely.  Given the circumstances I don't really have an issue with it, but like I said, I'm bothered that he was really the only young guy getting the call up.  I definitely agree that the FO should be racked over the coals for this and there needs to be a better plan.  This has been an embarrassing series to say the least.

[jud6312]

Yikes. I forgot they were playing a day game today and just hopped online to check the score.

 

I see Pressly's doing Pressly things and he apparently rubbed off on Duffey, Henry Santiago remembered that he's Henry Santiago and Wheeler is doing his best to channel the ghost of Pat Dean, but what else did I miss?

[MangLitch]

Can the AAA & AA prospects (real prospects) be much worse?

 

What do we really have to lose at this point. I know I would be entertained by a group of kids throwing 96+ out of the pen. 

 

[Cap'n Piranha]

Also, even the Astro announcers have become bored.  They are recounting how Jason Wheeler's wedding was in the NY Times, and then proceeded to recap a news story about a box truck and a fish truck colliding.

[yarnivek1972]

I get the animosity toward Pressly, but he looked unhittable against Baltimore. I gotta figure something is physically not right with the guy. Belisle never looked like he had the stuff and I've always considered Breslow the junk baller that takes one for the team in a blowout.

10 extra base hits in 18 IP. 5 HR. That's two months of bad with a couple bright spots. IMO, it's the direct result of being overused and abused by the guy with the 4 on his jersey.

[jud6312]

 

So do I, and thus I find myself asking the question "What is he doing on a team that lost 103 games last season?"

Plenty of chances to be the guy falling on the proverbial grenade?

[Broker]

I think I'm clinically depressed.

[mickeymental]

 

Yikes. I forgot they were playing a day game today and just hopped online to check the score.

 

I see Pressly's doing Pressly things and he apparently rubbed off on Duffey, Henry Santiago remembered that he's Henry Santiago and Wheeler is doing his best to channel the ghost of Pat Dean, but what else did I miss?

other than that, mrs. lincoln, how was the play?

[Kwak]

To think Monday's loss was only by 8.

[LaBombo]

The bullpen will rightly take the brunt of the frustration from this series, but seeing Santiago get slapped around again should help the more optimistic fans continue to grasp the absurdity of the notion that the rotation is just a fifth starter away from leading the charge to a Central Division crown.

 

Sorry if that sounds overly negative, but I promised Aggies yesterday that I would stand in for him with some negativity in today's game thread.

 

Unfortunately, it's also true.

[Mike Sixel]

It's funny how much baseball has been in these last few gameday threads. I blame the serious fans/posts, frankly. No team is this bad. It's some kind of jinx, I tell you.

[LaBombo]

 

Yikes. I forgot they were playing a day game today and just hopped online to check the score.

 

I see Pressly's doing Pressly things and he apparently rubbed off on Duffey, Henry Santiago remembered that he's Henry Santiago and Wheeler is doing his best to channel the ghost of Pat Dean, but what else did I miss?

 

Dozier's hair went deep.  Other than that, you really nailed it.

[Mike Sixel]

 

Dozier's hair went deep.

 

Rosario is hitting the ball hard today.

[LaBombo]

 

Rosario is hitting the ball hard today.

Good add.  He's over .260 now.

[bighat]

 

Rosario is hitting the ball hard today.

 

Buxton got a hit and stole a base.  He's got 9 now and is stealing with frequency.

[rghrbek]

 

Rosario is hitting the ball hard today.

Good!

Probably started hearing about a college age up and comer in Chattanooga playing LF?

[rghrbek]

 

Good add.  He's over .260 now.

Also guessing he's upped his OB% to over .280...

[gocgo]

Buxton is now over the Mendoza line...that's a good thing.  We play better on the road and we're leaving town, so that's a good thing.  Uhmmmm, that's all I got...that's my attempt at a positive spin.

[jud6312]

At least it's nice to see the Twins' 48th round pick of 2008 plays well at Target Field.

[yarnivek1972]

Two outfield errors today. And neither by Grossman. Looks like they mailed it in with this pitching staff.

[jud6312]

 

Dozier's hair went deep.  Other than that, you really nailed it.

 

The Stros thought they could keep that luxurious mane in check for a full series? I don't think so ... Houston, we have a problem.

[Cap'n Piranha]

 

10 extra base hits in 18 IP. 5 HR. That's two months of bad with a couple bright spots. IMO, it's the direct result of being overused and abused by the guy with the 4 on his jersey.

 

I don't know about that--from the start of the season through yesterday, there have been 56 days, and he's made 21 appearances, so he's averaging more than a day of rest in between appearances; he's also only pitched back-to-back 5 times this year.  Until this past Sunday and Monday, he had never thrown more than 28 pitches in any two day span, and 44 is his max for any 3 day span--that's not a crazy workload.  By the end of his 6th appearance (which was on the 14th day of the year), his ERA was over 8, so fatigue is not it, unless he can't be allowed to pitch more than every 3rd to 4th day, which is a problem.  Let's just call this what it is--Pressly is a Blind Squirrel.

[LaBombo]

 

Also guessing he's upped his OB% to over .280...

 

Sadly his triples count has not kept pace with his torrid walk rate this season, so there's little chance he'll be able to match his spectacularly odd 2015 feat of matching triples and walks totals.  15, I think it was.

[LaBombo]

 

Two outfield errors today. And neither by Grossman. 

 

See, there's a positive! You just have to know where to look.

 

And be able to squint so hard your eyelids ache.

[jimbo92107]

Man, another reliever debacle. Is there anything at all in the minors? Jay? Chargois? Hildenberger? Bueller?

[Cap'n Piranha]

 

The bullpen will rightly take the brunt of the frustration from this series, but seeing Santiago get slapped around again should help the more optimistic fans continue to grasp the absurdity of the notion that the rotation is just a fifth starter away from leading the charge to a Central Division crown.

 

Sorry if that sounds overly negative, but I promised Aggies yesterday that I would stand in for him with some negativity in today's game thread.

 

Unfortunately, it's also true.

 

This.  So much this.  Anyone clamoring for the FO to give up prospects in order to try and fix the bullpen needs to have their head examined.  We are nowhere near ready to compete with the Astros, or probably the Yankees/Red Sox.

 

Before this series, I thought the Twins would need 10 games to get 4 wins against the Stros.  Now I think it's more like 13 or 14.