Article: Game Thread: Twins@Cleveland, 6/23@6:10pm CT

[Riverbrian]

Ok… it's Cleveland again, but this time the Twins are on the road where they rule.

It’s hard to describe how I’m feeling at this point of this season. Most seasons are a roller coaster but this one hasn’t been roller coaster-ish at all… More like a drive across the plains. As far as wins and losses it’s been consistent 500ish play in all 3 months. No roller coaster at all… It’s been like driving across Kansas.

Nobody wants to drive across Kansas.

Here are some things to think about:

 

1. Cleveland – The modern golf ball was invented in Cleveland. In 1898 some guy named Coburn Haskell found some rubber thread at the BF Goodrich plant and wound it into a ball and started bouncing it around when another guy named Bertram Work saw him bouncing it and said that he should put a cover on it and that was how the game of golf changed forever. Years later Cleveland impacted golf again by producing Tim Conway and Dorf.

2. Our Twins – After the 9-0 loss the Twins run differential is now at -49. They are still two games above .500 and yesterday’s shut out was also the first time that the team has been shut out all year. Those two things don’t suggest a -49 run differential until you factor in that Chris Gimenez has now pitched 6 times this year.

3. The Indians – They have gotten on that roll that everybody in the world has said they were capable of being on. If they win the last 92 games of the year like everybody in the world said they were capable of doing. They will finish the year with 130 wins and that means the Twins will probably fall out of the race around mid-September.

4. Today’s Joe M Conversation

McCarthy: What’s wrong, Joe? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.

Mauer: He’s looking right at you, Joe… we all see a ghost right now.

Montana: Hold on, Joe… Joe is right… something is wrong with Joe.

McCarthy: What’s wrong, Joe?

Maddon: I don’t know how this happened. I just spoke with my agent… my drug test results have come back… what am I gonna say to the press?

Mauer: What?

Montana: That is not possible… there has to be a mistake.

McCarthy: I knew it… that explains everything. I’ve seen those lineups you put together.

Maddon: I’m clean… I’ve always been clean... and still the test came back negative.

Mauer: You passed… you’re fine.

Maddon: Negative… it came back negative!

Montana: Negative is good… you passed… you’re fine.

Maddon: That makes no sense… are you sure?

Montana: I’m positive.

5. 3 Story House – I grew up in a 3 story house… I was once on the 2nd floor while my Mom was on the 3rd floor and my Dad was on the 1st floor. They both asked me where I was at the exact same time and I decided not to answer them. I knew that answering with upstairs or downstairs had immediate clarity issues.
____________________

Lineups:

TWINS
Brian Dozier 2B
Joe Mauer 1B
Kennys Vargas DH
Max Kepler RF
Eduardo Escobar 3B
Eddie Rosario LF
Jorge Polanco SS
Jason Castro C
Byron Buxton CF

Adalberto Mejia P

CLEVELAND
Jason Kipnis 2B
Erik Gonzalez 3B
Francisco Lindor SS
Edwin Encarnacion DH
Carlos Santana 1B
Austin Jackson CF
Lonnie Chisenhall RF
Roberto Perez C
Daniel Robertson LF

Trevor Bauer P

Weather: Hmmm ... well ... it could rain. 50% chance by 7pm CT, but, if not, it'll be 73 deg, cloudy, with winds around 12mph from the WSW.

Click here to view the article

[bighat]

Dillon Gee and Trevor Hildenberger are on the way up to join the Twins today. Adrianza to the DL, and Turley optioned to AAA.  Good to see both of the new Twins arrive, frankly.  This team should be playing with all they've got this weekend....

 

Huge series.

[sampleSizeOfOne]

Ok…

 

Nobody wants to drive across Kansas.

 

...

 

 

Disproof by counter example: me. I want to drive through Kansas. And i'll do it too! Just watch me!

 

Er... on second thought, there might not be room in the car for all ye all. And i wouldn't feel bad if you didn't want to ride in a car through Kansas... Especially with me driving... You might get tired of my music.

 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmaBPAldQEE

 

I got family and/or friends in the greater Denver area, with Kansas being roughly betwen me and them. And last time i checked, Kansas was one of the few states that allow you to camp at rest stops for up to 24 hours... I do mildly prefer to go east. It makes me think i get better gas mileage to go both downhill and with the prevailing westerlies.

[Mike Sixel]

Driving thru Kansas is the best part of being in Kansas. 

[gocgo]

I feel like I really only need to watch the Twins on the days when Erv and The Machine pitch.  It's tough to be down about the Chicago series...we won the series!  The 9-0 loss didn't bother me as much as watching Turley try to throw fastball after fastball (93 mph) past MLB hitters and then watching them fly over the fence or get smoked.  And then I start thinking that there wasn't anyone in the minors better than him?  That's when the depression sets in.  It makes be wonder when Gimenez is going to get to start a ballgame on the mound.

[Respy]

Some matchups to watch today:

 

• During the last series between the Indians and Twins, Jose Ramirez went 11 for 18 (a mere .611) and is on a 10-game hitting streak with 9 of the last 10 being multi-hit efforts (and 5 of the 10 being 3-hit games!).
• Brian Dozier is only 4 for 32 lifetime against Trevor Bauer.  With Adrianza going to the DL, will Molitor play the statistics and keep hot-hitting Eduardo Escobar in the lineup by giving Escobar or Polanco a rare start at second base?
• Miguel Sano 2 for 23 (.087) with 11 K's against Bauer and his nasty breaking pitches.  Sano also went 0 for 4 with 3 K's yesterday. Does Escobar play third base today?
• Joe Mauer is 12 for 37 (.324) lifetime against Bauer.  Sound pretty typical?  Well, 8 of those 12 hits are extra-base hits (7 doubles and 1 HR) which gives Joe a sweet .595 slugging% in the matchup. 
• Look for Molitor to try and get Rosario (10 for 25 against Bauer) and Vargas (8 for 18 against Bauer) into the lineup.  With Joe likely at first, Vargas would need to DH and if Grossman plays, that could mean a day off for Buxton or Kepler.
• Mejia is 1-0 this year in games that start at 6:10pm CST (c'mon, I had to find some kind of positive sign for him).

 

• Twins X-Factor: The bullpen.  Will we see Gee or Hildenberger pitch today immediately after the callup?  Mejia is averaging 4 innings per start.  The Twins bullpen is the worst in baseball at 5.20 ERA. Maybe the Twins should invest some money in US Patent 3247859: Anti-Implosion Device.
• Indians X-Factor: The bullpen.  Indians bullpen is the best in the league at 2.56 ERA.

My Magic 8-ball says: Indians win 11-6.

 

[Squirrel]

 

Some matchups to watch today:

 

• During the last series between the Indians and Twins, Jose Ramirez went 11 for 18 (a mere .611) and is on a 10-game hitting streak with 9 of the last 10 being multi-hit efforts (and 5 of the 10 being 3-hit games!).
• Brian Dozier is only 4 for 32 lifetime against Trevor Bauer.  With Adrianza going to the DL, will Molitor play the statistics and keep hot-hitting Eduardo Escobar in the lineup by giving Escobar or Polanco a rare start at second base?
• Miguel Sano 2 for 23 (.087) with 11 K's against Bauer and his nasty breaking pitches.  Sano also went 0 for 4 with 3 K's yesterday. Does Escobar play third base today?
• Joe Mauer is 12 for 37 (.324) lifetime against Bauer.  Sound pretty typical?  Well, 8 of those 12 hits are extra-base hits (7 doubles and 1 HR) which gives Joe a sweet .595 slugging% in the matchup. 
• Look for Molitor to try and get Rosario (10 for 25 against Bauer) and Vargas (8 for 18 against Bauer) into the lineup.  With Joe likely at first, Vargas would need to DH and if Grossman plays, that could mean a day off for Buxton or Kepler.
• Mejia is 1-0 this year in games that start at 6:10pm CST (c'mon, I had to find some kind of positive sign for him).

 

• Twins X-Factor: The bullpen.  Will we see Gee or Hildenberger pitch today immediately after the callup?  Mejia is averaging 4 innings per start.  The Twins bullpen is the worst in baseball at 5.20 ERA. Maybe the Twins should invest some money in US Patent 3247859: Anti-Implosion Device.
• Indians X-Factor: The bullpen.  Indians bullpen is the best in the league at 2.56 ERA.

My Magic 8-ball says: Indians win 11-6.

 

Chief and I are still waiting for that PM from you letting us know which game threads you want to sign up for!

[Squirrel]

 

You might get tired of my music.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmaBPAldQEE
 

Yeah ... I think after about 30 minutes I might suggest plugging in my iPad for a while ... like the rest of the trip.

[Dave The Dastardly]

I have driven through Kansas numerous times. It was sort of like a "why did the chicken cross the road" thing: I needed to get to the other side.

 

Now Nebraska; let me tell you about driving through Nebraska. The first time I did it was back in the 1970's. In a pickup truck without air - not the air you need to breathe, the air you need to keep your cool. I really had no intention of being in Nebraska. It was just in the way of me getting to Colorado and escaping my in-laws for a couple of weeks.

 

It was July. Mid-day temps were barely south of 100, humidity was like having a wet blanket slapping you in the face. I had both windows open but the resultant breeze was akin to sticking your head into a blast furnace. I had the Platte on my left, a paltry line of scrubby trees hiding its muddy brown waters. To the right were relatively flat parched pastures, an occasional forlorn cow contemplating suicide and on the western horizon a line of railroad cars stretching from here to eternity.

 

An hour later I was in the same place despite my gas gauge having dropped a notch. Two hours later I was in the same place, despite what my odometer was telling me. Three hours later, with the sun now shining in my eyes and bringing the cab temperature up around 150 degrees, I started to wonder if I had died and gone to Hell, condemned to spend eternity in a hot truck driving through Nebraska with the Platte river hiding behind skinny trees on my left and long trains that either never ended or weren't moving on my right. Four hours later I was still in the same place and I was contemplating suicide along with the forlorn cows.

 

Then, just after I'd begun pawing through the cab with the thin hope that I'd left a pistol under the seat (I didn't even own a pistol) that I could use to end it all, I caught a glimpse of dark shadows on the western horizon that slowly grew in size. Mountains!

 

Laughing deliriously, I eased the truck up to 90 mph. Salvation was mine!

 

Until I got stopped by a highway cop.

 

I've crossed Nebraska a half dozen times since, but always at night. In an air-conditioned vehicle. At the speed limit.

 

Crossing Nebraska is sort of like being a Twins fan; it's a long and endless journey, the scenery never seems to change and just when you think you've finally suffered enough, something comes along to dash your hopes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[wsnydes]

Timing is everything when driving across Kansas, Nebraska and the eastern half of the Dakotas.  It can actually be pretty scenic if you hit it when the fields are lush and green and/or the prairie flowers are blooming.  Other than that, all bets are off.

[sampleSizeOfOne]

Yeah ... I think after about 30 minutes I might suggest plugging in my iPad for a while ... like the rest of the trip.

I'd be totally fine. Car might complain. I don't drive a particularly tech savvy car. But actually i imagine ipad speakers are also good enough.

 

Nah, i learned that song from a library cd of music used on car talk, and put it on repeat for perhaps 30 minutes until i thought i'd got each part down.

 

I know, i'm a slow learner. But now i don't need the cd. Or the internet.

[Pardon My Dinger]

Driving thru Kansas is the best part of being in Kansas.

Dude. I recently drove all the way through Kansas. All the way. From the northeast corner to the southwest corner. I do not concur with this statement.

[kdrupp09]

 

Dude. I recently drove all the way through Kansas. All the way. From the northeast corner to the southwest corner. I do not concur with this statement.

 

Driving from Kentucky to Minnesota, you see a lot of "Kansas" type scenery, but at least there is usually a Twins game at the end of the trip to brighten it up.

[kdrupp09]

 

I feel like I really only need to watch the Twins on the days when Erv and The Machine pitch.  It's tough to be down about the Chicago series...we won the series!  The 9-0 loss didn't bother me as much as watching Turley try to throw fastball after fastball (93 mph) past MLB hitters and then watching them fly over the fence or get smoked.  And then I start thinking that there wasn't anyone in the minors better than him?  That's when the depression sets in.  It makes be wonder when Gimenez is going to get to start a ballgame on the mound.

 

Gimenez can't be much worse then what they have been trotting out there outside of Santana and Berrios, right?  And that in itself is depressing.

[Pardon My Dinger]

 

Driving from Kentucky to Minnesota, you see a lot of "Kansas" type scenery, but at least there is usually a Twins game at the end of the trip to brighten it up.

Sure, that's a nice treat. 

 

Your reward at the end of 10 hours of Kansas? North Texas. 

[Dantes929]

 

Gimenez can't be much worse then what they have been trotting out there outside of Santana and Berrios, right?  And that in itself is depressing.

Since his demotion Gibson is 3-1 with a 4.56 ERA.    I think he is throwing his curve ball more which is a good thing.    Pretty much what we want out of a back of the rotation guy or even our 3 guy right now.    Still think they should bring up Gonsalves.    Pitching great and might as well get the 1st taste out of the way at a time when there is less pressure in the sense that all our other #4 and 5 options are getting blown away.

[yarnivek1972]

Driving thru Kansas is the best part of being in Kansas.

Gold is just the windy Kansas wheat fields. Blue is just the Kansas summer sky...

[sampleSizeOfOne]

Sure, that's a nice treat.

 

Your reward at the end of 10 hours of Kansas? North Texas.

I forget my geography sometimes...

 

But i remember my*...

 

Oklahoma!

 

*song cue... queue song.

[sampleSizeOfOne]

Speaking of which, how did the altitude a pachyderm's optical apparatus become a measurement of agracultural growth?

[yarnivek1972]

Maybe it's just me, but the Twins TV network actively promoting Wisconsin Dells in pregame (and usually some during the game) pieces bugs me. Why not partner with tourist spots in Minnesota? North Shore? Mississippi River Wineries? Walnut Grove and the Laura Ingalls pagaent? I'm sure there is no shortage. I'm sure they would welcome the exposure. Explore MINNESOTA!

[Pardon My Dinger]

 

I forget my geography sometimes...

But i remember my*...

Oklahoma!

*song cue... queue song.

Oh yeah. Wrong panhandle. Get to seem 'em both, one after the other. Endless fun. 

[sampleSizeOfOne]

Oh yeah. Wrong panhandle. Get to seem 'em both, one after the other. Endless fun.

Ah, is that where the term panhandling comes from?

 

Yeah, not much to distinguish.

 

It just felt like a fun quibling opportunity.

 

Oh yeah. the game seems to have started.

[PDX Twin]

 

I've crossed Nebraska a half dozen times since, but always at night. In an air-conditioned vehicle. At the speed limit.

 

Crossing Nebraska is sort of like being a Twins fan; it's a long and endless journey, the scenery never seems to change and just when you think you've finally suffered enough, something comes along to dash your hopes.

 

 

Best thing about driving across Nebraska nowadays is the 80 mph speed limit! In fact, that may be the only good thing. But it makes all the bad things more tolerable.

[Pardon My Dinger]

Ah, is that where the term panhandling comes from?

 

Yeah, not much to distinguish.

 

It just felt like a fun quibling opportunity.

 

Oh yeah. the game seems to have started.

In your opinion, does minnesota have a 'panhandle'? I submit that it does, right at the tippy top there.

[yarnivek1972]

One more bite of Wheaties today...

[yarnivek1972]

In your opinion, does minnesota have a 'panhandle'? I submit that it does, right at the tippy top there.

Except that it is mostly water.

[Pardon My Dinger]

Except that it is mostly water.

I wasn't asking you.

[Circus Boy]

Bauer's having trouble finding the plate first pitch. We should tee off on him.

[Jerr]

So happy that the Twins are:

 

[Riverbrian]

POLANCO