Game Thread: Twins @ Rays 4/22 @ 12:10 PM CT

[Riverbrian]

 

Twins are 26/30 with 0.197.  Giants are the bottom at 0.170.

 

It's just takes some focus.

 

I'm confident that If they try... they can catch the Giants. 

[Vanimal46]

Smoke and mirrored his way to 3.1 IP.

[LaBombo]

Good to see LaMarre get some much-needed rest, what with his Babip dipping below .900.

 

But at least there's no chatter on the game thread about 1.000 being "unsustainable" and whatnot. We follow a team that has mid-April ball games postponed due to a foot of snow... do we really need math nerds crushing our wildly unrealistic daydreams about fringey Twins players making statistical history?

[USAFChief]

http://themetapicture.com/media/funny-old-American-protesters.jpg

 

Teacher strike here in Arizona. Their demands seem reasonable to me.

[ewen21]

 

This is why most players only give standard cliches while being interviewed.

 

Any time they step off the script... they are judged and usually judged harshly. 

 

My wife once asked me if I liked the Tuna Fish Jello she made. If I would have consulted my Public Relations guy before responding, I would have been advised to say

 

"We are taking this one meal at a time" 

"I have nothing but the utmost respect for this Tuna Fish Jello".

"You are always the first one in the Kitchen and the last one out" 

"You have always done all the little things right". 

 

 

Instead... I made a comment about not combining the Tuna and the Jello and I learned my lesson. The next time I did a much better job responding to her question when she made Tapioca Fish Sticks.

He got judged harshly by me and that is the price of admission when you are paid to play a sport for millions of dollars.  He's a big boy.  I think he has weathered harder stuff than me.

[Mill1634]

Very nice job using Pressly right here

[LaBombo]

 

It really does not matter if he bats right or left.

 

Common misconception, but Fangraphs says that when he bats lefty, he's way more likely to get conked in the melon.

 

So... there's that.

[USAFChief]

 

Very nice job using Pressly right here

I'm actually shocked Molitor pulled Hughes. 

[sampleSizeOfOne]

Hey. We're not losing.

 

I like.

[Nine of twelve]

Pressly has been a brick wall. One of the most positive of positives so far this season.

[Vanimal46]

What do you know? Molitor made the right call!

[LaBombo]

 

I'm actually shocked Molitor pulled Hughes. 

 

Misread that as "shocked Molitor pulled a Hughes", and feared the worst...

 

http://betrending.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Howard-Hughes.jpg

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

Smoke and mirrored his way to 3.1 IP.

just enough to get one more start, I'm guessing

[Mill1634]

Castro has been horrible

[Vanimal46]

just enough to get one more start, I'm guessing

Of course! Even though Dick N Bert were raving about his arm strength returning, he needs more time to ramp up!

[LaBombo]

 

Castro has been horrible

 

Yup, JFK was right.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

Of course! Even though Dick N Bert were raving about his arm strength returning, he needs more time to ramp up!

I shudder

[USAFChief]

 

Of course! Even though Dick N Bert were raving about his arm strength returning, he needs more time to ramp up!

Actually the spin morphed to "you don't have to throw 95 if you hit your spots."

[LaBombo]

Mauer on pace to set the MLB record for highest ratio of unintentional walks to homers for a player over 4 feet tall.

[LaBombo]

 

I shudder

Me too, but I'm also doing aerobic shuddering as a new fitness routine anyway, so... two birds, one stone, etc.

[jud6312]

 

I'm actually shocked Molitor pulled Hughes. 

Someone must have texted him to let him know.

[jud6312]

Man, Robert just mashes lefties.

[Brock Beauchamp]

I was looking at Hughes' velocity in GameDay and it looked a tick faster than what we saw last year (88-90mph last year, more like 90-91 this year).

 

But I assume he still looked pretty bad. What are everyone's thoughts?

[USAFChief]

 

Needed "Grossman RBI double" to complete Twingo coverall.

[Blake]

 

It's also flabbergasting that Grossman appears so high in the batting order every game.

 

Oh, you said "flabbergasted."

 

My mistake.

[Blake]

 

I was looking at Hughes' velocity in GameDay and it looked a tick faster than what we saw last year (88-90mph last year, more like 90-91 this year).

 

But I assume he still looked pretty bad. What are everyone's thoughts?

He's out there because he's collecting a good size paycheck.

 

I keep hoping Hughes will turn things around, but, this is the third year of that hope and it's looking a bit hopeless.

[Blake]

 

Is it possible for Bert to cover a game without talking about a pitcher's balance point?

Well, I think he's changing a bit. Years past it was "Good downward plane."

[Riverbrian]

 

He got judged harshly by me and that is the price of admission when you are paid to play a sport for millions of dollars.  He's a big boy.  I think he has weathered harder stuff than me.

 

I'm not so sure. 

 

Joe Mauer told me that Phil told him that he was really bothered by your reaction to his comment which he claims was taken out of context by the reporter. 

 

As a result... he over compensated on the mound and it caused an injury to his shoulder. 

[Mill1634]

Pressly has been lights out this year. Nice to see him finally start producing like many thought he would

[LaBombo]

Press got away with one on the fly out by Cron. His previous swing was the kind of high cut you usually see only in the sort of softball game where beer-holder helmets are allowed, but Press's next pitch was back down in the ouch zone.