Game Thread: Twins @ Cardinals, 5/8/18 - 12:15PM CT

[twinssporto]

 

http://i60.tinypic.com/2yy9fcx.jpg

 

 

 

Good Morning and welcome to another Twins Daily Game Thread experience!  So excited to be here today and cheer on the Minnesota Twins.  This is the place where all of the cool people within Twins Daily come to hang out and socialize.  It really is the place to see and be seen. 

 

I need to be completely transparent and honest with everyone today (because most of the other times I'm lying or making it up).  I'm nervous about keeping up the Game Thread winning streak Blake started 4 games ago and Riverbrian kept alive yesterday.  Can the Twins make it 5 in a row today?  I'm betting they can.  They seem to be playing with a lot more confidence and swagger these days.  The pitching staff looks to be improving along with the bats.  Besides that, I'm a lucky guy.  I feel I can keep they streak alive just by willing it through my game Thread introduction.  

 

If everyone can now just bow your heads and take a few moments of reflection and quiet contemplation I think we can will another win today.

 

Thank you for your prayers and positive thoughts!  

 

I was going to write a few more paragraphs about my personal superstitions and baseball but I have an angry customer calling me and need to go deal with that so I'll save it for another day. I would like to hear about any other Twins Daily members that suffer from superstitious habits while watching a game since I don't have time to post my own.  Go ahead and post them if you're not to embarrassed by them.

 

P.S. Jinx's don't count today on the Game Thread.  Wanted to make sure that was clarified before we got to far down the road today.  Good luck and go Twins!!!

 

P.S.S. Do any other Game Thread volunteers get irritated by Paul Molitor taking so long to post his lineups?  He's always the last to do it! 

 

Today's Lineups:

 

Twins: 

 

1. Logan Morrison (L) 1B

2. Brian Dozier ® 2B

3. Max Kepler (L) CF

4. Eduardo Escobar (S) 3B

5. Eddie Rosario (L) LF

6. Robbie Grossman (S) RF

7. Mitch Garver ® C

8. Ehire Adrianza (S) SS

9. Jake Odorizzi ® P

 

Cardinals

 

1. Matt Carpenter (L) 2B

2. Paul DeJong ® SS

3. Jose Martinez ® 1B

4. Marcell Ozuna ® LF

5. Dexter Fowler (S) RF

6. Harrison Bader ® CF

7. Greg Garcia (L) 3B

8. Francisco Pena ® C

9. Carlos Martinez ® P

 

Weather: 79 degrees and sunny. 0% chance of rain.

[ThejacKmp]

Logan Morrison leading off? He's done it before (93 PA) but that seems bizarre. He's never faced Carlos Martinez so it's not like it's a matchup-based thing.

 

I think I'd've moved Kepler up?

Kepler
Dozier

Rosario
Escobar
Morrison
Garver
Grossman
Adrianza
Odorizzi

 

Weird lineup, even for a getaway game.

[Danchat]

Yeah, Morrison leading off is weird, but I guess it’s not much different from Dozier leading off? I feel like Kepler or Escobar might be better fits, but I’m intrigued to see how this will play out.

[Respy]

Regarding superstitions, if I'm at work and the Twins are batting with runners on, I will not peak at the Gameday because at least I get hopeful of balls in play when Provus and Gladden announcing.  Seeing "in play, out(s)" is deflating.  Then, vise-versa when the other team is batting.

[BoofBonser]

Let's go Twins! 

Carlos Martinez is a tough draw, but the bats are finally heating up.

Time to make up for that long losing streak with a long winning streak!

[Respy]

 

Logan Morrison leading off? He's done it before (93 PA) but that seems bizarre. He's never faced Carlos Martinez so it's not like it's a matchup-based thing.

 

I think I'd've moved Kepler up?

Kepler
Dozier

Rosario
Escobar
Morrison
Garver
Grossman
Adrianza
Odorizzi

 

Weird lineup, even for a getaway game.

 

A lot (or at least several) teams lately have been trying it to get power hitters out of a funk and to stop worrying about driving in all those runs and hitting the ball a mile.  The latest examples I can think of off the top of my head are Rizzo and Harper.

 

[BoofBonser]

 

Regarding superstitions, if I'm at work and the Twins are batting with runners on, I will not peak at the Gameday because at least I get hopeful of balls in play when Provus and Gladden announcing.  Seeing "in play, out(s)" is deflating.  Then, vise-versa when the other team is batting.

Seeing In play, run(s) is almost better than seeing money in a birthday card (for a teenager like me anyways) 

[Jerr]

Pretty bold with that big #5 at the top, but I'm feeling it here!!!!

Go Twins!!!!!!

[USAFChief]

"play 2nd, bat 2nd" isn't far from "play 1st, bat 1st"

 

 

[wsnydes]

For me, the more appropriate question is am I more annoyed by how long it takes Molitor to come up with his lineups, or that it takes so long to come up with lineups that he does?  I mean, Morrison leading off?  Grossman?  

[Blake]

Finally, something different from Mr. Molitor.

 

Good job, Mr. Molitor!

 

Some different thinking is always welcome.

 

 

[wsnydes]

 

Finally, something different from Mr. Molitor.

 

Good job, Mr. Molitor!

 

Some different thinking is always welcome.

I don't mind thinking outside the box, but having Morrison hit lead off doesn't do anything for me.  If he gets on, he's just going to clog the bases.  That's of course if he gets on.

 

With how hot Rosario is right now, I wouldn't mind him batting lead off with Mauer out of the lineup.

[Blake]

 

I don't mind thinking outside the box, but having Morrison hit lead off doesn't do anything for me.  If he gets on, he's just going to clog the bases.  That's of course if he gets on.

 

With how hot Rosario is right now, I wouldn't mind him batting lead off with Mauer out of the lineup.

I like Morrison, though, because the man hustles and seems to be pretty heads up on the bases. 

 

It's a wait and see.

 

It will be entertaining, that much I know.

[Blake]

OH, and good job, Mr. twinssporto!

[bighat]

Morrison leading off is by far the strangest lineup decision I've seen this year. Just looking at the lineup 1-9 really makes me miss Sano & Buxton. I'm starting to lose my patience with these injuries.

 

Hopefully Mr. Odorizzi is ready to follow his fellow starting pitchers and get in on the win parade!

 

Martinez should be a difficult task for the Twins today. Wish I was feeling more confident but a get-away day game against an ace is gonna be tricky.

[sampleSizeOfOne]

Almost game time...

[Taildragger8791]

 

I don't mind thinking outside the box, but having Morrison hit lead off doesn't do anything for me.  If he gets on, he's just going to clog the bases.  That's of course if he gets on.

 

With how hot Rosario is right now, I wouldn't mind him batting lead off with Mauer out of the lineup.

 

Mauer isn't exactly torching the basepaths himself, so I see the baserunning aspect as a wash. This team isn't built around speed anyways. They're a station-to-station offense that relies on XBHs to score (sans Buxton). So I guess piling all the biggest hitters at the top makes some sense in that respect.

[big dog]

LoMo's last 15 games: OBP .362,. OPS .872

Could be worse.  

 

What the heck???  What the heck!  You decide.

 

Go Twins!

[sampleSizeOfOne]

Also brought to you by the letter W.

 

It is important to acknowledge our Seseme Street style sponsors...

[Jerr]

Molitor on the radio said he decided on Morrison leading off to keep the L, R thing and also if, needed for a double switch in this game.

[Respy]

 

Morrison leading off is by far the strangest lineup decision I've seen this year. Just looking at the lineup 1-9 really makes me miss Sano & Buxton. I'm starting to lose my patience with these injuries.

 

Hopefully Mr. Odorizzi is ready to follow his fellow starting pitchers and get in on the win parade!

 

Martinez should be a difficult task for the Twins today. Wish I was feeling more confident but a get-away day game against an ace is gonna be tricky.

 

It's definitely one of the Stranger Things I've seen.

 

I think LoMo should come up to bat leading off with one of these:

 

[Respy]

Wow I wish I had not listened to that National Anthem.  Who put the mic in front of the kid with no pitch who didn't know the words?  

[Blake]

 

Wow I wish I had not listened to that National Anthem.  Who put the mic in front of the kid with no pitch who didn't know the words?  

Same person who hired Rosanne Barr for the National Anthem a few years ago?

[wsnydes]

 

Mauer isn't exactly torching the basepaths himself, so I see the baserunning aspect as a wash. This team isn't built around speed anyways. They're a station-to-station offense that relies on XBHs to score (sans Buxton). So I guess piling all the biggest hitters at the top makes some sense in that respect.

I guess that I really wasn't trying to insinuate that Mauer had great speed, but he does have more than Morrison.  My greater point was that if you're looking to maximize the top of the order, there are better options and it's not all about the speed.  I get what you're saying.

 

I'd be more inclined to throw Rosario up there and take advantage of his hot streak.

[Mill1634]

Interesting choice having LoMo lead off, although I do not hate it.

 

Let's get a win!

[sampleSizeOfOne]

Wow I wish I had not listened to that National Anthem. Who put the mic in front of the kid with no pitch who didn't know the words?

Probably some subtle comment about the value of good pitches...

[sampleSizeOfOne]

Molitor on the radio said he decided on Morrison leading off to keep the L, R thing and also if, needed for a double switch in this game.

Wonder if double switches will increase the number of doubles in the game?

[Jerr]

 

Wow I wish I had not listened to that National Anthem.  Who put the mic in front of the kid with no pitch who didn't know the words?  

Come on it's kids, enjoy!

[Teflon]

Is this one of those "Turn Back the Clock" game threads? 

[tvagle]

Just because it's a game thread...what kind of people are we that live in a state where a guy can be:

 

Monday: Coaching girls golf in Sunny Park Rapids and sweating it out at 83 degrees

 

and

 

Tuesday: Coaching next to the Big Ice Cube in Warroad where a brisk wind out of the east makes it feel like 40 degrees