Game Thread Twins @ Phillies 4/7/19 12:05 PM CDT

[stringer bell]

Again, less than an hour before game time and no thread in sight.

 

Here's my take today:

 

Kind of a big game with the Twins' ace (Berrios) slated to start against a really tough Phillie lineup. If the Twins win this one and take their third series in a row (and second on the road), I will be impressed and optimistic going forward. 

 

I haven't seen the starting lineup and there should be some intrigue. Cruz hasn't played since Kansas City, but Rosario had a day off yesterday (and homered coming off the bench), Kepler has homered in two straight games and is stinging the ball and Buxton showed his overall value yesterday (hitting, base stealing, and throwing a runner out at the plate). It would be an ideal game to move Kepler to first base for a day, but he didn't play there at all in the spring. 

 

Where to put La Tortuga? With three catchers, it is unlikely he would start again today. The Twins paid a lot of money for Marwin and it is in their best interest to get him going, so what happens today? We shall see.

 

Enjoy the game friends. I'll post a lineup ASAP.

[stringer bell]

Twins 5-2

 

Kepler   RF

Cron   1B

Rosario   LF

Gonzalez   3B

Schoop   2B

Adrianza   SS

Castro   C

Buxton   CF

Berrios   P

 

Philadelphia   5-2

 

McCutchen   LF

Segura   SS

Harper   RF

Hoskins   1B

Realmuto   C

Herrera   CF

Hernandez   2B

Franco   3B

Eflin   P

[Don Walcott]

La Makkkkkkkkkkina!!! Bring your A-game and keep making your case for being a Cy Young contender!

 

I'm disappointed Tortuga is not in the lineup. I hope Ehire, Marwin and Castro justify their selections today.

[The Mask of Zoilo]

That's got to be the most punchless lineup construction possible given the Twins roster!

[mrtwinsfan]

No Polanco?? off day tomm ? Cron 2nd?   Oh well , GO Twins

[mrtwinsfan]

And we get Thor and Degrom in N.Y. Gonna be tough, Go Twins

[Halsey Hall]

Castro and Gonzales, oh my! Kepler, Rosario and Buxton have to win this game.

[mrtwinsfan]

Found it favorable if the Twins can dominate our division, in aug and sept we play 56 games and 40 are against our division, Like it!! and the Tribe only get 26 in the same period, Keep it close till Aug, !!!!

[Nine of twelve]

Let's hope Berrios in on. If so we will only need 1 run to win. The advantage of having Polanco, Astudillo, and Garver all available to pinch hit is they can be inserted when the need is greatest. So if we can keep it close I think we have a good shot.

[Nine of twelve]

Ein dinger!!!!!

[mrtwinsfan]

Max!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Don Walcott]

Let's hope Berrios in on. If so we will only need 1 run to win. The advantage of having Polanco, Astudillo, and Garver all available to pinch hit is they can be inserted when the need is greatest. So if we can keep it close I think we have a good shot.

There’s your run!!

[Blake]

I see Mr. Kepler brought

 

[Twodogs]

It sure seems like the Phillies are getting a lot of bleeder hits with all these shifts being played the last couple of days??

[big dog]

The Laz Diaz strike zone seems to be wide and fluid today.  Good luck, boys.

[The Mask of Zoilo]

Berrios is throwing a lot more curveballs this year than previous seasons.

[Nine of twelve]

So there was a commercial (and I have no idea what was being advertised) with Aaron Boone showing some guy how to give signs from the dugout. I've sometimes thought that if I were manager that my signs from the bench and from the third base coach would be numbers, similar to catchers giving signs to the pitcher. To me, I think this would make signs easier to read and to encrypt. Almost everyone in baseball has ten fingers; make use of them. 

[Nine of twelve]

Good send. It took a perfect throw to get fim.

[snepp]

Bah.

[sampleSizeOfOne]

Just finished a parade. Y'all are taking good care of the game!

[adorduan]

What's with the Twins 1st basemen and pop ups? they are turning into Sano 2.0

[Jerr]

Twins are looking good today. Now let's get some runs for Berrios!

 

[adorduan]

Nice catch by Rosario....

[Jerr]

Is the NCAA Final Four, to blame for this "slow" game thread ?

[Danchat]

 

Is the NCAA Final Four, to blame for this "slow" game thread ?

There's no Final Four games going on today, so I don't think that's an excuse...

[wabene]

Nice pitch count for Berrios.

[twinssporto]

Good at bat Marwin!!  Make that pitcher keep throwing til his arm falls off.

[Blake]

Between Rosario and Astudillo, this team has some fun position players to watch.

[Jerr]

 

There's no Final Four games going on today, so I don't think that's an excuse...

I know, but there are still the activities going on.

[ashbury]

Berrios is throwing a lot more curveballs this year than previous seasons.

He should. He has a lot more command of that pitch than most, for instance Tyler Duffey. Jose's curve isn't just for show, it's a deadly out pitch.