Game Thread: Twins @ Tigers 9/25/19 5:40 PM CT, now Cleveland @ White Sox

[stringer bell]

The Twins visit Detroit in the second game of a three game season with only five games to play. Their magic number is two. Any combination of two Twins wins or Cleveland losses wins the Central for Minnesota, their first division championship since 2010. 

 

Detroit is wrapping up a terrible season, they are 46-110 and they have talent commensurate with their record. They have hit pretty well against the Twins, but lack power. The Tigers will face Twins folk hero Randy Dobnak today. Dobnak has climbed from independent minor league to the major leagues and has pitched very effectively, first as an opener and in his last two starts as a legitimate starter. Dobnak started 2019 in Class A Fort Myers and now stands a legitimate chance of starting a postseason game for the Central champions, if the Twins get there.

 

Health. IMHO, is the key element of the Twins hopes in postseason. If they are to compete against either the Astros or Yankees, they must put forward the best possible 25-man roster and currently about a half dozen players are not as full strength. Today's starting lineup features the return of Mitch Garver and another start for CJ Cron. Marwin Gonzalez and Max Kepler are out, as is Ehire Adrianza. 

 

The Twins have a rested bullpen, which will be leaned on heavily, most likely. 

 

Regarding the aforementioned magic number, Cleveland plays Chicago again and the White Sox are putting out a less-than-stellar starter. I am not counting on the Sox helping the Twins clinch the division.

 

Minnesota 97-60

 

Garver c

Polanco ss

Cruz dh

Rosario rf

Sanó 3b

Arraez lf

Cron 1b

LaMarre cf

Schoop 2b

 

Dobnak p

 

 

Detroit 46-110

 

Reyes rf

Castro, H. cf

Cabrera dh

Candelario 1b

Stewart lf

Lugo 3b

Mercer 2b

Greiner c

Castro, W. ss

 

Norris p

[diehardtwinsfan]

kind of wanted to see Keplers name in there. 

[yarnivek1972]

kind of wanted to see Keplers name in there.

I doubt even if he were healthy he would play his first game against a LHP.

[Blake]

 

 

 

The Twins have a rested bullpen, which will be leaned on heavily, most likely. 

 

Regarding the aforementioned magic number, Cleveland plays Chicago again and the White Sox are putting out a less-than-stellar starter. I am not counting on the Sox helping the Twins clinch the division.

 

Minnesota 97-60

 

 

Not very kind of the Sox, now is it? 

[Blake]

97 wins and still the Twins have not clinched.

 

Amazing year.

[Mr. Brooks]

I doubt even if he were healthy he would play his first game against a LHP.

Why not? Kepler doesn't struggle against lefties. In fact he's hit lefties better than righties two years in a row now.

[denarded]

This ends tonight

[Bomba2026]

After we win the Central, will Rocco play the D squad for the rest of the season? I don't want to go into the Playoffs with a 5 game losing streak. It gets in your head.

[Mr. Brooks]

After we win the Central, will Rocco play the D squad for the rest of the season? I don't want to go into the Playoffs with a 5 game losing streak. It gets in your head.

If they lose 5 straight they won't clinch. At best they'd get a game 163, in which case it would either be 6 in a row or 0 in a row.

I think Cleveland will likely lose once, but I don't see them losing twice.

[Bomba2026]

So it is Rocco's 38th Birthday! Maybe Marwin can trim his beard up and give him a makeover? Sometimes he looks like a homeless guy in the dugout. It's been on my mind all year...I feel better now.

[Mr. Brooks]

I'm officially concerned about Kepler. I'm skeptical that it's just an abundance of caution, considering Cruz is playing hurt every night.

[Brian450]

lol - Nice throw to first by Dobnak...

[Circus Boy]

The Dobbinator is in the house. All hail!

[notoriousgod71]

So it begins...

[Brian450]

Sad turn of events when Polanco cannot handle that spinning two hopper...

[twinssporto]

 

97 wins and still the Twins have not clinched.

 

Amazing year.

Cleveland is like a leech I can't pull off...

[Brian450]

 

Cleveland is like a leech I can't pull off...

The Rays and A's may be able to pull this off for all of us...  Nothing I'd like seeing more than Cleveland win 95+ games and miss out on postseason play.

[stringer bell]

 

I'm officially concerned about Kepler. I'm skeptical that it's just an abundance of caution, considering Cruz is playing hurt every night.

I don't know if Cruz is playing hurt. The team sat him out for a stiff neck in Cleveland.

 

Regarding Kepler and all of the nicked players, I would think that like Spring Training, they would get a few at-bats in the last series if they are basically healthy. Obviously, Kepler would have gone to the Injured List if his injury cropped up before the rosters were expanded in September. 

 

mlbtraderumors indicates that the Twins are trying to have him ready for postseason, not before.

[Dantes929]

 

After we win the Central, will Rocco play the D squad for the rest of the season? I don't want to go into the Playoffs with a 5 game losing streak. It gets in your head.

87 team lost their last 5.  Won the WS.    2006 Tigers lost their last 5 in 2006 and it cost them the division but they ended up going to the WS.   2010 Twins lost 8 of their last 10 and got swept.    If they win the Division I don't care if they lose 4 in a row as long as guys like Gonzo and Kepler get a few at bats.

[yarnivek1972]

22 errors for a shortstop in an era when errors are only called for horrific misplays is a lot. He needs to tighten that up, big time. The White Sox’s Tim Anderson is the only other SS with more than 20.

[FlauerPauer]

Where'd that plate discipline for Sano go?

[yarnivek1972]

I don't know if Cruz is playing hurt. The team sat him out for a stiff neck in Cleveland.

 

Regarding Kepler and all of the nicked players, I would think that like Spring Training, they would get a few at-bats in the last series if they are basically healthy. Obviously, Kepler would have gone to the Injured List if his injury cropped up before the rosters were expanded in September.

 

mlbtraderumors indicates that the Twins are trying to have him ready for postseason, not before.

I don’t see how he’s going to be “ready” for postseason if he doesn’t get at least a few at bats before that.

[Gopherfan1109]

Cron's effort on that AB was horrible

[yarnivek1972]

The Rays and A's may be able to pull this off for all of us... Nothing I'd like seeing more than Cleveland win 95+ games and miss out on postseason play.

Anyone know the scenario of a 3 way tie? That’s certainly possible.

[bighat]

 

Anyone know the scenario of a 3 way tie? That’s certainly possible.

 

https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/2019-mlb-playoffs-every-tiebreaker-scenario-explained-as-division-wild-card-races-wind-down/

 

Lots of crazy scenarios!

[Mr. Brooks]

I don't know if Cruz is playing hurt. The team sat him out for a stiff neck in Cleveland.

 

Regarding Kepler and all of the nicked players, I would think that like Spring Training, they would get a few at-bats in the last series if they are basically healthy. Obviously, Kepler would have gone to the Injured List if his injury cropped up before the rosters were expanded in September.

 

mlbtraderumors indicates that the Twins are trying to have him ready for postseason, not before.

Cruz has a torn ligament. I'd surely call that playing hurt.

 

And that report confirms my fears. They are "trying" to have him ready for the postseason is quite different than the "he's fine, they're just being super cautious since they're almost surely in" narrative that's mostly been used.

 

If they're "trying" to have him ready for postseason, that by definition means that he might not be.

[PDX Twin]

 

Where'd that plate discipline for Sano go?

 

He loaned it to Rosario.

[stringer bell]

Here's that last link on Kepler: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2019/09/health-notes-turner-kepler-wong-g-sanchez.html

[Brian450]

 

Anyone know the scenario of a 3 way tie? That’s certainly possible.

 

Tied teams are designated as A, B, C, and D. Choice for one of these designations is first given to the team winning the tie-breakers (listed below). While A is usually the "best" designation, there are some scenarios where C has a different path to the postseason. If a division title is up for grabs, then those divisional teams will select from the first designations (A, B,...).

On Day 1, A will host B and C will host D (if there is no fourth team, C will be considered to have won this game). Games on Day 2 may occur as follows:

    If the teams are all competing for 1 playoff spot, then the A/B winner will host the C/D winner for that spot.
    If 3 teams, not all tied for the same division lead, are competing for 2 playoff spots, C will host the A/B loser for the second spot.

Determining team designations

The order in which teams pick their designations (A, B, C, D) will be determined by the following 5-step tie-breaking system. If there is a tie for both wild card and division title spots, then the first designations will match teams competing for their division title.

    Winning/Losing season series against each of the other tied teams (only if a 3 way tie)
    Winning percentage among all tied teams
    Winning percentage in intradivision games
    Winning percentage in the last half of intraleague play
    If still tied, the next most recent intraleague game is added into this winning percentage (skipping games between tied teams) until not all teams are tied.

If at any given step some, but not all, teams remain tied, then those teams that are still tied revert to Step 1.

[yarnivek1972]

https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/2019-mlb-playoffs-every-tiebreaker-scenario-explained-as-division-wild-card-races-wind-down/

 

Lots of crazy scenarios!

Three teams tie for both wild cards: Game 1: Team B at Team A, winner gets wild card; Game 2: Team C at loser of Game 1, winner gets remaining wild card.

 

 

A team might have to play 3 games in 3 days in 3 different cities (keep in mind those 3 cities are in Florida, Ohio and California) just for the chance to play two more games in a row in a 4th city.