Spring Training - Game 10 - vs NYY - 3/11/12

[Seth Stohs]

Twins Lineup vs Yankees:

 

Denard Span - CF

Jamey Carroll - SS

Joe Mauer - C

Jusitn Morneau - 1B

Josh Willingham - RF

Ryan Doumit - DH

Danny Valencia - 3B

Ben Revere - LF

Alexi Casilla - 2B

 

Pitchers - Nick Blackburn, Brian Duensing, Jeff Manship, Jason Bulger, Carlos Gutierrez, Tyler Robertson, Brendan Wise, Aaron Thompson, Matt Capps

 

Reserves - Drew Butera, Dan Rohlfing, Steve Pearce, Tsuyoshi Nishioka, Trevor Plouffe, Wilkin Ramirez, Matt Carson

[Seth Stohs]

Yankees Lineup (via FSN's Tyler Mason): Gardner LF, Granderson CF, Swisher RF, Ibanez DH, Cervelli C, Vaqzuez 3B, Nix 2B, Laird 1B, Pena SS, Hughes SP.

[woolhouse]

This should be the starting-lineup for the Twins in 2012 against right-handed pitchers. (I would hope, against lefties, we'll see more of Plouffe over Revere, and Gardy should not be afraid to swap Morneau and Willingham like T.K. would do with Hrbek against lefties in the late-80s/early-90s.) I'm really hoping for a successful offensive showing against the Yankees today.

[TwinsMusings]

According to Dustin Morse of the Twins, Span is out with a stiff neck (day-to-day) and Joe Benson will play CF today. Will he lead off or will the lineup be juggled?

[Seth Stohs]

Revere is batting 1st, Benson batting 8th.

[TwinsMusings]

Thanks, Seth. I just saw that via Twitter.

[John Bonnes]

Blackie 123 inning including 2 grounders. Good sign. I'd sure like it if he didn't suck this year.

[Jim Crikket]

Very nice first inning for Blackburn

[Seth Stohs]

Terrific first inning by Blackburn. Got Gardner and Granderson to ground out and then a lazy fly ball from Swisher. Touched 90, good movement, ball down.

[John Bonnes]

The way they post those batting averages on the screen with the batting order - it almost feels like they're real.

[John Bonnes]

That opposite field soft liner by Revers is beautiful. I'd love to see him hit the ball in the air a little more. That's an odd thing to wish for speedster, but last year was ridiculous.

[John Bonnes]

Morneau wearing an unbelievable amount of eye black. He looks like John Randall. Or Batman. That's gotta be a concession to the consussion/bright lights thing, right? I don't remember ever seeing that before.

[woolhouse]

I following the game on here and MLB Gameday, which doesn't have pitch types or locations yet. Revere/Mauer/Morneau all hit the ball down the left-field line. Is Hughes hitting the outside corner that well, or are they that far behind consistently on his fastballs?

[John Bonnes]

woolhouse, I can't say on those swings where the ball was located. Sorry. I did notice early that Hughes seemed to be working the ball inside and outside very well.

[Seth Stohs]

I've been very impressed with Ryan Doumit's patience at the plate this spring. Being a new guy in camp, I'd want to swing away to show I can hit. He's impressing me by not pushing it. He can hit!

[Seth Stohs]

Also, I think that if Blackburn could possibly find a way to pitch like he did the first two innings, he just might hit that 200 inning goal... and give up 250 hits... I'd take it.

[John Bonnes]

Seriously Perkins? "Attention to detail" mean placing a lemon wedge on the plate in JUST the right place?

[Jim Crikket]

Yeah PLUNK those f'ing Yankees, Blackie!

[Jim Crikket]

Helluva play in the field guys. Benson played it well, nice relay and tag to finish.

[Seth Stohs]

Tremendous relay from Benson to Casilla to Mauer to get Gardner. Very impressive!!

[Nicholas Mueller]

That play was a beauty.

[Jim Crikket]

Our guys do realize that they're allowed to actually hit the ball, too, right?

[Nicholas Mueller]

Benson just homered~

[woolhouse]

Joe Benson got the message, Jim Crikket.

[John Bonnes]

I'm more than a little surprised that Aaron Thompson is getting an inning this early in the game. Is there any chance he's being considered as a LHed specialist?

[Seth Stohs]

Thompson is interesting only in that he is so young. He's just 24 years old as a minor leaguer. Hasn't done much. He'll probably be a starter in Rochester (maybe New Britain).

[John Bonnes]

To be honest, I didn't even know who he is. That's why I'm so suprised to see him pitch in front of so many other guys, and not facing left-handers. Weird.

[Seth Stohs]

I think they just know before the game what inning they will pitch, regardless of who is coming up. There's not much situational stuff going on this early in camp.

[John Bonnes]

What was that last pitch Manship used for that strikeout? That's not his curve? It jus t dove out of the zone.

[Nicholas Mueller]

2-1 Twins. Danny homered.