Game Thread: Twins v BoSox Double Header, 4/13/21 at 1:10pm and 4:25pm CT

[Squirrel]

Well ... it's 'Two for the Price of One' day today. What does that mean? If you are lucky enough to have tickets for today's game, you get to see two for the price of one. For the rest of us at home, it's still a two-fer, which means, double the time sitting and watching, double the game-time beers, if that's what you do, double the time being productive elsewhere while having the game on in the background, double the joy if there are two wins, double the grief and disappointment if there are two losses. If we get a split? Probably still double the grief and disappointment. For me, it means, time spent working on the two wedding presents I need to make more progress on. Yes, two ... I said it was a two-fer day today, and it is.

 

What to expect for today's game? I really have no answer to that. Every time I try to give a rational sense of what will probably be, it ends up being wrong. Which means it ends up being one of those games, or, I really don't know what I'm talking about. Before Chief says 'yes,' go with the latter. But for now, indulge me.

 

Maeda for us, Eovaldi for them. Maeda has been ... sorta good, effective ... but I wouldn't say he's been particularly sharp in his outings so far this year. Eovaldi has been, well, really good so far this year. Going for us ... we've done okay against Eovaldi in the past, and I don't think Boston has a ton of experience against Maeda, so maybe that works in our favor? (I'm really guessing here, so, that's why I said, 'go with the latter' above.)

 

As for the lineups ... I've said this a few times ... I think the Twins batters really, really, REALLY miss Rowson. I don't think there is much more to say about it because I think that pretty much says it. And it's been covered elsewhere on the site. Our expectations, particularly of certain players, are just not being met and I have no answers for that. And the bullpen? Well, it shows signs of good, and then, well, then signs of not so good. Again, let's just hope that the players pull it together, at the same time, and soon. I usually give the team the month of April, and then I start grumbling for changes. It's a long season and I like to keep some for the end just in case.

 

Then there's the weather ... brrrrr! That's all I have to say about that.

 

If you want more analysis or details about the game, talk among yourselves in thread. Or listen to Morneau, I think he's pretty good. Or Cory.

 

And, as always ... ya'll can take it from here, you know what to do, and go Twins!

 

LINEUPS:

 

Red Sox

 

1. Christian Arroyo (R ) 2B
2. Alex Verdugo (L) CF
3. J.D. Martinez (R ) DH
4. Xander Bogaerts (R ) SS
5. Rafael Devers (L) 3B
6. Marwin Gonzalez (S) 1B
7. Hunter Renfroe (R ) RF
8. Franchy Cordero (L) LF
9. Kevin Plawecki (R ) C

 

Twins

 

1. Luis Arraez (L) 3B
2. Jorge Polanco (S) 2B
3. Nelson Cruz (R ) DH
4. Max Kepler (L) RF
5. Willians Astudillo (R ) 1B
6. Alex Kirilloff (L) LF
7. Jake Cave (L) CF
8. Ryan Jeffers (R ) C
9. JT Riddle (L) SS

 

 

Join us for the game 2 lead in here.

 

 

 

[Diesel]

Kirilloff is up for the day (apparently doesn’t affect service time). Cave has been..... lacking, and Rooker is hurt, so I’m betting he will be up permanently soon

[Squirrel]

 

Kirilloff is up for the day (apparently doesn’t affect service time). Cave has been..... lacking, and Rooker is hurt, so I’m betting he will be up permanently soon

Hopefully he gets a shot and proves he needs to stay.

[Diesel]

Aaaaaand Andrelton Simmons to the COVID IL, JT Riddle up to the big club. Nick Gordon should just get dropped and get opportunities elsewhere if he isn’t getting the job now

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

Kirilloff is up for the day (apparently doesn’t affect service time).

Just to be clear, it will count as a day of service time -- but only a day. If he goes back down tomorrow, it just means we'll have to call him up a day later, down the line (if we are aiming to stay below a service-time threshold -- currently an April 22nd or later call-up will get us an extra year of control).

[Diesel]

That lineup is..... not great

[Craig Arko]

Are these game seven innings each still?

[TouchEmAllGuy]

 

Are these game seven innings each still?

 

yes

[Dave The Dastardly]

Nice day for an outdoor double-header. Fans in the stands will freeze two off today. Double the chances of pitchers aggravating something in their throwing arms, so quadruple the number of reliever appearances, prolonging both games, double the number of broken bats and trips back to the dugout for new lumber and lastly double the shots of whisky consumed for medicinal purposes. Hot toddy anyone?

 

 

 

 

[wsnydes]

 

That lineup is..... not great

I'm having flashbacks to Gardy's getaway day lineups...

[MMMordabito]

Must be too cold for Donaldson's hammy

 

 

[Squirrel]

 

Hot toddy anyone?

Yes, from home. Do you deliver to Chicago?

[Diesel]

Must be too cold for Donaldson's hammy

He’s playing in Game 2

[sampleSizeOfOne]

 

 

That lineup is..... not great

Tony the Tiger would not apporve?

[Puckett34]

 

Must be too cold for Donaldson's hammy

I'd just say wait to take him off the IL Friday in Los Angeles 

[Whammy]

Twins fans: Man these guys are terrible from the 8th inning on

 

Twins: oh man, have we got a solution for you

[Whammy]

Must be too cold for Donaldson's hammy

He’s terrible in his career against Eovaldi. He was never playing both halves of the Doubleheader anyway

[TouchEmAllGuy]

I don't agree with the idea to rest Buxton right now. 

[wsnydes]

 

I don't agree with the idea to rest Buxton right now. 

As long as he plays in the second game, I don't see a problem with that. He's still playing every day. Not like he's getting an extra day off.

[puckstopper1]

 

Aaaaaand Andrelton Simmons to the COVID IL,

 

This really stinks.

 

I guess the beatings will continue until morale improves...

[Danchat]

Yikes... that’s a spring training lineup, not a MLB one. Cool to see Kirilloff up, but he’ll need to go back down to get that precious service time.

 

Riddle being on the tax squad made it obvious he was the next man up for Simmons, so it’s pretty clear Gordon isn’t seen as an option. He’s gotta be near the top of the DFA candidates, no point in keeping him if he’s never getting used.

[Brock Beauchamp]

Aaaaaand Andrelton Simmons to the COVID IL, JT Riddle up to the big club. Nick Gordon should just get dropped and get opportunities elsewhere if he isn’t getting the job now

It’s only two weeks into the season. I hope the best for Gordon but after losing basically all of 2020 to Covid, I think it’ll be awhile until we see him, if we see him at all.

[USAFChief]

Pretty pedestrian lineup.

 

Shut em down, Kenta.

[wsnydes]

 

Pretty pedestrian lineup.

Shut em down, Kenta.

I have a feeling that he's going to need to. That doesn't look like a lineup full of run support. I'd love to be proven completely wrong though.

[Squirrel]

 

Is Simmons really on the Covid list? Thank you sir, may I have another!

Yes, he is. He chose not to get vaccinated with the team, so I hope his symptoms remain mild.

[wsnydes]

 

Yes, he is. He chose not to get vaccinated with the team, so I hope his symptoms remain mild.

And hopefully nobody else is impacted.

[Doctor Gast]

I suppose they'll try to stretch Maeda and Berrios as much as possible to make the BP

last

[Danchat]

Apparently Rocco said that Donaldson will be activated for the second game today. Interesting choice, as we could use him in the lineup quite badly.

[wsnydes]

 

Apparently Rocco said that Donaldson will be activated for the second game today. Interesting choice, as we could use him in the lineup quite badly.

I imagine that Rocco only wants to play him in one of the games, which seems reasonable. It's almost like Rocco used a lighter hitting lineup for the first game backing his ace and intends to go with the better lineup in the second game. I can see the logic in that, but I'm not sure I like it.

[nicksaviking]

I was really hoping for a better qualify utility player to be signed instead of the guys like Riddle. But to be fair, Arraez and even Astudillo haven't looked as bad in the filed as I remembered from last year. I'm hoping Polanco and/or Arraez take up the majority of the SS ABs until Simmons gets back though. Two weeks of Riddle at the plate sounds like an awful idea.

 

Jake Cave has given the team no reason not to keep Kirilloff around for the foreseeable future though.