Game Thread: Twins @ Seattle 9:10 PM CDT 6/14/2021

[stringer bell]

The Twins visit Seattle on the first leg of a two-city road trip. The Mariners are three games under .500 despite having a poorer run differential than the Twins, who are 13 games below the break-even mark. The Mariners started the Twins slide off a cliff in April when they came back from a 6-0 deficit in the middle innings and beat the Twins. The Twins really haven't been the same since.  Yesterday's game marked another low point as the Twins gave up 14 runs and 20 hits to a good Houston lineup. The three relievers who followed Pineda to the mound yielded runs in every inning, totaling nine runs and 14 hits in five innings. The way those three pitchers are throwing, they should not be on a big league pitching staff.

There will be reinforcements. Kenta Maeda is scheduled to start tonight and the return of position players Luis Arraez and Byron Buxton seems imminent. Max Kepler is rehabbing in St. Paul and probably will be ready before the team returns to Minnesota. A week from today, the roster figures to look considerably different than the squad that faced Houston. Only Maeda can pitch among the returnees and that is where the Twins have fallen apart. Further it looks like there isn't much help available in the minor leagues. 

There will be a crunch particularly among the outfielders. Adding back Buxton and eventually Kepler will give the Twins a lot of choices to play the corner outfield spots. Given how the season has gone, there probably will be an injury or two to current players. This is not the season I expected, but watching the progress (or lack thereof) of players is about all a fan can do. Go Twins! Lineups to follow. 

Twins

 

Kenta Maeda (R)

 

1. Jorge Polanco (S) 2B

2. Josh Donaldson (R) 3B

3. Nelson Cruz (R) DH

4. Trevor Larnach (L) LF

5. Ryan Jeffers (R) C

6. Miguel Sano (R) 1B

7. Alex Kirilloff (L) RF

8. Andrelton Simmons (R) SS

9. Gilberto Celestino (R) CF

 

Mariners

 

Marco Gonzales (L)

 

1. J.P. Crawford (L) SS

2. Jake Fraley (L) DH

3. Ty France (R) 1B

4. Kyle Seager (L) 3B

5. Dylan Moore (R) 2B

6. Jake Bauers (L) RF

7. Tom Murphy (R) C

8. Shed Long Jr. (L) LF

9. Taylor Trammell (L) CF

 

 

 

[stringer bell]

No Buck or Arraez today. Could someone please post the lineups?

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

Lineups posted.

Welp, west coast here we go!

[Otto von Ballpark]

Arraez was at least activated (along with Maeda), so he's available off the bench.

Pineda and Refsynder to the IL.

Buxton still experiencing soreness, so they're not activating him yet.

[mnfireman]

Looking at the line-ups on mlb.com, I see the M's have six guys not batting their weight whereas the Twins only have three....

[SanoMustGo]

10 minutes ago, spycake said:

Arraez was at least activated (along with Maeda), so he's available off the bench.

Pineda and Refsynder to the IL.

Buxton still experiencing soreness, so they're not activating him yet.

Buxton...amazing talent, but a china doll

[Otto von Ballpark]

Seattle’s team batting average this year is .209.

[ashbury]

30 minutes ago, spycake said:

Seattle’s team batting average this year is .209.

If I set an over-under of .219 for after this series completes, will anyone take the under?

 

/ edit - a quick bit of math suggests it would take only about 50 base hits during the 3-game series - easy peasy

[SanoMustGo]

14 minutes ago, spycake said:

Seattle’s team batting average this year is .209.

Let's hope the Twins pitching isn't the antidote

[ashbury]

Oh, and it being a west coast game...

[jkcarew]

If the caution demonstrated with Buxton ever resulted in more games played in the future, this wouldn’t be as frustrating. But we know it won’t.

[IndianaTwin]

34 minutes ago, mnfireman said:

Looking at the line-ups on mlb.com, I see the M's have six guys not batting their weight whereas the Twins only have three....

That’s not a big deal for Sano. Unfortunately, he’s also hitting below Simmons’ weight. 

[denarded]

Was gonna watch to see Arraez and Buxton, but them not playing = me not staying up late. This team is not worth being tired the next day for. Sorry for my pathetic dedication, but jeesh....this team is not interesting enough to watch (Especially WC games)

Go Twins.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

56 minutes ago, ashbury said:

If I set an over-under of .219 for after this series completes, will anyone take the under?

 

/ edit - a quick bit of math suggests it would take only about 50 base hits during the 3-game series - easy peasy

i will take the under please hurry & give it to me 

[Danchat]

I'm already liking Larnach a lot. I feel pretty good for putting him #1 in my prospect rankings, as he looks like the real deal. He doesn't seem to have a big problem with MLB lefties, which is impressive. Now just stay healthy please!!

[RickOShea]

That was Maeda's foul pitch.

[RickOShea]

Maeda looks frustrated.  Too bad he doesn't have a decent fastball to throw it by someone, every once in a while.  Those wimpy 90 mph aint gonna do it.

[mnfireman]

Gonna be a long night if Maeda won;t throw strikes.

[RickOShea]

This reminds me of the Ted williams excerpt from Ball Four.  "Here comes Kenta Maeda,  Kenta effin' Maeda and that little **** fastball of his".

[Game7-91]

Twins at 62% win probability in 1st....is this a 1st in 2021?

[wavedog]

Unfortunately this is looking like Maeda pre-injury.   Hopefully gets out of this jam but burning through a lot of pitches

[Aggies7]

This season needs to end as soon as humanly possible. Every single thing has been difficult 

[RickOShea]

God, that was brutal, just brutal.  But ultimately effective.

[Irishman]

Is Maeda hurting again?

[RickOShea]

Just now, Irishman said:

Is Maeda hurting again?

No,he's fine.  But, we're hurting!

[RickOShea]

Buxton has residual soreness.  I bumped my arm in the doorway.  It's a little sore.  Is that residual soreness?

[SanoMustGo]

1 minute ago, RickOShea said:

No,he's fine.  But, we're hurting!

Maeda has completely lost his command.  Hasn't had it at all this season.

[Irishman]

Why didn’t Twins recall Rooker?

[Game7-91]

Seattle's response to big inning potential was truly Twins-esque.

We are not alone.

[Game7-91]

5 minutes ago, RickOShea said:

Buxton has residual soreness.  I bumped my arm in the doorway.  It's a little sore.  Is that residual soreness?

Yes. All employers ought be required to have IL disability in addition to PTO. As much as you need to get back to 100%. I have a zit on my butt cheek, painful to sit at the desk. 14 days should clear it up. Much like bi-lateral leg weakness. As I told the boss, no sense in pushing through these things.