GAME THREAD: Astros v Twins, 5/11 @ 6:40 PM CT, resuming 5/12 @ 12:10pm

[Mill1634]

Roster Move: The Twins have placed LHP Danny Coulombe on the 15 day IL after exiting last nights outing with a hip injury. To take his place on the roster, the Twins have purchased the contract of RHP Yennier Cano. Cano, 28, has had a long path to the majors including 12 scoreless innings at AAA St Paul so far this season. To make room on the 40 man roster, RHP Jhon Romero has been moved to the 60 day IL. Kyle Garlick could begin a rehab assignment soon, and Bailey Ober threw a 20 pitch bullpen session this afternoon.

The Pitchers: RHP Jose Urquidy (2-1, 4.56 ERA, 25.2 IP, 16 K's) vs RHP Chris Archer (0-0, 3.26 ERA, 19.1 IP, 20 K's)

Urquidy has gotten off to the worst start of his career in a year where offense is at an all-time low during the same span of time. The righty has never posted an ERA over 4 at the end of the year. Jose will rely on the 4S, changeup, cutter, curve, and slider. The fastball will sit between 92 and 96, and will be thrown over half the time. The changeup is thrown to both right and left handers, and has the most K's of any pitch (7). The cutter is mainly thrown vs RHH, and has the highest whiff rate at 36%. The curve and slider are both used sparingly. Urquidy's fastball has been hit very hard, to the tune of a .316 BAA, and 3 homers. He last pitched against Detroit, going 6 innings and striking out 3, while allowing no runs. He is fully stretched out and has thrown 90 plus pitches in his last two starts. Archer will look to match him in both pitch count and going deep into the ballgame, something that he hasn't had much success on yet this year. With the weather probably coming into play, there is an even bigger key to getting out to an early lead. 

The Lineups

Twins

1. Byron Buxton (R) CF
2. Max Kepler (L) RF
3. Gary Sanchez (R) C
4. Jorge Polanco (S) 2B
5. Jose Miranda (R) 1B
6. Gio Urshela (R) 3B
7. Ryan Jeffers (R) DH
8. Gilberto Celestino (R) LF
9. Royce Lewis (R) SS

 

Astros

1. Jose Altuve (R) 2B
2. Michael Brantley (L) DH
3. Alex Bregman (R) 3B
4. Yordan Alvarez (L) LF
5. Yuli Gurriel (R) 1B
6. Kyle Tucker (L) RF
7. Jeremy Pena (R) SS
8. Jose Siri (R) CF
9. Martin Maldonado (R) C

 

Byron Buxton is back in the lineup, and back in CF for the Twins, batting leadoff again. Kepler hits second, with Sanchez hitting 3rd once again for some odd reason. Polo gets the cleanup spot, with Jose Miranda and Urshella hitting back to back and playing at the corners. Jeffers gets the start at DH tonight, with Celestino getting another start, this time in left field, and against another RHP with Nick Gordon on the bench. I recently said in a game thread if one of the two is going to be in the lineup, it needs to be Celestino, and the Twins have felt the same as of late. Royce Lewis hits 9th. The Astro's lineup looks largely the same, with a change in CF, and the batting order moving around a bit. 

 

Vegas Odds: Astros -120, Twins +100, O/U 8.5

 

On This Day:  1980 - Thirty-nine-year-old Pete Rose steals second, third, and home in one inning for the Phillies. The last National Leaguer to pull this feat was Jackie Robinson in 1954.

 

Pick to Click: Royce Lewis hammers a fastball for his first home run

 

Prediction: Twins 4, Astros 3....in 5.5 innings

 

Go Twins!!

[Vanimal46]

 

Buxton back in the lineup and playing CF… Me likey 

[PDX Twin]

6 minutes ago, Mill1634 said:

1. Jose Altuve (R) 2B
2. Michael Brantley (L) DH
3. Alex Bregman (R) 3B
4. Yordan Alvarez (L) LF
5. Yuli Gurriel (R) 1B
6. Kyle Tucker (L) RF
7. Jeremy Pena (R) SS
8. Jose Siri (R) CF
9. Martin Maldonado (R) C

So there are people named Siri!

I want to use that name for our next dog so that I can call her at the dog park and open everyone's Apple phones!

[RpR]

Celestino, Sanchez and Urshela homer, Jeffers gets an infield hit.

[howeda7]

2 minutes ago, RpR said:

Celestino, Sanchez and Urshela homer, Jeffers gets an infield hit.

I'd give you 1,000/1 odds on hitting that.

[wsnydes]

My one ask for this evenings contest is to see Lewis and Buxton rounding the bases at full speed at the same time.

A Buxton triple with Lewis on first sounds like entertainment to me.

[PDX Twin]

1 minute ago, wsnydes said:

My one ask for this evenings contest is to see Lewis and Buxton rounding the bases at full speed at the same time.

A Buxton triple with Lewis on first sounds like entertainment to me.

How about a double steal?

[Vanimal46]

I don’t have high hopes we’ll get a full 9 innings in tonight before the severe weather hits. 

[wsnydes]

4 minutes ago, PDX Twin said:

How about a double steal?

Also entertaining, but I just have the one request.  Don't want to be greedy. 

[wsnydes]

3 minutes ago, Vanimal46 said:

I don’t have high hopes we’ll get a full 9 innings in tonight before the severe weather hits. 

No, not looking good.  Might be lucky to get 5 in.

[wsnydes]

5 minutes ago, Vanimal46 said:

I don’t have high hopes we’ll get a full 9 innings in tonight before the severe weather hits. 

I have tickets for tonight's game.  Decided not to use them partially because of it.

[Vanimal46]

2 minutes ago, wsnydes said:

No, not looking good.  Might be lucky to get 5 in.

Kinda shocked they didn’t cancel it earlier today. It’s gonna get nasty tonight. Already seeing lighting in SLP. 

[wsnydes]

4 minutes ago, Vanimal46 said:

Kinda shocked they didn’t cancel it earlier today. It’s gonna get nasty tonight. Already seeing lighting in SLP. 

That would probably have been the sensible approach, but even if there's a chance they can play they will try.  Even when they can't take BP due to rain and the tarp is still on the field as the gates open, they'll let everyone in there for an hour after scheduled first pitch before they call it.  So, I'm not overly surprised they haven't.

But yes, it isn't going to be a good time at the ballpark for anyone.

It's just dark and windy in AV.

[LVTwinsfan]

11 minutes ago, Vanimal46 said:

I don’t have high hopes we’ll get a full 9 innings in tonight before the severe weather hits. 

I don’t have high hopes we’ll get a full 9 innings from Buxton

[wsnydes]

5 minutes ago, Vanimal46 said:

Already seeing lighting in SLP. 

And thank you for the reminder to get my grill covered and put away before it hits!

[Mill1634]

I would be shocked if this game is completed in one run. Looks like there will be some rain sometime between 8-11. They might get through 3 or 4 innings, and then restart at 11.

[Squirrel]

3 minutes ago, wsnydes said:

And thank you for the reminder to get my grill covered and put away before it hits!

In the city, people forget these little things all the time and after a big storm, stuff from people's balconies can be found elsewhere in the neighborhood

[wsnydes]

Just now, Squirrel said:

In the city, people forget these little things all the time and after a big storm, stuff from people's balconies can be found elsewhere in the neighborhood

I've not done that yet, but I've had a few close calls.  

[LVTwinsfan]

None of the contestants on the long-running TV game show jeopardy— a professor, a healthcare administrator and a writer — correctly answered the clue "At about 90,000, it's the most populous U.S. city on North America's biggest lake."

[wsnydes]

3 minutes ago, Mill1634 said:

I would be shocked if this game is completed in one run. Looks like there will be some rain sometime between 8-11. They might get through 3 or 4 innings, and then restart at 11.

If even that.  Tornado watch until midnight.  

[Vanimal46]

3 minutes ago, Squirrel said:

In the city, people forget these little things all the time and after a big storm, stuff from people's balconies can be found elsewhere in the neighborhood

My deck chair cushions have flown off the balcony several times already 

[stringer bell]

The ideal would be a five inning “complete game” from Archer as the Twins prevail 3-1.

[wsnydes]

1 minute ago, Vanimal46 said:

My deck chair cushions have flown off the balcony several times already 

Ha!  Velcro is your friend!

[stringer bell]

14 to go Chris!

[wsnydes]

4 minutes ago, LVTwinsfan said:

None of the contestants on the long-running TV game show jeopardy— a professor, a healthcare administrator and a writer — correctly answered the clue "At about 90,000, it's the most populous U.S. city on North America's biggest lake."

Nope.  I don't think it would be well known, but I'm always kind of surprised by how people don't know of Duluth.

[Dave The Dastardly]

4 minutes ago, LVTwinsfan said:

None of the contestants on the long-running TV game show jeopardy— a professor, a healthcare administrator and a writer — correctly answered the clue "At about 90,000, it's the most populous U.S. city on North America's biggest lake."

The healthcare administrator was thrown off by the 90,000. Way too small for a hospital bill.

The professor didn't have a bibliography to peruse and the writer couldn't follow the plot.

[wsnydes]

You're getting devious with your game thread opener memos, @Squirrel!

[TheLeviathan]

Archer deserved that strike three, but the way he handled that was fantastic.  You can see he's not the same guy he was a few years ago.

This could end up being a sneaky brilliant signing.

[RpR]

Twins up.

[Schmoeman5]

How come Kirilloff is out? Just got activated. Played 1 game, tonight vs righthander