Game Thread: Twins vs. Royals, 5/28/22 @ 1:10PM CT

[stringer bell]

It appears we are going to have a lot of movement from St. Paul to Minneapolis tomorrow. 

[Mill1634]

I didn't even realize that Jeffers was PH for Gary (I thought it was for Gordon lol)....seems like he must be injured because you wouldn't make that move otherwise. 

[Mill1634]

Will we ever get Bobby Witt out?

[Danchat]

Can't say I like having Minaya go a 3rd inning. He was consistently going 2 innings in AAA, but not 3...

[Mill1634]

I know he's at only 30 pitches, but this has potential to turn into another of example of Rocco trying to steal 3 outs from a reliever in a winnable ball game that suddenly turns unwinnable after the game is out of hand again...

 

and as I type this Rocco comes to the mound. 

[rwilfong86]

Got 2 back and immediately give them 2 baserunners. 

 

[USAFChief]

2 out RBI. The key to baseball. 

[Mill1634]

Welp. Battled back into it just to give em right back. Absolutely have to win tomorrow with Sonny Gray on the mound. Going 2-2 against Kansas City isn't a disaster, but going 1-3 certainly is. We will now (likely) be 6-3 in the 15 game stretch against KC and Detroit with 6 games remaining. I think most of us agreed that 10-5 or better was the goal, with 9-6 being the lowest "acceptable" record. There is still a chance to do that, but winning tomorrow is crucial to making that a reality.

[stringer bell]

The bloopers and 14 hoppers are getting through the infield. I don’t know if the Twins have eight healthy bodies to play in the field. 

[luke829]

Well, back to reality.

[Mill1634]

 

 

[TheLeviathan]

Is it just me or did Minaya look like a man who aged two decades since the last time we saw him?  

[Mill1634]

Minaya's numbers will look worse than they really were because Rocco tried to squeeze an extra three outs out of him, but he did a great job covering another short start by Archer (which wasn't entirely his fault, but even 3 ER in 4 IP isn't good). He deserves another appearance after today + being very good in the second half last year.  

[Aggies7]

Heat related illness? Dick said it’s 80 degrees…

[Mill1634]

1 minute ago, Aggies7 said:

Heat related illness? Dick said it’s 80 degrees…

With a pretty solid breeze too. I'm guessing he's dehydrated. 

[USAFChief]

Whit Merrifield has played in over 500 consecutive games.

Good to see there are still a few 162/season guys out there. 

I realize there are many factors involved here, but IMO that should be the expectation for healthy players who you want in the lineup. Every day. Or at least no more than one game off per month.

I think one of the current Twins weaknesses is their idea that players can't play every day. I don't know where that's coming from, but I don't think it's doing any good. 

Healthy regulars need to be in the lineup

 

 

[rwilfong86]

7 minutes ago, USAFChief said:

Whit Merrifield has played in over 500 consecutive games.

Good to see there are still a few 162/season guys out there. 

I realize there are many factors involved here, but IMO that should be the expectation for healthy players who you want in the lineup. Every day. Or at least no more than one game off per month.

I think one of the current Twins weaknesses is their idea that players can't play every day. I don't know where that's coming from, but I don't think it's doing any good. 

Healthy regulars need to be in the lineup

 

 

It's probably coming from Rocco's computer that tells him what to do. 

[jun]

I hope Lewis, Kirilloff and a catcher will join Twins tomorrow. Miranda should play everyday in AAA.

[glunn]

Losing the series with the Royals would be a bad setback.  The Twins need to put their best players on the field tomorrow, and hopefully that includes Lewis.

[jun]

16 minutes ago, glunn said:

Losing the series with the Royals would be a bad setback.  The Twins need to put their best players on the field tomorrow, and hopefully that includes Lewis.

This would be a good lineup.

Arraez (DH)

Buxton (CF)

Correa (SS)

Garlick (LF)

Polanco (2B)

Lewis (RF)

Urshela (3B)

Kirilloff (1B)

Jeffers (C)

[Mill1634]

This ump has had zero clue where the edge of the zone is all day

[Mill1634]

34 minutes ago, USAFChief said:

Whit Merrifield has played in over 500 consecutive games.

Good to see there are still a few 162/season guys out there. 

I realize there are many factors involved here, but IMO that should be the expectation for healthy players who you want in the lineup. Every day. Or at least no more than one game off per month.

I think one of the current Twins weaknesses is their idea that players can't play every day. I don't know where that's coming from, but I don't think it's doing any good. 

Healthy regulars need to be in the lineup

 

 

I think there is a happy medium somewhere. The difference between playing 162 at 90-95% is not better than playing 145-150 at 96-100%. However, I agree that most players should play more than they should. I think Buxton should be in the lineup nearly ever single day that he is healthy, because you know that there is a very, very good chance he's going to miss two+ weeks or more at least once througout the season. However, platooning has put a dent into guys who should play nearly every day. On this Twins team, the only one's who fit into that category are:

Buxton

Polanco (and he does play whenever he is healthy)

Correa

You're never going to play a C every day. Sitting Arraez against lefties is fine (He's in the lineup everyday against a RHP). Kepler/Larnach/Kiriloff when he's here are all fine to sit against lefties as long as Garlick is on the roster. Urshella is another guy who I think deserves to play every single day as long as Royce Lewis isn't here, but I don't think the Twins view that the same way I do.

[Schmoeman5]

37 minutes ago, USAFChief said:

Whit Merrifield has played in over 500 consecutive games.

Good to see there are still a few 162/season guys out there. 

I realize there are many factors involved here, but IMO that should be the expectation for healthy players who you want in the lineup. Every day. Or at least no more than one game off per month.

I think one of the current Twins weaknesses is their idea that players can't play every day. I don't know where that's coming from, but I don't think it's doing any good. 

Healthy regulars need to be in the lineup

 

 

100% right on. But with the Twins playing metrics righty-lefty matches the Twins will never let anyone play 162 let alone 500 straight. Good for him

[Mill1634]

9th inning, bases loaded. KC has us right where they want us.

[Mill1634]

Garlick vs a RHP with a great slider is probably the worst possible matchup on this team for this exact situation.

[Schmoeman5]

Garlick made a bid. 5' short

[Mill1634]

Wow. I thought Garlick had that. Last year, I think he does. That's now two would be game-tying/winning homers that have died thanks to Manfraud. 

[Aggies7]

Wow can’t blame Dick for the bremergasm there. I nearly had one too

[Mill1634]

Didn't really deserve to win this game, either. Said that Thursday, and it's true today. The hits were there today, but the extra bats hits are missing over thew last 4 or 5 games. Archer is nothing more than an opener who goes 4 innings rather than 2 or 3, and trying to win a game with Minaya and Moran, both of whom weren't even on the roster 16 hours ago, is never going to be easy, even against KC. Absolutely HAVE to win tomorrow to salvage a split.

Sadly I will be stuck at a high school graduation tomorrow, and moving apartments Monday, but I expect everyone here to provide us with 2 wins.

Until Tuesday,

Go Twins

[glunn]

Eleven hits and only three runs.  ?