Game Thread x2: Twins @ Guardians, Noon:10 and 6:10 CT

[wsnydes]

Hello again Twins baseball Game Threaders.  I'll be your host again for today's double header action between your Minnesota Twins and those pesky Cleveland Guardians.  Last week, these two teams met at Target Field and moving in the opposite direction in the standings.  Cleveland came in on a roll and took two of three from the local 9.  The local 9 were also on a roll of their own, just in the wrong direction towards the depths of second place in the division.  Since then however, your Twins have regained their footing and have won 3 straight after a poor first game loss at the hands of the Rockies.  Cleveland however, has lost five straight including a bludgeoning last night, and have fallen 3 games back in the division standings.  Perhaps falling into second place was the motivator that this team needed.

Taking the mound in today's opener are Devin Smeltzer and Zach Plesac.  These two matched up against each other just 5 days ago with Smeltzer outdueling Plesac for a 1-0 victory.  Both went 6 full allowing 3 hits each.  Plesac looks to avenge this loss and stop Cleveland's losing skid at the same time.  Smeltzer looks to continue his strong season and keep pushing Cleveland back in the standings.  

Today's weather looks to be a great day for lots of baseball.  A forecasted high of 72 and sunny with a light breeze sure sounds appealing.  Sounds like a great day to skip the office and head to the ballpark!  Hard to beat a good inter-divisional matchup like this, even in late June!

For the Twins, Buxton gets the early game off and Sanchez will be behind the dish receiving what Smeltzer throws to him.  Garlick is also the DH against a righty again.  Sandy Leon makes his Guardians debut after being traded over from the Reds earlier today.  His roster spot comes at the expense of Ian Gibaut, who was DFA'd to free up the roster spot.

For the second helping of baseball this evening, Josh Winder returns to a starting roll against someone named TBD.  No idea how to pronounce that, but I'm sure we'll get some clarification later.  Edit:  Apparently, it's pronounced "Pilkington".  More on that later.

Here are your lineups for lunch:

Twins

2B - Arraez

SS - Correa

RF - Kepler

DH - Garlick

1B - Kirilloff

C - Sanchez

LF - Gordon

3B - Miranda

CF - Celestino

 

Guardians

LF - Kwan

SS - Rosario

3B - Ramirez

DH - Reyes

RF - Gonzelez

2B - Gimenez

1B - Miller

C - Leon

CF - Straw

 

Enjoy the games!

[LVTwinsfan]

Miranda at 3rd?

[Doctor Gast]

At least CC is at SS

[James]

Well, today is probably not going to be very productive at work.

[big dog]

Defensively, are we better off with this lineup, or putting Garlick in left, moving Gordon to 2nd, and DHing Arraez? Just wondering.

Hoping Smeltzer can recreate his success from his last outing. He can hardly improve on it, though a complete game would be a wonderful thing.

Go Twins!

[Guest]

Any chance we see Polanco activated for game 2?

[wsnydes]

1 minute ago, aTwinsFanInMaryland said:

Any chance we see Polanco activated for game 2?

Everything that I've seen suggests he'll be activated for tomorrow's game.

[CRF]

Have to run some errands, so I won't get to watch much of the first game. I'll have Cory and Dazzle on in the car. Hopefully, Smeltzy has another solid start and we didn't waste all the run scoring last night. Twins win! 

[Cap'n Piranha]

Pictured; Cleveland's Game 2 Starter being told he's getting the call.

[wsnydes]

37 minutes ago, James said:

Well, today is probably not going to be very productive at work.

I hear ya.  I have the day off, so it's going to be a REALLY unproductive day at work! :)

[wsnydes]

1 minute ago, Cap'n Piranha said:

Pictured; Cleveland's Game 2 Starter being told he's getting the call.

Hopefully Four-Fingered Carl absorbed too many verbal beatings from Ricky and Stephen and has no stamina left for the Twins bats.

[Cap'n Piranha]

Kyle Garlick has a .608 OPS and 73 wRC+ against righties.  Whe is he not only starting, but DHing, and to top it all off, in the 4 spot?

 

I understand you want to rest both Buxton and Jeffers for tonight's game, but Urshela is at .714 and 102, while Contreras at AAA this year has a .759 OPS.  Both seem like better options, or Garlick should at least be much lower in the order.

[sampleSizeOfOne]

Oh? Today is the day of two heads?

 

For some reason i had got it into my head it was tomorrow...

 

I hope we win.

[IowaBeancounter]

big dog

Posted 32 minutes ago

"Defensively, are we better off with this lineup, or putting Garlick in left, moving Gordon to 2nd, and DHing Arraez? Just wondering."

With Smeltzer being a contact pitcher, I believe that we need the best defense available.  I don't believe having Garlick in the outfield is a good defensive move (look at the 4/15 game at Boston where he allows a very catchable ball to become a homerun).  I would have preferred Urshela at 3rd over Miranda, which means that Miranda will probably have a big game.  I had hoped Buxton would be DH for both games.

[sampleSizeOfOne]

1 hour ago, wsnydes said:

Sandy Leon makes his Guardians debut after being traded over from the Reds earlier today.

Did he just drive up i71?

 

There is a Taco John's on the way.

I think it is the easternmost.

[PDX Twin]

Busy morning: 1/6 Committee hearing on one screen, Twins (muted) on the other. No screen left for game thread so I'll be pretty quiet...

[wsnydes]

3 minutes ago, sampleSizeOfOne said:

Did he just drive up i71?

 

There is a Taco John's on the way.

I think it is the easternmost.

I imagine that he hopped into his Chevy Chevette and made that trek up I-71, Taco John's stop included.

I know that I have.

[Vanimal46]

3 minutes ago, wsnydes said:

I imagine that he hopped into his Chevy Chevette and made that trek up I-71, Taco John's stop included.

I know that I have.

Driving is better than flying right now… Unless you like getting your flight canceled and being stuck at the airport for hours on end. 

[wsnydes]

1 minute ago, Vanimal46 said:

Driving is better than flying right now… Unless you like getting your flight canceled and being stuck at the airport for hours on end. 

There's also fewer Taco John's to stop at at 30,000 feet.

[James]

7 minutes ago, PDX Twin said:

Busy morning: 1/6 Committee hearing on one screen, Twins (muted) on the other. No screen left for game thread so I'll be pretty quiet...

That started already.  Dang.  Well, I've got 20 minutes before the games starts.

[Squirrel]

27 minutes ago, wsnydes said:

I hear ya.  I have the day off, so it's going to be a REALLY unproductive day at work!

Good ... you can do a play by play for those of us that can neither listen nor watch!  yay for wsnydes' play by play!!

[Vanimal46]

2 minutes ago, Squirrel said:

Good ... you can do a play by play for those of us that can neither listen nor watch!  yay for wsnydes' play by play!!

 

[Jerr]

I want a Twins' Win, in this first game and another Twins' Win in the second game. I need my "pennant fever" burning!!!

[wsnydes]

Just now, Squirrel said:

Good ... you can do a play by play for those of us that can neither listen nor watch!  yay for wsnydes' play by play!!

If you like typos, poor grammar, large gaps in "coverage" and a delay for what I am able to get out, I'm your play by play guy!

Though, by the sound of it, that's still a leg up on the Bally's app.

[wsnydes]

1 minute ago, Vanimal46 said:

 

Fly ball.

Cot.

HOw'm I doing so far?

[James]

3 minutes ago, Jerr said:

I need my "pennant fever" burning!!!

I think there is a shot for that.  

[wsnydes]

Just now, James said:

I think there is a shot for that.  

Beat me to it!

[wsnydes]

9 minutes ago, Jerr said:

I want a Twins' Win, in this first game and another Twins' Win in the second game. I need my "pennant fever" burning!!!

 

7 minutes ago, James said:

I think there is a shot for that.  

However, there is another possible prescription...

[Jerr]

 

 

[big dog]

Let’s go Smeltzer (clap, clap, clap-clap-clap)!