GAME THREAD: Minnesota Twins at Texas Rangers, 7/9/2022, 3:10 PM CDT

[Nine of twelve]

Noticed this hadn't been started and the time is now.

Devin Smeltzer (L)

Martin Perez (L)

1. Byron Buxton (R) DH

2. Carlos Correa (R) SS

3. Kyle Garlick (R) RF

4. Jorge Polanco (S) 2B

5. Jose Miranda (R) 1B

6. Gio Urshela (R) 3B

7. Gary Sanchez (R) C

8. Gilberto Celestino (R) CF

9. Nick Gordon (L) LF

 

1. Marcus Semien (R) 2B

2. Corey Seager (L) SS

3. Mitch Garver (R) DH

4. Adolis Garcia (R) RF

5. Nathaniel Lowe (L) 1B

6. Jonah Heim (S) C

7. Kole Calhoun (L) LF

8. Leody Taveras (S) CF

9. Charlie Culberson (R) 3B

[stringer bell]

First pitch in five minutes!

[gil4]

Watching with my daughter at the aircraft hangar that attempts to pass as a baseball stadium 

[stringer bell]

Kind of interesting watching the Ranger telecast. Of course, they are featuring the Rangers and talking up their players. They just featured veteran pitchers they had acquired who had thrived with Texas. Minor, Lynn, Gibson and Perez. Of course, the last three twirled for the Twins. 

[stringer bell]

First pitch in the box is strike 3.

[mrtwinsfan]

Need a win today, stay out a 1st time 4 game losing streak, Tomm.

[Mill1634]

Twins likely need a win today to keep pace. Chicago is going to smash Detroit and Cleveland is up 2-0 in the first already against KC and threatening for more

[Nine of twelve]

Group of people who have among the best seats in the house behind home plate, and they are paying no attention whatsoever to the game. Half of them have their backs turned.

[Craig Arko]

5 minutes ago, Nine of twelve said:

Group of people who have among the best seats in the house behind home plate, and they are paying no attention whatsoever to the game. Half of them have their backs turned.

They're probably looking for Chuck Norris.

[Aggies7]

Not many people take consistently worse at bats than Gary Sanchez 

[Mill1634]

cannot walk the lefty on lefty matchup to lead-off the inning

[stringer bell]

Uh oh. 

[Mill1634]

and now Smeltzer gives up the lefty on lefty homer....unbelievable. Twice in two days that lefties have done this with two strikes. TERRIBLE

[Mill1634]

You're playing with fire everytime Smeltzer takes the bump. He was/is a great story and provided great starts when we really needed them, but he isn't a very good pitcher. I'd much rather start Bundy than Smeltzer.

[Aggies7]

Welp.

[mnfireman]

3 more of those meaningless RBI......

[Aggies7]

Looks like we got the stinky smelt today 

[mrtwinsfan]

I think Mr Smeltzer will and should not be around  , Warm up Pagan Rocco

[Nine of twelve]

2 minutes ago, Mill1634 said:

You're playing with fire everytime Smeltzer takes the bump. He was/is a great story and provided great starts when we really needed them, but he isn't a very good pitcher.

This is almost what I think. Smeltzer is a very good pitcher when he has perfect command. But if any part of his mechanics or command is off he doesn't have the physical ability to do well at the major league level.

[srjr19]

Does the organization coach pitchers up to hang a breaking ball with 2 strikes?  Sure seems like it.

[stringer bell]

Well, the Twins have gotten a lot of mileage out of Smeltzer. I wonder whether this is the start of his regression to the mean. Actually, all of the starters, except maybe for Bundy, have exceeded both expectations and their batted ball data. 

Perez is really both quite a story and quite the enigma. He has had stretches where he has been exceptional and then faded to ordinary. Remembering his time with the Twins, through June he has great numbers and then became ordinary or worse. He had a short successful run with the Red Sox as well and then faded. Now, he has been outstanding through half a season with the Rangers.

[mrtwinsfan]

Thank you u ???   

[LVTwinsfan]

Sanchez with a laser 

[Aggies7]

50 pitches to get 6 outs. No bueno

[mnfireman]

With an OF of Gordon, Celestino and Garlick its no wonder Smeltzer is nibbling....

[LVTwinsfan]

Fortunate to get out of that inning with only 3 runs

[stringer bell]

Throughout the entire White Sox series, the Twins benefitted from close calls and umpire decisions. In the first game and a third in Texas, not so much. This is definitely the case with the home plate ump today. He's given Perez a couple inches on the inside corner that Smeltzer has not gotten and it may be some part of the results so far. 

[CRF]

I think we're getting to see the real Smeltzer the last few starts. He's certainly not going to blow anyone away, and his stuff is average. He's very hittable.  However, if Smeltzer has absolutely everything going for him on a particular day...hitting all the spots and getting guys to chase, he can be effective. I honestly don't think he's a viable, long term answer as a starter. I think his value will end up being as a reliever. Lefties hang around forever, and I bet he will too, but not as a starting pitcher. 

[mnfireman]

2 minutes ago, stringer bell said:

Throughout the entire White Sox series, the Twins benefitted from close calls and umpire decisions. In the first game and a third in Texas, not so much. This is definitely the case with the home plate ump today. He's given Perez a couple inches on the inside corner that Smeltzer has not gotten and it may be some part of the results so far. 

Correct according Baseball Savant pitch illustrator.

[Aggies7]

You can’t blow a lead if you never get one in the first place