Game Thread: Twins v Royals, OPENING DAY! @ 3:10pm CT

[stringer bell]

I really don't like using up half of the bench in the sixth.

Okay, so it worked out. Still don't like it.

[rwilfong86]

 Pinch hitters coming through!

[USAFChief]

2 minutes ago, jkcarew said:

So....10-day?

BAN HIM!~

[Don't Feed the Greed Guy]

A farmer walks into a...

[wsnydes]

1 minute ago, USAFChief said:

BAN HIM!~

Ha!  There's never a moderator around when you need them!

[Nine of twelve]

C'mon guys, let's make this number crookeder.

[wsnydes]

In play, more run(s)!

[USAFChief]

Just now, stringer bell said:

I really don't like using up half of the bench in the sixth.

Okay, so it worked out. Still don't like it.

Gonna have to disagree with this one. There were scoring opportunities and this offense needs to use any advantage it can find to push across runs. There's few hitters in this lineup I wouldn't PH for given similar situations. 

[LaBombo]

4 minutes ago, stringer bell said:

I don't like pinch hitting in the fifth.

It often seemed a bit iffy to me in the era of 10-man pitching staffs.

With 12 pitchers it's like running with scissors.  Into a mirror.  Under a ladder.

[jkcarew]

1 minute ago, stringer bell said:

I really don't like using up half of the bench in the sixth.

Okay, so it worked out. Still don't like it.

Doesn't look egregious now. But I don't like it. Two pinch-hitters in the top of the sixth in a one-run game. Great opportunity for backfiring later.

[nicksaviking]

Ha, pinch hitting for Gordon in the 6th was fine by me. Pinch hitting for Joey Gallo, the 11M free agent in the 6th?!? Even better! I wonder how that's going to sit with him?

[USAFChief]

1 minute ago, Nine of twelve said:

C'mon guys, let's make this number crookeder.

 

I HATE those damn things.

[wsnydes]

Keep 'em rolling Taylor!

[ashbury]

11 minutes ago, stringer bell said:

He seemed to slow between second and third and when the throw came through decided to slide. He trotted home just fine on Larnach's single.

It's those last-second decisions that can lead to injury, though.  The contact with the ground was ungainly, and he's perhaps lucky if it all worked out.

Still, Buxton "doing everything wrong" still results in a triple.  So I'm nitpicking.

[nicksaviking]

Did Kepler really just hit a  line drive?!?

[stringer bell]

Just now, jkcarew said:

Doesn't look egregious now. But I don't like it. Two pinch-hitters in the top of the sixth in a one-run game. Great opportunity for backfiring later.

And the defense won't be better with the 5-8 Solano at first base.

[USAFChief]

Just now, nicksaviking said:

Did Kepler really just hit a  line drive?!?

If by "lazy fliner off the handle" you mean line drive, then yes.

[LaBombo]

This just in... new research indicates leaving the bases loaded is massively less disappointing when it happens after scoring runs.

[Vanimal46]

Just now, USAFChief said:

If by "lazy fliner off the handle" you mean line drive, then yes.

Mid season form! 

[wsnydes]

1 minute ago, LaBombo said:

This just in... new research indicates leaving the bases loaded is massively less disappointing when it happens after scoring runs.

I don't know...seems like small sample size bias!

[USAFChief]

Lopez out for the 6th! 

 

....

 

welp, that didn't last long.

[nicksaviking]

2 minutes ago, USAFChief said:

If by "lazy fliner off the handle" you mean line drive, then yes.

That's most certainly what ESPN Gamecast thinks.

[stringer bell]

Little smile there from Lopez. Salvi was his teammate for the WBC and got the busted bat hit, so it probably felt pretty good to get him.

[USAFChief]

Mrs Chief has been on me about putting on a few pounds, but in my defense I've had a lot on my plate lately.

[jkcarew]

1 minute ago, USAFChief said:

Lopez out for the 6th! 

 

....

 

welp, that didn't last long.

For now I'll just be happy he let him pitch out of his own mess in the 5th in a tie game. Baby steps.

[Nine of twelve]

5.1, 85 pitches, 0 runs. Just fine for opening day.

[USAFChief]

1 minute ago, nicksaviking said:

That's most certainly what ESPN Gamecast thinks.

The right fielder was required to take 2 or 3 steps back to camp under it and wait.

[wsnydes]

1 minute ago, nicksaviking said:

That's most certainly what ESPN Gamecast thinks.

MLB At Bat app concurs.

[Don't Feed the Greed Guy]

Pitchers - MIN	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA
López, P	5.1	2	0	0	3	8	0	0.00

[wsnydes]

Just now, USAFChief said:

The right fielder was required to take 2 or 3 steps back to camp under it and wait.

You'd think with all of the analytics that go into positioning that they'd be able to get closer than that.