Game Thread: Twins v Yankees, 4/24 @ 6:40 CT

[wsnydes]

Edited April 24, 2023 by wsnydes
Added Evil Empire lineup

[Cory Engelhardt]

I know Nick Nelson mentioned it in a different thread, but I have a hard time understanding why Kepler is batting in prominent spots in the lineup. It doesn't make sense to me at all. 

 

The way they are hitting, I'd prefer for Gallo to hit leadoff and Kepler 7th. Or, really, I'd prefer to have Kirilloff up and not have Kepler starting.

[Squirrel]

Yeah, at this point I don’t get it, either. And Nick Gordon not in the lineup again says quite a lot. I think his days are numbered more so than Kepler’s

[wsnydes]

Given the feast or famine nature of the offense, I think I'd be more inclined to mix and match more now that Polanco is back.

[Doctor Gast]

It's revenge time let's take this game & sweep the Yanks. That'd be soooooooooooo nice. Yeah bring up Kiriloff.      Go Twins! 

[Mortimerkenny21]

Prediction, Twins 6-Yanks 3. Miranda gets his first HR of the season. Go Twins!!

[Jocko87]

45 minutes ago, Cory Engelhardt said:

I know Nick Nelson mentioned it in a different thread, but I have a hard time understanding why Kepler is batting in prominent spots in the lineup. It doesn't make sense to me at all. 

 

The way they are hitting, I'd prefer for Gallo to hit leadoff and Kepler 7th. Or, really, I'd prefer to have Kirilloff up and not have Kepler starting.

Agreed although I really like Gallo in the 6-7 range with more chances with runners on. The last person you want to face after some long ABs in the heart of the order is Gallo.  Of course, the heart of the order has to be producing to optimize.

I wonder if Taylor could lead off from time to time.  It would open the 9 hole for Kepler. 

[stringer bell]

For the second time in a week, the Twins have chosen to go short in their bullpen. After Headrick threw three full innings and was unavailable, they kept on the active roster and were short on bullpen arms when Maeda went out after two innings due to injury. Today, as of 4 PM, they've kept Ober on the active roster and again will be one arm short in the bullpen as a result. Due to limits on options, they don't have many good choices, but it is a gamble.

[Cory Engelhardt]

9 minutes ago, Jocko87 said:

Agreed although I really like Gallo in the 6-7 range with more chances with runners on. The last person you want to face after some long ABs in the heart of the order is Gallo.  Of course, the heart of the order has to be producing to optimize.

I wonder if Taylor could lead off from time to time.  It would open the 9 hole for Kepler. 

Agreed here, I am not at all saying that Gallo is the perfect leadoff option. I just don't see how Kepler is the best option here in my opinion.

[blindeke]

3 minutes ago, stringer bell said:

For the second time in a week, the Twins have chosen to go short in their bullpen. After Headrick threw three full innings and was unavailable, they kept on the active roster and were short on bullpen arms when Maeda went out after two innings due to injury. Today, as of 4 PM, they've kept Ober on the active roster and again will be one arm short in the bullpen as a result. Due to limits on options, they don't have many good choices, but it is a gamble.

My guess is there feeling very deferential to Ober, who doesn't belong in AAA.

[Richie the Rally Goat]

5 minutes ago, stringer bell said:

For the second time in a week, the Twins have chosen to go short in their bullpen. After Headrick threw three full innings and was unavailable, they kept on the active roster and were short on bullpen arms when Maeda went out after two innings due to injury. Today, as of 4 PM, they've kept Ober on the active roster and again will be one arm short in the bullpen as a result. Due to limits on options, they don't have many good choices, but it is a gamble.

Do they go 6 man rotation or move Maeda or Ober to the pen?

[Squirrel]

Just now, Richie the Rally Goat said:

Do they go 6 man rotation or move Maeda or Ober to the pen?

Maeda is starting on Wednesday, so ... dunno. I don't really want Ober in the pen; I want to keep him stretched to start when needed and then next year he will have a permanent spot, I think.

 

 

[stringer bell]

Comparing team stats between the Twins and the Yankees is interesting. Despite playing in the bandbox they call Yankee Stadium, the Yankees have only outscored the Twins by two runs and, in fact, they have a lower team batting average. Pitching for both teams has been strong, with the Yankees being slightly better, having allowed seven less runs. They are the third best is strikeouts with 214, the Twins are right behind at 213. 

[chpettit19]

11 minutes ago, stringer bell said:

For the second time in a week, the Twins have chosen to go short in their bullpen. After Headrick threw three full innings and was unavailable, they kept on the active roster and were short on bullpen arms when Maeda went out after two innings due to injury. Today, as of 4 PM, they've kept Ober on the active roster and again will be one arm short in the bullpen as a result. Due to limits on options, they don't have many good choices, but it is a gamble.

It shouldn't be much of a gamble for any single game since the 1 arm they're short is a 1 or 2 inning arm, and not a long man. Headrick should be a full go if he's needed for any sort of length for the next few days. If being short 1 short inning arm dooms them it'd be a pretty wild situation.

[wsnydes]

4 minutes ago, Richie the Rally Goat said:

Do they go 6 man rotation or move Maeda or Ober to the pen?

My bet, and preference, would be Maeda to the pen.

[stringer bell]

2 minutes ago, Richie the Rally Goat said:

Do they go 6 man rotation or move Maeda or Ober to the pen?

If I'm guessing, I think they will activate Josh Winder in a couple days. He pitched three innings yesterday, so he won't be available for a couple days I would presume. The Twins options on the 40-man roster due to the 15 day limit on options without injuries were limited to Jordan Balazovic and Trevor Megill. Megill has a 13.03 ERA at St. Paul and Balazovic has been used in the bullpen for really the first time in his career this year. 

[Squirrel]

5 minutes ago, wsnydes said:

My bet, and preference, would be Maeda to the pen.

Not moving Maeda to the pen if he is starting Wednesday. I don't think they will be moving him to the pen at all.

[stringer bell]

3 minutes ago, wsnydes said:

My bet, and preference, would be Maeda to the pen.

ESPN is listing Maeda for Wednesday's start. He's been okay for his two-plus starts. I think it's a bit presumptuous to give Ober a rotation spot based on what has transpired so far this year. 

[nicksaviking]

1 hour ago, Cory Engelhardt said:

I know Nick Nelson mentioned it in a different thread, but I have a hard time understanding why Kepler is batting in prominent spots in the lineup. It doesn't make sense to me at all. 

 

The way they are hitting, I'd prefer for Gallo to hit leadoff and Kepler 7th. Or, really, I'd prefer to have Kirilloff up and not have Kepler starting.

I know he's cooled off, but Larnach still leads the team in pitches per plat appearance and in walks so I'd like to see him get a chance to lead off.

Agree with Kirilloff and Kepler. Though you could have probably substituted a half dozen names instead of Kirilloff and I'd have agreed.

[wsnydes]

6 minutes ago, Squirrel said:

Not moving Maeda to the pen if he is starting Wednesday. I don't think they will be moving him to the pen at all.

 

1 minute ago, stringer bell said:

ESPN is listing Maeda for Wednesday's start. He's been okay for his two-plus starts. I think it's a bit presumptuous to give Ober a rotation spot based on what has transpired so far this year. 

Didn't see that news.  Though, I was thinking more long term than the question posed was intended.

Do we think Maeda continues his run?  

[Squirrel]

2 minutes ago, stringer bell said:

ESPN is listing Maeda for Wednesday's start. He's been okay for his two-plus starts. I think it's a bit presumptuous to give Ober a rotation spot based on what has transpired so far this year. 

I posted this above ... yep, starting Wednesday.

17 minutes ago, Squirrel said:

Maeda is starting on Wednesday, so ... dunno. I don't really want Ober in the pen; I want to keep him stretched to start when needed and then next year he will have a permanent spot, I think.

 

 

 

[nicksaviking]

5 minutes ago, stringer bell said:

ESPN is listing Maeda for Wednesday's start. He's been okay for his two-plus starts. I think it's a bit presumptuous to give Ober a rotation spot based on what has transpired so far this year. 

I wanted Archer in the pen last year and I guess my thoughts are the same with Maeda. The Twins didn't have the depth (and I hope that was the only reason) to move Archer, but they do with Maeda. Not a slight on him, it just seems like he'd be the starter best suited for it, and with his age and long layoff due to injury, most benefited by it. Plus, he's already done it.

With how much I distrust relievers, particularly ones coming from other clubs, I think IF the bullpen needs to be beefed up, the best option is a current starter.

[Doctor Gast]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBHfS5Z3GdE

This is a video by David Cone on Max Scherzer's situation. Demostrating the effect of slight moisture on resin. A lot of pitchers abuse this legal substance, a lot of times putting rosin in their glove to form a sticky paste. German was more flagrant & did not comply with the umps & should have been ejected right away.

[Richie the Rally Goat]

6 minutes ago, Doctor Gast said:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBHfS5Z3GdE

This is a video by David Cone on Max Scherzer's situation. Demostrating the effect of slight moisture on resin. A lot of pitchers abuse this legal substance, a lot of times putting rosin in their glove to form a sticky paste. German was more flagrant & did not comply with the umps & should have been ejected right away.

Great video.

also, there must have been something wrong with that ESPN camera. David Cone looked a lot older than I feel!

[nicksaviking]

5 minutes ago, Richie the Rally Goat said:

Great video.

also, there must have been something wrong with that ESPN camera. David Cone looked a lot older than I feel!

I was actually going to say he looked great! He also sounded much more informative than when I heard him on Sunday Night Baseball, but to be fair, I also didn't really notice him on Sunday Night Baseball. Maybe he's being under-utilized.

[sampleSizeOfOne]

I hope we win.

[Craig Arko]

1 minute ago, sampleSizeOfOne said:

I hope we win.

You’re a model of consistency. 

[wabene]

53 minutes ago, Richie the Rally Goat said:

Do they go 6 man rotation or move Maeda or Ober to the pen?

Yes

[stringer bell]

29 minutes ago, nicksaviking said:

 

With how much I distrust relievers, particularly ones coming from other clubs, I think IF the bullpen needs to be beefed up, the best option is a current starter.

I hope the front office is looking everywhere for more relief pitching. The starters have more than met expectations and I feel more comfortable with the assembly line of Jax-Thielbar-Lopez-Duran than I have with any bullpen since the early '00s. The trio of Moran, Alcala and Pagan has been underwhelming. I had hoped for improved performance from at least one of those three, but right now they just aren't trustworthy. The front office built a roster with depth in starting pitching and position players, but I don't see a lot waiting to step up in the bullpen.

[wabene]

From a conspiratorial angle there is a slight chance they kept Ober up because Maeda is still hobbled, but they don't want to tell us because they don't respect us.