Game Thread: Twins (Varland) @ Astros (Brown), 5/31/23 @ 7:10 CT

[ashbury]

Brock Stewart comes in to put out the fire against the reigning champions by striking out the side.

As expected.

[stringer bell]

Whew!! Order restored.

[notoriousgod71]

2 minutes ago, IndyTwinsFan said:

I think Rocco was trying to show how clever he can be.  Boy, did that backfire spectacularly!

Hope Stewart can snuff this out without any more damage. 

Rocco is very clever, I'll give him that.

[mnfireman]

Kinda likin' this Stewart fella.....

[mrtwinsfan]

Brock nice job!!

[RickOShea]

Maki whispers in Lopez's ear, "That's how you do it,  now go shower"

[HokieRif]

[IndyTwinsFan]

Atta boy, Brock!

[tony&rodney]

The Twins are competing hard against a very good Houston Astros team. That is worth something. Nine innings or 27 outs are tough. It was a good spot for Jorge Lopez, if Varland needed to be pulled, and tonight it didn't work for him. Next guy up (Stewart) cleaned it up. Three outs to go.

[stringer bell]

13 minutes ago, Winston Smith said:

I thought Ron Davis was bad.

Very similar. When people started hitting Davis, he lost command and tried to throw even harder. That seems to be what López is doing.

[jimbo92107]

Lopez to Stewart: "Touch my arm, please..."

[IndyTwinsFan]

1 minute ago, notoriousgod71 said:

Rocco is very clever, I'll give him that.

Sometimes to the detriment of the team.

[twinssporto]

13 minutes ago, tony&rodney said:

Varland is a strong man and when he gets a chance to pitch an eighth inning it allows him to learn what that territory feels like and how to navigate comfortably in a low key situation. Pitchers need to find their limit. Perhaps Varland made an indication that he was at his limit. I don't know that. Just assuming that 86 pitches is enough might not be the best choice. 

Now I see that Jorge Lopez is grooving a few. Pheww.

Agreed. Part of being a coach is helping the ones you coach find their limit and make them better. So crazy to see that. I think I was more mad that Varland was happy being replaced at the end of the 7th...What happened to trying to go the distance? Let's give the whole bullpen get a night off. 

[mrtwinsfan]

1 minute ago, tony&rodney said:

The Twins are competing hard against a very good Houston Astros team. That is worth something. Nine innings or 27 outs are tough. It was a good spot for Jorge Lopez, if Varland needed to be pulled, and tonight it didn't work for him. Next guy up (Stewart) cleaned it up. Three outs to go.

The Twins are competing hard against a very good Houston Astros team. not only that but after tonight were done with them and they can think about the Ass whipping we gave em tonight, 

[SwainZag]

3 minutes ago, IndyTwinsFan said:

I think Rocco was trying to show how clever he can be.  Boy, did that backfire spectacularly!

Hope Stewart can snuff this out without any more damage. 

Or he wanted to give a guy who has been struggling a little low leverage situation to try and right the ship and it backfired.  I'd say it's a lot more on Jorge than it's on Rocco "trying to be clever"

[Squirrel]

1 minute ago, mrtwinsfan said:

The Twins are competing hard against a very good Houston Astros team. not only that but after tonight were done with them and they can think about the Ass whipping we gave em tonight, 

And that we beat them 4-2 this season

[Squirrel]

Just now, SwainZag said:

Or he wanted to give a guy who has been struggling a little low leverage situation to try and right the ship and it backfired.  I'd say it's a lot more on Jorge than it's on Rocco "trying to be clever"

Yep, concur

[Parfigliano]

4 minutes ago, stringer bell said:

Very similar. When people started hitting Davis, he lost command and tried to throw even harder. That seems to be what López is doing.

And walked and hit more guys and got hit harder.

[Winston Smith]

9 minutes ago, ashbury said:

Lopez punching the gatorade cooler in the dugout is a nice touch.  How about next time, show some moxie on the mound, then keep quiet on the bench.

He can blame it on a broken hand.

[stringer bell]

Just now, Squirrel said:

And that we beat them 4-2 this season

Three more outs first.

[ashbury]

37 minutes ago, RickOShea said:

Garland says to himself "So this is what the mound looks like in the 7th inning".

I think he knew.

[RickOShea]

There should be a travelling trophy between the Astros and Twins.  The season series winner (if there is one), should get  the tin garbage can.

[Nine of twelve]

5 hours ago, stringer bell said:

Two #1 overall draft choices and a #2 overall draft choice on the bench.

And we proceed to score 8 runs. Funny game, baseball.

[IndyTwinsFan]

Looks like DeLeon next.

[stringer bell]

Julien has to catch a plane to Buffalo.

[mnfireman]

CC as a late inning defensive replacement...

[IndyTwinsFan]

Just now, Nine of twelve said:

And we proceed to score 8 runs. Funny game, baseball.

And all without the benefit of a home run.  Who would have guessed that?

[stringer bell]

De León has pitched well. Let's hope he can close this out without any drama.

[IndyTwinsFan]

Yikes, yet another hit batter.

[wabene]

4 minutes ago, SwainZag said:

Or he wanted to give a guy who has been struggling a little low leverage situation to try and right the ship and it backfired.  I'd say it's a lot more on Jorge than it's on Rocco "trying to be clever"

Agreed Lopez has talent and you gotta try to get him right. This was a good time to put him in.