Game Thread: Twins @ Tigers, 5/26 - 12:08pm

[Brock Beauchamp]

Lineups:

 

Twins:

Jamey Carroll 2B

Joe Mauer DH

Josh Willingham LF

Justin Morneau 1B

Ryan Doumit C

Chris Parmelee RF

Eduardo Escobar 3B

Aaron Hicks CF

Pedro Florimon SS

(Mike Pelfrey P)

 

Tigers:

Andy Dirks LF

Torii Hunter RF

Miguel Cabrera 3B

Prince Fielder DH

Victor Martinez 1B

Alex Avila C

Omar Infante 2B

Don Kelly CF

Ramon Santiago SS

(Max Scherzer P)

[Mr. Brooks]

Time to see if we can keep this winning streak going.

Pelfrey vs. Scherzer. Sounds like a win to me.

[jokin]

Is the Dozier experiment winding down right quick? I wonder if, when Plouffe returns that Arcia gets the call-back and "Dozsh" gets to go down and resume his fight for playing time with Eric Farris and Doug Bernier.

[Riverbrian]

Bummer... Bases left full.

[Rick Niedermann]

Thought Dozier would break out this year. Major disappointment. But so are Parmelee, Hicks, Plouffe. Doesn't help that Willingham and Doumit aren't hitting like last year. So many holes in this team.

[Riverbrian]

I've been liking Dozier and Parmelee defensively. They may be worth some patience on offense.

[Riverbrian]

I haven't been happy with Hicks and Plouffe defensively although and that makes the need for offense a little more acute in my opinion.

[greengoblinrulz]

Bremer just pulled a John Gordon with Morneau's 'deep drive' to about 270 feet down the line off the end of the bat.

[Mr. Brooks]

Bremer just pulled a John Gordon with Morneau's 'deep drive' to about 270 feet down the line off the end of the bat.

 

LOL, yeah I caught that too.

[greengoblinrulz]

Is the Dozier experiment winding down right quick? I wonder if, when Plouffe returns that Arcia gets the call-back and "Dozsh" gets to go down and resume his fight for playing time with Eric Farris and Doug Bernier.

Dozier is the top rated defensive 2B currently in UZR. If the Twins truly value defense--they dont but they like to say they do--they'll keep him up

[Joe A. Preusser]

Can't believe everyone isn't calling for Gardy's head for letting Pelfrey pitch the 6th in a close game. I mean that's crazy right? He's already given up 2 hits! Bench his azz and just have Perkins pitch the last 4 innings already!

[greengoblinrulz]

8th time in 10 games that Pelfrey doesnt get a 'quality' start OR pitch 6 innings. He is absolutely killing this staff & the broadcast crew is bending over backwards talkin about what a great game he pitched.

[Riverbrian]

8th time in 10 games that Pelfrey doesnt get a 'quality' start OR pitch 6 innings. He is absolutely killing this staff & the broadcast crew is bending over backwards talkin about what a great game he pitched.

 

He has pitched well. Today

[greengoblinrulz]

He has pitched well. Today

Im a big fan of starting pitchers who give up 5ER in 5.2 IP but pitch well!!!

Numbers dont lie

[Mr. Brooks]

Im a big fan of starting pitchers who give up 5ER in 5.2 IP but pitch well!!!

Numbers dont lie

 

Yeah, I'd like to hear an explanation of how that is pitching well. That is Vanimal territory there.

[Shane Wahl]

Gibson, Diamond, Correia, Walters, and Deduno should probably be the starting five. I realize that means that Gibson will only be with the Twins for two months, which is a problem.

[Shane Wahl]

He was totally fine through five, though AGAIN a Twins pitcher can't get through the first inning without giving up a run. This has got to be something with preparation and coaching. Anyway, Pelfrey may really not be able to stay strong past 90 or so pitches right now. It isn't that surprising given his injury last year (which is why he should have been in EST until May).

[greengoblinrulz]

Yeah, I'd like to hear an explanation of how that is pitching well. That is Vanimal territory there.

If you have a history of pitching well, then a day like Pefrey's today can be argued. However, when this is the norm......its not even close.

Too bad that Twins fans expectations of starting pitching has lowered SO much the past 3 yrs that the on air crew feels a need to defend him

[glunn]

To be fair, that bloop hit by Avila was very lucky. If that ball had been caught, then Pelfrey would have had a quality start.

[Riverbrian]

Yeah, I'd like to hear an explanation of how that is pitching well. That is Vanimal territory there.

 

I watched the game... Hunter went opposite field on him in the 1st and Fielder went left of center on him in the 4th... His pitch count got a little inflated but he held the TIGERS to 2 hits over 5.

 

In comparison to his basically bad pitching prior... He pitched real well... He got two outs in the 6th before V-Mart and Avila back to backed a couple of singles.

 

Fien came in and walked his batter and Thielbar unloaded the bases giving up a double.

 

Watch the Game... Put the numbers down.

[Mr. Brooks]

I watched the game... Hunter went opposite field on him in the 1st and Fielder went left of center on him in the 4th... His pitch count got a little inflated but he held the TIGERS to 2 hits over 5.

 

In comparison to his basically bad pitching prior... He pitched real well... He got two outs in the 6th before V-Mart and Avila back to backed a couple of singles.

 

Fien came in and walked his batter and Thielbar unloaded the bases giving up a double.

 

Watch the Game... Put the numbers down.

I did watch the game.

Part of being a starting pitcher is doing it for 6 or 7 plus innings. You dont get credit for pitching well for 5 then falling apart in the 6th. Doesnt work that way.

If you don't want relievers letting your runners score, there is a way to avoid that, finish your inning.

[Mr. Brooks]

He was totally fine through five, though AGAIN a Twins pitcher can't get through the first inning without giving up a run. This has got to be something with preparation and coaching. Anyway, Pelfrey may really not be able to stay strong past 90 or so pitches right now. It isn't that surprising given his injury last year (which is why he should have been in EST until May).

 

Yeah I agree he was fine through 5, but what the hell has become of baseball that we are patting a guy on the back for being ok through 5 innings then giving up the game in the 6th???

[Mr. Brooks]

To be fair, that bloop hit by Avila was very lucky. If that ball had been caught, then Pelfrey would have had a quality start.

 

When you can't strike anyone out you are going to give up a lot of "lucky" hits. That is the nature of his pitching style, it doesn't get to be an excuse when it is such a big part of his game.

[Riverbrian]

I dont believe you watched the game... If you did watch the game... You don't know what your watching.

 

I've been fed up with Pelfrey's performance this year. In fairness I can recognize a decent performance and credit him for it as I wait for Gibson to replace him.

 

You want to hang him for the 6th... A single to Cabrera... Two outs... And a single to V mart and a flair from Avila. Hits happen every once in awhile in baseball.

 

Go ahead and hang him for the 6th... It matters little to me.

[Mr. Brooks]

I dont believe you watched the game... If you did watch the game... You don't know what your watching.

 

I've been fed up with Pelfrey's performance this year. In fairness I can recognize a decent performance and credit him for it as I wait for Gibson to replace him.

 

You want to hang him for the 6th... A single to Cabrera... Two outs... And a single to V mart and a flair from Avila. Hits happen every once in awhile in baseball.

 

Go ahead and hang him for the 6th... It matters little to me.

 

No, I don't want to hang him, but it's not good enough.

How sad is it that you think its a good performance as long as the first 5 innings are solid, regardless of what happens after that?

Part of being a starting pitcher is avoiding what happened in the 6th, I don't understand why you get to just throw that out as if it didnt happen?

[Mr. Brooks]

And once again, where the hell is our offense hibernating?

[Riverbrian]

Willingham should have caught the flair! He floated in while Florimon charged out and couldn't reach it. If he catches the blooped ball... 6IP 2R... and we don't have people comparing the start to the Vanimal.

 

3 outs... Inning over... No runs scored.

 

You couldn't have watched the game.

 

if his performance today was not good enough... You can't be taken Seriously.

[Mr. Brooks]

Willingham should have caught the flair! He floated in while Florimon charged out and couldn't reach it. If he catches the blooped ball... 6IP 2R... and we don't have people comparing the start to the Vanimal.

 

3 outs... Inning over... No runs scored.

 

You couldn't have watched the game.

 

if his performance today was not good enough... You can't be taken Seriously.

 

When you combine pitch to contact with a slow, terrible LF'er, you are going to have those bloops drop in. You don't get to use that strategy and then complain when it backfires.

 

That is hilarious that I cant be taken seriously if 8 baserunners and 5 earned runs over 5.2 innings is not good enough for me.

 

If that is good enough for you, then so be it. But I'm entitled to my opinion as well. When they start playing only 5 innings, then I'll say it was a good start, until then it wasnt good enough.

Part of a starting pitcher's job is to pitch deep in the game, not 5 good innings and whatever happens after that is not his fault.

[Mr. Brooks]

[Mr. Brooks]

Sad that I have to prove I watched the game, that you can't just take a grown man's word for it, but whatever.