Game Thread: Twins (Ober) @ Royals (Lyles), 7/29/23 @ 6:10 CT

[wsnydes]

[rwilfong86]

Not too bad tonight in the KC area, only mid 80's right now

[MABB1959]

Tough start for MN.  Pitcher with 6.13 ERA pitcher has a 1, 2 3 inning.  Threw only 7 pitches to the first two batters.   At least Kiriloff worked the count.  Given our lineup with a whopping 3 players batting > then .250 that makes sense. 

[Jocko87]

2 minutes ago, rwilfong86 said:

Not too bad tonight in the KC area, only mid 80's right now

Sheesh, it’s 102 in Wichita. 

Is there a better pitcher to face after the last 3 games than Jordan Lyles?

[rwilfong86]

Witt starting off where he left off last night😩

[rwilfong86]

1 minute ago, Jocko87 said:

Sheesh, it’s 102 in Wichita. 

Is there a better pitcher to face after the last 3 games than Jordan Lyles?

We had some storms and it's cooled down a little today.

They'll make him look like a Cy Young candidate tonight

[rwilfong86]

Kepler with a nice double

[rwilfong86]

Not even close. Melendez has a cannon

[Parfigliano]

Just now, rwilfong86 said:

Not even close. Melendez has a cannon

Yup

[stringer bell]

A good gamble with the #8 hitter due up. 

[rwilfong86]

Looks like Perez was blocking the plate

[rwilfong86]

It seems like that rule is only enforced for whoever the Twins are playing. 

[RickOShea]

Could have gone either way, I guess.  It did look like Perez had blocked the path to the plate, though.

[RickOShea]

Just now, rwilfong86 said:

It seems like that rule is only enforced for whoever the Twins are playing. 

Yeah, we don't have much luck when it comes to calls involving the umpires having to think on their own.

[stringer bell]

They need to fine-tune the plate-blocking rule. 

[CRF]

Ober is getting much better at losing baseballs.

[rwilfong86]

1 minute ago, RickOShea said:

Yeah, we don't have much luck when it comes to calls involving the umpires having to think on their own.

Kepler had to move way inside the line to make a play for the plate.  I am not sure what the criteria is for it to be "blocking the plate" and apparently the review crew doesn't either.

[rwilfong86]

Just now, stringer bell said:

They need to fine-tune the plate-blocking rule. 

Or remove it and let players truck the catcher like they used to. 

[sampleSizeOfOne]

What i miss?

[RickOShea]

Twins don't look too sharp tonight.

[rwilfong86]

Ober is not looking like he has his good stuff tonight

[stringer bell]

Just now, sampleSizeOfOne said:

What i miss?

Two K C solo homers and a Twin being thrown out at the plate. 

[RickOShea]

Ober doesn't have the command, according to dick.  It looks more like he doesn't give a squat.

[rwilfong86]

Ugh

[2wins87]

Really don't understand how they call the blocking the plate rule.

I think they've called it against catchers too much in the past but based on past patterns I really thought that one would be called. Seems like Kepler had a very good chance of beating the throw had he not had to alter course. That was the explanation I heard for past calls.

I really think they just flip a coin in NY sometimes 

[rwilfong86]

This would be a great time for a double play ball

[rwilfong86]

Or not.

[RickOShea]

Players not in their normal positions usually is a recipe for disaster,

[rwilfong86]

Need to keep it 3-0 here

[rwilfong86]

Just now, RickOShea said:

Players not in their normal positions usually is a recipe for disaster,

I'm not sure how good Polanco is at 3rd, but he can't be much worse than Miranda was