Twins Vs Rangers 9/3/2023 1:35pm CT. Get away game, grip and rip!

[Mortimerkenny21]

[Mortimerkenny21]

Let's go Twins! We don't need Tampa or other Cleveland opponents to beat them. Now let's beat the big bad Rangers one more time! Throw a gem Maeda!

[Dave Borton]

Would love a game today that captured me as much as last night's game did. Oh, dear.

 

[stringer bell]

Pretty much the same lineup as Friday. A sweep would be sweet. Good to see that Julien is in the lineup, so his injury isn't major.

[CRF]

Get the brooms out! Let's take these guys!

[Patzky]

Looks like Willi Castro is back and Michael A Taylor will be on the IL. 

[insagt1]

why does Gallo have to play instead of Solano? Is the lefty-righty thing THAT crucial that you sit a .300 hitter and insert a guy who has barely hit .100 over the past 2 months? Gallo in the starting lineup is just like giving up an out every AB. I just don't get it.

[stringer bell]

6 minutes ago, Patzky said:

Looks like Willi Castro is back and Michael A Taylor will be on the IL. 

Correct. 

[stringer bell]

1 minute ago, insagt1 said:

why does Gallo have to play instead of Solano? Is the lefty-righty thing THAT crucial that you sit a .300 hitter and insert a guy who has barely hit .100 over the past 2 months? Gallo in the starting lineup is just like giving up an out every AB. I just don't get it.

I probably agree, but here are some factors: 1) Gallo is the preferred defender at first base. 2) Joey is more likely to “run into one”—always a threat to hit a long ball. 3) Solano is 35 and played more than he ever has as a major leaguer. 4) With all of the Ranger LHP relievers, having Solano available as a pinch hitter for a key spot might be a good strategy. 

[CRF]

MAT to the IL. (Sigh) Didn't we used to have some other guy that played CF once in a while? Wasn't his name Byron something or other?

[Craig Arko]

Am not expecting a pitcher’s duel today.

[IndyTwinsFan]

11 minutes ago, CRF said:

MAT to the IL. (Sigh) Didn't we used to have some other guy that played CF once in a while? Wasn't his name Byron something or other?

That name does ring a faint bell, doesn't it?

[insagt1]

17 minutes ago, stringer bell said:

I probably agree, but here are some factors: 1) Gallo is the preferred defender at first base. 2) Joey is more likely to “run into one”—always a threat to hit a long ball. 3) Solano is 35 and played more than he ever has as a major leaguer. 4) With all of the Ranger LHP relievers, having Solano available as a pinch hitter for a key spot might be a good strategy. 

I think #4 is the most logical. Not sure his defense at 1st base is that critical. #2 is the most unlikely. He hasn't 'run into' anything except outs, mostly k's in many weeks. His bat has contributed zero lately of any significance. And this weekend he also failed as a pinch runner. He's simply having a 'Chris Davis-career is over' season. I can't believe Twins can't scour the beer league for someone better.

[mrtwinsfan]

Good to see the Rangers not Playting in Pajamas again, 

[stringer bell]

The next four games will determine a lot about how comfortable the race will be in September. Holding the five-game lead or expanding it should pretty much end the race and let the Twins concentrate on getting ready for October baseball, if the lead shrinks to somewhere between two and four games, there will be work to get done and the collars will get a little tight and if (horror of horrors) the Twins lose all four (and the Guards win them all) it's a whole new ballgame.

[CRF]

Gotta figure out a way to get some of these RISP's in. Leadoff double and nuthin. 

[rwilfong86]

Not a good start, especially with a bullpen running on fumes 

[twinkies8791]

anybody else think ober shouldve stayed and not maeda

[Mortimerkenny21]

Not ideal. That is not the @spicygarvsauce we wanted. 

[Dave Borton]

19 minutes ago, stringer bell said:

The next four games will determine a lot about how comfortable the race will be in September. . .

Great races still to determine league playoff positions to be determined.

We have wonderful post-season ball coming up this year.

https://www.mlb.com/standings

[stringer bell]

A couple other comments about trends--I've been surprised that Rocco has started Wallner against left handers three times in the last couple of weeks while having Kepler on the bench. Max is having his second-best year of his career against left handers and Wallner's numbers against lefties are not great (.532 OPS). Prep for post-season? 

Speaking of platoon stats--the Twins are up to 21st in team OPS versus left handed pitching and 27th in batting average. The team OPS is .712 vs. lefties, not great but a noticeable improvement.

[mrtwinsfan]

??  was Cole Sands the only bullpen guy not used yesterday,  ?   Hope not but this could get ugly

[GusGus11]

Can we get Ober back in the rotation? Was he struggling? Yes

But we are also throwing 2 corpses in Keuchel and Maeda who are no better and also offer absolutely nothing for the future of this team

[stringer bell]

Stevenson wears glasses (goggles) when hitting, but not when he's in the field.

[stringer bell]

The Twins have hit a lot of homers since the break, but also yielded a bunch. Maeda, Ryan and Ober in particular have been dogged by long balls.

[GusGus11]

Why is Vazquez swinging on a 2-0 pitch with 2 outs whe we are stealing??

 

 

[Dave Borton]

I wish Provus' contract required he be away in Nov/Dec, not now.

[CRF]

Kenta doesn't have it again today. The way it's looking, this game is headed toward whatever warm bodies we have in the pen. Sands and ?

[Mortimerkenny21]

Glad Kenta got out of that inning. He doesn't not seem to have it today.

[Mortimerkenny21]

1 minute ago, CRF said:

Kenta doesn't have it again today. The way it's looking, this game is headed toward whatever warm bodies we have in the pen. Sands and ?

Sands and whoever pitched the least out of the rest of them. Funderburk?