Game Thread: Twins (López) v Guardians (Giolito), 9/4 @ 5:10pm CT

[stringer bell]

López is probably done w/ 6 innings, 1 run. Only three strikeouts but a whole bunch of ground balls. 

[Sutter50]

Just now, Cris E said:

CLE has to win one or two of these, and wasting a single relief inning on a 12-1 loser is a mistake. It takes some courage to throw in the towel on a game this early so I don't care who is out there right now..

Exactly 

[Nine of twelve]

5 minutes ago, RickOShea said:

Using a position player to pitch in the 6th inning is about as bush as you can get.  I would hope the Twins would pile it on,  if possible.  Francona's move may be cute, but he just quit managing this game. Maybe he should retire.  This is not respecting the game.

Francona has two options, one bad and one very bad. Bad is losing the game without burning the bullpen and very bad is losing the game while burning the bullpen. So what if this game winds up 25-1 instead of 12-1? At this point he has to do anything he can to try to salvage the next two games. Desperate times require desperate measures. 

[Schmoeman5]

I'm not a fan of position players on the mound. The Guardians pen was supposedly spent coming into this series.  So once this game got out of hand it was kind of expected. Franconas decision might look really good if they win the next 2.  If they lose all 3 games the race is pretty much over.

[CRF]

Maybe Gallo can hit this guy!

[Craig Arko]

Gallo better not K against this guy.

[BH67]

And there's the cherry on top of this Lollapalooza sundae. Lopez loads the bases with two out and faces Kwan for the fourth time -- and gets him out.

[Mortimerkenny21]

Joey in garbage time, lol. No pressure.

[Craig Arko]

15-1.

[IaBeanCounter]

If Cle had scored 3 would one of their RP been forced to come in relief of the position player?

[Cris E]

Gallo always struck me as a really good softball guy. Good to see him reaping Cleveland's  bitter harvest.

[Parfigliano]

Found someone Gallo can handle.  458 ft

[Schmoeman5]

Gallo can hit 60

[Tibs]

I don't blame Cleveland at all for using a position player to pitch in the 6th. They have to win the next two games or their season is all but over.

At the same time, I hope we put up 30 on them for doing it.

[HokieRif]

If Gallo can just sit back on those 60mph fastballs I’m sure he’ll get his season back on track. If he doesn’t, I’ve got an OF on my softball team that’s open. 
 

[Sutter50]

1 minute ago, Nine of twelve said:

Francona has two options, one bad and one very bad. Bad is losing the game without burning the bullpen and very bad is losing the game while burning the bullpen. So what if this game winds up 25-1 instead of 12-1? At this point he has to do anything he can to try to salvage the next two games. Desperate times require desperate measures. 

Makes sense 

[Cris E]

25? 30? Screw 'em: if you give up that early you should get to own a record.

[NotAboutWinning]

This is getting fugly!

[stringer bell]

Ugly “baseball”. 

[Craig Arko]

3 minutes ago, Craig Arko said:

15-1.

Make that 18-1. Fire Rocco, anybody can do this job.

[stringer bell]

This is the kind of stuff that negates the importance of run differential. 

[jkcarew]

It’s a sign of the times…bullpens are standing room only…but every single guy is built to go one inning. I hate it.

[stringer bell]

What’s the Twins’ record for runs in one game. I know it’s in the 20s. 

[jkcarew]

1 minute ago, stringer bell said:

This is the kind of stuff that negates the importance of run differential. 

It’s the kind of thing that compromises all statistics.

[CRF]

The game is over...let's not let ANYBODY get hurt the rest of the way. 

[Craig Arko]

Just now, stringer bell said:

What’s the Twins’ record for runs in one game. I know it’s in the 20s. 

Bremer just said 24, in 1996 vs Det.

[rwilfong86]

10 minutes ago, Mortimerkenny21 said:

Joey in garbage time, lol. No pressure.

That one was crushed lol

[HokieRif]

4 minutes ago, stringer bell said:

What’s the Twins’ record for runs in one game. I know it’s in the 20s. 

24 according to Dick. ‘96 against the Tigers

[rwilfong86]

4 minutes ago, CRF said:

The game is over...let's not let ANYBODY get hurt the rest of the way. 

Looks like they've emptied the bench except for Vazquez

[GCTF]

15 minutes ago, stringer bell said:

C’mon Pablo! I don’t want to to think about historic comebacks. 

No worries, Headrick has you covered.