ALDS Game 4: Astros (Urquidy) vs Twins (Ryan): 10/11/23, 6:07pm

[Brock Beauchamp]

Well, this is it. Win or go home. I have no idea what to expect of Ryan but the same can be said about Urquidy.

[umterp23]

Time for Ryan to shine.  Astros will look for his fastball and only fastball and force his hand on a secondary pitch.  All hands on deck from pitching staff and I don't care if we send 9 guys out there to cover all 9 innings.  Twins need to jump on Urguidy and throw crooked number after crooked number as they won't go all hands on deck to cover a bad start.  They will have Verlander for game 5.  Would love a win today and then break their hearts Friday in Houston.  Yes, tall task but it can be done with this group of guys.  

[Jerr]

Ahhh, ummmm, huh? Game 3 ??? Was last night's game merely a bad dream???

Edited October 11, 2023 by Jerr
correct spelling

[Brock Beauchamp]

7 minutes ago, Jerr said:

Ahhh, ummmm, huh? Game 3 ??? Was last night's game merely a bad dream???

Fixed. I went full-bore Memento on yesterday.

[bighat]

My homer hanky finally arrived in Florida, just in time for the Twins' last home game of this series.

I have no idea what's going to happen here. And when in doubt, you have to default to the most likely scenario: an Astros win. That said the Twins have surprised us before in this post season, and having a 35% chance to win isn't nothing. 

Altuve has got a hit to lead off the game every game of this series. Alvarez has homered every game of this series. If either of those streaks continue, the series is over. Get those guys out or just don't pitch to them, period. If the rest of the team beats you, hats off to them. 

If Ryan pitches a scoreless first, the team (and the fans) will start to feel some energy. If Ryan gives up anything in the first inning, this game is going to be over before it begins.  

Every scenario I play out in my head, I just keep seeing the same issues: Altuve and Alvarez's dominance, and just how ridiculously good the Astros are on the road this year. 

Regardless, Go Twins.

[Vanimal46]

A vintage Joe Ryan run support game would be welcomed with open arms tonight. 

Has the team considered listening to an album from Creed today? Evidently that was the key to the Rangers turning things around this season. 

[CRF]

Put up or shut up time. If we have another clunker like yesterday, where we can't figure out how to get some runs across the plate...then we don't deserve to win anyway. Swinging for the fences is great...when you actually hit some out. On days when that doesn't happen, you have to manufacture runs, and that's what this team really struggles to do. That's what's wrong with their approach, and it's been that way for several years. Good teams adjust. The other thing is...I don't know if our young guys are quite ready for this pressure yet. Julien, Wallner, especially Kirilloff, and even Lewis...this is very good experience for them, but they might be in over their heads right now. Houston is a veteran team, with a veteran manager, and plenty of playoff experience. They know how to handle this atmosphere and pressure. I don't think our guys do. There's nothing I'd like more, than to win tonight and then win game 5. GO TWINS! 

[FlyingFinn]

Was Kirilloff pulled yesterday just on performance or is that shoulder bothering him again? Would the Twins play Julien at 1B today and put Castro and Taylor both in the OF, with Wallner at DH? Great OF defense as Ryan is going to have some balls hit out there.

[Byrdman]

I would love to see Farmer in the starting lineup somewhere. Maybe have lewis DH and have Farmer in at 3rd.  Wallner/Kirilloff disappearing bats this whole playoff is really hurting. Just frustrating. 

[Brock Beauchamp]

56 minutes ago, Vanimal46 said:

A vintage Joe Ryan run support game would be welcomed with open arms tonight. 

Has the team considered listening to an album from Creed today? Evidently that was the key to the Rangers turning things around this season. 

The Twins clubhouse should be cranking some Nickelback today. 

[Vanimal46]

25 minutes ago, Brock Beauchamp said:

The Twins clubhouse should be cranking some Nickelback today. 

 

FULL VOLUME!

 

[DJL44]

1 hour ago, Vanimal46 said:

Has the team considered listening to an album from Creed today? Evidently that was the key to the Rangers turning things around this season. 

Ugh. I think I'd consider losing.

[Brock Beauchamp]

1 minute ago, DJL44 said:

Ugh. I think I'd consider losing.

We can take you higher tho 

[DJL44]

Over/under on innings from Joe Ryan? I don't see him getting a 3rd time through the order with a fully rested bullpen available. If he pitches 4 innings you'll know he's done well.

[Brock Beauchamp]

Just now, DJL44 said:

Over under on innings from Joe Ryan? I don't see him getting a 3rd time through the order with a fully rested bullpen available. If he pitches 4 innings you'll know he's done well.

I say 3.2 innings, who is taking the over?

[Vanimal46]

17 minutes ago, DJL44 said:

Ugh. I think I'd consider losing.

Hold me now,

I’m 6 feet from the edge 

and I’m thinking 

maybe 6 feet ain’t so far down 

[Vanimal46]

17 minutes ago, Brock Beauchamp said:

We can take you higher tho 

Imagine not wanting to listen to Creed. Sounds like… My Own Prison… 

[nicksaviking]

36 minutes ago, Brock Beauchamp said:

I say 3.2 innings, who is taking the over?

I'll take the over, only because they used both Maeda and Ober yesterday and I don't **think** the game plan is to turn it over to Paddock immediately, which I assume would have to be the idea if Ryan is scheduled for an early hook. I think Ober would have been saved for tonight had that been the case.

So my bet is that just like they did with Lopez and Gray, they hope the starter can go five.

[Vanimal46]

Is @wsnydes doing okay? My sources are reporting the shades are closed at his house. And there’s a faint noise of the song Sailing by Christopher Cross playing in the basement. 

[DJL44]

41 minutes ago, Vanimal46 said:

Imagine not wanting to listen to Creed. Sounds like… My Own Prison… 

Sitting here smiling that I don't understand any of these references.

[DJL44]

Rocco has 6 relievers rested and available: Paddack, Varland, Thielbar, Jax, Stewart and Duran. Pagan is available but he pitched yesterday. I wouldn't be surprised to see ALL of them pitch tonight. I'm only reasonably sure we won't see Ober, Gray or Lopez tonight.

[USAFChief]

50 minutes ago, Vanimal46 said:

Imagine not wanting to listen to Creed. Sounds like… My Own Prison… 

I try to always listen to the wisdom of Creed.

 

[USAFChief]

36 minutes ago, nicksaviking said:

I'll take the over, only because they used both Maeda and Ober yesterday and I don't **think** the game plan is to turn it over to Paddock immediately, which I assume would have to be the idea if Ryan is scheduled for an early hook. I think Ober would have been saved for tonight had that been the case.

So my bet is that just like they did with Lopez and Gray, they hope the starter can go five.

Well of course the gameplan is 5 or more.

But they won't be making any decisions based on using Maeda and Ober yesterday. They certainly aren't going to let Ryan throw a single pitch because of lack of options.

Ryan is out at the first sign of trouble, and a string of 1 inning appearances will begin. As they should.

[insagt1]

1st big key is not giving up runs in the 1st inning, or second. Don't take the fans out of the game early. Houston knows this and they will be super aggressive early to do just that. I agree the stage may be too big for the kids. None of them have performed well offensively. They have piled on the k's...even Lewis. Jeffers has had a bad series. When half a teams 27 outs are k's just about every night, you have to have near perfect pitching to survive. It happened against Toronto. Houston is a different story.

Twins still can win tonight. But all hands must be on deck, ready to contribute. Can't be flooding the basepaths and leaving them there. I would dearly love to see a game 5, to see which team handles the pressure. I would not give Alvarez a strike to hit. He's too hot right now. Altuve is always a problem. Truly, there are so many in that lineup that are doing damage....you have to pitch to somebody.

Lets put some doubt into the Astros dugout. Let them continue to think they are the better team and losing would be disgraceful. Get into their heads (because they are in the Twins heads right now)

Go out there and play the game of the season Twins. Do it.

[wabene]

I wouldn't be surprised to see Paddack first from the pen.

[DJL44]

1 minute ago, wabene said:

I wouldn't be surprised to see Paddock first from the pen.

A paddock is a pen, though it is a horse pen, not a bull pen. We may see Paddack emerge from the paddock tonight.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

14 minutes ago, USAFChief said:

I try to always listen to the wisdom of Creed.

 

Creed Bratton also played in a band… I appreciate you setting these jokes on a tee for us 🙂

[FlyingFinn]

15 minutes ago, DJL44 said:

Paddack, Varland, Thielbar, Jax, Stewart and Duran. Pagan is available but he pitched yesterday. I wouldn't be surprised to see ALL of them pitch tonight.

A long extra inning game could be a real issue if we use up everyone by then.

[wabene]

4 minutes ago, DJL44 said:

A paddock is a pen, though it is a horse pen, not a bull pen. We may see Paddack emerge from the paddock tonight.

😀 Dang I got auto corrected on his name after snickering when others had! Serves me right, lol 

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

I will take the under 3.2 innings, unless the offense shows up and Ryan is going well. Then he might get 4 or 5. But I have no issue pulling Ryan after the first time through the order. Hopefully that means three complete innings.

It just feels like Houston is capable of ambushing Ryan the way Atlanta did.