SPRING GAMES WEEK OF 3.8.26

[stringer bell]

Winning is better than losing. Nice for Culpepper to have a lovely parting gift of a GWRBI. 

[RpR]

2 hours ago, thelanges5 said:

Culpepper’s reward for the walkoff?

Twins reassign Kaelen Culpepper and Aaron Sabato to Minor League camp.

Like a piece at MLB says, if they have options , they usually get sent down.

[Permanent Twins Fan]

Italy up 9-1 in 8th. U.S. will advance past pool play.

[Doctor Wu]

Nice bullpen game from the Twins, plus Bradley was effective. Hope to see more of those clean bullpen innings in the regular season. Hey, I can hope, can't I?

[USAFChief]

19 minutes ago, Doctor Wu said:

Nice bullpen game from the Twins, plus Bradley was effective. Hope to see more of those clean bullpen innings in the regular season. Hey, I can hope, can't I?

 

[bunsen82]

25 minutes ago, Doctor Wu said:

Nice bullpen game from the Twins, plus Bradley was effective. Hope to see more of those clean bullpen innings in the regular season. Hey, I can hope, can't I?

Taj  outside of 1 bad outing has looked really really good.   I don't think many are going to be complaining about that trade this year.  

[bunsen82]

15 hours ago, stringer bell said:

Winning is better than losing. Nice for Culpepper to have a lovely parting gift of a GWRBI. 

Culpepper -  did quite well in this first test.    It will be interesting to see how Lee does and how long the leash is before they bring Culpepper up.  

[thelanges5]

3.12.26 Ober game 2

			3в LEWIS
			LF KEASCHALL
			DH BELL
			c JEFFERS
			1в CARATINI
			RF LARNACH
			CF MARTIN
			SS LEE
			2B ARCIA
			P OBER

[Vanimal46]

Oh boy, here we go again...

[bunsen82]

Hendriks -  topped out at 94 mph.   Honestly all in all not bad.  Not the 96 he topped out in 2023, or the 97 in 2022.   But if he can gain 1 more mph,  and get a feel for his stuff back,  I think he is our most likely closer out of the bunch.  

Ober is going to pitch himself out of MLB if he can't top 89 mph.  Yikes.  Whats physically changed that has caused a 5 mph drop in his top velocity (use to top out at 94)?    In his best years he average 92 mph - last year 90.4 ,   this start 88.8.   

[RpR]

Well now, Jeffers finally decided to raise his batting average.😃

Arcia gives the team a happy moment in Spring Sraining.

[Yoke]

Lee with a bunt single (beat it out by a lot), then Arcia with the bomb.

Glad Lee showed a little speed there, maybe the offseason training is paying off.

[RpR]

Lewis is 0-4; he has two home runs in his total of 3 hits, as good or bad as one wants to make it.

[RpR]

I wonder if Boston is going stay with the starters all the way through?

Nope, big switch now.

WOW, only 3 ks by Twins at this point.

[thelanges5]

GD those 2 out RBIs just kill the Twins. Finish them off.!

[thelanges5]

The replacements come in and lead the team to victory.

3 games in a row, is that a streak?

ST run differential now -19

11 games to go!

[Squirrel]

6 hours ago, Yoke said:

Lee with a bunt single (beat it out by a lot), then Arcia with the bomb.

Glad Lee showed a little speed there, maybe the offseason training is paying off.

The guy sitting next to me at the game made some sort of joke about Lee getting a bunt single with 2 outs. Then the HR by Arcia and he took it back.

[bunsen82]

11 hours ago, Squirrel said:

The guy sitting next to me at the game made some sort of joke about Lee getting a bunt single with 2 outs. Then the HR by Arcia and he took it back.

Does Lee look quicker/faster/ more agile than last year Squirrel?  He looks a bit more trimmed,  just curious how he looks fielding and running.  Running out a bunt is pretty impressive.  

[Linus]

It was crazy how easily Lee beat out that bunt and the bunt was just pushed over to the left side. This seems like something teams should be doing against the shift. Keaschall/ Martin / Larnach in the outfield……woof.  

[thelanges5]

3.13.26 at Blue Jays

Abel vs Ponce

CF RODEN

SS LEE

RF WALLNER

1B WAGAMAN

LF OUTMAN

зв KREIDLER

2B GRAY

DH URSHELA

c JACKSON

[Squirrel]

2 hours ago, bunsen82 said:

Does Lee look quicker/faster/ more agile than last year Squirrel?  He looks a bit more trimmed,  just curious how he looks fielding and running.  Running out a bunt is pretty impressive.  

I couldn’t really say from just one game. There were a couple of ‘just got through’ hits that made me wonder, though. But I’ve also already tempered my expectations there. We had a GREAT SS in Correa. Lee will not come close to that, imo.

[Squirrel]

44 minutes ago, Linus said:

It was crazy how easily Lee beat out that bunt and the bunt was just pushed over to the left side. This seems like something teams should be doing against the shift. Keaschall/ Martin / Larnach in the outfield……woof.  

It really seemed that Boston was not looking for it, at all, and just kind of gave half effort. They didn’t seem overly shifted, either.

[stringer bell]

1 hour ago, Squirrel said:

I couldn’t really say from just one game. There were a couple of ‘just got through’ hits that made me wonder, though. But I’ve also already tempered my expectations there. We had a GREAT SS in Correa. Lee will not come close to that, imo.

Don't really want to second guess you Squirrel, but the data says that Correa was no longer a GREAT SS last year or the year before. His range is on a par with Lee, although he does have a much stronger arm. There is a reason why he went to third base for the Astros.

[stringer bell]

1 hour ago, thelanges5 said:

3.13.26 at Blue Jays

Abel vs Ponce

CF RODEN

SS LEE

RF WALLNER

1B WAGAMAN

LF OUTMAN

зв KREIDLER

2B GRAY

DH URSHELA

c JACKSON

With the exceptions of Lee and Wallner, this looks like a roster evaluation game. Most of these guys could make the team, but none are guaranteed. Urshela is probably a remote possibility unless there is an infield injury.

[Squirrel]

36 minutes ago, stringer bell said:

Don't really want to second guess you Squirrel, but the data says that Correa was no longer a GREAT SS last year or the year before. His range is on a par with Lee, although he does have a much stronger arm. There is a reason why he went to third base for the Astros.

He wanted to go to third with the Twins, but they didn’t have a better SS, even with Lee on the roster. Part of the reason he wanted to go back to the Astros was so he could play 3rd … well, that, and the Twins not committed to winning. I know that Correa’s range had diminished, so did he, but he was a much smarter player with better instincts and was able to position himself better to make more plays. Lee isn’t close to what Correa was last year, even diminished, which is why Lee wasn’t playing SS over Correa. When Royce was out, why wasn’t Correa moved over and Lee at SS? Correa was the better option. And I doubt if Lee will get much better. Compare Lee to where Correa was at the same age. 

[mrtwinsfan]

Abel   walks Springer -  1st walk this spring in 13 innings  =nice   2nd batter a bit Louder =BOOM 2-0

[bunsen82]

19 minutes ago, Squirrel said:

He wanted to go to third with the Twins, but they didn’t have a better SS, even with Lee on the roster. Part of the reason he wanted to go back to the Astros was so he could play 3rd … well, that, and the Twins not committed to winning. I know that Correa’s range had diminished, so did he, but he was a much smarter player with better instincts and was able to position himself better to make more plays. Lee isn’t close to what Correa was last year, even diminished, which is why Lee wasn’t playing SS over Correa. When Royce was out, why wasn’t Correa moved over and Lee at SS? Correa was the better option. And I doubt if Lee will get much better. Compare Lee to where Correa was at the same age. 

I still think his comments regarding 3rd is he knows his audience and he will say whichever is beneficial for him,  if 3rd was open in Astros he will say something.  If their shortstop gets hurt he will say he has the flexibility and ability to continue to play Short.   

As to Lee,  I think he can be solid.  Effectively  similar to Kyle Farmer.  Lee is a stopgap to Culpepper.  Then we will see if he can handle it or if it will be Houston or the 2026 draft pick who will most likely be an elite SS.   

[Patzky]

12 minutes ago, mrtwinsfan said:

Abel   walks Springer -  1st walk this spring in 13 innings  =nice   2nd batter a bit Louder =BOOM 2-0

Well couldn't last forever.. gusty winds out to right fwiw

[Patzky]

56 minutes ago, stringer bell said:

Don't really want to second guess you Squirrel, but the data says that Correa was no longer a GREAT SS last year or the year before. His range is on a par with Lee, although he does have a much stronger arm. There is a reason why he went to third base for the Astros.

Well Lee turns the DP. Remember the Julien Gaspe 😯 whenever he handled the ball..

[thelanges5]

Classic Twins - pitchers walking a tight rope because the offense is so ineffective.  
 

1-11 w/RISP, 15 LOB

ST run differential -24