SPRING GAMES WEEK OF 3.8.26

[RpR]

Either there are two very good pitchers pitching today, or a cluster of lousy batters.

The game is not on TV but does not look like I am missing much.

[Danchat]

21 minutes ago, RpR said:

Either there are two very good pitchers pitching today, or a cluster of lousy batters.

The game is not on TV but does not look like I am missing much.

Our lineup today is trash, the best batters out there are Martin and Jeffers (and Wallner if he rebounds). The scary part is that several of these guys are one injury from playing every day in the majors.

[thelanges5]

Twins win, Twins win, Twins win - the Minnesota Twins win the game!

[RpR]

[RpR]

2 hours ago, Danchat said:

Our lineup today is trash, the best batters out there are Martin and Jeffers (and Wallner if he rebounds). The scary part is that several of these guys are one injury from playing every day in the majors.

Trash won, but Jeffers is terrible.

[Permanent Twins Fan]

21 hours ago, ashbury said:

The Twins finished tied for 8th best in ERA in 2019.

Yeah, that's my mistake. I just glanced over the 2019 starting rotation and saw Perez, Gibson, and Pineda in it, and assumed that it was a bad pitching year. 

[Permanent Twins Fan]

This isn't exactly spring games, but I don't see a WBC thread anywhere, and the U.S.A. is currently down 5-0 in the 4th to Italy. They need Joe Ryan's peformance today over there, not with the Twins.

[stringer bell]

55 minutes ago, Permanent Twins Fan said:

This isn't exactly spring games, but I don't see a WBC thread anywhere, and the U.S.A. is currently down 5-0 in the 4th to Italy. They need Joe Ryan's peformance today over there, not with the Twins.

It's now 8-0 in the sixth. Better to lose in pool play, but that run differential!!!

Edit: Gunnar goes deep on Altavilla. 8-1 after 6.

[Permanent Twins Fan]

6 minutes ago, stringer bell said:

It's now 8-0 in the sixth. Better to lose in pool play, but that run differential!!!

If the U.S. loses and Mexico beats Italy, there's a chance the U.S. doesn't even advance with the three way tie.

[Permanent Twins Fan]

1 hour ago, stringer bell said:

Edit: Gunnar goes deep on Altavilla. 8-1 after 6.

 P-C-A with his second blast of the game; 8-6 Italy

[bunsen82]

I didn't know Altavilla was in the WBC.   Gave up a run.  Against that lineup - not bad.  

[thelanges5]

40 minutes ago, bunsen82 said:

I didn't know Altavilla was in the WBC.   Gave up a run.  Against that lineup - not bad.  

Future Twins closer Dan Altavilla!

[stringer bell]

1 hour ago, bunsen82 said:

I didn't know Altavilla was in the WBC.   Gave up a run.  Against that lineup - not bad.  

I think Altavilla has the best, most recent, resume of the non-roster invitees. His baseball savant page is a bit of a mixed bag, but overall it's pretty good.

I think one spot is going to a non-roster right hander and it probably comes down to Hendriks vs. Altavilla. Unless he had it written into his minor league contract, Altavilla shouldn't be able to opt out if he actually was sent to St. Paul, but because of his veteran status, Hendriks could. Altavilla has zero closing experience at age 33, so there's that. 

[Patzky]

Today's lineup against the Tigers looks as close to an opening day lineup as I've seen, except for the lack of Byron Buxton. 

[thelanges5]

12 minutes ago, Patzky said:

Today's lineup against the Tigers looks as close to an opening day lineup as I've seen, except for the lack of Byron Buxton. 

Roden getting the start in CF over Outman 🤔

[Patzky]

1 minute ago, thelanges5 said:

Roden getting the start in CF over Outman 🤔

Outman has been playing a lot.. I'm not saying they're interchangeable. 🤞

[Patzky]

Taj is doing pretty well, and the Starting Lineup isn't hitting. Go figure. 

[RpR]

Twins hitting right now from starters, is abysmal but strike outs have been kept to a minimum, so far.

[Squirrel]

13 minutes ago, Patzky said:

Taj is doing pretty well, and the Starting Lineup isn't hitting. Go figure. 

Yeah, but that’s not at all close to the Tigers opening day lineup. Context matters

[Patzky]

8 minutes ago, Squirrel said:

Yeah, but that’s not at all close to the Tigers opening day lineup. Context matters

And it is darn close to ours. 🙄 That matters and shouldn't be a shock 🤣 

[Patzky]

Topa redemption tour? Or Toast Topa?

[RpR]

Herren Bell, Keaschall and Wallner put the bat on the ball properly  but Herr Wallner is still whiffing too much.

[Patzky]

22 minutes ago, RpR said:

Herren Bell, Keaschall and Wallner put the bat on the ball properly  but Herr Wallner is still whiffing too much.

Seems like the bench gets better results. I don't say they want it more and they are against weaker pitching.

[Patzky]

O'Kaelin!

[thelanges5]

Final:
Tigers 1
Twins 2
 

ST run differential now at -21

[RpR]

[shimrod]

Was that a walk-off dinger? 

 

[RpR]

1 minute ago, shimrod said:

Was that a walk-off dinger? 

 

They won with small ball.

[shimrod]

Good. My wife and youngest daughter are at the game, glad they saw a win. 

[thelanges5]

Culpepper’s reward for the walkoff?

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