Spring Training Game Thread: Twins v Rays, 3/18/14 @ 6:05pm

[Squirrel]

Okay, I refuse to call this a 'pre-season.' It's Spring Training. Here are the lineups:

 

 

I was was trying to be creative but y'all can tilt your heads sideways, yes? I'm here. It's beautiful, sunny and 75 degrees. More later ... chatter on!

[Squirrel]

My vantage to tonight's game. Batting practice is done and they are readying the field.

[JB_Iowa]

Thanks ChiTown.

 

For those of us who don't like to read sideways:

#MNTwins lineup tonight:

 

Presley CF

Dozier 2B

Mauer 1B

Willingham LF

Kubel DH

Plouffe 3B

Arcia RF

Suzuki C

Florimon SS

Worley SP

Rays lineup vs. #mntwins

 

Myers 9

Dejesus 7

Zobrist 4

Longoria 5

Loney 3

Joyce dh

Jennings 8

Escobar 6

Molina 2

LHP Moore

 

 

Thanks, respectively, to Twins Daily and Mike Berardino on Twitter.

[big dog]

3-0, men on 2nd and 3rd, two outs in the first. Worley gets the third out on a deep fly to right. Tidy little 25-pitch inning.

 

In related news, Sam Deduno and Scott Diamond just relaxed a little bit.

 

Hey Ashbury, get loose- you're pinch-hitting if Worley's still in the game for the second inning.

[Willihammer]

Rays 1st: 9 swings - 4 liners, 1 ground ball, 1 fly ball, 3 fouls, 0 whiffs.

[B Richard]

Rays lineup seems pretty much like what I'd expect in the regular season. I wouldn't be terribly surprised if Kubel and Presley don't crack the opening day lineup

[zchrz]

First game I have been able to watch this season, baseball really is back!

 

Worley not looking good again, 3 doubles, a walk, 3 runs, and 2 outs so far. I think his days on the team are numbered.

[Willihammer]

My vantage to tonight's game. Batting practice is done and they are readying the field.

Section RSU?

[JB_Iowa]

I remember last year that someone (Philly fan) posted about how much we'd enjoy Worley (especially his personality) -- hasn't happened yet.

[shs_59]

Getting Nothing for Ben Revere.

 

Essentially Giving Revere away could haunt us for the next decade.

 

Speeed and EVERYDAY leadoff hitter is underrated NO he's not a CF but DH ing Revere or putting him in Left Field next yr..... Willingham's replacement WOULD OF BEEN SUPER SUPER SUPER

 

SUPER

 

SUPER

 

SUPER

 

Nice thing to have in the back pocket.

 

Now here comes years and years and years of Twins mediocrity coupled with sano's elbow injury.

[ppearson50]

So Deduno is the likely the 5th starter with Worley heading for AAA after every team passes on him. Diamond gets slotted as the long man in the bullpen. I think they still like Diamond.

[Halsey Hall]

Phil Hughes threw 6 innings and about 75 pitches this afternoon. Only 1 run I believe. I was back and forth, watching Hunter Harvey throw on the other diamond.

[big dog]

Rays 1st: 9 swings - 4 liners, 1 ground ball, 1 fly ball, 3 fouls, 0 whiffs.

 

He did get Longoria on a called 3rd strike. The ump looks to have a high strike zone tonight.

[Riverbrian]

Worley... The Vanimal!!!

 

They used to to call him the Vanimal!!!

 

They don't call him that anymore. He's become the Damnable!!!

[zchrz]

I like the chances of May contributing in the rotation or at least pen. Revere was exciting, but he isn't going to haunt anyone and wasn't that big a loss.

[ashbury]

3-0, men on 2nd and 3rd, two outs in the first. Worley gets the third out on a deep fly to right. Tidy little 25-pitch inning.

 

In related news, Sam Deduno and Scott Diamond just relaxed a little bit.

 

Hey Ashbury, get loose- you're pinch-hitting if Worley's still in the game for the second inning.

 

Which way's the wind blowing? I'm not facing him unless it's blowing out. He's unhittable otherwise.

[B Richard]

Revere isn't exactly going to haunt us the same way that Papi has...

[Willihammer]

Twins 1st: 7 swings - 0 liners, 1 GB, 1 FB, 2 fouls, 3 whiffs

[zchrz]

So Deduno is the likely the 5th starter with Worley heading for AAA after every team passes on him. Diamond gets slotted as the long man in the bullpen. I think they still like Diamond.

 

Sounds about right to me. I think they will be trying to move Duensing and Corriea to open up spots sooner than later.

[big dog]

Hey Look! Worley gave up a hit!!

 

Some of this difference is that we're facing Matt Moore, and they're facing well you know.

 

OK, my bet is that Worley doesn't make it to the 3rd inning. Any takers?

[Riverbrian]

I've been thinking about Russia and Crimea. Since it's a free for all.. I think we should just take Kiev... I like what they do with Chicken.

[ashbury]

The mlb.com play-by-play shows:

 

Desmond Jennings doubles (1) on a ground ball to left fielder Josh Willingham.

 

Can someone please explain how the play went? Is "ground ball" a poor description of what went for a routine double? Or is Willingham's play on this ball a poor excuse for left fielding?

[Halsey Hall]

Wow, the Luckiest Man In the World just left the bases loaded.

[Riverbrian]

The mlb.com play-by-play shows:

 

Desmond Jennings doubles (1) on a ground ball to left fielder Josh Willingham.

 

Can someone please explain how the play went? Is "ground ball" a poor description of what went for a routine double? Or is Willingham's play on this ball a poor excuse for left fielding?

 

Down the line groundball and into the corner.

[zchrz]

Nice throw from Suzuki.

[Willihammer]

Rays 2nd: 6 swings - 1 liner, 3 GB, 0 FB, 2 fouls, 0 whiffs

[Riverbrian]

Rays 2nd: 6 swings - 1 liner, 3 GB, 0 FB, 2 fouls, 0 whiffs

 

Fastball percentage about 112%

[Chance]

I hope people don't look back on the Revere trade and think it was so terrible. It may play out that way but, at the time, we got a fair return for him. This is coming from someone who was excited about Revere's future with the Twins.

[Kwak]

I hope people don't look back on the Revere trade and think it was so terrible. It may play out that way but, at the time, we got a fair return for him. This is coming from someone who was excited about Revere's future with the Twins.

 

The trade gave us the opportunity to make many posts--Worley, May and Hicks--that we wouldn't have had the chance!

[LaBombo]

Who is this Zobrith guy Bert keeps talking about? Know the Rays have All Star superutilityman Ben ZobriST, but a conscientious and highly articulate professional broadcaster like Bert wouldn't keep butchering the name of one of the most popular players in baseball, right?

 

Love that Dick and Bert are like an old married couple now; Dick knows Bert's mangling a name, but like someone who lets a spouse keep telling the story of a long-ago event wrong over and over, he just lets it go instead of correcting him during the break.

 

Has anyone survived 9 innings of the Bert name-butchery drinking game? Might be a good wager for 2014: who makes it deeper into a game this season, a Twins starter or a TD Bert drinking game poster.