Riverbrian

Looks like Duffy is attacking the zone.

Dear Dick, I got nothing... Never mind... Keep Bert under control.

Good inning for Nolasco... He was keeping the ball on the outer half. Hope he does it again in the 2nd. That's the thing about innings. Like snowflakes they are never the same.

Hammer... Nolasco and Bert... All Back in one night. It's a magical night for sure.

Game-time forecast: Mostly cloudy. Winds blowing in from right field at 5-10 m.p.h. Temperature around 75. The Twins are back home and ChiTown isn't back home. Whose better off? She has lineups... Come here for them. ROYALS: SP, Duffy Aoki RF Infante 2B Perez C Butler 1B Gordon LF Willingham DH Moustakas 3B Escobar SS Dyson CF TWINS: SP, Nolasco Santana CF Dozier 2B Mauer 1B Vargas DH Plouffe 3B Suzuki C Arcia RF Escobar SS Schafer LF ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Things to Think About: 1. The Royals -- Divisional Foe aside... I can't help... I'm a closet Royals Fan. They have been hapless for so long that I can't help but hope for good things at some point in time. Is this the Year? Maybe. The Royals have a nice starting rotation and tremendous bullpen. They don't always show it but they have the potential to play amazing defense. Then there is the hitting to consider. They have bats who should get the job done on paper but they just get into these crazy slumps that they have to bust out of and when they bust out of them... The Royals become very dangerous. Butler... Gordon... Aoki and Cain are making solid contact right now and carrying the team along. With improved hitting... The Royals have won 9 out of 10 and have vaulted into 1st place. 2. Josh Willingham -- The Hammer is back at Target Field. I'll bet he goes deep at some point this weekend. The Hammer has been slightly frustrating the past two years for the Twins. He's knocked out a few because he has power but he hasn't done it enough for the Twins... Therefore... He's going to do it against the Twins... I can feel it. That aside...Welcome back Josh. 3. Ricky Nolasco -- Speaking of Welcome Back... Ricky Nolasco is back. He hasn't pitched in a major league game since July 6th when he was shut down with elbow soreness... an elbow strain... elbow macaroni. I take full responsibility for the signing of Ricky Nolasco... Because I was all for it. I still think that Ricky will be a productive pitcher for the Twins. He will have plenty of chances to become a productive pitcher for the Twins with his 4 year deal. 4. Danny Duffy -- I already did a thing on Danny Duffy. I'll just say... that I've seen him pitch and I think he's good. The Twins will have to get ready to put some good at bats together to produce something against him. Many teams have failed to produce something against him. 5. Mr. Right -- I was listening to a 20 year old girl talk to another 20 year old girl when they were walking in front of me. She was saying "I'm going to marry someone... good looking... sensitive and smart and the other 20 year old was agreeing with her... That's who she was going to marry as well. I was thinking to myself... Give it a couple of years... They will be hoping for anything breathing with a day job.

Game-time forecast: Houston Hot and Humid. Today It's an early game and that means Breakfast with the Twins for those who live in Bora Bora. ChiTown will post the lineups for you shortly. Chi here. Almost forgot about the game, and the lineups. Got distracted with sparkly new things elsewhere for a minute, but here we go ... TWINS: SP, Gibson Santana CF Dozier 2B Mauer 1B Vargas DH Plouffe 3B Nunez LF Arcia RF Fryer C Escobar SS ASTROS: SP, Oberholtzen Grossman LF Altuve 2B Carter DH Fowler CF Singleton 1B Corporan C Dominguez 3B Marisnick RF Gonzalez SS -------------------------------------------- Things to Think About: 1. Chris Carter -- He's a right handed version of Adam Dunn but he costs a lot less money. He's on a roll right now with 3 home runs in the past two games. When someone does that against you... You tend to sit up and take notice. His career has been pretty consistent... Low batting average with a bunch of bombs. He's 27 years old and he played High School ball in Las Vegas. He was 15th Round selection by the White Sox in 2005 and since being drafted he has been a professional trade chip. Traded to the Diamondbacks for Carlos Quintin... Traded to the A's for Dan Haren... Traded to the Astros for Jed Lowrie. His BA is .230 and he now has 28 homers which is just 3 off the pace for the best in MLB. If this guy ever figures out how to raise his Batting Average. Look Out!!! 2. Brett Oberholtzer -- Today the Twins face 25 year old lefthander Brett Oberholtzer... The Delaware Destroyer. I don't know if he has that nickname but I just gave it to him so let's see if it sticks. Brett was born in Christiana Delaware. Which is in the part of Deleware that is just an extension of Philadelphia. The other parts of Delaware have a total population of 16 and it would be amazing if any of them made it to the majors. After being named to the all Deleware team in 2006 he went to Junior College and was drafted by the Braves in 8th round of 2008 draft. He became an Astro when the Braves put him in a package of players to acquire Michael Bourn... Jordan Schaefer was also part of that package. Brett has thrown 169 innings and carries a respectable 3.51 lifetime MLB ERA. I haven't seen him pitch yet so I don't know what he throws but I imagine that he throws a baseball. 3. The Twins Rotation -- I wonder... What's up? What's Next? I think we can assume that Gibson, Hughes, Milone are going to be in the rotation. I think we can assume that Nolasco is coming to take a spot. Now comes the question? WIth Pino getting roughed up and Trevor May pitching 2 innings in relief yesterday... Who pitches in this rotation spot when it comes around again? I didn't get to see May pitch yesterday because I was playing softball but looking at the Box Score... He was obviously better but he still had a couple of walks and the Astros crossed the plate on him. When this spot comes around... Who will be holding the ball. 4. My Softball experience -- I was 1 for 6 at the plate. In my defense... I'm old and I haven't played a game of softball in 5 plus years. Been taking the easy way out and coaching baseball instead. 1st AB -- I Fouled Out. A foul ball on the third strike is recorded as a K. That's what I did but I didn't whiff so I refuse to call it a K. 2nd AB -- F8... Routine Fly Ball to CF but it did feel better then the 1st AB. 3rd AB -- F6... Popped up to the Short Stop... The Entire infield was standing under the ball. 4th AB -- F6... Yep I did it again. 5th AB -- Double... I used to be an offensive threat many years ago and I thought I could just pick up where I left off. Turns out adjustments were needed. I made an adjustment and ripped a smash down the 3rd baseline for a double. 6th AB -- F7... It was caught at the Fence. I have no idea why the LF was so deep after my first 4 at bats. Anyway... after the adjustments... I was back and stroking the ball almost like the old days. I felt like turning to my son and saying... How bout' the old man? I couldn't do that because my son hit 4 homers and two triples in his 6 at bats. My fly ball out to the warning track wasn't enough to strut in comparison. In the Field... In the 1st game... I took a ground ball off my shin at 1B and my shin is purple today. In the 2nd game at SS... I threw a ball into RF when nobody covered 2nd base. In my other defensive opportunity... I managed a clean 6-3 put out. So I was 1 for 3 in the field. I think I can retire now. 5. Diets -- I started a diet on Monday and Monday was very difficult. I found the 2nd day to be much easier because the 2nd day... I said enough of this.

Yeah... Parm will have a couple more years under his belt.

Gaffigan has a great line "If you want to know what it's like to have a 4th child... Just imagine your drowning and someone hands you a baby".

Yep

6 kids? Well... That's one way to live your life.

You normally don't see LF'ers that stupid in the Majors... Not since Delmon Young anyway

Atta Boy Joe... And Dozier on the bases!!! Love it.

Obviously it was Damon mainly but Robin was pretty prominent.

Good Will Hunting

Texas and Quebec can join forces. At the very least.. The combination of the accents would be hilarious.

I I'm with ya... It was quite a shock.

I like it... Aggressive ball.

I have been strangely entertained by this game.

A Gopher should be able to beat a Hawkeye because it's just an eye.... Not a Hawk. A buckeye because that's a nut. The Gopher has no chance against a Spartan... Wolverine... Lion... Badger... Wildcat... Illini or Cornhusker. Well maybe a Spartan because they are all dead now.

I wonder IF Subway cooks their meat.

Correia 6IP and 1ER vs. Atlanta in his Dodger debut.

I'd like to have some Sardines now... It's been awhile.

And when the Collie Barks... The entire football team... Coaching staff and cheerleaders can rush to the well to save little Timmy.

Uff Da... Mauer stroked that one.

Oh my bad... Things found in St. Cloud: Willie Nelson and Bored Housewives.