stringer bell

It will be up Tuesday.

What did I say?

I haven't heard Smalley on color commentary in a while. I think he's pretty good. I like that he is able to point out players' weaknesses, and add some possible solutions.

With his comment about a four-game sweep, Bremer just jinxed the Twins.

Better third from Martín. Probably not really a game thread point, but I think his option is a no-brainer to be renewed.

As far as scoreboard watching goes, I'd like to see Oakland and Tampa lose occasionally. Winning the division is the priority, but having "a chip and a chair" in post-season is better than watching someone else play.

Need a win today. Cleveland up 5-0 on CC and the Yanks.

I don't think Rogers has been mismanaged. Yes, he's not been as sharp in some occasions as others, but that is the way it is for relievers. The total innings worked is not out of line and his number of back-to-back appearances isn't that high. He is just so vital to the bullpen that he has been used when they really wanted to rest him on occasion.

May was my pick to have the most saves in the Twins' bullpen at the start of the year. That won't happen, but having him as a reliable setup guy would be huge down the stretch.

I don't know what the results will be tonight, but I like Littell's stuff. Good fastball, cutter and change-up.

Well, maybe not a half-dozen, but that two-run bomba makes things more comfortable.

Score a half dozen and let Thorpe finish.

Lurch!!!!!

Nice inning May!

Throw strikes please!

Missed opportunities. They bite you in the butt eventually.

Two run lead in the 7th. Piece of cake.

Yes!!

Good job Tyler Duffey. He does have good initials for this site.

Ugh, been out and caught up on this thread. Holy cow!

Never mind. Duffey has been awarded the win, as he should have.

Only two weeks until rosters can expand. Maybe he can be claimed, have a hand injury and rehab in Rochester.

Future Rocco probably won't be available for awhile, so I'll try to answer for him. Good points! Starting with the last point, injuries are a part of the game and most are unavoidable. Nelson Cruz isn't likely to hold up, even as a DH, for a full season. That said, getting and keeping Byron Buxton healthy is the #1 goal going forward. He means so much to the current team and no one has the skills to replace what he has to offer. Gallons of virtual ink have been spilled detailing and analyzing his injuries. It will be up to the team to find the "sweet spot" of keeping Buck aggressive, without needlessly banging into walls and turf. Buxton's health impacts team defense. Since Buxton has been on the shelf, Marwin Gonzalez has played mostly outfield, and he is a capable outfielder. Gonzalez also happens to be the best corner infield defender on the team and he can't be used in two places at once. This has put Sanó at third and he's a liability there (not terrible) and Cron at first where he is probably average at best. Sanó to first base makes sense next year and perhaps when everyone is healthy this year. Middle infield is another matter. Yesterday's sharp play at short (and two hits) demonstrates Ehire Adrianza's value. Currently he is both hitting better and fielding better than All-Star Jorge Polanco. Jorge is too good a player to be benched, but he was a lot better player when he was hitting .320. Arraez is OK at second base and will continue to get most of the reps there. Finally, the bullpen. The Twins now have three trusted late-inning bullpen arms. None of them is Mariano Rivera or even Joe Nathan, but all three are capable. Taylor Rogers can be elite, but can't be overused. With Dyson and Romo on board, the urge to use Rogers in every pressure situation can be reduced. Three guys--Harper, Duffey and May--can supplement the late guys, and since there are three of them, they shouldn't have to be overused either. To further reduce overuse of Rogers, a lefty specialist would be helpful. Ryan O'Rourke might be that guy. If the starters can give the club around six innings per start, the bullpen will be much improved and much less of an issue going forward.

Except that someone else might sign him to a major league contract or claim him.

It's probably happened in regular season games. It did happen in the 50s in an All-Star game. The pitcher was Dean Stone of the Washington Senators and he was credited with the win when a runner tried to steal home.