Hosken Bombo Disco

It seems like every time Granite bats, he falls behind 0-2 and then works the count full

its not micromanaging, it's just finding the best, most practical place to slot him in. I will take that bet about all other All Star starters starting on Saturday.

I was listening to the pre game conversation between manager Paul Molitor and Cory Provus this morning. Molitor told Provus that his rotation after the break will set up as: Berrios, Santana, Gibson. Re Berrios: I have no problem with Berrios starting the first game following the All Star break on seven days' rest and pitching every fifth day or fifth turn in the rotation thereafter until the end of the season. Re Santana: I am a little annoyed however about Santana starting the second game after the break. Partly because I like the idea the OP had about breaking up the best two pitchers (ymmv), and more importantly because Erv is not going to get the benefit of rest that other MLB players will get over the break. Assuming he pitches in the All Star game, Santana will still need to warm up and ready himself to pitch that night, and it is unknown which inning he will come in or how easy or difficult that inning will be. Ervin will then need to turn around and prep himself to pitch on the following Saturday, which is only three days' rest, meaning his bullpen will need to be on the Thursday during the break when he is away from the team and could be catching up on rest and recharge. I know that Santana is making a nice wage for himself to throw baseballs for a living and this is not hard physical labor. I understand the Twins are more likely than not to miss the postseason regardless of who pitches when, and that Morris and Blyleven see themselves as superior pitching specimens who had it tougher back in their day (didn't we all). The Twins might also have matchup info that compels them to align Santana for Saturday and thereafter. Yet I think a rested pitcher is a better pitcher and the benefits might outweigh the costs of holding Santana back a couple days; perhaps until the home opener Monday night against the Yankees, for example. I have a couple other nitpicks about sending Santana out on the Saturday following the break, but that is the primary one.

Why did I have to miss this game??

#analytics

Kintzler vs Machado, Jones, Trumbo bring it home!

yes he did, we dodged the proverbial bullet

Maybe the umpire could call a pitch a strike if it's right over the heart of the plate. Did anyone else see that?

well that was a fun play has the whole game been like that?

On the radio, Gladden made it sound like Castro didn't communicate anything to the infielders prior to the at bat. Maybe Castro had a mental lapse. If the Twins didn't have a signal ready for a first-and-third situation like that, Castro could have brought the infielders to the mound and all talked it over. I think that's why you see catchers fake the throw so often, which is what Castro probably should have done. Yet it looks like they played it like a straight steal, and Dozier had to reach above his head to corral the throw and try to get it back. The Angels executed it perfectly, too.

Oh well, maybe the Central winner will only need 70-75 wins to win the division anyway

Castro batting for himself http://ri.pinger.pl/pgr187/dc0b5b2e0019c9655310fcd7/danbo_2_by_blenches-d4b0rwn.jpg edit: that was supposed to be a sad face

... Edit - ninja'd by a better answer

So was Mauer available to pinch hit at least?

The radio guys said he was sprinting for it with his back to the plate and trying to get to it over his shoulder.

Following up on Taylor Rogers, here's a Fangraphs article from two years ago, predicting some success for him. http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/instagraphs/lefties-cant-touch-taylor-rogers/

Kluber again gets no run support, Cleveland loses 1-0. Sad!

and on the other side of the coin, bullpen doing bullpen things

Buxton did a Buxton thing

Right - it looked like Sano purposely got in a rundown between third and home so that Kepler could safely advance to second in his own rundown between first and second (and then Kepler almost gets thrown out between second and third, lol)

Yeah, two base runners making mistakes, glad only one of them was tagged out.

There really is something to be said for level swings, backspin, and balls that travel farther. That ball hardly got above the level of the right field fence but might have carried out to Hennepin Avenue.

Rosario: Just another of his regular 4-pitch walks.

J O E

Speaking for myself, I ran up those vote totals for Sanó in the NY/Boston area.