IndianaTwin

It's interesting that from time to time there's a lot of complaining about managers not using their best reliever in the highest leverage situation. Then when it happens, people complain. As someone notes above, Duran didn't face 8-9-1, he faced 9-1-2. That meant Duran (our best reliever, right) faced a righty, a lefty who is also the only guy in the lineup with an OPS over .725 (Rojas at .979) and the righty who's seen as far and away their best hitter (Rodriguez). That's not a good split mix for Thielbar, but Duran is probably the person on the team best equipped to face that. If one of them gets on, the next guy up is the switch-hitting Polanco, where there's not a platoon advantage either way. Assuming Duran gets through the inning unscathed (and that's the hope/plan, right?), it means Thielbar gets two switch-hitters and a righty. By definition, the Mariners have at least two platoon advantages in their favor either way. They are also OPSing .638, .626 and .725, with batting averages of .195, .214 and .206. That's much softer than what Duran faced. And if, as @2wins87 says, the switch-hitters are weaker from the right side, they ought to be facing a lefty. There's also another aspect. The Twins batted in between the two innings. Seattle has a good bullpen, but if the Twins score in the bottom of the eighth, it changes the top of the ninth. Said another way, Duran was guaranteed to pitch the situation where the Twins are up one. Assuming Duran does his job, Thielbar could have entered with a one-run lead, but he could have also easily entered with a two-, three- or even more-run lead, which lessens the leverage even more. Ignoring the inning/handedness, would you rather have Duran pitch the inning with a one-run lead and Thielbar with the one, but possibly more run lead or vice versa. I'd rather the former. In my mind, Rocco played it correctly.

I’m listening rather than watching. It sounded like Max would have been out if he tried to score. By getting hung up, runners advanced to 3rd and 2nd.

So then really .8 over the last, what, 13 games? 😀

I also like the opportunity to listen to the other team's radio feed, as offered by MLB Audio. That I typically do that from the fourth to the sixth inning may or may not be intentional.

It's really .6 WAR for 17 games, several of which he was hurt.

For those out-of-market, MLB.tv will still keep us from games against teams in-market. So, for example, in northern Indiana, I'll not the 13 games with the White Sox, 13 with Detroit, 3 with the Cubs and 3 with the Reds. So basically 20 percent of the season is out the window. In the case of the Cubs and Sox, however, I can get them on my cable package, which is still a necessity for Mrs. IT's fix on Hallmark Channel movies and NCIS reruns.

My MLB Audio subscription just renewed at $29.99 for the year.

Obvious solution is to have a donut Blizzard tonight, so I’m back to 12.

Duran and Sands not available Sunday. Alcala threw 21 pitches, not particularly effectively. Topa didn’t pitch today, so I have to wonder if he’s activated for tomorrow, with Alcala back to St. Paul.

Oops. Google let me down (like that's never happened before). So yeah, let's call it predictive.

Well, duh. Donuts are always good, but this would have been a more appropriate picture for today. Two hours until post time.

Yes indeed to the Rod Carew Game. It was t-shirt day, with all kids under 12 getting a Carew t-shirt. The actual attendance for the day was at least two less than was announced. My brother-in-law very much wanted a t-shirt, so he bought an extra pair of tickets. We went in to our left-field seats, got the shirt and exited, then returned the t-shirt to the car and went in to our real seats down the right field line. Carew still calls it his most memorable game as a Twin. A couple years ago on a panel at Twins Fest, I was able to ask about it, and he talked for several minutes. We had also gone to the game the day before, where Adams was perceived to have jogged after a fly ball that dropped in an 8-1 loss, so fans were on him a little bit on Sunday.

Know him? I invoked his name in a conversation last evening. The record-setting shot put/discus thrower at the high school IT Junior graduated from (and still volunteers at as the PA guy) is named Borgmann, so I asked him if she was related to Glenn. In explaining who Glenn was, I was able to recite a regular lineup from the 1974 Twins, one of the first of which I threw simulated games tossing tennis balls against the side of the house. Also of note is that he wore No. 12. That memory comes from getting a t-shirt with the number 12. It came with iron-on letters, so I had my mom put "Twins" on the front. I was probably the only kid who ever had a green Eric Soderholm shirsey. I'm old enough for Soderholm, Cubbage and Castino, but not Rollins.

You live in Chicago. It could have turned out worse.

As you were saying.

Speaking of summer sausage, I had some leftover brats in the fridge. The kids didn't like them, so Mrs. IT said to throw them out. So I did, but now what am I going to do with all the leftover brats?

How ‘bout those third-place Twins…

Excellent continuation of Hosiery Week.

Leonardo told me.

I read this week that the Titanic’s swimming pool is still filled with water.

Passan says for three prospects. Rosenthal says it’s four.

Arraez to the Padres, per the radio guys.

Liberty, liberty, liberty.

Which Sox are we playing?