John Bonnes

Before tonight’s game, Twins manager Paul Molitor was asked how a lineup, that seemingly has no star players, can be this potent. “I certainly don’t want to overthink that,” he replied. And then he watched the Twins beat the Red Sox 2-1 behind another stellar performance by Mike Pelfrey. OK Paul. I’m with you. Let’s not over think this. And even if I wanted to, I don’t think I could. I mean, where would I start? Image courtesy of Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports Before tonight’s game, Twins manager Paul Molitor was asked how a lineup, that seemingly has no star players, can be this potent. “I certainly don’t want to overthink that,” he replied. And then he watched the Twins beat the Red Sox 2-1 behind another stellar performance by Mike Pelfrey. OK Paul. I’m with you. Let’s not over think this. And even if I wanted to, I don’t think I could. I mean, where would I start? I suppose with this: Last night Mike Pelfrey threw seven innings of one-run ball. That’s the same Mike Pelfrey who had an ERA of 5.56 as a Minnesota Twin entering this season. The same Mike Pelfrey that made only 34 starts between his two years on the staff battling injuries. The same Mike Pelfrey who wasn’t even on the staff before Ervin Santana was suspended. The same Mike Pelfrey who is 4-1 with a 2.76 ERA. I am not going to overthink this. Pelfrey spent most of spring training telling people that this year was different because he felt healthy for the first time as a Minnesota Twin. Considering he was coming off Tommy John surgery in his first year with the team, and was shut down with a sore elbow in his second year, that wasn’t a terribly high bar to clear. But maybe it really is that simple. He’s healthy and back to being the guy that threw 200+ innings with about a 3.70ish ERA in 2008 and 2010. And maybe the rest of the starting staff is similarly not overthinking, too. On Monday, Ricky Nolasco has his best start as a Twin. The day before, Kyle Gibson had probably his best start in the majors. The day before that, Trevor May had his longest and most efficient start in the majors. Pelfrey’s start came on the right day, because the offense struggled to find the clutch hit on which they’ve relied all season. Red Sox pitcher Clay Buckholz gave up two runs in the first inning, but helped limit the damage with a double play. Then he got out of jams in the fourth and fifth innings to keep the game at a one run deficit. The run that was given up by the Twins was either a direct result of the playing conditions or of the musical chairs that has been the Twins lineup, depending on your point of view. David Ortiz “doubled” on a high fly ball that was misplayed by Eduardo Escobar in left field after Escobar fell on the slick wet grass. If one wanted to overthink things, one might wonder why the infielder Escobar is in left field instead of, say an outfielder, like Shane Robinson. (Eddie Rosario was playing right field allowing Torii Hunter to be the designated hitter). But on the other hand, Molitor didn’t overthink the decision to go to his lights out closer Glen Perkins in the eighth inning. After Blaine Boyer got two outs but had two runners on base, Perkins came in for the four-out save. He gave up a base hit to Pablo Sandoval (who made the decision to bat left-handed against Perkins) but it was limited to an infield hit by an excellent play by Brian Dozier. Thus, the tying run was held at third base. . Then Perkins and battery-mate Kurt Suzuki didn’t overthink their pitch selection to Hanley Ramirez. Perkins threw nothing but heat and the fourth pitch ended as a fly ball in Rosario’s glove to get the team out of dicey eighth inning. Three outs later the Twins had their fourth straight win, a record that is nine games over .500 and within one game of the Kansas City Royals for the AL Central division lead. Could it be that the Twins really are contenders, not just for a .500 record, but maybe for a division crown? Let’s just say ‘Yes.” Let’s not overthink this. View full article

Aaron and John talk about the Twins actually getting competent starting pitching, what they'll do when Ervin Santana's suspension ends, Alex Meyer's move to the bullpen at Triple-A, Kennys Vargas crushing Triple-A, Tim Stauffer getting way more trust than he deserves, running away from the regression monster, Brian Dozier picking up where he left off in 2014, and whether or not to demote Danny Santana.You can listen by downloading us from iTunes, Stitcher or find it at GleemanAndTheGeek.com. Or just click the Play button below. http://traffic.libsyn.com/gleemangeek/GATG_05_24_15_FINAL.mp3 View full article

Good data. Really good data. But I come to the opposite conclusion going forward: Mauer isn't likely to keep up this RBI pace if he doesn't improve overall. Two additions: 1) That stuff we talked about last month - his pulling the ball and aggresiveness on first pitches - seems to have gone away. That hard hit statistic you gave is real concerning. 2) He's hitting .243 with a 617 OPS in May. It has not been unusual that after an extended dip like that, we find out he's been playing through some ailment. This feels like that is happening again.

Aaron and John talk about the Twins calling up Aaron Hicks and demoting Kennys Vargas, how they've figured out how to beat every team except the Tigers, Jordan Schafer's place on the team whenever he's healthy, reviewing Comerica Park and Mad Max, Tommy Milone thriving at Triple-A, wanting someone who can actually hit in the DH spot, and answering mailbag questions from listeners. You can listen by downloading us from iTunes, Stitcher or find it at GleemanAndTheGeek.com. Or just click the Play button below. http://traffic.libsyn.com/gleemangeek/GATG_05172015_FINAL.mp3 View full article

The summary of the Twins Wednesday night 6-2 win over the Detroit Tigers is simple: this one was on Tigers starting pitcher Kyle Lobstein. Lobstein is essentially the Tigers version of Tommy Milone: he's left-handed, has a solid mix of pitches, none of which are particularly nasty, and he needs to hit his spots and keep the ball in the park to stay effective. He didn't do either of those in this game, but it was a lapse in control in the third inning that really hurt him. The summary of the Twins Wednesday night 6-2 win over the Detroit Tigers is simple: this one was on Tigers starting pitcher Kyle Lobstein. Lobstein is essentially the Tigers version of Tommy Milone: he's left-handed, has a solid mix of pitches, none of which are particularly nasty, and he needs to hit his spots and keep the ball in the park to stay effective. He didn't do either of those in this game, but it was a lapse in control in the third inning that really hurt him. To the Twins credit, they took advantage, stringing together five hits and a walk in seven at-bats. Joe Mauer's triple was the ballgame's breakthrough hit, but give some credit to Trevor Plouffe and Kurt Suzuki for their alternate but effective approaches in Mauer's wake. Plouffe went up hacking, going after the first pitch and delivered a second triple and a fifth run. Suzuki alternately worked a 3-1 count before his double, which ended Lobstein's night after 2.1 innings and mostly cemented the game. Lobstein is not terribly well known outside of Detroit and has a funny name, so it might be tempting to write this game off as the Twins taking advantage of a bad pitcher. That's at least partially true. Lobstein is only in the rotation because of Justin Verlander's status and his likely path is that of a back-of-the-rotation starter. But he also entered today's game with a 3.00 ERA. In his last start he threw 7.2 innings while giving up just one run - and it was unearned. He has oddly been one of the Tigers most consistent pitchers this year, so while the Twins did what they were supposed to do, they also did something that no other team has done this year when they chased him early. Overlooked Gem I'm sure starting pitcher Ricky Nolasco will get plenty of credit for this win, but the most valuable pitcher was Twins reliever Michael Tonkin. He entered the game in the bottom of the seventh, leading 6-2 but with runners on 1st and 2nd and no outs and needing to face the heart of the Tigers order: Ian Kinsler, Miguel Cabrera and Victor Martinez. Four batters later he walked off the mound and into the dugout with three outs and no change in score. Fangraphs will tell you that he cut Detroit's chances to win that game from 16% to less than 4% with his work. He did get a little help. Danny Santana ranged pretty deep into left field to get the first out on a pop fly. Eddie Rosario got to a ground ball in a hurry to make sure that Cabrera's single didn't drive home (the admittedly hobbled) Jose Iglesias from second base. And Tigers manager Brad Ausmus helped by writing Victor Martinez in the cleanup spot in the Tigers lineup. Martinez looks totally lost right now. His batting average is down to .226. His OPS is just .603. He left six Tigers on base tonight, going 0-4 with three strikeouts. This game could've been much tighter with any contribution at all from him. Come, America to Comerica This was my first visit to Comerica Park and I left a lot more impressed than I expected. I've been somewhat reluctant to give it the benefit of the doubt because I loved the Tigers old ballpark, Tiger Stadium, so much. But they did Comerica right. Nearby are some decent establishments to socialize before the game. We chose Cheli's Chile Bar where they have a beer garden with standard but good fare and inside they have 20 or so taps. Michigan has a vibrant craft brew culture, and you'll find that reflected almost everywhere, including in the ballpark, where there's an enclave near the main gate with 11 craft beers on tap. Comerica doesn't have a signature architectural feature, other than maybe the big concrete cats all over, but it stays visually interesting with lots of levels, entertaining side areas and appealing decorations that tie in the Tigers rich and long history. My favorite is the ballplayer sculptures by Lou Cella in center field, which are a cool combination, both realistic and abstract. The weather was cold, but the Tigers fans were friendly, the ballpark was fun, the beer was good and the Twins got a relatively easy win. Comerica isn't making it into my Top Ten MLB ballparks, but it's close, and an easy "thumbs up." It's worth a special trip and I'd love to come back. View full article

Aaron and John talk about the Twins' refusal to lose, calling up Eddie Rosario over Aaron Hicks, evaluating Paul Molitor's early managing, Ron Gardenhire striking out in Milwaukee, Torii Hunter's crazy streak, hitting .320 with runners in scoring position, buying an Apple Watch, and the next Andre David. You can listen by downloading us from iTunes, Stitcher or find it at GleemanAndTheGeek.com. Or just click the Play button below. http://traffic.libsyn.com/gleemangeek/GATG_05102015_final.mp3 Image courtesy of Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports View full article

I think the Twins missed an opportunity here. Why add a 3rd shortstop? As I look at this roster, I think they need a right-handed bat off the bench AND a 3rd catcher more than a 3rd shortstop, and they happen to have Pinto sitting in Rochester right now. I can hear the Beresford argument, too, but it seems like from a roster management standpoint, adding another shortstop is a waste of a roster spot, regardless of who it is.

He also had a very good 1/2 year as a 21-year-old in AA. It was last year when he was repeating (and started two months late) that he struggled. Personally, that's something I can chalk up to the suspension.

I took a look at some of Rosario's split from previous years, too. He hasn't really excelled against right-handers. He's hit them both about the same last year.

I'm not so sure. If he hits well, I can see him taking over in CF when Arcia returns.

Boy, I wish I could get to the game early to watch batting practice. Good luck Eddie! We'll see you at Target Field!

UPDATE: It's now official. The Twins have called up Eddie Rosario and placed Oswaldo Arcia on the 15-day disabled list. Twins left-handed hitting outfielder Eddie Rosario retweeted a message today congratulating him on his promotion to the Minnesota Twins. While no announcement has been made, it seems likely that Rosario would be called up to replace corner outfielder Oswaldo Arcia, who needed to leave yesterday’s game with a right hip irritation. UPDATE: It's now official. The Twins have called up Eddie Rosario and placed Oswaldo Arcia on the 15-day disabled list. Twins left-handed hitting outfielder Eddie Rosario retweeted a message today congratulating him on his promotion to the Minnesota Twins. While no announcement has been made, it seems likely that Rosario would be called up to replace corner outfielder Oswaldo Arcia, who needed to leave yesterday’s game with a right hip irritation. The move would be somewhat surprising as Rosario has had a slow start in AAA Rochester, especially in relation to outfielder Aaron Hicks, who is hitting .289 with a 869 OPS. It's possible that the Twins want to replace Arcia’s left-handed bat in the lineup and while Hicks is a switch-hitter, he has suffered from the left side of the plate. However, the Twins have not commented on the decision, or even acknowledged it. Rosario has had a roller coaster ride in the minors over the last two years. In 2013, he finished a tremendous year between High A and Double-A as a 21-year-old, firmly establishing himself as one of the top 100 prospects in the minor leagues. However, that offseason it was revealed that he would serve a 50-game suspension for taking a drug of abuse, later revealed to be marijuana. The suspension meant he started 2014 late and his second go-around in AA went far worse (.237/.277/.396) than it had the year before (.284/.330/.412). However, he recovered somewhat with an outstanding showing in the Arizona Fall League, hitting .330 with a 755 OPS. Rosario continued to recover his prospect status in spring training, making a bid to go north with the Twins as their everyday center fielder. Ultimately, that job was handed to a platoon of Shane Robinson and Jordan Schafer, with Rosario being sent to AAA-Rochester. Rosario has split time in center field and right field with Hicks so far this year. In Rochester, Rosario was hitting .242/.280/.379 with three home runs. He also had 17 strikeouts versus just five walks. However, he hasn’t struck out since back on April 25th, having drawn two walks since then, demonstrating that an adjustment has possibly been made. View full article

Aaron and John talk about the Twins clawing their way above .500 after a brutal start, Ricky Nolasco's return and Tommy Milone's departure, Ron Gardenhire looking for a job and the White Sox possibly having an opening, good Mike Pelfrey going away quickly, Byron Buxton catching fire at Double-A, and what to do with Tim Stauffer and Lester Oliveros. You can listen by downloading us from iTunes, Stitcher or find it at GleemanAndTheGeek.com. Or just click the Play button below. http://traffic.libsyn.com/gleemangeek/GATG_05032015_fINAL.mp3 View full article

If the MLB regular season were to end today … we would probably be a little bummed. I mean, it just started. But we would be comforted knowing that the Twins would still be playing, because they enter this series tied for the last AL Wild Card spot. So which game to see? As usual, we’ll break it down scientifically. Game Most Likely To See A Twins Comeback The A’s have started this year the way they finished last year. You would think that would be a good thing for a team that made the postseason. It’s not. Oakland was 72-45 on August 9th and in first place in the AL West by four games. They finished ten games behind the Angels after finishing the year with only 16 wins in their last 45 game stretch. They held on – by one game – for the last Wild Card spot over Seattle, but lost the Wild Card play-in game to the Royals. They had the greatest run differential in the American League but it meant nothing within days of the end of the regular season. Fast forward to this year, where the A’s have outscored their opponents by eighteen runs – but are somehow four games below .500 and in third place in the AL West. The biggest culprit seems to be a bullpen whose 4.92 ERA ranks last in the American League. They still have two relievers – Tyler Clippard and Evan Scribner – who are exceptional and can handle high leverage innings. But get their starters out in the middle innings and the A’s must rely on much less dependable arms. Monday night’s A’s starter, Jesse Hahn, has just a 2.86 ERA, but he has yet to pitch more than six innings and the only time he made it through the sixth was in his first start of the year. Plus, he’s been dealing with a blister issue. Getting him – or any of the A’s starters – out of the game early bodes well for some late inning excitement in Target Field. Winner: Monday Game Most Likely To See Some Weird Sh… Stuff Monday night is May the fourth, which sounds like “May the Force” which means it’s Star Wars Night at the ballpark. There is a special ticket offer which allows you to get a special “Hughes the Force” (which sounds like “Use the force”) bobblehead that has pitcher Phil Hughes dressed up like a Jedi. It occurs to me that some of you have no idea what any of that previous paragraph means. Just trust me – there are going to be some bizarre things going on at Target Field that night, especially because it was also Comic Con weekend….oh, you don’t know what that is, either. Again, trust me. One way or the other, you’re going to remember Monday night. Winner: Monday Game To Go To If You’re A Minnesota Wild Fan You’ll miss the first half of the Wild game if you go to Tuesday night’s Twins game. I might suggest going to the afternoon game on Thursday and then heading over to 7th Street for some pregaming before the 8:30 faceoff. Pace yourself. Winner: Thursday Game Most Likely To See A Twins Win The A’s starter on Wednesday night is Scott Kazmir, who has resurrected his career and is sporting a 1.62 ERA this year. He also beat the Twins twice last year, though they did score five runs against him in the second of those. But other than Kazmir, things look quite a bit better. We’ve covered Hahn on Monday, and the other two starters have both been vulnerable. Drew Pomeranz, who starts on Thursday, hasn’t pitched more than 5.1 innings since his first start of the year. And Jesse Chavez, who starts Tuesday, was just moved into the rotation. Winner: Thursday, and I say that knowing full well that Ricky Nolasco is pitching for the Twins. Game Most Likely To Stay Dry After having a gorgeous weekend, the week looks like it’s going to be wet, which is the way it should be. It doesn’t look like there will be any rainouts, but Monday is the only night without a decent chance of rain. Winner: Monday. Best Giveaway At least if it rains on you on Thursday, it won’t ruin your shoes. You can wear the flip-flops that the Twins are giving to the first 10,000 fans for that afternoon game. Nothing says “I value you as a client” more than seeing each others' bare feet. Winner: Thursday Image courtesy of Kelly Lambert-USA TODAY Sports View full article

He looked lost at the plate today. Noesi was just blowing fastballs by him, so Dozier started cheating, and Noesi made him look absolutely on the off speed pitch then. On the other hand, in his last (I think) at-bat, he just missed a home run and stung a pitch that went right at the third baseman. But yeah, I was a little concerned today. He was just so slow to react on those fastballs.

Yeah, I might be a little stretched right now. You're right.

Doh. Stupid four game series. Fixed.