Game 110: Indians @ Twins
Cleveland Indians at Minnesota Twins, Aug 2, 2008 7:10 PM EDT
Pregame
Left-hander Paul Byrd, 37-going-on-a-perpetual-45, gets his fourth start of the season against the Twins tonight. Only one, the first, was effective, and in total he's logged 15.1 innings while allowing 20 hits (four homers) and 13 runs, whie recording seven strikeouts and just four walks. On the whole it's been an off-year for Byrd, who's been more reliable than effective on the whole since 2005. Still, the Twins have their troubles versus southpaws (as we all know), so in situations like this the fact that the guys has been hittable this year doesn't necessarily work against thim. His FIP is 5.44.
Kevin Slowey is coming off of a complete game shutout over the White Sox, which was his first good start since throwing a complete game shutout versus the Brewers. In between there were a trio of sub-par performances, so here's hoping his second shutout of the year doesn't have echoes of the first. At any rate, Kevin's good for a few strikeouts in each game, a walk or two and if he doesn't have his best stuff probably a home run. But he's a flyball pitcher, and on the season has kept the ball in the park as well as you could hope for...if not better. Slowey is effective when he busts guys inside, and he's been doing that far more often this season, making him that much better. Against a depleted Cleveland lineup, look for more of the same.
I can't predict how the Indians will throw together a lineup, but I'd think that with Grady Sizemore leading off, the best thing they could do would be to line up Ben Francisco, Jhonny Peralta and Kelly Shoppach. Having Casey Blake would help out a little, but he's gone, and so with the absence of Victor Martinez and no Travis Hafner, throwing together a starting nine in Cleveland right now reminds me of lineups in the Dome around 1998.
Against a southpaw, the Twins lineup will likely look something like this: Span (RF), Punto (2B), Mauer (C), Morneau (1B), Young (LF), Ruiz (DH), Harris (3B), Everett (SS), Gomez (CF)
Or, in other words, exactly how it looked last night.
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Byrd
Throw Righthanded. Buscher and Kubel in—probably Everett and Ruiz out.
by Alexi Casilla All-Star on Aug 2, 2008 5:11 PM EDT reply actions
Gardy suspended a game
Looks like Scottie Ulger’s our skipper tonight.
"I don't care about feelings." - Lou Piniella
lineups
Twins goes like this: Span (RF) Punto (2B) Mauer© Morneau (1B) Kubel (DH) Young (LF) Buscher (3B) Harris (SS) Gomez (CF)
Lineup proposal
Byrd has enormous splits this year.
vs righties .251/.283/.396
vs lefties .329/.369/.573
I’d show’em the lefties, but if Ulger is in charge tonight he knows even less about this sort of thing than Gardy so I expect zero creativity.
Span CF
Punto 2B
Mauer C
Morneau 1B
Young LF
Kubel RF
Busher 3B
Lamb DH
Harris SS
Posible player of the game Jason Kubel:
10 for 21 lifetime against Byrd, (.476/.500/.857)
Gardenhire's major league career: Banjo hitting, futility infielder who couldn't lick it.
Rick Anderson's major league career: Strikethrower who never made it happen with his sub 90's fastball.
Really gives a new definition to living vicariously through other people, don't it?
Smell the blood tonight boys
Royals are pounding on Mark Burhle and the Pale Hosers
Gardenhire's major league career: Banjo hitting, futility infielder who couldn't lick it.
Rick Anderson's major league career: Strikethrower who never made it happen with his sub 90's fastball.
Really gives a new definition to living vicariously through other people, don't it?
LaVelle has the lineup
It’s Punto, Harris, and Buscher in the infield with Kubel DHing, as expected against a righthander.
A little off-topic...
..but I just saw that Manny said he wants to finish his career with the Didgers. This guy is so random.
I
I encourage him to take that route
then the Twins will only face him in teh World Series and random interleague games
by DedicatedFollowerOfFashion on Aug 2, 2008 7:07 PM EDT up reply actions
He must be jealous of all the press A-Rod has been getting
So now he’ll say anything so he can get the #1 headline on espn’s baseball page. These guys make me sick. Thank god for Minnesota Twins baseball.
Gardenhire's major league career: Banjo hitting, futility infielder who couldn't lick it.
Rick Anderson's major league career: Strikethrower who never made it happen with his sub 90's fastball.
Really gives a new definition to living vicariously through other people, don't it?
by caseintheface on Aug 2, 2008 7:17 PM EDT up reply actions
Harris
Last 5 hits have been doubles
Gardenhire's major league career: Banjo hitting, futility infielder who couldn't lick it.
Rick Anderson's major league career: Strikethrower who never made it happen with his sub 90's fastball.
Really gives a new definition to living vicariously through other people, don't it?
Hopefully...
..we’ll see much of the same tomorrow :)
by Twins Territory on Aug 2, 2008 7:49 PM EDT up reply actions
He just needs to put the ball in play (no DP) and get us on the board…
by Twins Territory on Aug 2, 2008 7:53 PM EDT up reply actions
Damn
Kubel almost had it there
Gardenhire's major league career: Banjo hitting, futility infielder who couldn't lick it.
Rick Anderson's major league career: Strikethrower who never made it happen with his sub 90's fastball.
Really gives a new definition to living vicariously through other people, don't it?
Gordo and Gladden
are saying that Hamilton deserves the MVP…maybe he does, but Hamilton is not the only one on the team that a good player. Morneau is the real MVP cause he carries this team pretty much every day and also Texas aint going to the Playoffs and if the Twins do it should be Morneau to get it….I cant think of anybody else besides Hamilton and Morneau that deserve the MVP award….(Quentin maybe?)
Agreed 100%
I been saying that all along.
Check out Goal Line Blitz, a fun web-based American footbal MMORPG
http://goallineblitz.com/game/signup.pl?ref=2882412
Hamilton is below average away from Arlington
Home 360/410/685
Road 260/323/410
that’s pathetic
Gardenhire's major league career: Banjo hitting, futility infielder who couldn't lick it.
Rick Anderson's major league career: Strikethrower who never made it happen with his sub 90's fastball.
Really gives a new definition to living vicariously through other people, don't it?
by caseintheface on Aug 2, 2008 8:01 PM EDT up reply actions
Texas
is actually an extreme hitters park
Gardenhire's major league career: Banjo hitting, futility infielder who couldn't lick it.
Rick Anderson's major league career: Strikethrower who never made it happen with his sub 90's fastball.
Really gives a new definition to living vicariously through other people, don't it?
by caseintheface on Aug 2, 2008 8:03 PM EDT up reply actions
jetstreams
the seems to be a jetstream in Arlington. right in the power alley
by DedicatedFollowerOfFashion on Aug 2, 2008 8:07 PM EDT up reply actions
Morneau it doesn't matter much
Home 303/361/514
Away 333/425/544
Gardenhire's major league career: Banjo hitting, futility infielder who couldn't lick it.
Rick Anderson's major league career: Strikethrower who never made it happen with his sub 90's fastball.
Really gives a new definition to living vicariously through other people, don't it?
by caseintheface on Aug 2, 2008 8:02 PM EDT up reply actions
We're...
..normally not very good in games where we can move into first. Hopefully tonight we can finally do it.
Shopach
I was watching that guy live yesterday. His swing is all upper-cut. I don’t know if he’s capable of hitting the ball on the ground.
Gardenhire's major league career: Banjo hitting, futility infielder who couldn't lick it.
Rick Anderson's major league career: Strikethrower who never made it happen with his sub 90's fastball.
Really gives a new definition to living vicariously through other people, don't it?
did Sizemore just rob Mauer?
Gardenhire's major league career: Banjo hitting, futility infielder who couldn't lick it.
Rick Anderson's major league career: Strikethrower who never made it happen with his sub 90's fastball.
Really gives a new definition to living vicariously through other people, don't it?
Slowey
Unfortuanetely he didn’t pitch terribly but it looks like these guys came in today swinging for all or nothing and Slowey got burned twice.
Gardenhire's major league career: Banjo hitting, futility infielder who couldn't lick it.
Rick Anderson's major league career: Strikethrower who never made it happen with his sub 90's fastball.
Really gives a new definition to living vicariously through other people, don't it?
the Twins
the Twins can still salvage the series with a win tommorrow
40,000 + at the Dome tonight. This homestand had had 30,000+ crowds for every game, and this is the second 40k+
by DedicatedFollowerOfFashion on Aug 2, 2008 10:12 PM EDT reply actions

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