2008 Game 40: Toronto Blue Jays vs. Minnesota Twins
Dustin McGowan vs. Glen Perkins
It's a nooner!
I haven't written a whole lot about the Twins' injuries so far this season. There are a couple of reasons for that:
1) I have no special insight into how healthy these players are.
2) They haven't been especially beset by injuries.
They're about 1/4th of the way through the season, and Cuddyer's been the only significant injury I count amongst the position players, the bullpen has seen one really major injury, and the rotation has had two DL-worthy but not season-ending injuries.
To get an idea about injuries and the rotation, we can note that there have been at least 200 different pitchers so far this season to pitch at least one game. That's 6.7 pitchers per team. The Twins have had 7 pitchers start a game so far this season, so they're right around the league average in that. It's a bit more difficult to get a rough estimate about bullpen and position player injuries because some teams carry more pitchers than others, but I really doubt the Twins have been hit all that hard in those areas.
Injuries are awful, and not being able to play has to kill those guys, but every team deals with it, but the Twins haven't been especially burdened by injuries so far.
That said, the Blue Jays have been pretty fortunate with their pitching health so far, and all of their pitchers are qualified for the ERA title right now. Let's check out xFIP for all qualified pitchers for Toronto and Minnesota:
2.88 -- Halladay
3.55 -- Marcum
3.65 -- Litsch
4.09 -- Burnett
4.15 -- McGowan
4.33 -- Blackburn
4.42 -- Bonser
4.62 -- Livan
McGowan is arguably the Blue Jays' worst starter, but has still done better so far than the three Twins pitchers who have stayed healthy. (For reference: Baker is at a 3.06 xFIP and Slowey is at a 3.71 xFIP, so getting them back in the rotation regularly could be a significant boost to the rotation.)
socaltwinsfan
Blue Jays haven't scored at least 5 runs in three straight games since April 4-8. Hopefully, that drought will remain intact.
StatFreak101
Well, that streak continued!
davidwatts
I guess Carlos Gomez is sick. Check this out, Kubel batting third. and I guess John Gibbons wants to show mercy. No Matt Stairs
Toronto
B. Wilkerson rf
A. Hill 2b
A. Rios cf
S. Rolen 3b
K. Mench lf
S. Stewart dh
L. Overbay 1b
R. Barajas c
M. Scutaro ss
Minnesota
M. Tolbert 3b
B. Harris 2b
J. Kubel dh
J. Morneau 1b
M. Cuddyer rf
C. Monroe cf
D. Young lf
M. Redmond c
A. Everett ss
Toronto
D. McGowan
Minnesota
G. Perkins
brianS
And Kubel isn't catching? What's up with that?
socaltwinsfan
Cleveland starters' scoreless streak ends on, of all things, a throwing error by the pitcher. Still have not allowed an earned run in 45.1 innings.
davidwatts
good start for Perkins
StatFreak101
Yes, very good start.
davidwatts
not a good start for the offense
StatFreak101
And an even better start for this offense.
davidwatts
Ryan Braun is a rich man
SBG
Anyone else notice that right about the time that Gardy got on the Kubel wagon the wheels fell off?
Rhubarb_Runner
Guess I'd better catch up on Glen's K's:
StatFreak101
Walks bad.
StatFreak101
Wow.
Either Perkins is getting squeezed (as it looks like on MLB.com's Gameday) or he's completely lose the feel for the K zone.
davidwatts
radio crew suggests he is getting squeezed a bit
StatFreak101
Tremendous AB by Monroe.
StatFreak101
How about a Delmon HR, eh?
StatFreak101
Or a HBP.
Hey! Anything to help the ol' OBP!
davidwatts
I am predicting that Delmon hits one at least to the warning track today
SBG
In the air?
davidwatts
its can roll there too
twayn
SBG, we really need to get one of these for the WGOM.
Rhubarb_Runner
Oh geez no!! bS is impossible to rein in as it is!
brianS
I resemble that remark, Rhu_Ru!
ubelmann
Perkins put that right in Scutaro's wheelhouse--it's a good thing that Scutaro has no power.
StatFreak101
All of a sudden Perkins can't throw strikes.
ubelmann
All of a sudden like "ever since he started playing professional baseball"?
StatFreak101
Well yeah...
But he was pumping strikes to begin today's game...now he's no where close.
ubelmann
Was Perkins #15 last year?
StatFreak101
No.
He was 60 something, wasn't he?
StatFreak101
He was 60.
ubelmann
That sounds right--I think he was 60 even now that you mention it.
ubelmann
When did Rios get so tall? I don't remember him being that big before.
Dread Pirate Will Young
He's always been one of the lankiest guys around. He's all limbs.
ubelmann
Morneau's got a pretty nice salt ring on his cap. I approve.
Rhubarb_Runner
Twins' starters scoreless streak ends at 2.
ubelmann
All good things...
ubelmann
Good play by Harris, but he was shifted pretty far up the middle to begin with.
Jeff A
It's only two runs. That's no problem for the Twins offense.
twayn
Is that the Twins' Jekyll offense or their Hyde offense?
Jeff A
Did they pass a rule that says the Twins' leadoff hitter has to try to bunt every game?
Rhubarb_Runner
not so much a rule as a mandate
StatFreak101
Who else smells a Harris DP here?
Neil
That just got a little harder.
StatFreak101
See, Tolbert was feeling it too...
That's why he stole.
Jeff A
Harris advanced the runner, so he did his job, right?
ubelmann
Rios didn't even try to stop Tolbert from advancing. It was kind of weird.
StatFreak101
It'd be nice if Kubel continued his recent (small) hot streak here.
StatFreak101
Kubel swinging 3-0...
Interesting.
StatFreak101
Let's go Morneau!
Neil
Don't look now, but the Twins are kind of making this guy work a little.
twayn
Dazzle gets his wild pitch for a run. lol.
davidwatts
the radio crew did not mention a wild pitch scenerio...and look what happened!
StatFreak101
There's your WP Dazzle man!
Rhubarb_Runner
whatever it takes, guys. whatever it takes.
StatFreak101
BTW...
Luke Hughes returned today...and hit a HR in his first AB.
His 10th of the season.
Rhubarb_Runner
awwwwwww.....
StatFreak101
Nice dramatic call there Gordo.
Geez.
twayn
Morneau's really making McGowan work. Too bad that drive went foul, though. Would have been our first hit.
StatFreak101
Great AB by Morneau.
Left up to Cuddyer now...
*sigh*
StatFreak101
Boy, Cuddyer is earning that new paycheck.
twayn
Cuddyer is making it very hard to maintain my man-crush.
Neil
That was frustrating... on the bright side, McGowan has thrown 70 pitches.
Jeff A
I said when Cuddyer got hurt that hand injuries tend to be the kind that affect a player for a long time. You get healthy enough to play, but not healthy enough to play well. The hands are more important in batting than a lot of people realize.
StatFreak101
Span>>>Cuddyer?
Dread Pirate Will Young
Span's hit 3 HR's back in Rochester this month.
StatFreak101
Yes, I know.
He's currently hitting .358/.458/.531 for Rochester in 81 AB's.
DK
Quick, everybody draw attention to the fact that we've scored a run without a hit again - maybe it won't last till the 9th inning this time...
Whiffers
Crap, this is the first time in a couple weeks I've relied on Dazzle's call to follow the game. This could be rough.
StatFreak101
Jesus.
How many times are the Twins pitchers going to give back runs after the offense finally gives them some support?
Rhubarb_Runner
Don't know. Let's wait until it actually happens first.
Andrew
What is this vertical leap/hockey talk? You aren't funny, pal.
Rhubarb_Runner
StatFreak101
Way to go Perkins.
StatFreak101
Well, at least the Twins won't be shutout today.
They might get no hit, but there will be no shutout!
twayn
I doubt if McGowan will throw a complete game today, either.
Andrew
Baseball on the radio(internet) is the perfect background noise for counting the number of different lighting fixtures on blueprints.
twayn
Not so good for trying to write data sheets and case studies, though.
StatFreak101
Good inning for Glen.
StatFreak101
Shoot the gap or something Matty.
StatFreak101
Steal or something!
Rhubarb_Runner
StatFreak101
There will be no no-hitter today!
Neil
A hit? A hit!
twayn
A hit! A palpable hit!
Andrew
Come for the Twins, stay for the Shakespeare.
SBG
Poor Yorick!
StatFreak101
Just a terrible AB by Kubel.
3 sliders, 3 strikes.
StatFreak101
How about a gapper from Morneau?
StatFreak101
Atta boy Morneau!
Tied it up...but yet another stupid base running decision by our beloved 3rd base coach.
Jeff A
From the radio play-by-play, it was hard to tell (with Dazzle, it usually is). I know we tend to give Ullger a hard time, and I'm as guilty as anyone, but the fact that he was thrown out doesn't automatically mean it was a bad decision to send him.
StatFreak101
socaltwinsfan about sums it up as to how bad of a decision it was to send him.
Jeff A
Okay, so it probably was a bad decision.
davidwatts
I could hear Jack Morris in the background saying over his breath 'no no nahhh' when Harris was going around third
twayn
I was going to say something about that, but figured you'd have it covered, Stat.
socaltwinsfan
Harris was out by 10 feet.
Andrew
How close was that at the plate? "Here comes the throw...he's out" isn't the most descriptive or helpful call.
Andrew
Thanks, SoCal.
twayn
Black Jack was saying, "Uh oh, uh oh," about the time Harris rounded third.
socaltwinsfan
Maybe Jack and Ullger should trade jobs.
twayn
Ullger's genius IQ dropped about 20 points on that one.
StatFreak101
OK Dazzle...
A "foul tip" isn't just your typical foul.
StatFreak101
Good inning for Perk.
socaltwinsfan
Cuddyer should start this inning with a hit.
twayn
Dazzle and Morris talking about the guy who threw the Stairs HR back last night and almost hit Boof. They said Security tossed they guy out. I think they should have signed him to a minor league contract.
StatFreak101
Hahahahahahaha.