Time: 7:10 p.m. CDT
TV: FSN
Radio: FSN, XM 177
Starting Pitchers: Daisuke Matzusaka (0-2, 10.32 ERA, 2.29 WHIP) vs.
Kevin Slowey (6-1, 4.23, 1.39)
Today's pitching matchup will be a contrast in styles as Slowey thrives by getting ahead of hitters and having an extremely low walk rate. Dice-K, on the other hand, attempts to nibble at the corners and likes to get hitters to swing at pitches outside of the strike zone. Matzusaka, who has missed time this season with "arm fatigue," has walked seven batters in 11 1/3 innings while Slowey has walked four batters in 55 1/3 innings.
This would seem like a good time to give Delmon Young a rest. Unfortunately, Gardy disagrees and the Twins have the same starting nine in the lineup tonight, just with Kubel and Cuddyer switched in the order so the top four hitters are lefties, the next three are righties, and the final two are switch-hitters. I don't think I've ever seen a lineup so capable of scoring runs be so easy to manage against, at least as far as getting lefty-righty matchups.
Slowey has been living large this season with the Twins averaging 6.72 runs of support for him this season. If he can improve to 7-1 with a win against the Red Sox, I'm sure his name will start being mentioned for the All-Star Game.
After getting roughed up in his first two starts, giving up five earned runs in each, Slowey has a 3.27 ERA in his last seven starts and has allowed no more than three earned runs in all but one of those starts. In fact, he has allowed no more than two earned runs in five of those starts. In his last 44 innings, Slowey has a 1.22 WHIP and a 32/3 K/BB ratio. Slowey's K/BB of 9.75 on the season leads the AL by a wide margin. Roy Halladay is at 7.00 and Zack Greinke is at 6.75.
A win today would guarantee a series split and put the Twins in a position to win this series. Last night's victory was just the fourth in 17 games for the Twins against AL East teams, with all four victories coming at the Metrodome. The Twins really need to improve on that. GO TWINS!
Update: Joe C writes that Crede will take batting practice today and said he is good to go. Just guessing that Gardy wants to give him one more day to make sure. Dice-K is probably not the best matchup for him anyways. I think it is notable that Harris is starting at third instead of Buscher after he continually let balls by him at third base on Monday.
I haven't done one of these in a while...
Capital D for Delmon is going to hit a majestic 415 foot bomb to dead center.
I will buy all of SBG Nation a drink if this actually happens.
note that N.G. didn't specify the date.
Nor did DK, now that I think about it.
I will leave the funds for the drinks to all of you in my will.
Hey, at least give the prediction a chance to be right before dismissing it on a technicality!
So there's a guy pitching who is known for walking a lot of hitters, and a certain manager thinks its a good idea to play a guy who swings at frickin everything and can't play defense instead of a guy who swings at frickin everything and can play defense.
Does Delmon have pictures of Gardy's daughter or something?
Is it time for the "Free Gomez" chants yet?
I think Gleeman already had a post on that a week or two ago, but it sure seems that way.
With Bartlett... and hence the trade.
Hey, I just made a slam dunk prediction for Delmon! Have a little faith! Gardy and I both saw him getting a back rub from an angel earlier today.
So is Delmon hitting a home run today, or robbing one?
He's going to hit one. A beautiful one.
There's no better hope than guaranteed hope.
No homers for Joe yesterday...I assume that means we'll get one tonight?
And his two K's tells us that he won't strike out for a week or two.
I have a good feeling abut tonight. It's going to be a good game.
Anyone else having trouble with FSN in high def?
Besides the fact that it's 5 minutes behind? No, it works fine for me on MLB.tv.
Yeah.
HD on FSN is back, FYI.
Hi everybody.
meat! say, when do you and the pork chop vacate the Meat Locker for parts elsewhere?
We're out of NM for the month of July, mostly in MN. I'm moving exactly 4 doors over to my new apartment tonight, and Dr. Chop and I hit Texas in the month of August. Is that clear as mud, or what?
/begins elaborate handshake ritual
Hey, meat.
I think that the last part of the handshake is reserved for Doctors only, or so the pork chop tells me.
Ouch... Scrappy Doo having some throwing problems in the last couple games.
that's Scrappy's cousin, Cr@ppy Doo.
There's no D in N-i-c-k P-u-n-t-o.
and the O is silent
So Punto's fifth error of the year, 5 of the Twins 19 are by him, which means he's responsible for 26% of our errors. This to back up that stellar buck-eighty he's hitting.
Any way we can make him a blood sacrifice for a miraculous Pat Neshek recovery?
I like your thinking on this one.
New Guy Prediction (Long Term Division) -
At some point in his career, Kevin Slowey will grow a mustache.
I could definitely see that. Something weird, like a Rollie Fingers mustache.
I'm holding out hope he goes for the Bob Dylan/Vincent Price look.
very nice on both accounts.
Just call Slowey the Umpire's Stress Ball, cuz he's gettin' squeezed!
It's early and you've already brought your A game.
Way to work around the
scrappiness, Slowey.the S is obviously silent
Great job by Slowey there. Getting 4 outs in the first inning.
Greekhouse, you mentioned that you're in the zone poker wise, you play live or across the interwebs?
Since Petunia didn't score, Punto doesn't have to owe Slowey dinner, I'm guessing. I think he should still owe him a drink, though, for the extra pitches needed.
In my dream world, the Twins clubhouse dislikes Punto as much as me. If I was Slowey, I wouldn't accept a drink from Punto. Hell, I wouldn't accept a drink from him being me.
It would be very comforting to find out that Punto is a huge dick.
I've only met two Twins and one was indeed a huge dick, but it wasn't Punto. Wish I could help.
Now I'm curious who the dick was!
I'd love to throw it out there, but I just don't think it would be cool to do so in a public forum.
Oh, that kind of thing I think I'd throw out there. But hey, it's possible the guy I met was just having a series of bad days. Not likely, since he was equally pricktacular each of the ten or so times I was around him, but whatever.
I can say that Jacque Jones was not the nicest feller ever.
Now Matt LeCroy was a funny dude and Lew Ford was a pretty good guy.
I was only counting current guys, I guess. I've met a lot of the old guard, and really, the one current guy is the only dickwad.
I figured as much, I just haven't met any of the current guys. I figure, throwing out names of guys who aren't playing anymore wasn't too big a deal.
I originally misread "is" as "has"
I would accept a free drink from A.J. Pierzynski, or any other dickhead willing to buy me one.
BoSox only get one out of that inning? They should have bunted.
I once bunted in RBI baseball and it went for a homer. My brother was there, or else nobody would believe me.
That hilariously bad pitch by Matsuzaka raises a question for me: if the ball bounces before hitting the batter, is it still a HBP?
No
Er, yes.
I see! I deeply appreciate your prompt response, you are a credit to this organization. Sincerely, New Guy.
That google is somethin' else.
Now post some videos.
I'm still sans my own computer, so I don't have as much opportunity to browse youtube nowadays. I'll try to post something soon, but don't expect too much.
and that would be different how, New Guy??
I keed! I keed! Now, post some videos.
What is this, cricket?
HBP I'm pretty sure
Big Poopi
Good work, if you can get it. ;)
I was going to chastise someone for making me see this, but when I saw it was The Boss, alas, I was powerless.
It's not pretty, but it's better some of the other images that answer to the google of "big poop".
Heh. In that, case, thank you.
He's just jealous your images show up. :0
Oh, great. Now I'm "a guy with a thing." I knew a couple more failed images would put me over the top!
I don't know what's going on with you and images. Let me check your profile to see if there's something screwy going on.
Cool. Do I have to do anything? If not, I'll wait quietly.
Try now.
WOOOOOOOOOOO! I've got so much image envy saved up, I'm gonna abuse the hell out of this power.
Oh, and I should probably say thanks, too. I always just assume it's implied. I'm bad that way. So what was up? Why couldn't I put up photos?
David Ortiz can mash the batting practice fastball! He's just having problems during the games. Heh.
He can't catch up to a sub-90 fastball. Why even bother with the shift anymore? It's not like he's going to pull the ball.
I find this incarnation of Ortiz strangely satisfying.
Sounds like _elm_n.
There's only one tool you need in baseball: confidence. I'm just about the most confident guy I know, but I suck a mean fatty at baseball. I call BS on their assessment.
So a 5-tool player is superfluous, then?
Wasteful, even.
Or maybe just way in love with himself, maybe?
You know who's a tool player? Delmon.
I'm pretty tempted to use that photo above to describe that line of reasoning.
At least you don't feel the need to photographically describe how I suck a mean fatty at baseball.
Whew. I was hoping it wouldn't be more literal than this.
It was actually funnier when the image didn't show up...
I thought that was an intentional gag, actually.
Oh sure. I put some work into making that thing appear.
Thanks, and thanks. ;)
Triscuits and hummus for dinner, washed down with water. Guess who forgot to go grocery shopping!
New Gal?
It's been a quite a while since there has been a New Gal that cooked for me.
I'm gonna go with cheaptoy and say Strib Guy then.
Strib Guy?
Solid single by DSPAN.
brain cramp by Kitares
Apparently both members of this battery have control issues.
Morneau is locked in.
Man, Justin is smokin' the ball.
Dude!
Dude!
NIce, he put a dent in the baggie.
Wimpy! Wimpy! Wimpy!
Hefty! Hefty! Hefty!
Kubel! is locked in, too.
Those three guys are pretty good, aren't they..
In honor of K-Slow's start tonight, Comcast has given me an agonizingly slow internet connection.
You complain now, but wait until tomorrow's game, which is presented in honor of "rhymes with porno."
Dirty Harry.
i've heard he likes to show off his piece.
Considering the story about his home videos, that's a very appropriate moniker.
I'm seeing double!
Great minds (and all that rot...)
See, I actually posted that pic first, but Comcast is making look like a plagiarist.
Man, the Sawks are blacksmiths out there.
Delmon has that batting practice fastball timed perfectly.
Free Gomez!!!
I'd just assume see a guy strike out with youthful enthusiasm as opposed to youthful indifference. At least the former may lead to better things later.
Big Poopi with sub-warning track power.
Dick predicting a bunt-o-rama, apparently not paying attention to what the Twins have been doing lately.
I think he would pass out if he was forced to accept the reality that they are scoring runs in decidedly un-Twins fashion.
We'd have to avoid bunting for multiple seasons for him to notice, and five years down the line he'd finally start talking about how the game has changed.
Nick Punto: Twin Killer
Well, I was locked out of the site for a few. That happen to anyone else, or do I have gnomes?
I, too, was not allowed in.
Persona non gratis, too.
er, grata.
The site was temporarily down for some reason.
Must have been a dreamhost gremlin still hanging out.
Ditto.
Please tell me that the photo Mauer signed for Elton John was one of the ones from that fashion shoot he did!
Dear Elton,
Do you even know what baseball is?
Love, Joe
Baseball? No one understands baseball. You gotta know what a hot dog is to understand baseball.
Dearest Joe,
I knew about baseball before you were even born. Well, those darling outfits, anyway.
Love, EJ
All I can say is "wow." What is that, anyway?
Looks like Elton in a sequined baseball uniform.
Punch and Judy (Judy, Judy) hitter.
100% awesome.
Dodger stadium concert from 1975. I remember laughing heartily at these pix when I was lad.
Okay. You're probably long gone by now, but I find that to be absolutely hilarious.
+ 1 Brown Dirt Cowboy.
Dice-K grasps Cuddy by the hairs of shortness.
Loping?
UNO!
Jason Bay>Manny?
Canadian>Steroids.
What was the trivia question? Was it about all-star voting? And Bert said "Cliff Lee"?
Who was 5th in the AL MVP race.
Who is the only person in the top 5 of last year's MVP balloting not in the house tonight?
Thanks guys. I was only half-listening (obviously) and I thought he might have said something stupid.
If Bert was talking, chances are good that he was saying something stupid.
Big Popout.
What the hell is going on here? I come home fully expecting Joe Mauer to have hit some home runs since he didn't last night and all he has is one sac fly RBI?!?!?!?111! Bull poop!
Hey, he's got a walk too.
And per New Guy, its _elm_n you can expect to see a HR from.
Eh...
Pow!!!
Heart Slowey.
Seventh inning is going to me scary assuming slowey is done. Need some insurance boys
I was just thinking we need some Geico runs
Won't be so scary after back to back jacks from the M&M boys.
I would imagine we can count on _elm_n's homer any inning now, too!
Eh....
pUNtO!
it should be, pOUTno. I suppose that might be a reach, or a strib comment.
pISUCKATHITTINGunto
That one might catch on
I'm going to stick with PuntLOL.
I am sampling some Long Hammer IPA tonight and I truly surprised by the poor reviews on beer advocate. I happen think the stuff is pretty good. Then again, I enjoy Labatt's so, yeah..
Part of the problem, as I've noticed about BA over the years, is that it's a Redhook product. If it's made by a big brewery, it's going to have lower reviews simply based on that fact. You can usually get a good idea of what its going to taste like from most of the reviews, though.
I'm a big fan of the Long Hammer IPA, but I know that reviews are mixed. It seems that the alcohol content has been an issue. The fact that it isn't an issue for me may be related to my specific taste.
I'm underwhelmed by the Long Hammer, but I think they do have a couple of good products (Blackhook Porter, the late, lamented Redhook Rye). All in all, just an average brewery, however.
Holy crap how valuable is Denard Span?
Not an ideal leadoff hitter. /Steve Phillips
Dino, 2009: .316 /.406/.418
Rickey, career: .279/.401/.419
Yeah, well, we all know I have a blind spot when it comes to Rickey!
Depends on who ya ask.
Dino with a four hit night!
Spantastic.
Any chance the Twins are looking for a good leadoff hitter? Span just isn't working out.
Uh oh...don't make Cuddy angry
When are the Twins gonna get a real lead-off hitter?
Finally, a hit from Mauer tonight.
What is thiis? A worthless single? Where's the power?
Morneau thinks his bat is six inches longer than it is.
Just imagine what he could do with such a bat!
Most men do.
You win this one, sir.
A lot of guys think that.
5 WP for Beantown--a new team record.
Cheers!
That's pretty rich considering how many games Tim Wakefield has pitched for them.
Time for a Cuddy slam.
You ever seen a IBB after an 0-1 count?
Kubel getting mad respec.
Can't ever remember it happening before.
Seems odd to intentionally walk a guy who just swung at a ball that bounced in front of the plate... expecially with two out.
Cuddyer! Clutch!
Cuddy with an RBI the hard way.
I'll take it!
The old HBP-RBI
Insurance runs so easy a hbp can do it
Exhibit #457 against the intentional walk
Does that count as Twins baseball?
Wild Pitch: Check
Hit Batter: Check
Nothing Over a Single: Check
Only One Run Scored: Check
Yup, it checks out.
LOL.
I predict that was the first of a string of 7 HBP with the bases loaded.
That means Punto and Tolbert would get RBIs! Sweet!
well heck, looks like Cuddy didn't need his bat today.
Somebody's probably already made this comparison, but don't Francona and Dom DiMaggio look similar?
Is Gardy planning on going with Mijares for 2 IP here?
I hope so.
I fear he's thinking Crain.
I hope so. I swear to God if I see Ayala in this game I will commit mayhem.
I wish, but the mayor is warming up
With that pitch count, I sure hope so.
Hey, a nice 7th inning there. Maybe Mijares can go out there for the eighth, too.
Stupid mlb.tv not letting me watch the sneak oeek of "Ice Road Truckers".
sneak peek, sneak peek!
It's fine...almost everyone I know spells it "sneak peak," and it drives me forking crazy.
That ball was supposed to bounce over Ellsbury for an inside the parker!
Would that have satisfied NG's wager?
If it got to the wall and bounced, thus rolling a total of 415 feet, it sure would have.
I smell a bunt.
Gomez pinch running for _elm_n in late innings is such a f'n joke. JUST START HIM!!!!
I hate that the guys in charge are always the last ones to figure it out when hype turns out just to be hype.
Speedy
DeliveryThe Sawx catcher rules at blocking pitches
And runners.
Satisfaction for Bremer -- a SAC bunt.
Welp Big D, going 2-4 is a start, I'll take it. But next time I tell you to hit a homerun, YOU HIT A ****ING HOMERUN!
Gomez should'a been a linebacker.
Hey, F*cking Punto got on base!
What did Punto ever do to make anyone think he's a good bunter? He's on the short list of people I'd least want to see at the plate on a suicide squeeze.
What did Punto ever do to make anyone think he's a good bunter? He's on the short list of people I'd least want to see at the plate
on a suicide squeeze.There we go.
Well, of course.
The last time I saw a hitter this hopelessly inept at the plate was......two years ago.
I think it's just that most guys who suck at hitting can at least lay down a bunt. Nick's the exception that proves the rule.
Just like it's the rule that catchers who suck at hitting are good at defense, even when they aren't.
Like the homely girl with "a great personality".
Great personality. Isn't that code for peanut butter legs?
I don't know...it seems like I've heard more than a few stories about the best hitters also being the best bunters...they're just not asked to. It makes sense, since they're the ones seeing the ball the best.
I know what Dick is trying to imply, but not all fat people have a low center of gravity. The two things are totally unrelated.
Span really sucks at being the leadoff batter.
I know, I hate when they get on base five times in one game. Such a waste.
aw h3ll, Span sucks at batting 9th
Just go up to the discussion on Span's last at bat.
JOE MAUER IS GOING TO HIT A GRAND SLAM!
Turning wine into water, eh?
When you are hot, you are hot.
I think he had a Holy Ghostie on third.
Just to get this straight: the Red Sox have 6 WP tonight, Kotteras has a throwing error, and he's allowed 2 of 2 SB. Maybe next time the Red Sox should consider going with a chain link fence as a backstop.
I was going to question how many bases (and by extension, how many runs) he had given us through sheer inability to porperly field his position, but then he blocked Gomez.
I wasn't all that impressed with that bit of catching. The ball went straight to Pedroia and Pedroia made a good throw back to Kotteras. It would've been a bad play if Gomez did score.
I think I have an old Pitchback laying around somewhere if they want to borrow it.
They need a backup catcher that can make Captain 'Tek look good.
This is what it takes.
One of 'Tek's intangibles is the ability to make his pitchers throw fewer than 6 wild pitches in one game.
It's kind of like a cheat code.
Speaking of PsUcksNTO, from Gleeman today:
Yikes. Well, at least the Twins' hopeless hitting at that position was somewhat expected, given Punto and Casilla generally manning the spots.
Gardy and Billy thought last year's mirage was real.
And again, the guys in charge are the last to know. Blech.
Casilla was horrible in the second half last year, two, if I remember correctly.
Um...that would be "too." Ick.
A lot of missed scoring opportunities tonight. I hope it doesn't bite us in the ass.
Thirteen men LOB. That's more upsetting to me than anything when the Twins lose.
Joe Mauer sucks. Bench him for a week to let him get his head back on straight.
Didn't expect Mijares to come back out. Pleasantly surprised, even if it's just for the one hitter.
or two?
Youkilis wins for dumbest looking stance.
And pre-pitch hand movement.
Well, here we go.
Please keep being good cheese, please keep being good cheese....
That's some good cheese...
Cave aged, my man.
Let's hope last night's Guerrier shows back up again tonight
Dear Matt Guerrier,
I believe in you!
Love,
New Guy
Oh crap.
YES!
That was supposed to be under E-6's comment, but I think it works fine here, too.
I knew you could do it! :-) :-) :-) ;-) ;-) ;-) :-*
Well at least some of those worked.
Come on good cheese please
Guerrier, a model of efficiency
whew
They really fielded the question "Why do the Twins play so well against first-place teams?" Did they get no other submissions?
...Oh God, Morneau!
That question has about as much chance of actually being sent in by a fan as those letters that begin:
Well, it was signed "Billy-Bob-Henry-Jed of Bent Armpit, Wyoming," so maybe it was fake.
First of all, I'm not 28, I'm 23. And second, they were Danish. Thirdly, where did you find my letter?
Brendan Harris sent me a copy.
+ 1 rhymes with Morneau movie.
I think that nickname might have staying power.
End of three in LA. DEN-LAL tied at 76.
pitcher's friend. nice
Excellent pick.
A good game as this deserves a good beer!
I have been thoroughly enjoying this Buzzsaw Brown Ale for the last couple of nights. Definitely in the "will buy again" category.
Hmm, I wonder if that gets up this way? I can't say I've seen it before. If I see it, I'll be sure to grab a sixer.
A product of Deschutes Brewery of Bend, OR.
Their "Jubelale", a late fall seasonal, is simply spectacular.
I think a lot of the Oregon breweries probably get squeezed out a little here because there are so many combined with the similarly large number of Wisconsin breweries that would take precedence on the shelves. I think I could be happy if there was a liquor store that sold only Oregon and Wisconsin beer.
Punto with another bad throw, luckily Morneau's decent at one hop throws
I was wondering if that was him again, yeesh.
If numbers don't lie, Dick, you guys should look at them on occasion.
Punto's numbers ALWAYS lie.
So did Livan's.
Well, he did have a complete game yesterday... by some ridiculous miracle.
He was pitching against St. Mary's School for the Blind, so.
They don't mind numbers, it's those damn statistics that they can't stand.
If Dazzle and Gordo are going to swipe something from the Dome, they should take the mute buttons from their mics.
Cuddy gets on the board tonight.
I got a good feeling about this inning.
Big Pop Up strikes again.
Just in case anyone was wondering how many runs Bert scored in his career when Dick brought it up, it's 19. It took me a handful of seconds to look up. When they bring up minutiae like that, they never find out and tell the audience. Maybe the producers just tune the announcers out?
The firewall in the production truck doesn't block pr0n.
That's assuming they know someone can find that out in a handful of seconds.
Sadly, I was thinking the same thing.
One time baby!
Wait for it...
BOOM!!!
2nd place. I'll take it.
Sweet.
Nice pitching tonight lads.
Holy crap the Twins won a game without hitting any homeruns!
See, home runs only get in the way.
Nice game. K-Slow pitched pretty well.
That's been some pretty solid bullpenning of late. I hope this is a trend that can continue.
The longer starts from Slowey, Blackburn, and Baker have been a big boost for the bullpen.
It's a wrap.
I knew it was going to be a good game. Have a good one, folks.
Yes!
Spookymilk can post photos!Twins Win!Y'know, I know it's somewhat of an empty stat, but I'll admit to being a sucker for starting pitching Wins. And it makes me quite happy to see Slowey with a whole pile of them.
I'd be a sucker for them if everyone pitched CGs all the time. As they are, I can't get into them without context.
Still, I do like looking at Slowey's record.
Wins are like fake boobs. At first glance, they're really tantalizing. But upon further inspection, they leave something to be desired.
And when you finally touch them...and really understand what they are for the first time...you're a little bit pissed off at how they fooled you.
Exactly. Still, they are fun to look at and Slowey's got a nice set.
I hope he reads this blog. "Seriously, what the hell is wrong with these people?"
Like bags of sand.
If Wins are like fake boobs, then Errors are like unicorns. You want them to exist, but you know deep down that they haven't been around since the great flood.
Nice.
That's a remarkably apt analogy.