Playoffs Playoffs???

[Monster]

Well after a frustrating stretch here are the Twins right there with a playoff chance right there for the taking. We are looking to have some meaningful Twins Baseball in September for the first time in what seems like much longer than it has been.

Sano what more can you say about this guy?

We are a few days away from rosters expanding. Some help could be on the way in various forms.

The Pen isn't fixed but it's had some good moments the past few games.

Ok fine I am excited! I'll live with it if they disappoint me. Lol

[longstrangetrip [enjin:6600564]]

Yeah, I'm excited too, monster. I honestly didn't think this team had enough to contend for the playoffs, and I only drafted a lot of September games in my season ticket draft because I thought that was when we would see Sano and Buxton and possibly Berrios. Now I'm holding tickets to several games that could be meaningful. Lucky me!

I've given up on this team a couple times this year already, but it seems they are quite a bit more resilient than I am because they are not giving up. I think it has a lot to do with Ryan and Molitor believing they have a playoff team, and are making moves to prove it. Ryan is making roster moves earlier than he has in the past, and the Twins are now 5-0 with Sano/Buxton both in the lineup. Molitor obviously wasn't comfortable with Santana at SS, and we look much steadier with Escobar and Nunez in there. Gardy probably would have treated Hunter like a sacred cow, but Mollie has dropped him down to 7 in the lineup and may bench him when Hicks comes back.

Starting pitching now seems to a much bigger problem than the bullpen. Santana has been a flop, Hughes is hurt and Gibson has underachieved. Milone seems to be pretty steady, but Pelfrey, who has been our best starter all year, didn't look very good in his last start. Duffey has an awesome curve ball, but I'm concerned hitters are going to figure him out. If the starters can return to the form they had in the first half of the year, I think this club can contend.

[Monster]

Great post LST a couple thoughts

I think Hunter has helped this team stick with it both as a player and just his presence as a vet. This team lost vets years ago and correspondingly sucked afterwards. I suspect this year with guys like Hunter Suzuki Dozier and maybe Plouffe there has been some real leadership among the position players. That just hasn't been there for a while. Mauer and Justin weren't quite those types and Willingham also. They were more go about your business maybe mentor guys. You probably need some real outspoken guys and guys that keep things loose. Hunter does both and guys like Dozier and Plouffe were ready to take that on also. That's what I see from afar.

SS has been a problem for yeeeeaaars. Santana was a big flop in every way. I don't watch games but I imagine Escobar being at least decent defensively at SS and I looked at his offensive stats and guess what he is on pace to have that weird utility power he had last year and actually on pace now for more extra base hits than last year. He has 29 extra base hits and 36 RBI in roughly a half season of ABs. If he can keep that up the rest of the season you take that from a middle infielder especially at SS. He isn't the answer but if he plays reasonably well defensively that's not too bad either. It looks like from the basic defensive stats he makes the plays he gets to but doesn't have bigtime range. Think that's how my brother breaks him down also and he watches a lot of games.

[longstrangetrip [enjin:6600564]]

Really good point about the impact of Hunter and the other vets...it really can't be overemphasized. I noticed it with Dozier last year, and you can see Plouffe and Suzuki emerging as vet leaders too. But Hunter adds a special element...fun. He keeps the team loose, and the dance parties after home wins may seem silly to some, but they do so much for team chemistry. Hunter's not hitting right now (and he's out of the lineup tonight despite good numbers against Archer), but his contributions go way beyond his numbers.

You may have to cough up and buy the MLB package for the rest of the year, monster...we may have an interesting end of the season!

[Monster]

Escobar with 2 HRs tonight.

LST I was going to say that dice my brother is in tow the rest of the year I wouldn't even have to pony up money to watch games but then I just looked and its $9.99 for the rest of the season. I may have to do it. Lol

Edit: Bluejays beat Texas and the Twins have that 2nd wildcard spot. wow

[longstrangetrip [enjin:6600564]]

Not only did Escobar hit two home runs, but the second was a bomb...way back in the stands in right field. And of course they gave him the "silent treatment" when he got back to the dugout...one of the traditions that makes baseball so much fun. He had told Marney Gellner before the game that he was going to be her post-game interview, and of course he was. He really seems to hit better when he is playing every day (like last year) and it's a nice bat to add to the bottom of the line up.

Another shaky appearance from our starter...nobody can get through 6 innings...but the bullpen was stellar again. Boyer came off the DL and looked like the guy who was lights out at the start of the year, not the guy who got lit up in June and July. Buxton's speed really impacts a game...he's 3.5 seconds from home to first on a bunt, and he beat out a sacrifice last night.

The past six games have been really interesting and makes us look like a team of destiny. We've had to rally from behind late in most of the six-game winning streak, and we're getting a lot of lucky hits. Last night, for instance...Mauer gets a broken bat single with the bases loaded after Dozier pops up a bunt and it lands safely for a hit. In contrast, the previous inning the Rays left the bases loaded on a line shot directly at Dozier. You can look at luck two ways...either that it's going to turn, or it's a team of destiny. I'm choosing to look at it the second way!

[Monster]

Not only did Escobar hit two home runs, but the second was a bomb...way back in the stands in right field. And of course they gave him the "silent treatment" when he got back to the dugout...one of the traditions that makes baseball so much fun. He had told Marney Gellner before the game that he was going to be her post-game interview, and of course he was. He really seems to hit better when he is playing every day (like last year) and it's a nice bat to add to the bottom of the line up.

Another shaky appearance from our starter...nobody can get through 6 innings...but the bullpen was stellar again. Boyer came off the DL and looked like the guy who was lights out at the start of the year, not the guy who got lit up in June and July. Buxton's speed really impacts a game...he's 3.5 seconds from home to first on a bunt, and he beat out a sacrifice last night.

The past six games have been really interesting and makes us look like a team of destiny. We've had to rally from behind late in most of the six-game winning streak, and we're getting a lot of lucky hits. Last night, for instance...Mauer gets a broken bat single with the bases loaded after Dozier pops up a bunt and it lands safely for a hit. In contrast, the previous inning the Rays left the bases loaded on a line shot directly at Dozier. You can look at luck two ways...either that it's going to turn, or it's a team of destiny. I'm choosing to look at it the second way!

On luck and destiny it reminds me of one year in college playing intramural softball I had picked the college president to play on my team and I had taken him pretty high in the draft process because he was pretty good which a lot of people did not know. He didn't look like an athlete (short nerdy former English professor) but he could hit and play a terrific 3rd base. He also could catch any football that you threw at him. After one game late in the softball season where we had clearly been on the good side of some whacky plays a student player said "Wow is it better to be lucky or good?" The president said with a chuckle "It's better to be lucky and good." Lol. When our season ended he actually told some seniors they should flunk out so we could all play again the following year together. Lol

[longstrangetrip [enjin:6600564]]

What a game last night! Who would have thought a struggling Pelfrey would beat the best team in the AL in their park to pull the Twins within 1 1/2 games?

Many heroes last night. Sano hit the game-winner, Pelfrey pitched well. But I'd give the game ball to Suzuki for his gutsy tag on Cain to save the game...let's hope he's not hurt too bad.

Pelfrey didn't make Mollie's pitching decision easy with his performance last night. Hughes got through a simulated game yesterday and was lined up to take Pelf's place in the rotation next start. But how can Mollie take Pelf out of the rotation after last night's start? It will be interesting to see what he does with Hughes.

This is setting up to be a terrific end to the season!

[Camden [enjin:6601484]]

*rolls eyes about Pelfrey being a hero, or anything close*

4.0 IP, 8 hits, 7 ER
3.2 IP, 7 hits, 4 ER
4.2 IP, 9 hits, 3 ER

Those are Pelfrey's three starts previous to last night's 5.1 IP, 1 ER effort. Even including last night's start, the guy's given up 15 ER in his last 17.2 innings pitched. No wonder there's been chatter about replacing him in the rotation!

For the season, he owns a 4.09 ERA, which is respectable, but since the All-Star break he's got a 4.87 ERA, which is much closer to his career average of 4.50. The wheels are falling off the Pelfrey train.

And yes, I'm extremely salty that Berrios wasn't called up to take his spot in the rotation.

[Monster]

How about these Twins? It's nice to have one good story after last night's Vikings debacle.

How about Escobar or as I sometimes like to refer to him as Tulo who? He has been amazing down the stretch.