quote:

ORIGINAL: Phil Riewer

quote:

ORIGINAL: twinsfan

quote:

ORIGINAL: Phil Riewer

quote:

ORIGINAL: twinsfan

quote:

ORIGINAL: Phil Riewer

Todays Lineup:
Matt's Fav 2b
Polanco
Lewis
Kepler
Kirilloff
CC
Jeffers
Wallner
Taylor

Where's Castro?

I guess the plan is to use him as a pinch-runner at some point, then put him at 3rd base and move Polanco to 2B to shore up the defense late in the game. Obviously the downside to this is Julien won't be hitting after about the 5th or 6th inning.

Julien's defense has improved....they won't pull him until the last inning.

How does a guy that's been playing defense his entire life suddenly improve in the matter of weeks? I don't buy it. We got a lucky bounce to the catcher on WP the other day, and Vazquez threw a virtually perfect bullet to 2B....predictably, Julien failed to glove it.

Simple, keep working on it. You don't have to buy it; Julien has improved as the season has gone on. Still more work to do---if I remember correctly he is a rookie.

I never remember you being this hard on a certain outfielder that currently plays for the Rangers.....

Simply remember this---if Julien wasn't called up to play 2b you wouldn't be watching a playoff game today; he has been that valuable. Basically a 1 for 1 replacement for Arreaz as a leadoff batter that has had 64 walks and has power.

quote:

ORIGINAL: TJSweens

Kudos to Correa on his run saving throw out at the plate. It was not his best season, but he comes up with yet another big moment in a playoff game. The man thrives when the lights get brighter.

quote:

ORIGINAL: twinsfan

quote:

ORIGINAL: Phil Riewer

quote:

ORIGINAL: twinsfan

quote:

ORIGINAL: Phil Riewer

Todays Lineup:
Matt's Fav 2b
Polanco
Lewis
Kepler
Kirilloff
CC
Jeffers
Wallner
Taylor

Where's Castro?

I guess the plan is to use him as a pinch-runner at some point, then put him at 3rd base and move Polanco to 2B to shore up the defense late in the game. Obviously the downside to this is Julien won't be hitting after about the 5th or 6th inning.

Julien's defense has improved....they won't pull him until the last inning.

How does a guy that's been playing defense his entire life suddenly improve in the matter of weeks? I don't buy it. We got a lucky bounce to the catcher on WP the other day, and Vazquez threw a virtually perfect bullet to 2B....predictably, Julien failed to glove it.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Phil Riewer

quote:

ORIGINAL: Karl Juhnke

I’d like to see Castro in there too. He’s been a pleasant surprise.

But I ain’t complaining. I feel more confident in this team’s playoff chances than any team since 2002. And maybe even more than them.

Don’t care about records. In years past I entered playoffs with a feeling of dread. This year seems different.

Short series. Anything can happen. But my chance of Twins breaking the losing streak. 95%. Chance of advancing, 80%.

The reason I think we have a shot is that Julien, Polanco, Lewis, and Wallner are patient and will draw walks. Gausmann doesn't want to throw his split finger over the plate.

I see this as the best team they have put together since 91-92.....92 may have been a better squad than 91.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Phil Riewer

More worried about Polanco at 3B than Julien at 2B.

quote:

ORIGINAL: TJSweens

quote:

ORIGINAL: Phil Riewer

quote:

ORIGINAL: twinsfan

quote:

ORIGINAL: Phil Riewer

quote:

ORIGINAL: twinsfan

quote:

ORIGINAL: Phil Riewer

Todays Lineup:
Matt's Fav 2b
Polanco
Lewis
Kepler
Kirilloff
CC
Jeffers
Wallner
Taylor

Where's Castro?

I guess the plan is to use him as a pinch-runner at some point, then put him at 3rd base and move Polanco to 2B to shore up the defense late in the game. Obviously the downside to this is Julien won't be hitting after about the 5th or 6th inning.

Julien's defense has improved....they won't pull him until the last inning.

How does a guy that's been playing defense his entire life suddenly improve in the matter of weeks? I don't buy it. We got a lucky bounce to the catcher on WP the other day, and Vazquez threw a virtually perfect bullet to 2B....predictably, Julien failed to glove it.

Simple, keep working on it. You don't have to buy it; Julien has improved as the season has gone on. Still more work to do---if I remember correctly he is a rookie.

I never remember you being this hard on a certain outfielder that currently plays for the Rangers.....

Simply remember this---if Julien wasn't called up to play 2b you wouldn't be watching a playoff game today; he has been that valuable. Basically a 1 for 1 replacement for Arreaz as a leadoff batter that has had 64 walks and has power.

I knew Matt was going to complain about that when it happened. Drew the lead off walk and scored ahead of Lewis' HR to help the Twins snap the longest post season losing streak in sports history and he's bitching about not being able come down with a difficult leaping grab on a bullet over his head. Why did I know Matt would do that? It's what cork sniffers do.

quote:

ORIGINAL: twinsfan

quote:

ORIGINAL: TJSweens

quote:

ORIGINAL: Phil Riewer

quote:

ORIGINAL: twinsfan

quote:

ORIGINAL: Phil Riewer

quote:

ORIGINAL: twinsfan

quote:

ORIGINAL: Phil Riewer

Todays Lineup:
Matt's Fav 2b
Polanco
Lewis
Kepler
Kirilloff
CC
Jeffers
Wallner
Taylor

Where's Castro?

I guess the plan is to use him as a pinch-runner at some point, then put him at 3rd base and move Polanco to 2B to shore up the defense late in the game. Obviously the downside to this is Julien won't be hitting after about the 5th or 6th inning.

Julien's defense has improved....they won't pull him until the last inning.

How does a guy that's been playing defense his entire life suddenly improve in the matter of weeks? I don't buy it. We got a lucky bounce to the catcher on WP the other day, and Vazquez threw a virtually perfect bullet to 2B....predictably, Julien failed to glove it.

Simple, keep working on it. You don't have to buy it; Julien has improved as the season has gone on. Still more work to do---if I remember correctly he is a rookie.

I never remember you being this hard on a certain outfielder that currently plays for the Rangers.....

Simply remember this---if Julien wasn't called up to play 2b you wouldn't be watching a playoff game today; he has been that valuable. Basically a 1 for 1 replacement for Arreaz as a leadoff batter that has had 64 walks and has power.

I knew Matt was going to complain about that when it happened. Drew the lead off walk and scored ahead of Lewis' HR to help the Twins snap the longest post season losing streak in sports history and he's bitching about not being able come down with a difficult leaping grab on a bullet over his head. Why did I know Matt would do that? It's what cork sniffers do.

I hadn't complained about it to you yet. How did you know?

quote:

ORIGINAL: twinsfan

quote:

ORIGINAL: Phil Riewer

More worried about Polanco at 3B than Julien at 2B.

Well, they go hand-in-hand.
Polanco is only at 3B because Julien can't.
Let's not forget that Julien dropped a liner yesterday. He also didn't have enough confidence to throw to 2B to get the lead runner on a play, so he threw to 1B instead.
Kirilloff also had a rough game defensively yesterday. Needs to take lessons from Kent Hrbek on running back to catch pop-up fouls. Pablo ended up throwing about 10 more pitches than he should have in the 1st inning because of defensive misplays.
Great defensive games by Taylor and Correa (as expected).
Also, I see Solano as a superior defensive 1B to Kirilloff...and I think Rocco agrees.

quote:

ORIGINAL: twinsfan

quote:

ORIGINAL: Phil Riewer

quote:

ORIGINAL: Karl Juhnke

I’d like to see Castro in there too. He’s been a pleasant surprise.

But I ain’t complaining. I feel more confident in this team’s playoff chances than any team since 2002. And maybe even more than them.

Don’t care about records. In years past I entered playoffs with a feeling of dread. This year seems different.

Short series. Anything can happen. But my chance of Twins breaking the losing streak. 95%. Chance of advancing, 80%.

The reason I think we have a shot is that Julien, Polanco, Lewis, and Wallner are patient and will draw walks. Gausmann doesn't want to throw his split finger over the plate.

I see this as the best team they have put together since 91-92.....92 may have been a better squad than 91.

I noticed how many of his splitters bounced yesterday. There were some rumors on MLB Network last night that the Twins knew when the splitter was coming. Whether it was tipping pitches, stealing signs, or....ahem...other means...who knows? We did get his pitch count up. But it kind of shows how good he is that we still couldn't get more than 3 runs off him when we knew what was coming.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Phil Riewer

Do-Hyoung Park
@dohyoungpark
·
19m
The Twins go for their first playoff series win since 2002 today with this Game 2 lineup:

1. Too obvious to even say 2B
2. Polanco 3B
3. Lewis DH
4. Kepler RF
5. Kirilloff 1B
6. Correa SS
7. Wallner LF
8. Jeffers C
9. Taylor CF

Gray RHP

quote:

ORIGINAL: Jeff Jesser

quote:

ORIGINAL: twinsfan

quote:

ORIGINAL: Phil Riewer

quote:

ORIGINAL: Karl Juhnke

I’d like to see Castro in there too. He’s been a pleasant surprise.

But I ain’t complaining. I feel more confident in this team’s playoff chances than any team since 2002. And maybe even more than them.

Don’t care about records. In years past I entered playoffs with a feeling of dread. This year seems different.

Short series. Anything can happen. But my chance of Twins breaking the losing streak. 95%. Chance of advancing, 80%.

The reason I think we have a shot is that Julien, Polanco, Lewis, and Wallner are patient and will draw walks. Gausmann doesn't want to throw his split finger over the plate.

I see this as the best team they have put together since 91-92.....92 may have been a better squad than 91.

I noticed how many of his splitters bounced yesterday. There were some rumors on MLB Network last night that the Twins knew when the splitter was coming. Whether it was tipping pitches, stealing signs, or....ahem...other means...who knows? We did get his pitch count up. But it kind of shows how good he is that we still couldn't get more than 3 runs off him when we knew what was coming.

Not sure if you were at the game or got the national broadcast but A-Rod brought it up several times. He was pointing out how the hitters were just standing there when it was a splitter and not even moving to get caught by it. He, basically, pointed out the difference in body language when it was a splitter versus a fastball.