4/12 @ Minnesota

[msubulldogs21]

First game ever at Target Field. Time to crash the party.

 

Boston Red Sox (3-3) vs Minnesota Twins (5-2)

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c214/msubulldogs21/redsoxgamethread.jpg http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c214/msubulldogs21/twins.jpg

 

Game time: 4:10 ET

Pitching matchup:

 

Jon Lester (0-0, 7.20 ERA)

 

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c214/msubulldogs21/lester3.jpg

 

vs Carl Pavano (1-0, 1.29 ERA)

 

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c214/msubulldogs21/eddieharris.jpg

 

Lets make it 3 in a row.

[Spudboy]

:lol::lol:

[riverside sluggers]

Jon Lester (5 games vs Minnesota, 0-2 with a 6.07 ERA-----Career at the old Metrodome in 2 games, 0-1 with a 6.35 ERA)

Denard Span, 2 for 5 (.400 avg) 2 RBIs, 3 Walks, 2 SBs

Orlando Hudson, 1 for 3 (.333 avg) K

Joe Mauer, 4 for 12 (.333 avg) Double, 2 RBIs, Walk, K

Justin Morneau, 4 for 12 (.333 avg) HR, 4 RBIs, Walk, 2 Ks

Michael Cuddyer, 3 for 9 (.333 avg) Double, 2 RBIs

Jason Kubel, 2 for 8 (.250 avg) RBI, Walk

Delmon Young, 4 for 21 (.190 avg) RBI, 2 Walks, 7 Ks

J.J. Hardy, 1 for 3 (.333 avg) K

Nick Punto, 3 for 9 (.333 avg) 2 RBIs, 2 Ks, SB

///

Alexi Casilla, 0 for 3, 2 Walks

Brendan Harris, 8 for 18 (.444 avg) 3 Doubles, Triple, 4 RBIs, 2 Ks

Jim Thome, 2 for 3 (.667 avg) K

 

Carl Pavano (7 games vs Boston, 3-3 with a 6.09 ERA---Career at the old Metrodome in 6 games, 2-2 with a 4.19 ERA)

Marco Scutaro, 5 for 16 (.316 avg) HR, 2 RBIs, 2 Walks, K, SB

Dustin Pedroia, 1 for 6 (.167 avg)

Victor Martinez, 2 for 6 (.333 avg) Double, HR, RBI, Walk

Kevin Youkilis, 1 for 3 (.333 avg) Double

David Ortiz, 5 for 9 (.556 avg) 2 Doubles, HR, 3 RBIs, 2 Walks, 3 Ks

Adrian Beltre, 8 for 31 (.258 avg) 3 Doubles, 2 Triples, RBI, Walk, 6 Ks, SB

J.D. Drew, 6 for 13 (.462 avg) Double, K

Mike Cameron, 1 for 15 (.067 avg) 6 Ks

Jeremy Hermida, 0 for 1, Walk, K

///

Bill Hall, 2 for 3 (.667 avg) Double, HR, 2 RBIs, K

Mike Lowell, 4 for 11 (.364 avg) 2 Doubles, 2 RBIs, Walk, 3 Ks

Jason Varitek, 4 for 10 (.400 avg) Double, Walk, K

 

Lester vs Minnesota last season in 1 game, 0-1 with a 7.50 ERA (5 Runs in 6 innings). On the road in 18 games, 8-5 with a 3.86 ERA

 

Pavano vs Boston last season in 1 game, 1-0 with a 3.00 ERA (2 runs in 6 innings). At home in 14 games, 5-5 with a 4.97 ERA

[CoachC.]

no more metrodome! hip hip hooray!

[italstallianion]

What's the pasta mojo this time Youk?

[a700hitter]

Which game is Emmz going to? She should wear her TalkSox shirt.

[ORS]

Which game is Emmz going to? She should wear her TalkSox shirt.

Or no shirt. That would work too.

[BoSox21]

Very quietly, Minnesota has developed a pretty damn good lineup

[jacksonianmarch]

Yeah, but their four best hitters are left handed in Span, Kubel, Mauer and Morneau. Lester should have a field day

[yeszir]

Billy bob

[a700hitter]

... And their pitching isn't bad either. If Nathan didn't get hurt, they would be a very good team, and they still may be a very good team. I think Slowey will have a very solid year making their starters very solid.

[a700hitter]

Very quietly' date=' Minnesota has developed a pretty damn good lineup[/quote']Arguably, they have just as good a lineup as the Sox. The two big howitzers in the middle of the lineup, Mauer and Morneau make everyone around them better (a la Manny and Ortiz). They are not just power hitters. They are excellent hitters.

[BoSox21]

Not to mention Denard Span at the top is about as good as it gets.

[Dojji]

Yeah, if he ever gets tired of Minnesota, Denard Span could play for any team he wants to. That combination of speed and hitting discipline is incredibly hard to find. Heck, he's got the stick to grab a corner outfield post even on those teams that have a franchise CF.

[jacksonianmarch]

a700, I think the Twins offense this yr is gonna be better than the sox

 

1. Span CF

2. Hudson 2B

3. Mauer C

4. Morneau 1B

5. Cuddyer RF

6. Kubel LF/DH

7. Hardy SS

8. Thome/Young/Harris LF/DH

9. Punto 3b

 

The only weakness is in the 9 hole depending on the day. And the 3-4 hitters are arguably the best pair in baseball.

[rhet]

a700, I think the Twins offense this yr is gonna be better than the sox

 

1. Span CF

2. Hudson 2B

3. Mauer C

4. Morneau 1B

5. Cuddyer RF

6. Kubel LF/DH

7. Hardy SS

8. Thome/Young/Harris LF/DH

9. Punto 3b

 

The only weakness is in the 9 hole depending on the day. And the 3-4 hitters are arguably the best pair in baseball.

 

Pujols/Holiday

Tex/Arod

Braun/Fielder

Utley/Howard

 

There are some nice 3/4s out there.

[Dipre]

a700, I think the Twins offense this yr is gonna be better than the sox

 

1. Span CF

2. Hudson 2B

3. Mauer C

4. Morneau 1B

5. Cuddyer RF

6. Kubel LF/DH

7. Hardy SS

8. Thome/Young/Harris LF/DH

9. Punto 3b

 

The only weakness is in the 9 hole depending on the day. And the 3-4 hitters are arguably the best pair in baseball.

 

Not surprising.

 

The other weakness is LHP. They have a very very good lineup, but until we can see what each lineup does over a significant sample size, you can't go ahead and claim the Twins lineup will be better. Textbook example of why you rile people up by running your mouth. Just sayin'.

[BoSox21]

I'd probably give the Twins offense an edge over ours too but we've got a better rotation and their bullpen is very suspect when you take out Nathan.

[Dipre]

I'd probably give the Twins offense an edge over ours too but we've got a better rotation and their bullpen is very suspect when you take out Nathan.

 

I honestly don't. Span, Mauer and Morneau are excellent, but Kubel has horrible platoon issues, his counterpart is, well, Delmon Young, Thome can still mash but LHP can also neutralize him. Their offense will be highly productive, but it overachieved last year, and some their luck with RISP is bound to regress. A full season of Morneau might be just what they need, though.

 

I don't discount the possibility of them being better, but exaggerating to the point of "That might be the best 3-4 in baseball" simply to accentuate the "fact" that he tries to convey really irks me.

[riverside sluggers]

Maybe batting avg they have the best 3-4 in baseball... but i doubt their HR/RBI totals will be tops in baseball. If they have more than A-Rod/Tex, then the Yanks are in trouble

[Dipre]

Maybe batting avg they have the best 3-4 in baseball... but i doubt their HR/RBI totals will be tops in baseball. If they have more than A-Rod/Tex' date=' then the Yanks are in trouble[/quote']

 

Pujols-Holliday

Braun-Fielder

Tex-Rodriguez

Utley-Howard

Hamilton-Cruz (Yeah, i said it, Cruz is a beast, and Hamilton is healthy now)

 

I'm not even gonna mention V-Mart-Youk, but i bet at the end of the year, the overall difference won't be as great as some would think.

[BoSox21]

Well, going by last season here are the combined OPS of all the combos named above:

 

Mauer/Morneau: 1.909

A-Rod/Tex: 1.881

Pujols/Holliday: 2.010

Utley/Howard: 1.836

Braun/Fielder: 1.951

 

So statistically, Pujols/Holliday are the best 3/4 combo in the majors but Mauer/Morneau are in the conversation.

 

For those curious, the combo of Youk/V-Mart was 1.822....up there with Howard/Utley

[riverside sluggers]

Nelson Cruz is an underrated power guy. The key for the Rangers lineup is for Hamilton to stay healthy

[a700hitter]

Nelson Cruz is an underrated power guy. The key for the Rangers lineup is for Hamilton to stay healthy

The guy is a monster. Playing in Texas has kept him under the radar, but that won't be the case for very long.

[Dipre]

The guy is a monster. Playing in Texas has kept him under the radar' date=' but that won't be the case for very long.[/quote']

 

I'm a big Cruz fan, seeing him tear up the Winter Leagues year after year and never getting a chance in the Majors. I'm expecting a .950+ OPS year with 40 HR's and 20 steals. Call me out if it doesn't happen.

[boomer]

Should be a good game today at the brand new Target Field, My money is on either Morneau for the twins or on Beltre for the Sox to get the first homer there for some weird reason haha. The place that Mauer built?

anyways vid for today is up just waiting to be processed http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPb8MyHLuaQ

Lets go Sox!

[Keeper]

I love Cruz as well, especially now that he's on my fantasy team. However, he's batting 5th right now in that lineup. And when Kinsler comes back, he could be bumped to 6th or 7th (behind Chris Davis) because Ron Washington is still on crack.

[BoSox21]

Amalie Benjamin says Aaron Boone (now with ESPN) and Tim Wakefield were conversing in the clubhouse.

[Keeper]

Lineups:

 

Sox

Scutaro

Pedroia

Martinez

Youkilis

Ortiz

Beltre

Drew

Cameron

Hermida

 

Twins

Span

Hudson

Mauer

Morneau

Cuddyer

Kubel

Young

Hardy

Punto

[Gom]

I'm a big Cruz fan' date=' seeing him tear up the Winter Leagues year after year and never getting a chance in the Majors. I'm expecting a .950+ OPS year with 40 HR's and 20 steals. Call me out if it doesn't happen.[/quote']

 

Is this a Fearless Prediction?