Tagged: Mariners
A little baseball on Trade Deadline day: Twins vs. Mariners 7/31
By: Kelly Thesier/MLB.com
MINNEAPOLIS — Most of the focus today in baseball has been centered around the 3 p.m. CT non-waiver Trade Deadline.
But the Twins do have a big matchup against the Mariners tonight as well. They’ll face Felix Hernandez who is 4-3 with a 2.56 ERA in 10 career starts against the Twins.
Here are the lineups:
Mariners
(39-65)
Ichiro Suzuki, RF
Chone Figgins, 2B
Casey Kotchman, 1B
Russell
Branyan, DH
Franklin Gutierrez, CF
Michael Saunders, LF
Josh
Bard, C
Matt Tuiasosopo, 3B
Jack Wilson, SS
Pitching: RHP Felix Hernandez (7-7, 2.86 ERA)
Twins
(57-46)
Denard Span, CF
Alexi Casilla, 2B
Joe Mauer, C
Delmon Young, LF
Jim Thome, DH
Michael Cuddyer, 1B
Jason Kubel, RF
Danny Valencia, 3B
J.J. Hardy, SS
Pitching: RHP Kevin Slowey
(9-5, 4.76 ERA)
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Capps joins new teammates — Twins vs. Mariners 7/30
By: Kelly Thesier/MLB.com
MINNEAPOLIS — Matt Capps has arrived at Target Field and he spent over 10 minutes right before batting practice speaking with the local media. By all accounts he seemed like a great guy and one who will fit in well in the Twins clubhouse.
Capps is wearing No. 55 and when asked about his entrance music, Capps said he’s never actually chosen it himself. But since he was pitching well with the Nationals’ choice of “The Final Countdown” by Europe, it’s likely that he’ll keep that here at Target Field as well.
Lots of roster moves here today, which I blogged about earlier. To make room for Capps, the Twins optioned right-hander Nick Blackburn to Triple-A Rochester. The move should allow Blackburn to pitch more and hopefully get himself back on track.
Nick Punto was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left hamstring and the Twins recalled infielder Trevor Plouffe to take his spot on the roster.
Justin Morneau was at Target Field today and took some light swings off a tee for the first time since suffering a concussion on July 7. Morneau said things have been progressing, albeit slower than he’d like. He’s still trying to work through not having any lingering effects later in the day after he’s done some activity. So there is still no exact timetable for him to return as he said they’ll take it “day by day.”
Oh yeah, and there is a game tonight too as the Twins host the Mariners for the start of a three-game series here.
Here are the lineups:
Mariners (39-64)
Ichiro Suzuki, RF
Chone Figgins, 2B
Casey Kotchman, 1B
Russell Branyan, DH
Franklin Gutierrez, CF
Michael Saunders, LF
Josh Bard, C
Josh Wilson, 3B
Jack Wilson, SS
Pitching: RHP Doug Fister (3-6, 3.56 ERA)
Twins
(56-46)
Denard Span, CF
Alexi Casilla, 2B
Joe Mauer, C
Delmon Young, LF
Jason Kubel, RF
Michael Cuddyer, 1B
Jim Thome, DH
Danny Valencia, 3B
J.J. Hardy, SS
Pitching: RHP Scott Baker
(8-9, 5.00 ERA)
A
reminder
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can follow me on Twitter @kellythesier
Valencia makes his debut: Twins at Mariners 6/3
By: Kelly Thesier/MLB.com
SEATTLE — Third baseman Danny Valencia will make his Major League debut against the Mariners tonight, as the Twins try to split the series with Seattle.
Shortstop J.J. Hardy is not in the lineup tonight, which likely is just a break for him and his sore left wrist against the Mariners’ tough right-hander, Felix Hernandez.
UPDATE: Hardy said that his left wrist has gotten a little irritated the more swings he takes and tonight manager Ron Gardenhire wanted to give him a rest. Hardy didn’t take batting practice yesterday and likely won’t over the next few days as he tries to give his wrist a break.
Gardenhire said that Orlando Hudson took a few ground balls on Wednesday but that his left wrist is still sore. The club will see how Hudson is doing in Oakland, but the expectation is still that it could be a couple more days before he’s ready to return to the lineup.
Valencia is excited to be in the lineup tonight and make his debut — even if it is against King Felix.
Twins
(31-22)
Denard Span, CF
Matt Tolbert, 2B
Joe Mauer, C
Justin Morneau, 1B
Jim Thome, DH
Jason Kubel, RF
Delmon Young, LF
Danny Valencia, 3B
Nick
Punto, SS
Pitching: RHP Carl Pavano
(5-5, 3.99 ERA)
Mariners
(21-31)
Ichiro Suzuki, RF
Chone Figgins, 2B
Franklin Gutierrez, CF
Jose Lopez, 3B
Milton Bradley, DH
Casey Kotchman, 1B
Josh Wilson, SS
Rob Johnson, C
Michael Saunders, LF
Pitching: RHP Felix Hernandez (2-4, 3.50 ERA)
A
reminder
you
can follow me on Twitter @kellythesier
Bring on Cliff Lee: Twins at Mariners 6/2
By: Kelly Thesier/MLB.com
SEATTLE — Sorry for the lack of a lineup post yesterday. For some reason, I typed a blog entry and it never ended up posting. Oh well, guess I need to learn technology a little better.
After facing two pitchers who throw similar to their own starting staff the last two days, the Twins now face a bigger test in the final two contests of this series. Cliff Lee and Felix Hernandez — perhaps two of the best pitchers in the American League — will start for Seattle beginning tonight with Lee on the mound.
Having gone 1-1 over the first two games of the series, it seems the Twins would be happy to walk out of Safeco Field tomorrow night with a split.
Here are the lineups. I’ll have more news later.
UPDATE: Of course the big news here in Seattle today is Ken Griffey Jr.’s retirement which came about suddenly. Griffey issued a statement and the Mariners were reacting to the news that the 22-year career of the future Hall of Famer had come to an end.
As for Twins news, there was plenty of that as well. Michael Cuddyer’s father-in-law, Jon Rente, passed away on Monday night and the Twins outfielder is leaving the team on Thursday for the funeral in the Arlington, Virginia/Washington D.C. area. Cuddyer is scheduled to rejoin the Twins on Tuesday for their homestand in Minnesota. The Twins will put Cuddyer on the bereavement list after tonight’s game and make a corresponding roster move.
Twins manager Ron Gardenhire also said that infielder Alexi Casilla will undergo arthroscopic surgery on his right elbow to remove a bone spur and loose bodies on Friday. Casilla will miss 4-8 weeks.
Twins
(31-21)
Denard Span, CF
J.J. Hardy, SS
Joe Mauer, C
Justin Morneau, 1B
Michael
Cuddyer, RF
Jason Kubel, DH
Delmon Young, LF
Matt Tolbert, 2B
Nick
Punto, 3B
Pitching: RHP Kevin Slowey (6-3, 4.15 ERA)
Mariners
(20-31)
Ichiro Suzuki, RF
Chone Figgins,
2B
Franklin Gutierrez, CF
Mike Sweeney, DH
Milton Bradley, LF
Jose
Lopez, 3B
Casey Kotchman, 1B
Rob Johnson, C
Josh Wilson, SS
Pitching:
LHP Cliff Lee (3-2, 3.22 ERA)
A
reminder
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can follow me on Twitter @kellythesier
Cuddyer at 2B: Twins at Mariners 5/31
By: Kelly Thesier/MLB.com
SEATTLE — Happy Memorial Day, everyone. I had a large group of service men and women on my flight to Seattle today and it was a real privilege to get to clap as they exited the plane before the rest of the passengers.
I had an update earlier on the blog about second baseman Orlando Hudson, who is scheduled to join the team in Seattle on Tuesday. A CT scan of Hudson’s surgically-repaired left wrist showed no new injuries and that’s good news for the Twins.
But with Hudson out tonight, Michael Cuddyer is getting his first start at second base since July 23, 2005.
Twins
(30-20)
Denard Span, CF
J.J. Hardy, SS
Joe Mauer, C
Justin Morneau, 1B
Jim Thome, DH
Michael
Cuddyer, 2B
Jason Kubel, RF
Delmon Young, LF
Nick
Punto, 3B
Pitching: LHP Francisco Liriano (4-3, 3.17 ERA)
Mariners (19-30)
Ichiro Suzuki, RF
Chone Figgins, 2B
Franklin Gutierrez, CF
Milton Bradley, LF
Mike Sweeney, DH
Jose Lopez, 3B
Josh Wilson, SS
Rob Johnson, C
Matt Tuiasosopo, 1B
Pitching: Doug Fister (3-2, 2.03 ERA)
A
reminder
you
can follow me on Twitter @kellythesier
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