Baker is really getting them over. Pitching a damn fine game.

 

This really isn't a bad thing, but it seems like our hitters might have been overconfident heading into tonight.

i know its only an outing and a half, but masset looks good again

Say, did somebody forget to tell Alexei when the team left Cleveland?

Edited April 10, 200817 yr by Greg The Bull Luzinski

Masset gets Monroe swinging. 2 dead.

i know its only an outing and a half, but masset looks good again

He loses cool points for letting all 3 inherited runners score IMO.

Come on now. The Twins didn't hammer him or anything but his location was still bad, he couldn't get his breaking ball over, and there were periods where he couldn't throw strikes at all. It was a bad outing.

The only thing I agree with you on is the fact that he couldn't get his curve over. From what I saw, The first 4 batters in the inning, he was ahead 1-2 on them and he jammed Gomez but he got a hit, the next guy reached out and poked a fastball/cutter out of the strike zone into LF, He jammed Mauer and Morneau, but they got hits as well. I call that bad luck.

 

Lamb walks. 1 on, 2 dead for Everett.

BB

i know its only an outing and a half, but masset looks good again

 

I agree with that... and wasn't he considered a SP prospect at one point? Maybe he can do that at some point.

 

On the other hand, there's certainly an advantage in coming into the game when the other team is up big. I know the Cleveland game ended up being close but I still think the other team has a tendency to letdown after getting a big lead.

Everett pops out, inning over. 7-2, heading to the bottom of the 5th.

We are the masters of the solo shot.

keep those solo shots coming

 

or get guys on base and then do that

Maybe... maybe...

 

One per inning, like i said...

Good ol Joe makes it 7-3

CREEEDEEE!

I agree with that... and wasn't he considered a SP prospect at one point? Maybe he can do that at some point.

 

On the other hand, there's certainly an advantage in coming into the game when the other team is up big. I know the Cleveland game ended up being close but I still think the other team has a tendency to letdown after getting a big lead.

 

With these 3 at the back end, Masset could get a lot of work this season if he can be solid.

CREDE! 7-3~ Let's get some baserunners!

i think Joe's back is feeling better

god crede is sexyyyyyy!!!!!!

We are the masters of the solo shot.

Sammy Sosa ain't got s*** on us.

4 more solo HRs, please.

This is from ESPN...

QUOTE

2. Can Baker avoid another beating from the White Sox?

Twins right-hander Scott Baker will be walking into a familiar buzzsaw when he takes the mound against the White Sox tonight. Baker was obliterated in his three starts against the Sox last year, allowing 16 runs on 24 hits over 10 innings. The White Sox batted an alarming .500 with a 1.257 OPS against him. Things don't promise to be much easier for Baker tonight as the White Sox currently rank among the major league leaders in runs, home runs and OPS.

 

However, the Chicago offense has many different faces in the lineup than the one that Baker struggled against last year. Gone are Darin Erstad, Tadihito Iguchi, Rob Mackowiak, and Alex Cintron. Furthermore, Josh Fields is in the minors and Jerry Owens is injured. Those six batted a combined .636 (14-22) against Baker a year ago. Moreover, many among the current Sox regulars have not had much success in their careers against Baker. To wit, Jim Thome, Jermaine Dye, A.J. Pierzynski, Juan Uribe and Nick Swisher are a combined 5-for-31 (.161) lifetime against the Twins starter.

 

Meanwhile, Paul Konerko, Joe Crede and Orlando Cabrera are a career 12-for-29 (.414) off of Baker. In looking at the two sluggers who hit Baker the hardest as members of the Sox last year (Konerko and Crede) our research shows the Twins right-hander pitched to their strengths.

 

Several trends jump out when evaluating Crede's stats since the start of last season, among them:

 

• He has hit .292 vs. fastballs.

 

• He has hit .180 vs. off-speed pitches.

 

• He has a .412 batting average and .588 well-hit-average against first pitches.

 

So what happened last year the two times Baker faced Crede? In their first at-bat, six of the eight pitches were fastballs, the last of which Crede stung for a double. The second time they squared off, Baker went with an off-speed offering on his first pitch but left it over the plate and Crede laced it for a single.

 

Konerko is also a good fastball and first-pitch hitter. In fact, some of his numbers are very similar to Crede's. Witness his stats since the start of last season:

 

• He has ht .295 vs. fastballs.

 

• He has hit .181 vs. off-speed pitches.

 

• He has a .492 well-hit average against first pitches.

 

Not surprisingly given the results, 16 of the 22 pitches that Baker threw Konerko last year were fastballs and all three of Konerko's hits were off of fastballs, including a first-pitch homer on a heater over the heart of the plate.

 

While there is little guarantee Baker will have better luck against the hot-swinging Sox tonight, he would be well-served to mix in more curves, sliders and changeups when facing the two Sox batsmen who have hurt him the most.

not bad analysis

uribe learns how to take a walk

Oooooooooooribe walk ?!??!?