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2020 series #15 Indians at Twins Sep. 11-13

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Wham with the Right Hand

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This one is going to be tough. The Twins are an incredible 18-5 at home, including 3-1 against the Indians. They've won 7 of their last 9 while the Indians are coming off three straight losses to the last place Royals.

The Twins are a different team than last year, ranking 5th in ERA and 21st in scoring. They don't outslug you anymore. Four of their last seven wins have been by scores of 3-2, 2-0, 3-2, and 4-3.

Max Kepler is on the 10-day IL so that will help, but they still have the amazing 40-year-old Nelson Cruz who's hitting .342/1.117. This has to be the best season a 40-year-old ever had, right? Barry Bonds had a better year at 39 but missed most of the next season with an injury.

Both Twins catchers, Garver and Avila, are out so they're down to their third string catcher, a rookie named Ryan Jeffers who's hitting .286 in 35 AB's.

The bad news is that Josh Donaldson is healthy. We missed him the first seven games between these teams. He's hitting very well so far in September (.316/1.237).

Tonight's game will be a titanic matchup of Bieber against Kent Maeda who has faced the Indians twice, allowing 2 earned runs in 11 innings with 13 K's. Bieber has been even better against the Twins, allowing 2 ER's in 14 innings with 23 K's. I expect a very low scoring game.
 
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This one is going to be tough. The Twins are an incredible 18-5 at home, including 3-1 against the Indians. They've won 7 of their last 9 while the Indians are coming off three straight losses to the last place Royals.

The Twins are a different team than last year, ranking 5th in ERA and 21st in scoring. They don't outslug you anymore. Four of their last seven wins have been by scores of 3-2, 2-0, 3-2, and 4-3.

Max Kepler is on the 10-day IL so that will help, but they still have the amazing 40-year-old Nelson Cruz who's hitting .342/1.117. This has to be the best season a 40-year-old ever had, right? Barry Bonds had a better year at 39 but missed most of the next season with an injury.

Both Twins catchers, Garver and Avila, are out so they're down to their third string catcher, a rookie named Ryan Jeffers who's hitting .286 in 35 AB's.

The bad news is that Josh Donaldson is healthy. We missed him the first seven games between these teams.

Tonight's game will be a titanic matchup of Bieber against Kent Maeda who has faced the Indians twice, allowing 2 earned runs in 11 innings with 13 K's. Bieber has been even better against the Twins, allowing 2 ER's in 14 innings with 23 K's. I expect a very low scoring game.

Maeda will get some Cy Young votes, he has been legit this season. Bieber likely has it won, but Maeda has been looking very good overall
 
Ted Williams hit 316/451/645/1.096 his final season at age 41. His OPS+ was 190.

He was hurt a lot when he was 40.

Because the season didn't start until late July, Cruz is considered as starting the season as a 40 yr old, but under normal seasons he would be listed as 39.

But there is nothing to make anybody think that Cruz is slowing down at all.
 
We shall see if rearranging the deck chairs makes a difference.
 
Cave double, Buxton HR. - 2-0 twins - game over?
 
Just having elite pitching isn’t enough. Great teams will score a couple runs on you. Have to be able to hit.
 
Yet another blunder by Frankie. Way to kill a rally.
 
Lindor picked off by a pitcher who has a very weak move to first.
 

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