Minnesota Timberwolves (33-49, .402, 6th NL West) @ Los Angeles Lakers (53-30, .639, 1st NL West)
Shawna’s T’Wolves are a hard club to figure. They’re solid offensively – 1st in Base Running, 4th in OPS & wOBA, 5th everywhere else – and boast a lineup anchored by the best Catcher in the game in Rex Engelstad and a 3B star in the making in Aldo Fernandez. Really, if their pitching staff was even halfway serviceable, Minnesota would be a better than average club that was making a bid for a WC spot – but, alas, it is not and so they are not. The cupboards aren’t bare though – they have some talent down in Tulsa, but it’ll be a bit before they have the seasoning required to cook up something nice on the big club, so, for now, it’s just a collection of stiffs content to listlessly meander their way through another campaign while being ranked dead last in the NL as a unit. So, basically, the Timberwolves are not great – far from it, in fact – and their future doesn’t really look all that bright... I mean, the dark days will give way to some light within the next couple of years, but this thing, this experiment of Shawna’s, has a long way to go before they deliver on her promise to become a perennial contender, a club that’s always in the mix, and a club that is capable of reaching dynasty status. Unfortunately, for their players and their fans, this year’s model is inept, utterly devoid of pitching talent, and already staring down a seemingly insurmountable 20 games abyss between them and the promised land.
84 of 162: Braylen Shively (3-4, 3.62) @ Lee Myers (7-3, 3.66)
Win, 4-2. Our parade of stellar pitching performances continues as Lee Myers takes his turn atop the high wire and comes through unscathed – 8.1 innings, 7 hits, 2 earned, and 3 K’s for the young craftsman… Kwaku went 2 for 4 with a double and 2 batted in, Rudolph, on a tear now, brings home save #11, and Mullens & Hanan are responsible for our other two runs. 4 doubles as a unit, a 2-out ribbie for Ethan, and he stole two bags (22 on the year now – kids got wheels, as they say…), and we got another tip-top Grant-Kwaku-Hanan double-play. A good, workmanlike effort out of the good guys tonight.
85 of 162: Adrian Hollyfield (3-2, 6.32) @ Nat Millard (7-1, 2.80)
Loss, 3-2. Nat Millard is 0-1-2 in his last three starts… I haven’t been this concerned about an ace since Bootleg Josiah took a nosedive on us in 2075. 6 innings, 8 hits, 3 earned, 2 walks, and 5 K’s for the $10 million-dollar man… Just not good enough. Rex Engelstad puts the go-ahead run on the board for Minnesota – a run-scoring single in the top of the 4th that was the beginning of the end of Millard’s night. Otto, Rollins, Pepper, Kwaku, and Lonzo Gonzo combine for a 0 for 16 night with 7 K’s – and that should just about tell you all that you need to know… but, it doesn’t, because Lonzo Gonzo got caught trying to burgle a bag and Pepper committed an error so grievous that I may not sleep soundly for weeks.
Elsewhere: The Portland Timbers are leading the AL West by a game over the LA Galaxy & Seattle Sounders with a 41-42 record. That’s embarrassing for baseball. Even more embarrassing is the fact that they are doing it with a ho-hum staff and a truly dreadful offense – and when I say DREADFUL, I mean HISTORICALLY BAD. 12th (that’s last) in AVG, OBP, OPS, bWAR, and wOBA, 11th in RS… just woeful. And guess what… ELOY DELANDO IS STILL MAD. This guy is getting paid $9M a year to hit .239 with 14 jacks and 52 riblets – I mean, chill out my dude – you’re rich. New rule - if you’re rolling up to Voodoo Donuts in a lime green Ferrari on your way to the park, you don’t get to act all aggro all the time.
