Twins Can't Fail

[Jeff Fletcher]

4 hours ago, WeatherWonk said:

Well, it would be a 50-50 proposition because both teams are near .500, after all these games. 

But the Cleveland Indians arent simply beating the odds. They are beating up on teams through superior play. By simple odds, there should be no way they win 21 in a row. Something else is going on. Superior play, over a short term, is going on. Their players, all playing good at the same time, is significantly increasing their odds.

Conversely, teams like Detroit and the CWS are playing around .400 (much different than .450 ball, BTW)  but are capable of playing at lengthy periods for .200 or .300 ball because they are so bad. Both of those teams have traded away players that kept them nearer to .400 over the course of the season. Those are not the same teams that were playing closer to .500, earlier in the season.  And they are trying out lots of September call-ups. That needs to be taken into account.

The Angels also now have Justin Upton, Brandon Phillips, Garrett Richards and Tyler Skaggs, who were absent for much of what got them to 74-71.

And the Indians have won 21 in a row but it doesn't mean they are that good. No team is. That's why it has never happened before. 

The Indians against the Tigers is probably still a 70-30 proposition in a large sample. 

These are all such small samples that it doesn't take much to skew the results.

It's baseball. There are no upsets. 

[Lou]

15 hours ago, ANAHEIMBOB said:

Verlander was 10-8 with DET . His ERA was .398, it's not like he has been pitching lights out.  

.398? lol

in his previous 4 starts he was 3-0 with an ERA of 1.67 and a WHIP of 0.815

 in his previous 8 starts he was 6-1 with an ERA of 2.00 and a WHIP of 0.815

He was absolutsly pitching lights-out, Lennie. 

 

[GrittyVeterans]

Verlander is the 2nd best pitcher in the last 15 years behind Kershaw. 

Hate him but the guy is just dominant

[Lou]

16 hours ago, nando714 said:

the tribe are as hot as anyone 

[Lou]

37 minutes ago, GrittyVeterans said:

Verlander is the 2nd best pitcher in the last 15 years behind Kershaw. 

Hate him but the guy is just dominant

I'd have to go with Halladay over Verlander. 

[Angel Oracle]

5 hours ago, Jeff Fletcher said:

The Angels also now have Justin Upton, Brandon Phillips, Garrett Richards and Tyler Skaggs, who were absent for much of what got them to 74-71.

And the Indians have won 21 in a row but it doesn't mean they are that good. No team is. That's why it has never happened before. 

The Indians against the Tigers is probably still a 70-30 proposition in a large sample. 

These are all such small samples that it doesn't take much to skew the results.

It's baseball. There are no upsets. 

I'd feel even better if September (2016) Nolasco showed up and Heaney only missed one start.

[ten ocho recon scout]

7 hours ago, GrittyVeterans said:

Verlander is the 2nd best pitcher in the last 15 years behind Kershaw. 

Hate him but the guy is just dominant

Depends when the 15 starts. Pedro in that window was absolutely filthy. And i hate the guy.

[WeatherWonk]

The battle for last place in the AL Central continued today. White Sox moved within a game of moving out of the cellar, for the first time in a very long time. Probably mid May. They beat Detroit 17-7. Tigers have now lost 13 of 15 and are 9-29 in their last 38 games. That streak started about four days after the non-waiver trading deadline. 

[Angel Oracle]

2-1 Twins in the 6th, 2 runs immediately after Jays scored 1.

What did I say about their schedule?

[Jwhitt33]

7 minutes ago, Angel Oracle said:

2-1 Twins in the 6th, 2 runs immediately after Jays scored 1.

What did I say about their schedule?

Isn't it frustrating having to depend on teams going through the motions? 

[Lou]

11 hours ago, ten ocho recon scout said:

Depends when the 15 starts. Pedro in that window was absolutely filthy. And i hate the guy.

i'm guessing 15 years ago

[tdawg87]

9 minutes ago, playball89 said:

I am retiring from this board, I can't state any opinions that don't fluff the Angels and I get many dislikes in the process.  I feel like a conservative on Berkeley campus. I hope you enjoy my absence.  Goodbye.

[gurn67]

I'm still holding to my prediction that 86 wins secures the 2nd wild card spot. For the Twins it's very doable at 9-7. The Angels now would have to go 12-4 and hope the Twins cool off.

[tdawg87]

I thought you were leaving 

[Jeff Fletcher]

3 hours ago, Jwhitt33 said:

Isn't it frustrating having to depend on teams going through the motions? 

The Padres and Blue Jays both took the twins to extra innings. They lost but they aren't exactly mailing it in (like the Tigers appear to be).

[tdawg87]

hypcrite?

[thebloob]

The twins are pitching colon today who has been awful.  Can't believe they are still running his butt out there.  This matchup does not favor the twins. 

[Jeff Fletcher]

8 hours ago, playball89 said:

Twins won't even lose 4 games for the rest of their schedule, they stack up against every team they face and win every matchup on paper.  Please tell me I'm making this up and dislike this post.

I'll take that action. 

Youre saying they're going to 13-3, or better. 

[Jobu]

8 hours ago, tdawg87 said:

hypcrite?

It's your new rap name.

[Angel Oracle]

10 hours ago, tdawg87 said:

hypcrite?

LOL, sounds like a catch phrase the WWE's Hype Bros would use.

[Angel Oracle]

2 hours ago, Jeff Fletcher said:

I'll take that action. 

Youre saying they're going to 13-3, or better. 

I predict 10-6 to finish 87-75 with the 2nd WC.

[Slegnaac]

11 hours ago, tdawg87 said:

hypcrite?

Thanks autocorect!

[Lou]

[Lou]

6 hours ago, Jeff Fletcher said:

I'll take that action. 

Youre saying they're going to 13-3, or better. 

I'm in, too.

[WeatherWonk]

I can definitely see a scenario where the AL West Wild Card Wannabes, namely the Angels, the Rangers and the Mariners, all beat up on themselves, while Minnesota salts the WC away in the next week. They could come very close to putting it away, regardless of what their magic number is, IF they sweep the Jays. All it would take would be for Texas to win 2 of 3 from the Angels and the Astros to take 2 of 3 from the Mariners. Very possible. No team would be closer than 5 games from them, at that point. And they still have those seven games against the Tigers and three with CHW.

After the next three games against TOR, the Twins travel to NY for some tough games against a Yankee team that is playing well. But the Angels play the Indians, and no one is playing better than them, last time I checked. Figure the Indians take 2 of 3 from the Angels. They probably only pick up one game, even if the NYY sweeps MIN. 

In the meantime, the Mariners and Rangers would go head to head, so one of them will probably take 2 of 3............which means not much gaining on the Twins, even if the Twins get swept in NY. If Texas takes 2 of 3 and MIN gets swept, they are still three back or more. If it's the Mariners, a lot depends on how they fared against the Astros this weekend.

After all those games, the Twins have to play the Indians. But they could have a significant cushion to withstand losing 2 of 3 or worse.

One of the three ALW wannabes is going to have to get VERY hot..........AND hope for a total collapse by the Twins. The collapse COULD happen, given the games against NY and CLE. Even with a collapse, unless one wannabe really asserts themselves, the Twins could still have a significant lead. But after the Indians, its all DET and CHW for the Twins. 

Can any of these wannabes get hot? They really havent all year. I think they will all muddle along around .500 and the Twins will probably go 8-8 or 9-7 or 10-6.

The Rangers actually have the easiest schedule remaining. They dont play the Indians (the Mariners and Angels do) and they have six against the A's. But the Rangers are five back.