IGT July 31, Mets vs Twins, Bouncing back one more time!

[Marshmallowmilkshake]

Our Mets, 57-50, and their newly stocked bullpen are completing a three-game set with the friendly Minnesota Twins, 58-48, in a nice 1:10 p.m. start.

Pablo López, 9 - 7, 4.73 ERA is on the bump for the guests and Luis Severino, 7 - 3, 3.58 ERA is on the mound for the home team.

Now that we know he's not leaving in a fire sale, do we try to sign Sevi to an extension now rather than have him offering his skills to all others in the off-season?

Here's a cool thing about seeing the Twins in Minneapolis: That city has an excellent light rail system. You can hop on it at the airport -- which is a pretty cool airport -- and take it all the way to Target Field, which is the last stop. The other direction goes to the Mall of America, which is really like every other mall you've been to, but bigger and with a theme park in the middle. The theme park shows you where home plate used to be for the former Metropolitan Stadium, and there is a stadium chair hanging on a wall representing a Harmon Killebrew moonshot. It's worth going to just for those things. But head the other way to Target Field, which is a spectacular park.

Today's Minnesota musician is probably associated more with our homeland: Bob Dylan. Everyone knows his big songs. But let me introduce you to this gem from Slow Train Coming, released in 1979. "I Believe in You" is beautiful. He performed it on Saturday Night Live. I was not aware of Mark Knopfler's involvement on that album!



A win would have the Mets eight games above .500 for the first time this season. Once the Twins scoot out of town, we greet the Oakland Athletics, who aren't even pretending to win.

[Chad ochoseis]

Minneapolis is a rather nice place. But most cities do have convenient ways to get to the ballpark from the airport by train. Even LaGuardia now has a free bus to the 7 train.

The only cities I can think of that don't have easy airport-to-ballpark access by train are Detroit, which is car oriented for obvious reasons, and Los Angeles and Dallas, which are beyond redemption.

[Marshmallowmilkshake]

Minneapolis is a rather nice place. But most cities do have convenient ways to get to the ballpark from the airport by train. Even LaGuardia now has a free bus to the 7 train.

The only cities I can think of that don't have easy airport-to-ballpark access by train are Detroit, which is car oriented for obvious reasons, and Los Angeles and Dallas, which are beyond redemption.

Good call! I didn't see one in Phoenix, but we were renting a car anyway to go to the canyon and picked a hotel withing walking distance of Chase. Getting to the park in DC via Metro sure was easy!

[MFS62]

A few years ago I had a business trip to Minneapolis in January, checked into my hotel ok.
It wasn't until I went to my car the following morning to get to my appointment that I realized the rental car company had not provided an ice scraper.
In Minneapolis? In the winter time?
I ruined my employee ID badge scraping the ice.
Maybe I should have looked for public transportation.

Later

[kcmets]

Trevor Larnach (L) LF
Max Kepler (L) RF
Royce Lewis (R) 3B
Matt Wallner (L) DH
Byron Buxton (R) CF
Carlos Santana (S) 1B
Ryan Jeffers (R) C
Brooks Lee (S) SS
Austin Martin (R) 2B

Pablo López (RH) P

Francisco Lindor (S) SS
Brandon Nimmo (L) LF
J.D. Martinez (R) DH
Pete Alonso (R) 1B
Jeff McNeil (L) RF
Mark Vientos (R) 3B
Jose Iglesias (R) 2B
Francisco Alvarez (R) C
Tyrone Taylor (R) CF

Luis Severino (RH) P

[whippoorwill]

A few years ago I had a business trip to Minneapolis in January, checked into my hotel ok.
It wasn't until I went to my car the following morning to get to my appointment that I realized the rental car company had not provided an ice scraper.
In Minneapolis? In the winter time?
I ruined my employee ID badge scraping the ice.
Maybe I should have looked for public transportation.

Later

That’s funny!

[kcmets]

Destroying company property, that's a night in the box!

[Lundy]

My company is based in Minneapolis, and I can vouch for the convenience of the light rail. I also like that there is a skyway in downtown that you don't have to walk in freezing winter temperatures if you don't want to.

[MFS62]

Destroying company property, that's a night in the box!

I had to pay for the badge, but I got them back on the dinner.
Later

[ashie62]

I liked Minneapolis. It seemed very much like the intro for the Mary Tyler Moore show

[kcmets]

Once the Twins scoot out of town, we greet the Oakland Athletics, who aren't even pretending to win.

Oakland won't even pretend to show up, Angels are next on the docket.

[kcmets]

VientoBOOM!!!

[Benjamin Grimm]

Remind me, who is Brett Baty?

[Edgy MD]

Fun to see Vientos go down the line for a homer. Everything he hits out has been left center to right center.

[Edgy MD]

Remind me, who is Brett Baty?

That's cold, bro'.

[Frayed Knot]

Well that fell apart quickly.
Five batters faced, five runs scored in the 3rd.

[Edgy MD]

Severino didn't eat his Wheaties.

[kcmets]

Wheels falling off early for Sy Severino.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

It's early.

[MFS62]

Those USA/Gov polls I fill out sometimes ask us how we like certain movies, writers, celebs and sports figures. By some strange coincidence, Max Kepler was on today's poll. I said I like him. Now I wish I had my vote back.
Later

[Fman99]

Forgot this was a matinee. Missed the first 1/3 of it and have a few work calls this afternoon so I will bury my head in the sand and watch this one on the DVR tonight.

[Edgy MD]

Wallner can't get a homer here. He's a pitcher!!

[MFS62]

We went into the Severino box of chocolates and pulled out the one with the worm in it.

Later

[Edgy MD]

Vientos and McNutmeg can't do it alone, Mets offense.

[ashie62]

Mets get to bat four more times