After getting rained out on Friday night, I again made the trip from DC to Baltimore to see the Twins play in person on Sunday. Although they lost, it was a fun game to watch. Being at Camden Yards always gets me excited for outdoor baseball in Minnesota. I've posted some pictures I took during the game over here.
The Twins try to gain some ground in the division race tonight against the Indians. Overall the Twins played well this weekend, but they'll probably need two wins against Cleveland to stay in the race. Go Twins! Oh and Cuddy's back and starting at DH today. Hopefully he's swinging a hot bat, because the Twins will face three lefties in Cleveland.
First Pitch: 6:05 CST (7:05 EST) at Jacobs Field Whatever the Indians are calling their field these days.
Probable Pitchers:
For the Twins: K-Slow (12-9, ERA: 3.63, xFIP: 4.06, tRA+: 125 )
For the Tribe: Scott Jeremy Lewis (1-0, ERA: 0.00, xFIP: 4.88, tRA+: 385 ) **Note: Small Sample Size** Here are Lewis's minor league statistics. Lewis appears to have good control striking out 82 and walking 13 in 97 innings.
Pale Hose Watch: The ChiSox start their four game series at Yankee Stadium tonight. Word on the street is that Joe Crede is done for the White Sox, and that his locker has even been cleaned out.
Probable Pitchers:
Sox: Mark Buehrle (xFIP: 4.09; tRA+: 120)
Yankees: Alfredo Aceves (xFIP: 4.22; tRA+: None)
It is okay to root for the Yankees . . . right? Yuck. I can't believe I just typed that, but the Twins need any help they can get.
right now it is, since they are out of the playoff pitcure.
Jesse Crain not available because his wife is going to have a kid
My gratitude to the good Mrs. Crain.
I would live to echo E-6's good will. In fact, tell your husband to take another game off if he pleases.
wattsy's choice of noun was appropriate. Goats have 'kids', right?
Jesse Crain married a goat??
His wife did.
Gardy says that Crain might not be back until Wednesday
I tune in just in time to catch a DP. Perhaps I should leave.
You're not getting out of here that easy, buddy.
So if you were going to pick one guy in the AL to start a team with, who would you pick? Cleveland's radio guys would pick Morneau.
Mauer
Mauer times a million.
Lew Ford
He's not in the AL anymore.
I read that wrong, but I still stick by my choice. But Mauer is definitely a close 2nd
guh. As much as I like the Answer Man, that is crazy.
how could you not take Poo-holes first?
If not Poo-holes, then I'd go with up-the-middle studs: Hanley Ramirez, Jose Jose Jose, Mauer, McCann or Sizemore.
Four of those guys are not in the AL.
That can be changed.
Ok ok, I misread. Mauer or Sizemore. I'd lean Mauer.
Sorry, friend. I'm a law student, I live for nitpicking
If there is no price. A-Rod. Otherwise Mauer.
Can I change my vote? Great home plate block by Mauer.
Harris has all the range of a tectonic plate.
Nobody? Okay, I'll take it. He also has just as many faults.
Nothing very earth-shattering about that revelation.
+5.0 Richters
It was good. I'd even typed up a bit about infield shifts taking forever with Harris, but realized it wasn't funny.
(Yeah, yeah. I don't always practice that sort of discretion.)
You were saying?
GoGo Gun!
POW!
(Player of the Week.)
Punto leads off with a double, Gomez, Span, and Casilla follow and not a single bunt. What the hell happened to Twins baseball?
Players of the Week don't give up outs, twayn.
Nice play by Mr. Lithosphere.
Sounds like Mr. Crusty made a nice play, but I can't see it so I don't really know.
Heh.
Harris's mugshot?
"Let's just say it moved me...to a bigger house!!!!"
I can't believe how far Hafner and Andruw Jones have sunk in just two seasons, especially at such young ages.
Perhaps they stopped taking their "vitamins".
oh noes
stupid Shoppach
Shoppach is the new Hafner.
Doh.
Dick: "Shoppach leads all AL catchers in HR." Next pitch, boom! Thanks a lot.
Thoughtful of the Twins not to score until I could get here. Let the offense commence.
Delmon with the placement.
Harris didn't do his job.
That outside corner is getting worn out tonight.
Nicky Pop-out.
So much for that.
Can we get an Amber Alert for the Twins offense?
I'll join you in your concern.
I'm outta here. Make magic happen, Kids.
Here's a stat:
The last 11 runs allowed by the Twins pitching staff have been via the HR.
That is all.
So, does that mean our defense is getting better?
Only Punto.
Make that 13 runs.
Is the strike zone extra large tonight, or are the pitchers simply hitting it?
It's a little wide, but Lewis is a lot like Slowey with really good control.
Yeah, except Lewis is putting pitches down the middle of the fucking plate.
Are we watching the same game? Lewis has been working that outside corner with the fastball all night long.
Apropos of nothing, but I think the Tribe play-by-play guy might be Paul "BOOM!" Allen's vocal twin. (Anybody who's listened to Vikings games on the radio will know what I'm talking about.
Especially apparent on hits like that one.
The Twins just scored 24 runs on Saturday. So why do I feel like three runs is an insurmountable lead?
Because they're not facing Baltimore?
Although that didn't work well yesterday either.
I don't Choo Choo CHOOSE you
stupid home runs
"Let's BEE friends!"
"Stop eating the crayons, Ralph."
Well, as long as they're having fun in the radio booth, that's all that matters.
We have a gopher problem.
Rally bucket of chicken
WE NEED RUNS
Chicken gives you the runs?
That was as bad a pitch as you can throw in that situation. Just awful. Two outs, runner on second, righthander on deck and Slowey puts it on a tee for Choo.
The Twins just can't continue this theme....losing and hoping the White Sox lose as well.
They're running out of time, and it's going to end up biting them in the ass at the end.
I believe they already have plenty of tooth marks on their butts. They needed stitches after that last west coast trip.
They've won four of their last six games. This one is far from over and there are two games left in this series.
Does anyone really think it's just a coincidence that since ubelmann showed up, the Twins have been shut down back-to-back by Jeremys?
Another punchless inning.
Who would have guessed this offense would shut down following their 24 run outburst on Saturday?
*me*
Do you want a cookie or a medal.
What kind of cookie?
That will be the determining factor.
walnut. Its a crappy cookie
Eh...
I'll take the medal.
Got you a trophy instead...
Slowey working on a quality start here.
Twins' offense? Not so much.
Yay for a 4.50 ERA!
This road trip mirroring how the last road trip began.
*sigh*
that was a sweet inning for the Slow man
dw, how about a little Jimi? We need to burn the ass bats.
If the Tigers can score 7 versus the White Sox bullpen, the Twins can score 7 versus the Indians bullpen, right?
Theoretically.
I wonder if that was a StatFreak-endorsed "big inning for Slowey".
they're all big innings, don't you know
Why no PH Kubel for Cuddyer here?
Letting Cuddyer hit worked out well there, Ron.
He hit a line drive. What do you want?
C'mon Yanquis.
Yeah, what NBB said.
Yankees score in the 7th, take the lead...3-2.
Yankees score again...lead 4-2.
4-2 pally's.
the first part of the game never happened
why?
it was thrown into the fire
Nice managing by Ron in that half inning...
He must be "saving" Kubel and Buscher for the latter innings.
Wilson Betemit with a pinch-hit RBI double and followed later by an RBI single by Johnny Damon and the Yankees lead the White Sox 4-2 in the 7th.
Wow, that's a pretty damn good play by Korecky.
Good, but risky. At this point, though, you have to take a few risks.
I wish the offense would take a few risks.
Followed by a spectacular double play, which was set up by Korecky's play.
It's been a long time since the Twins rallied to win a game, it seems like.
This doesn't look good with Lee tomorrow
Lee's Wednesday (vs. short-rest Baker)
This f***ing team and its f***ing feast or famine offense is driving me f***ing crazy.
Now, that's showing veteran savvy with the profanity. Well done, twayn!
Well, the Twins scored three in the ninth yesterday. If they do that again, it's a tie game. Assuming a scoreless bottom of the eighth, of course.
Big assumption with the Mayor out there and two on, no outs. They should just shut him down for the year at this point.
I hate it when matt Guerrier comes into the game
Bases loaded. Hafner up. I can't watch.
Of course, since I'm listening to the radio, I mean that literally.
no worries
I am not afraid of Hafner
Neither am I. But then, I'm hundreds of miles away from him.
One for the Rev.
Hafner doesn't scare me this year. Shoppach does, though.
Was Hafner where he was supposed to be?
Guerrier comes in and struggles? Who saw that one coming???
In his previous nine outings, opponents were hitting .235/.316/.353 against Guerrier. His last few outings haven't been good, but the two hits tonight were ground balls that found holes and in his previous outing, the two hits he allowed were described as "soft" (I didn't witness them).
That's a pretty good point. As much as I thought, and still think, that Nathan should have pitched the tenth Thursday, it's not like the opposition was knocking line drives all over the place off Guerrier. As you point out, tonight's hits weren't hit hard either, just in the wrong spot. If it weren't for bad luck, Guerrier would have no luck at all.
Indians announcers said Hafner should have been out for interference.
He was on the infield side of the baseline, so yeah, he should have.
Momentum has swung toward the Twins dugout
A Simple Plan for Victory.
1. Get three runners on base.
2. Hit a home run.
3. Pitch a scoreless bottom of the ninth.
Result: Victory!
Rivera in to pitch the 9th for the Yankees with a 2 run lead. I like the odds.
Dennys avoids the breakfast platter.
Congratulations to the Crains.
Congrats, Daddy Crain.
Sox lose.
On the board!
Yankees win, 4-2.
Jeebus heard my prayers!
M.V.P.
Note to offense: tomorrow, please feel free to score before the ninth inning.
You will never succeed if you refuse to follow instructions.
boom