The WGOM

Dazzle goes out on a limb on the pregame show, calling Liriano, "one of the Twins' better young pitchers."

Come on, Mountie. Get your man.

on the board!

A run? Is it the ninth inning already?

Good inning for Liriano.

Nicky P: doing the little things...poorly.

I finally found a negative for Gameday Mini: The funniest mugshots are a little harder to see, and therefore, slightly harder to chuckle at.

Don't really know why the Twins bothered to come up to bat that inning.

I'm taking exception to Yicket's preview game time.

F.

Raspberries.

3 run homers are not good

Heavens to Murgatroyd.

Second place isn't so bad. The playoffs are overrated anyway.

oh cr@p. This is not good.

Well, boys, you've got some wood to chop tonight.

I'm thinking the Twins pitchers this late in the season have been more heavily scouted, and we're seeing the consequences with these long balls. It looks like Liriano is overthrowing his fastball (94 mph vice 90-91 earlier), thus losing some movement. We're toast boys.

The last 17 runs allowed by the Twins have come on 10 home runs over the last four games. The Twins have been out-homered 10-2 in that stretch.

As someone sometimes says, this is a big inning for Liriano. He needs to regroup and put some zeroes up if the Twins are going to have a chance to come back.

Leapin' lizards.

The Punto haters have been unleashed

Goodness gracious.

Dazzle talking about a tight strike zone hurting Liriano. He's probably right, but somehow, the Twins only have one run and the Indians have five. Something is going on besides the strike zone here.

melt
down

Well, there's just not a whole lot to say.

We're going to need some of these.

And the Sox well on their way to making this a 2 1/2 game deficit. Good night

Where's the bottom?

It would be nice to see the Twins show a little fight here. I'm not saying score seven runs this inning, but even a couple, just to show they haven't given up, would be nice.

That wasn't what I had in mind.

I could go for some Mexican food right now
like a burrito or something
it will help sooth these road trip wounds

Not a bad inning for Boof, for whatever that's worth.

this game is such a lost cause that Daz and Gordo are talking about two low minor leaguers who have been injured for a couple of years

Well, you have to start somewhere.

And so the comeback begins. Baby steps.

I'm going to say something that is very not me, and is possibly very StatFreakian, which is:

These are going to be some gut-check, season-defining ABs for Mauer and Morneau.

Just when I surrender the living room TV to my daughter, the Twins start something. Figures.

The Twins are trying to climb out of the casket. Morneau's up to bat. Do I dare hope?

Juan Rincon is warming in the Tribe pen

Well, they're back in it. If they can hold Cleveland where they are, they at least have a chance.

Yankees blew a chance in the bottom of the 5th with bases loaded. Giambi's a chump.

Dazzle, I really don't think they're making bad pitches on purpose. Sometimes you just don't make as good a pitch as you want to make.

defensive double plays are helpful

Well, this is getting interesting.

Mountie up.

This is 2 weeks in a row I've forgotten my game log. I'm real sorry guys. Thanks to Yickit for having my back.

Ah, frack...

However this comes out, at least the Twins didn't just roll over when they got down. I know moral victories don't count in the standings, but at least it makes me feel better.

I think Morneau is something like 0 for his last 15 or something, right?

Holy Cow! That was the best DP I've seen all year!

wow, I need to pay better attention to this game. i thought we were down by 3, here we are down by 1

Gordo, how did Delmon "hit it well" if it was a fly ball to short center field?

catchers interference?

This is a critical at bat for Delmon Buscher Punto.

Wow what a break.

Addition: Come on Twins make em pay here! Damn

Two walks and a catcher's interference. Now, we just need a wild pitch to tie the game.

Bases loaded without a hit or an error. Twins baseball is back!

This is where a player of the week would drive in runs.

CRAP

The baseball gods giveth and the baseball gods taketh away.

Neighbor pulled up the game on his iPhone at the band boosters meeting (8-1) and I thought, what the hey, I'll throw the game on when I get home. Nice comeback, guys!

huh. Matty "My Pitching Arm's Hanging Down to My Feet" Guerrier coming in.

well, at least Guerrier did not give up a run

Atta boy, Egghead!

Shin-Soo Pain-in-the-Butt

Come on, Breslow

And the bullpen picks up D-SPAN. It's usually the other way around, but this works, too.

oh boy, its Rafel 'slowest pitcher in baseball' Bentencourt

Holy Cow!

M&M boys, this is your time. You've got to do it now.

I hate to be the guy to say this, but this is a critical at bat for Mauer....

Be nice if our batters played like this was the worst AL bullpen facing us tonight.

rally time, you crazy Canuck

Span was running 3-0? It didn't matter, as it turned out, but I really don't see what sense that makes.

Man, I would hate to play behind this Bentencourt clown. Same Day Service!

MLB needs to bring back amphetamines.

Jesus Saves walks on water.

JUSTIN!

MVP! MVP!

Good batting, eh?

That's what I'm talking about.

Woot!

MOUNTIE!

Bite me, Josh Hamilton!

Gordo: Span to score! Mauer right behind him. Mauer held at 3rd

Me: Wha?!!

Delmon, we need some placement.

And Carl Willis visits the mound with a little of the slippery elm for Rafael.

Baton-Court tosses a ball to lead off each batter; will _elmon take the first pitch?!?

That'll work.

Delmon delivers. Sweet comeback.

I'm back. That's the fairweather fan in me

Anybody want to sign my petition for a two inning save by Nathan?

walk walk walk walk
weeeee

I have to admit, I didn't like at all Gardenhire going to get Liriano in the 3rd to have Boof pitch to Cabrera. I thought Cisco was on the wrong end of some bad fielding and despite giving up some dingers I thought riding him for another couple innings was a better prospect than wearing out a pen, or at least bringing in an inferior pitcher.

Can't argue results though, Boof did a great job. It was the right move tonight.

The Twins have left the bases loaded in 2 consecutive innings -- will this be 3?

2 runs on 1 hit
awesome

Wow, who didn't see that coming?

Eddie for the 8th? Man oh man oh man....

Oh, Eddie
Please be steady

This has been fun. I like fun.

I only have two words. Joe. Nathan.

GACK!

FUUUUUUUUUUUUUDGE

I could use a belt.

That was the last pitch Eddie should've been throwing to Sizemore... breaking pitch high.

I know Gardenhire's hand has been forced here with the absence of Crain, but Eddie has been a huge sack of terrible for the Twins ever since he rejoined the team. This is hardly a surprise -- the shocker would've been 1-2-3.

Good God Almighty, it is so f***ing simple. Joe Nathan. Two innings. Ballgame. Think outside the f***ing box, Gardy!

It's so wonderful that this manager continues to sit on Joe Nathan and refuse to pitch him in ANY inning except the 9th.

I swear a dog could manage this team better than Ron Gardenhire.

What I meant was : I've had fun. I would like to have some more fun.

I predict a bunt.

I'm sorry; I missed the start. Did this game really start at six? I'm exhausted.

How must this team feel right now?

They work their asses off to take the lead only to watch the Indians get it right back.

And you know...for how often this team bunts, they're pretty damn shitty at it.

That was the Twins' sixth consecutive blown save. The Twins do have a save in that stretch but it was the three-inning save in a blowout by Breslow.

Well, at least we got to Mauer this inning. C'mon, Joe, time to pick up your manager here.

Gomez makes me want to rip my eyes out with a fork.

OK, now here's where I'm prepared to really be pissed at Gardy -- Nathan should absolutely be pitching this inning. But I bet we don't get him here.

I can haz Nathan?

Honestly, I want this season to end ASAP.

I cannot take anymore of this shit.

meat, I hope we don't end up lookin' like Stooges.

Reyes here... this has "repeat of the Mariners nightmare" written all over it... just like that 2nd game in the first M's series, the Twins had dropped the first and were down late but had a big 8th inning comeback to take the lead in that high-scoring game... and of course the Twins ended up losing that one on a blown save.

if Reyes is ok to come into the 9th, why didn't he just come in in the 8th?

It's going to be awesome when the Twins lose without their best arm in the bullpen even sniffing the mound.

Wow, for a catcher, Shoppach really gets down the line well.

Also, for a "backup" catcher, he sure knocks the snot out of the ball...

I'd be very inclined to not even mess with Garko here and just deal with Carroll.

Mmmmm, crow. Reyes had some great stuff in that inning. He had Martinez and Garko swinging at unhittable pitches.

I just googled a phrase while looking for a particular image to post, and the fourth result was... a comment by me in game log #131 from this season.

Google scares me sometimes.

Nice f****** AB there MVP.

Nice flash of the leather there Nick.

Jeez, I think Gardy inverted the proper order of those left handed relievers.

Until further notice, I'd sure like to see more Mijares in critical spots. He's got great stuff. How could it possibly hurt with the way the pen is falling apart?

Laddie with the bat nailed to his shoulder there. Gotta swing the lumbah' laddie.

A baserunner. Baserunners are good.

Just got in. Heard on the radio that the game was tied after leaving a bar which said the game was tied!!!! Is anyone else hearing a terrible echo on mlb.com audio?

Chalk Mastny up as another shitty reliever that this team refused to hit.

bedtime for Bonzo. looking forward to good things in the boxscore tomorrow morning. fight the good fight, guys

Cle. Announcers: There are still a few people here.

me. That's just awesome.

and now they're telling us that the Twins need to win this game. It must blow to be an Indians fan this season.

Gardy finally decides to go all-in. Which kinda makes sense, given who's scheduled to bat in the top of the 12th.

Sometimes this Twins team seems to manufacture runs with ease....other times, they can't buy runs. Maddenly inconsistent. God, I'm tired and want to go to bed. Let's end this one way or another this inning.

Brink, is there any of that crow left? I may have to eat a little more, I guess.

What the aitch?!

I turned the game off about 4 1/2 hours ago when we were down 8-1 in the 4th...

piss

Good night, citizens.

Well, the good news is, the Twins face Cliff Lee tomorrow...

I shoulda never turned my computer on.

Arggggggggggggggg: Cle. Announcers :Twins have always found a way.

Joe Nathan: Ill just go ahead and serve this one up and prove them wrong.

There ya go...Start thinking about '09.

well, that is the crappiest crap that has ever crapped.

I think it's about time the Twins throw in the towel.

Welp, I'm out. Last one here get the light.

You know, stepping back from my Twins fandom, it's actually comical how the Twins are letting the end of this season slip away. I mean, the irony is just too much... losing games 12-9, 7-5, 8-7... Joe Nathan with 4 blown saves and 2 losses in the last three weeks... a full-on bullpen implosion beyond Nathan... and a total defensive meltdown.

And yet the offense just keeps humming right along...

The results really aren't all the surprising -- around the ASB wouldn't most of us predicted the team struggling these last few months with such a road-heavy schedule? But what we failed to predict was how the team would go down... I sure thought it was going to be a matter of the offense coming back to earth, especially RISP. Neither has... they're scoring even more runs after the break and they RISP avg has barely budged.

Obviously the pitching and defense is what totally went south. We haven't seen a Twins team lose like this since the mid 1990s... strange stuff.

I don't know if I'd call this a "collapse" -- I think you have to own a pretty good lead for that to be accurate and they've been no more than 1 game up since the ASB -- but it sure stinks. I'd reserve "collapse" for the likes of the Mets, Brewers, and D-Backs...

Good thing Gardy brought in Nathan. That will be a tough one to come back from. The Twins are by no means "out of it" but I'll be surprised if they can bounce back from a loss like that. That could have been a season-changing victory. Now I wish they had just stayed behind the whole game. You can forget about those losses a lot quicker. And I really don't see how Gardy has any real options in the bullpen now that he can count on. They've all blown it lately. I guess he could go to the rookies since they haven't been allowed a chance to hold a late lead, but I find if funny that the same people that can't understand how a rookie pitcher can shut down the Twins' offense are the same ones begging Gardy to go to a rookie in the eighth inning of a one-run game.

I woke up this morning, checked the score, and was ready to totally rip Gardy for not using Joe Nathan. Then I found out that he had.

There are only two things that keep me from totally giving up on the Twins: 1) They still have three games to play with Chicago; 2) Baseball is a funny game. The Twins could suddenly turn things around, even though they're showing no signs of doing so.

It seems like a long shot, though.