2011 Twins Game Logs

2011 Game 30: Minnesota Twins at Boston Red Sox

169 Comments

Scott Baker vs Tim Wakefield

Knuckleball pitchers may be ageless, but Wakefield's time machine finally broke. Nonetheless, I think he will have a long leash in today's game. Knowing the Twins' offense, they might not be able to score enough runs in a single inning to knock him out of the game and expose the tired bullpen. Instead, they will have time to perfect the single/walk, steal, sacrifice, sacrifice (fly) strategy.

The Red Sox used their entire bullpen for Wednesday's game, including Wakefield, for a 13 inning game in which the starter lasted 4.1 innings. Naturally, the starter in yesterday's game also lasted a mere four innings, but it was mop-up time after that and anyone important was saved for today's game. The Sox have yet to top .500 after failing two previous times. Hopefully the Twins don't notice the "Red" part and treat these Sox like their bleached brethren.

169 thoughts on “2011 Game 30: Minnesota Twins at Boston Red Sox”

  1. That Wednesday night game went to, like, 2:30am local or something. I can't tell if that would be the best or the worst thing ever as an attendee.

      1. Yeah, that's about right.

        Remember when the Twins and Indians went scoreless for 15 innings in the Metrodome and the Indians exploded to win 5-0 after all that? My good friend Danny was at that game. He called me on the way home just to bitch about it for ten minutes or so.

        1. I was at that game. What a snoozefest, no scoring chances for either team it seemed. We left in the 14th (not my decision) and got to listen to the carnage on the drive home.

          1. i was at the sox game in chicago that with 15 or 16 innings. unfortunately, they never reopened beer sales...

    2. I've been to a couple games that had two seventh inning stretches, and I love them both. I think we went 1-1 in them, but hey, free baseball.

  9. Man I'm glad I don't rely on our color guy to give me optimism for Valencia.

  13. Butera and Casilla should be placed in a cab right now and driven to New Britain.

  15. Angel's the best. Of course, Wakefield has been balking the entire inning (he hasn't stopped in the set once), but it's hilarious how easy Angel can be baited.

    1. In 1987 and 1988 they were calling this a lot. Balks were insane in 1988, and I believe umps finally started making pitchers stop at the set.

      1. I can't decide which part of the replay is most humorous.
        A) Wakefield actually came set for the first time that inning.
        B) Wakefield actually stepped to third base and clearly not towards home plate.
        C) Hernandez clearly did not call the balk immediately but instead watched the play at first base before calling it once Jerry White starting appealing.

        Seriously, that was just terrible umpiring. How does that clown have a job?

    1. according to Gordo, the Ump laid on the hands on Francona, which will be an issue.

      1. Cowboy Joe had the lasso out to make sure Francona didn't get to Angel.

      2. I did see the laying of the hands...I just wondered how we got there. It was a strange scene.

        It was Joe West's hands, too. I admire Francona for not throwing a punch at that smug mug.

  19. Something about Francona throwing his gum at Hernandez, according to Dazzle.

    1. yeah, as Francona finally headed for the dugout, he threw his gum at the ump

    2. I can't wait to see Danny Gibson throw a surprise no-hitter in his first MLB game in a few months.

    2. according to wiki, its listed as 302, but Johnny Pesky says its more like 295

  27. Swung at a pitch at his eyes and was late on top of it. I love strikeout pitchers

  28. Leadoff double for Butters before the radio guys get back from break. So I don't believe it actually happened.

    1. particularly since it was actually a single, and he's already been erased. Man, Casilla sucks.

      1. Twinsbaseball.com says Plouffe is the new everyday SS. Casilla to the doghouse.

  33. Homer on a ball low in the zone. I'm listening to the Sawks feed and I'm afraid to ask if Bert's claiming Baker needs to get the ball down.

      1. The devil you say!

        ...okay, I guess I remember it. But still, the fact that I could think 8 was a season high is significant.

          1. Dido. I'm drinking a growler of Imperial IPA from The Beer Shoppe. I wish I could remember the name of it so I could suggest it to my PNW brethren.

            1. Have recently latched on to Peak Organic King Crimson Imperial Ale. A full service beer, checks your oil and cleans the windshield.

  43. Funny, MLB flashing two different pictures of Scotty B. on the same screen. One with handlebars and one clean shaven (baby-face).

  52. wow...just wow

    when was the last time a team scored at least 2 runs on balks

      1. From his Wikipedia page:

        In a May 6, 2011 game between the Boston Red Sox and Minnesota Twins, Hernandez called a bullshit balk against Red Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield which resulted in the ejection of Red Sox manager Terry Francona. When Francona came on to the field to argue the call, Hernandez immediately ejected him. Then, as Francona kept asking for an explanation of the call, third base umpire and crew chief Joe "FatAss" West waddled down from third to block Francona from speaking with Hernandez. West then repeatedly grabbed Francona like a gay sailor grabs his lover in an attempt to keep him from getting near Hernandez. Thankfully Francona prevailed.

        2. I hope there's a corresponding entry on Joe West's wiki page. I'm not sure how Francona "prevailed". Did he want to be molested and ejected?

  55. Every time Cuddyer comes to the plate I think, "Guess right this time, meat."

  57. Have I missed anything tonight? (so nice to read these jackasses screwing another team for once.)

  58. Went to the men's room and came back to this on the yahoo boxscore:

    J. Morneau struck out looking, T. Plouffe to third on shortstop J. Lowrie's throwing error, T. Plouffe scored on balk

    What???

    1. Plouffe tried to steal second. Lowrie didn't make a throwing error, he caught Salt's ball and then when he went to tag Plouffe he winged the ball into left field.

    2. Plouffe was stealing when Morneau struck out, and the ball went into the OF so he went to thrid. Then the pitcher melted down on the mound for the balk. TWINS BASEBALL!!!

  60. Whoa, I got up to pour some whiskey after Lowrie's double, when I sit back down, the Twins are already back up. That was pleasant.

        1. Heh. Thought maybe you had one of CoC's batches you decided to rework...

          1. Home distilling being illegal is one of my biggest motivators for being somewhat careful with sanitation when I brew.

  61. I just looked up the strike zone for tonight. Is Hernandez really being as big of a d-bag to the Sox as it suggests, or could it be a combination of his incompetence plus the knuckleball?

      1. I think I might have been baiting for an answer like that, so I'll allow it.

  62. Also, I am finally able to get to taste this stuff.

    Unique and tasty. Its like a nice compromise between white dog and regular whiskey, just enough barrel aging to give it a buttery smoothness on top of the raw whiskey sweetness with a little bite at the end.

      1. Yeah, they started this stuff a couple years ago, if I'm not mistaken. Its not available where I am that I've been able to find, but Buffalo (and the UPS guy who left his cell phone number and swung by the house again) is my new hero. I'm now planning a barleywine that I'll name after him.

        1. I don't think the electrons run any slower to Yakima than they do to Sactown.

          1. My comp's running a sweep for viruses. Normally I'd pause it so it wouldn't slow me down, but I've had virus issues lately so I'm probably behind.

  65. I just watched the video of Plouffe's home run. That was pretty cool of the Red Sox fan who caught it. I guess their entire fanbase isn't a bunch of insufferable pricks.

      1. I've never actually met one in person, so my only exposure is from the internet and the car I saw in the airport parking lot with a Sawks sticker that was illegally parked in a handicapped spot. (complete with parking violation taped to the window.)

        1. There are a lot here, for some reason. There can't be more than five or six franchises further away in miles than the Red Sox.

    4. I knew you'd be all over that. Glad raging tonsils could make an appearance.

      1. With the control Gameday says he's displaying, we may have to increase the number of obligatories.

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