2011 Twins Game Logs

2011 Game 67: Hosers at Twins

187 Comments

Morning baseball (morning here, anyway). Yesterday, the Twins did what they do, beating the White Sox at home. Well, recently, they've beaten them everywhere. How do we feel about today?

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrly 6-4, 86.2 IP, 3.95 ERA, 3.74 FIP, 4.29 xFIP, 1.5 WAR
Nick Blackburn 5-4, 83 IP, 3.47 ERA, 4.60 FIP, 3.77 xFIP, 0.5 WAR

Buehrle, in his twelfth season with the White Sox, doesn't show signs of being a different pitcher at all. His numbers are totally stable this year in comparison to recent years, so the Buehrle you know is the one that's pitching today.

Blackburn's K/9 is all the way up to 4.99, which might help to explain why he's been so much more successful this year than last. His GB% is a tick up from last year, too, which was up from the year before, which was up from the year before. I never trusted the guy, but it seems like he might turn out to be a good pitcher by sheer force of will. For those playing at home, Aaron Gleeman once made a bet with someone that Blackburn would never get 75 Wins as a major leaguer (I agreed). As of today, his next one will put him over 50% of the way there. I still don't know if he gets there, but I'll say I'm definitely not rooting for him to start failing today.

187 thoughts on “2011 Game 67: Hosers at Twins”

  1. Blackie's xFIP is 22nd in the AL out of 53 listed starting pitchers on Fangraphs. Solidly above average. I think any Twins fan would be happy with average from him.

    1. I know I am. I don't know if I've come around or if I've just grown accustomed to his face, but I don't expend much energy disliking him anymore.

      1. With Santana exiting and '06 Liriano pitching like a freak, I don't think anyone was really in the mood to get excited about Blackburn when he came on the scene. He was effectively Silva 2.0, without the crazy or the expectations that Silva's freak season brought on.

        4.41 xFIP -- Silva, career
        4.37 xFIP -- Blackburn, career

        When it's all said and done, Blackburn's career will probably look something like Jeff Suppan's: totally unspectacular starter who excels at nothing in particular, but can give you some decent innings.

        1. I wonder if Blackburn using more pitches (FanGraphs' PitchF/X says four this year) than Silva (two in 2007-2008, three 2009-2010) will allow him to last longer. Obviously I hope so, but there just isn't enough detail pitch data to forecast these things.

    2. Also worth noting that Scott Baker is tied for 11th in xFIP, with Jon Lester (and in the AL Central, only Verlander's is lower).

  4. みなさん、こんにちは - 愛の日の時間の野球とラインナップに戻って西岡を持って嬉しい！

          1. I know those too. But Im trying to clean up my act - the kids are getting too old for Dad to keep cursing like a sailor. And the Twins need to be at least .500 for me to care enough.

                1. Just you. And I follow Ken Jenning on Twitter, but he doesn't really swear. I'm not the only one that remembers that little joke from WGOM 1.0, am I?

                  1. I can only hope you are! LOL.

                    My Mormonism is currently another very long story......

          1. A bit out of practice - did a 2 year Mormon mission there 95-97 then worked as a translator for the Army for 5 years. I still understand and speak fluently - reading and writing is the first to go and its been 8 years since I've done any of that on a regular basis.

            1. I know a decent number of words, but characters? I'm lost. The only Asian characters I recognize are the ones on a Chinese Chess board.

              1. I LOVE Chinese chess. The fun thing with the characters - I can read Chinese stuff and get the general meaning - but have no idea what the words are in Chinese.

      1. Good thing that was Claudorko on second. His LeCroy +1 speed couldn't motor home.

    1. I love how conventional thinking in baseball seems to be that they can just plug anyone in over there, but the Twins constantly prove that hypothesis incorrect.

      1. One could argue that the Twins are proof you CAN actually just take anyone and place them there. Getting results - now that's a different story.

        1. 小刻みに動く is the Google-translated "wiggle". I'm inclined to trust yours after seeing other Google translations.

  19. While I agree with Bert and Smalls that the "slide" was dirty, I'm no fan of retaliation.

            1. Hey now, I was just having a little fun there.

              I'm overjoyed to take the comparison back!

    1. With Pavano last night and Buehrle today, imagine if they faced each other: 9 innings in 90 minutes!

      1. That Buehrle vs. Felix game was sick...78 minutes, or whatever. I'd probably get up to leave thinking, "Are we entirely sure they played nine innings?"

      2. Didn't that happen last year at Target Field? There was rain on the way and they finished right before it started.

          1. We are headed in that direction again. Maybe not 1:52 (that's awesome), but 2:10 seems doable.

  24. Its going to be fun watching this Nishioka kid. Little known fact - Ichiro is a total and complete prick. He has BRILLIANT handlers. While he is loved in Japan - he is equally disliked by many there. There are so many subtleties in the Japanese language that truly are lost in translation - it will be fun to pick up NHK interviews and other stuff.

    1. There's a pervading "Ichiro is a prick" undercurrent in the Washington media that they focus on way more than it's worth. I've come to realize it's probably true, but I still like him. He seems like my kind of bastard.

        1. It really is amazing how the average sportswriter spends so much time on telling us about what a player's really like, but they never offer reasons why this affects the game or why it should affect my enjoyment of the game. I mean, Cabrera, Roethlisomething and Vick are worth my ire, but I can't figure out why I should care that an awesome athlete is arrogant because he's an awesome athlete.

  27. Paul Konerko Ball, Strike (looking), P Konerko grounded into fielder's choice to shortstop, A Ramirez safe at second on error by shortstop T Nishioka
    A.J. Pierzynski Strike (looking), A Pierzynski grounded into fielder's choice to first, P Konerko out at second, A Ramirez to third

    Was this two consecutive misplays by Nishi? How is AJ not doubled up? Explain, those of you with access.

    1. I was out of the room, so I'd take some clarification too. I'd also like to know why Cuddyer didn't homer during my absence. I realize he didn't bat in that timespan, but that's no excuse.

    2. AJ hit one sharply to deep first and made it down the line before the relay could be made, nobody to blame there.

    3. Nishi misplayed the throw to Lexi at second on the first possible DP. He ended up kind of rolling it there and Laddie couldn't hold onto the ball.

      On the second the ball was hit kind of deeply in the infield, and AJ, gulp, just beat the throw.

    1. Dunn was taking a rather large lead, and they almost picked him off. I think the Twins assumed, correctly, that the Hosers had the hit and run on.

    2. Ugh. I hope there are no plans to bring them in except in the case of a few hits strung together. It's a one-run game, so I'll give them the benefit of the doubt...for now...

    3. Whenever Hoey gets put into the game, I take that as my sign to find something better to do. After all, if Gardy doesn't care how the game goes, why should I?

    4. Honestly, I think they just were having them throw because they hadn't done it in such a long time. Since it was after seven, it would have been Burnett and Mijares warming up to come in instead.

    1. Okay, it does, you win this one, Dick. Either way, stupid phrasing.

          1. Players who have not (yet) won a championship lack will to win. But players who win championships in their 13th season (Dirk) or 17th season (Jason Kidd) have the will to win. But players who have won the championship before who don't win it this time don't have the will to win.

            2. I loved the poll:

              Which NBA player has the greatest will to win?
              Kobe Bryant
              Tim Duncan
              Dirk Nowitzki
              Dwyane Wade
              Other

              I voted other, thinking of Brian Cardinal. That boy wants to win!

  43. Here comes the announcers talking about what a jerk Nishi is because he doesn't look at his base coaches.

    3. Oh, for frick's sake. Just say what you mean, guys, get fired and do us all a favor.

      Which feed? I've got Twins TV on, but I've been listening to blues-rock all game long rather than assault my sensibilities with DicknBert.

    1. They were teammates on the Nats last year and appeared on an episode of Top Chef together.

    2. On the other side of the coin, what does it say about the Hosers' young second baseman that he can't reach base against Capps?

  51. Seen on Southside Sox today:

    Q. What do Jerry Reinsdorf and Ron Gardenhire have in common?
    A. They both own the White Sox.

    Huzzah!

  52. Kind of douchey for Gladden to talk to Rene Rivera about Joe Mauer coming back. You can hear Rivera knows what's up since he says "Yeah, when they get those guys back, they're gonna be a great team."

          2. Looks like I'm wrong so far, as they're going with the ol' three catchers routine initially. Remains to be seen, I suppose, if one of them (I'd still bet Rivera) goes out once other guys come back.

            2. Then why has Rivera been starting more games than Butera? It's not like Rivera is a prospect that needs to play regularly. If Rivera is the one the Twins prefer right now, then why won't they keep him? I think the only reason Butera is still here is because he continues to be Pavano's caddy. If Mauer starts a Pavano game, I don't think you'll be seeing Butera around much longer.

              1. He hasn't been. Before today, they've been splitting exactly equally as far as I can tell - 5 each of the last 10, 10 each of the last 20, 15 each of the last 30. So unless today's start is literally your only proof that they prefer Rivera as a starter, I don't think there's any evidence that they don't prefer Butera as the backup catcher.

                1. Since May 30, Rivera has nine starts and Butera has seven, but it is pretty close. Rivera has started consecutive games twice in that span, Butera once. Still, considering how long Rivera was out of the majors and how Butera had no competition in the spring after backing up Mauer last year, to have Rivera at least on equal footing isn't a good sign for Butera.

                  1. See, there you go again being arbitrary about your cutoffs. If you start five days earlier, their split is exactly even again, and they've had exactly the same number of consecutive game streaks. I don't think Rivera being out of the majors a long time or Butera having had no competition in spring training are things that count against Butera or for Rivera. Rather, I'd still bet that their familiarity and comfort with Butera in general (and Pavano's in particular) as, again, the backup catcher will keep him around.

                    2. I'm sure I got into an inspired discussion on the internet about backup catchers on my birthday last year, too.

                    3. How are your cutoffs less arbitrary than mine? Aren't the more recent games more important as in as Rivera has outplayed Butera, he has received more playing time? I did say they were pretty close, so whatever. Butera was the incumbent in line for starter status when Mauer went down. Rivera was the Twins' second choice for backup to Butera, but now Rivera is receiving slightly more (or even, whatever) playing time. I'm sticking with not a good sign for Butera. Doesn't mean Butera won't stick, he just better hope no one else catches Pavano. That's his best calling card.

                    4. Butera has options available while I doubt Rivera does. That will likely be the deciding point against him.

                    5. Seth says (2nd to last paragraph) that Rivera has an option remaining, so that shouldn't have any bearing.

                      My point about your cutoffs is that defining "recently played games" is impossible in this case, because wherever you cutoff to make it look like Rivera's played more, if you go back a couple games earlier, then Butera's always played just as much. That's arbitrary, but how is a game or two earlier not essentially just as "recent" as the cutoffs you're choosing? What's your definition of "recently played games", and how is it not just picking whatever number makes it look like Rivera's played more?

              2. interestingly, to me anyway, Butera's split against lefties has been almost good: 320/346/400 (albeit in the VSS of 25 PA). Rivera: 188/235/438 (ok, in the VVSS of 16 PA).

                I'm not suggesting that that is a good reason to keep Butera, but I could imagine that it would be a reason.

  54. What a great birthday present. Twins beat the White Sox to finish off a sweep and Buehrle still pitches well to help my fantasy team. Woo-hoo!!

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