2011 Twins Game Logs

2011 Game 99: Detroit Tigers at Minnesota Twins

181 Comments

Max Scherzer vs Brian Duensing

I was hoping to be able to write about the Twins tying the White Sox for third place, but that is going to have to wait until tomorrow. Instead, let's investigate the non-Verlander pitchers. Verlander is 13-5 for the season, but the Tigers are 14-8 in games started by him. Makes sense. Especially since he has yet to throw fewer than 100 pitches in a game this year. He only had three last year and five the year before.

Anyway, that leaves the rest of the Tiger staff at 38-38. Tonight's starter, Scherzer, is only 10-5 but the Tigers are 13-7 in his starts despite his mediocre 4.53 ERA. The offense has also scored 5.2 runs/game for him. Note to Duensing: don't let the Tigers score that many runs. Note to Twins offense: despite Scherzer's ERA, he has a decent FIP and pretty good xFIP, so practice some patience.

181 thoughts on “2011 Game 99: Detroit Tigers at Minnesota Twins”

  1. Unless this goes into crazy extras, I'll only be seeing the first handful of pitches for this one. Hopefully I'll have internet access at the resort so I can see tomorrow's game. Yes, the thing I'm most excited about on this vacation is being able to surf my sites in a different city.

      1. Wowsers, you could not be more right about that.

        Working as an extra is fairly emasculating as it is, but it's made all the worse by the fact that it seems a third of the people are on work release from prison.

        1. And I just learned yet another fun fact about movie-making.

          BTW, nice use of "emasculating". One of my favorite words.

          1. Why is there no equivalent for the fairer sex? "Efeminizing" just doesn't work.

          2. Working as an extra is so easy you'll feel like you're stealing (hence, you're surrounded by people who are only there because they have no skills), but it isn't worth the lack of respect you get on set. Actors do it because there's always the small chance they'll get a line or something, and there are some real success stories, but I can't bear to do it unless the pay is more than fair and I'm in desperate need of the money.

  2. The Dude abideth in right. Thome at DH, Mauer behind the plate, Delmon batting eighth. I like!

      1. That might happen when Span returns. I wonder who the Twins will keep out of Repko and Revere.

        1. It might be better for Revere if he goes down and plays every day instead of pinch running for Thome with occasional spot starts, but I'd rather see Revere up here and playing than Repko.

    2. This might be one of the few times the lineup is actually balanced between left and right-handed hitters.

  5. Dunce pitching up in the zone tonight- almost missed it without Bert to tell me about it.

  8. Hey guys...I'm back! Miss me?

    I was at the game on Tuesday. The heat was bad, but it was totally worth it for the payoff at the end. 🙂

  10. I think I'm going to go do something else. I don't think I can stand watching Duensing throw another meatball.

    1. As long as he only pitches 5 innings, they should only score 5 runs off him at this rate. Then the bullpen will likely take care of the .2 runs in the last four frames.

  15. Yankmes leading the A's 14-2 in the fourth. It could always be worse, Twins fans.

  22. I hate the term "scoring position." Everyone is in scoring position if they are on base or up to bat.

  25. I'd be more OK with the Victory Martinez walk if I thought Dunce could find the strike zone and if freakin' Peralta wasn't slugging 2.800 off Duensing.

      1. Make a spot for someone, anyhow. I'd hope it would be Slowey, but who knows at this point?

  31. I could totally get into this epic comeback if we could, you know, beat the damn tigers.

  33. man, I was ALL OVER that trivia question: Bert Blyleven was traded away from the Twins and then later reacquired; which Twin did this occur to before Bert?

    1. But was he reacquired with at least one of the pieces acquired from the original trade?

    1. And Dunce is right on track with my run/inning prediction! Don't blow it here, Brian!

        1. Gotcha- I will have to review the tape (if Gameday deigns to favor me with a highlight vid of said play).

          1. i doubt it, as he was safe by a step or two. if lexi had got him though, it would've been epic.

  39. the fact that the twins are sucking so much is really upsetting Famished Pete...

    1. Going for the 20 runs from the bullpen* that sean was calculating earlier.

      *I know those two were Duensings', I'm going to say they count for him and Burnett.

    1. on that subject, i ordered this cap for him from mlb.com:

      it's about 4 years too big for him, but it'll be sweet when he gets there, i think.

          1. you don't dig on the military style?

            Sort of quasi-miltary, anyhow. Where's Beau's avatar with his kepi when you need him?

                1. he didn't seem to mind when we wrapped him in a blanket, so naturally, we humiliated him further.

        2. He's a father to a sister of thought.
          httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCecDGriMT4
          (Or the Mad Hatter.)

  51. I think we need to focus on which Tiger batter to bean in order to gain an advantage this weekend

  57. Everybody knows the Twins don't try until the third and fourth games of a series, anyway.

  58. it seems like the Twins are more exciting when we had our AAA lineup in place

    2. Yes, because it is so much better to have Hughes' .615 OPS, Tosoni's .558 OPS, Tolbert's .505 OPS, and Rivera's .507 OPS to go along with Revere's .582 OPS (before tonight). Plouffe at least has a .756 OPS, but is hitting just .211 with bad defense and he has a -.4 rWAR. This run the Twins went on has NOT been fueled by the young players. It has been improved play by the vets.

  59. I mowed the lawn listening to taking the first three innings. Phooey.
    I was hoping for more Ks from Duensing.

      1. I mean, I was accepting of losing and giving up a bunch of runs, but going 5 innings, giving up 6 runs, and striking out 13 still would have been something.

        1. Which one was it?
          Rhu-ru: Aw, hell, one good thing about a blowout is time to work on graphics.
          Bootsy: I love that one where he makes a gown from the drapes.
          -or-
          Rhu-ru: Gardy's signal to the bullpen is a tug of the ear.

  63. The Twins broadcast team is really stretching for highlights. So far, they've shown a nice play by Casilla for no out and a botched run down.

    1. i mentioned it above, but if lexi got that runner out, that would've been plastered all over the 4ltr. if they took the time to watch this flyover state game, that is.

      1. Would have been play of the year hands down. Too bad it wasn't a slower runner.

  82. Having Jason Kubel back is great, but what we desperately need is to have Denard Span back so we can get Ben Revere and his .284! on-base average out of there and hopefully back to AAA to learn how to take a pitch. Revere has one walk in his last 74 PAs and has an on-base average of .232 over that stretch. That is butt ugly. If it was Casilla, people would be wanting to lynch Gardy for leaving him at the top of the order.

    1. Yes, but see... Jason Tyner sucked. Dick raved about Tyny so the brainless masses followed suit. Ben Revere offensively is even worse than Tyner; therefore, the Target Field faithful thinks Revere is the fourth greatest player in the lineup (being Mauer, Cuddyer, and JI JIM). Seriously, I was at the last two games and Revere is getting bigger cheers than anybody else on Thursday, but Kubel thankfully got more support yesterday.

      Revere is exactly the sort of player that everyone in Minnesota absolutely loves for no reason. He can barely get a ball out of the infield.

      1. Puts on the "Every Minnesotan" hat

        We like him 'cause he's nice and he runs fast, and (they keep telling us) he's like a young Kirby...and that makes sense because he's not very tall and he's black, he plays center field and makes impressive catches, he smiles a lot and he looks like he's having fun and he tries hard. We like all those things so we're happy for him. You should be happy for him too, that nice, smiley young man deserves our support!

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