2012 Twins Game Log

2012 Game 6: Angels at Twins

383 Comments

12:10 PM
Francisco Liriano vs. Dan Haren

So, the Twins are well on their way to 158-4, the best record in franchise history. I wanted to take this game log to look at some recent signings by today's teams.

Josh Willingham Albert Pujols
Average .353 .222
OBP .421 .333
SLG .941 .667
Home runs 3 (on pace for 97) 0 (on pace for 0)
RBI 6 2
Contract 3 years/$21 million 10 years/$240 million

We're getting twice the production for a tenth of the contract. Is it really any wonder that the Twins are on pace to win 158 games?

383 thoughts on “2012 Game 6: Angels at Twins”

  1. Prediction: in an unprecedented move, the umpires call the game in the bottom of the first after the Twins score 35 runs without an out being recorded.

  2. I still can't decide after two years on the West coast if 10 am games are great or terrible.

    1. I always thought the 10 am games were great. You can watch the ballgame from work and still have enough time to focus on the project you were supposed to finish by the end of the day.

  15. @PMac21: The last time Joe Mauer caught a day game after a night game was July 23, 2011 (3:10 p.m. start). Last noon day game after night was July 4.

    So, like, a couple of months ago basically.

  16. With no Scott Baker and no Kevin Slowey, who will be the Twins Official Whipping Boy this year?

        1. OK. Valencia then. Dick n' Bert can talk about how he is destroying the team through partying hard.

  29. Yeah, to the sanding I go. Spoons, I have 45 homebrews in the house, and can get any kind of other you require. I expect to see you in about 11.5 hours.

  35. I have both Liriano and Haren going in my fantasy baseball today. I considered sitting Liriano, but decided to keep him in just in case. I had the same feeling about leaving Mizzou in the Final Four.

  36. I caught the first two Angels innings while at lunch. I've never seen so many balls hit up the middle.

    1. They're trying to make sure no one else wants to watch more than 1 game per week.

  45. Serious question: If you're so down on the team that in the sixth game of the season you're going to boo them, why buy tickets in the first place?

    1. I don't understand booing the home team ever, unless you're attempting to boo the GM and the team's entire direction (which doesn't really come through to the viewers at home). I wish the Target Field "faithful" would leave that kind of crap to the entitled New York fans, but I'm guessing the MSM is largely at fault.

      1. I've probably been to about 300 Twins games in my life and I pretty much agree with what you wrote and followed that rule. Matt Capps excepted.

        1. I was at a late-2001 game where LaTroy was roundly booed the second he was announced for a save opportunity. The chaunce two rows ahead of me (who was in the front row) held up a sign that said "HAWKINS: LEAST VALUABLE PLAYER" and was so proud of it he turned around and showed the lot of us. Unluckily for the poor bastard, he wasn't in a section full of self-hating morons, and we told him to sit his stupid ass down and put the sign away.

            1. The security guy in our section may have been a member. Shortly after he turned around and bragged about his sign, security yanked it out of his hands.

      2. I can see it on rare occasions if there are legitimate effort issues or there are a bunch of dumb blunders--like players forgetting the number of outs and whatnot. In this situation, it just seems like a waste of time.

        1. Yeah, the Milton Bradley toss into the stands with two outs is probably a boo-worthy moment. Yuni's apathetic waddle anytime he tanks a play might be boo-worthy. These are gameplay moments, though, and not players in general, which I assume is what you're after.

      3. I'll play devil's advocate here. It's not easy to sit through unpleasant, dismal play in abject silence. You're obviously not going to cheer when the team does something poorly, and who wants to just sit there quietly? What's fun about being quiet? Booing at least lets you express some emotion, lets you feel like a part of a crowd, which is ostensibly a big part of why people go to the ballpark in the first place.

        1. I'm totally fine with being quiet at the park. I find something intimate about a huge crowd in silence. It makes the big moments bigger. This might be the performer in me talking.

          1. And I'm totally fine with people booing at the park. I find something exciting about a huge crowd expressing emotion together. It makes the boring and/or frustrating moments entertaining. This might be the hooligan in me talking.

            1. I have to admit, this seems funny to me coming from you. It wouldn't have a few weeks ago, but you were surprisingly quiet at the caucus the other day. Was that unlike you? Admittedly, when you have guys like Can of Corn and I who never slow down, it might be tough to get a word in edgewise.

              1. Well a lot of the conversation that night revolved around Survivor events that I wasn't a part of, so I didn't have a whole lot to say. But yeah, I can get rowdy with the best of them. Especially in the context of a live sporting event.

                  1. It mostly just made me wish I'd been a part of those Survivors! I hope I can be in the next one.

                    1. You are always welcome, man. You're hilarious.

                      The next one's a non-writing game and the current one just got underway. You're more than welcome to play the strategy-style game, of course, but you've only played writing games and I assumed that wasn't by accident.

                    2. Can also just follow along at home. Almost as much fun without the hassle of those silly deadlines.

                    3. Yeah, I actually get some emails from people who say they love to follow along despite not knowing anyone involved (but they feel they've gotten to know them as they play more games). There's a regular reader from South Africa who emailed me a few days after Survivor X to say he'd been cheering for nibbish since Survivor VIII and was super psyched about his win.

                      I'm pretty sure I didn't even remember to tell nib this. Whoops.

        2. What's fun about being quiet?

          What's fun about booing? I'll give you that through booing you get to express emotion, but it's not fun. I think not booing is more not fun than sitting quietly. Especially when the root cause of the booing is really Mauer's contract, when Twins fans would have been angry if he left. How in God's name does Hunter not get booed for taking the money and running and Mauer is public enemy number one for sticking around and not taking more money somewhere else? The whole thing makes my head hurt.

            1. Well, that combined with the fact that people apparently people are willing to believe anything they read, regardless of how dumb it is or how many poultry jokes are contained within.

          2. I heartily endorse booing as a crowd option. It was fun to boo Miguel Cabrera during Game 163 after all the wife-beating allegations came out. Not that it seemed to help much.

            Booing your own team should be reserved for very special situations though. I mean we can't be as obnoxious as Yankees' fans.

              1. I knew that would be the clip because I thought of him immediately too, but what's awesome about it is that if you ignore that douche, you can find like three other douches in that area alone.

                1. It truly is a masterpiece. I could probably watch it giggling for at least an hour. Every time I think I've seen it all, I notice another fan.

                  1. There are some truly special baseball gifs I could watch on a loop forever. That one, Bert striking out poor bastards looking with his curveball, Raul Ibanez's hilarious defensive miscues, Milton Bradley's hot-dog stance and toss into the stands with Da Heckler booing so strongly he looks like his head's going to explode...

                    1. The Ibanez ones are great, but one of Torii last night would be up there, too.

                    2. I have to track that down. Of all last night's highlights, that's the one I want to see the most.

                      I can get the entire thing on MLB.tv, of course. Do you remember the inning?

                    6. free: Do you just need a video to make a gif? I can probably find it for you without too much trouble.

              2. I will never grow tired of that clip. Everytime it pops up I watch it for like 3 minutes laughing.

            2. Sure, I can see booing the other team, I just think it's generally poor form to boo your own team.

          3. I think not booing is more not fun than sitting quietly.

            What?

            Look, I can't speak for everybody, but booing for me is just a way of blowing off some frustration and bringing a little levity to a situation that otherwise wouldn't be fun. I'm not saying it's logical to boo, and I'll fully acknowledge that it's impolite. But if I wanted to watch a game quietly, I would stay home and watch it on TV.

            1. Different strokes for different folks. I don't go to the game to make loud noises and I don't go there to remain quiet, either. I find it nothing other than depressing for the fans to boo the home team. This particular circumstance is particularly odious to me, too. People booing Mauer because the guy had the audacity to get injured a couple times just makes me angry. Obviously he should have just tried to play through everything and he'd be in perfect health like the rest of the team...wait a minute.

              1. I think that's fair enough. I just wanted to explain why I personally would boo my own team. If I had been there today, I probably would have booed Mauer too. But it wouldn't have been because he gets injured or has a big contract, it would've been because he had just blown it with the bases loaded. I would boo anyone in that situation.

                1. I would boo anyone in that situation.

                  Really? The BEST players usually fail in that (and every other) situation. You would boo because he produced the statistically most likely outcome?

                  I understand being disappointed, but I don't agree with booing every instance of a bad outcome.

  46. Dick and Coomer criticizing Valencia for getting a single. He's gonna be the whipping boy.

  47. Who said it?

    Morneau flies to right, hears boos, too. Understand booing Mauer after last year. Morneau? Don't people understand concussions?

    Spoiler SelectShow

    2. Understand booing Mauer after last year? Sure, why not. You might as well dislike the best player on your favorite team. Sounds like a great way to enjoy your time at the ballpark. After all, everyone booing knows exactly what went on behind the scenes last year and clearly out to be angered about it.

      2. Bill James observed years ago that when a team is going badly, the fans and the management will tend to get down on their best player, as if he was the cause of their problems. It makes no sense, but it happens, and it happens lots of places.

    1. As often with Bert, I am surprised by about half of that sentence. Like anytime he says "I know this because I searched it on baseball-reference.com."

    1. I'm glad y'all follow him and mention the highlights so I don't have to. Really - three cheers to those of you that are strong enough to put up with it.

  56. Dick needs to expand his vocabulary. Span, Carroll, and Chrissy-Chrissy Parm-Parm all "squirted" their singles.

    Dick:squirting::Chip Caray::fisting

          1. "End Zone penetration"
            "Unimpeded to the backfield"
            "End Around"
            "Down and In"
            "Post move"
            "Going Deep"

            1. I think a case can be made for "splitting the uprights" too, though if you watch a football game for long enough and decide to notice such things, everything sounds icky.

    1. Where was the pitch? Unless a great hitter is coming up behind you, I approve of swinging at a get me over fastball in that situation.

    2. no kidding. Haren was giving Danny nothing to swing at (Revere up next). Keep the bat on your shoulders

  60. @JoeCStrib: Mauer's first HR to RF at Target Field -- not counting the video game ad, which played before every home game last year.

    @DanBarreiroKFAN: As member of Twins, Willingham needed 8 at-bats to hit 2 TField HRs. Joe needed only 399 more.

    All the negativity in this town sucks.

    1. @stickandballguy: OMG! Joe Mauer has more batting titles than home runs at Target Field!

      1. Is it good to have a batting title? I heard that most of those hits don't really even count.

  66. I'm a big fan of Pujols, but I don't think I'd mind it if he had the type of season this year that Adam Dunn had last year.

      1. I'm with kg on this. I want to see what he can do in the A.L. while still at/near his prime.

    2. I'm pretty anti-Angels, so I'd be down with that. Torii claimed in the press he was looking for three rings with the Angels. So far he has just as many playoff series victories with the Angels as he had with the Twins. I wouldn't be hurt if it stayed that way.

  70. I like this guy. I also like the hunt for the baseball in the flower pots. That's hilarious.

      1. Be thankful Hudler/Physioc are gone (and inflicted on the poor Royals fans). Those two were the worst I've ever heard.

          1. Yet Physioc was even worse. I expect the color guy to be pretty bad and a homer, but the PBP guy should have at least a sliver of professional ability.

    3. What's so galling about it is that the booth seems to have forgotten the hatchet job ii and cuddii pulled, what, like 3 weeks ago.

  81. I'm surprised to hear Dick's excitement at Sweet Danny V's hit. I was expecting him to deride him for not bunting.

    1. He did make sure to explain that Kendrick would have fielded it if he wasn't expecting Valencia to pull it. Very backhanded.

      (Also, Revere "squirted" that fly out.)

      1. in spring training, the Rays had a reverse Thome shift on for Danny. Only the firstbasman was playing on the right side of the field. it was weird looking.

    1. I'm ok with it. Casilla is really the only person you will lift for Burroughs, and there's no point in letting Burroughs face a lefty with Hughes/Plouffe on the bench. That's the best use of the roster.

    1. Downs ran to cover the bag, and covered too much of the base. He either rolled his ankle grabbing the ball or Span hit him while trying to reach. I think Span hit him, but it was hard to tell.

    2. Bang-bang play at first base with the pitcher trying to cover and Span stepped right on his ankle/heel causing him to roll his ankle while getting spiked and sending Span tumbling into a somersault. The pitcher didn't make the catch, but is now limping off.

    3. The play was bang bang, and as Downs stepped on the bag D-span's foot came down on top of his ankle and rolled it. Painful looking exchange.

      1. E-6 once likened Dazzle's call to an old lady trying to describe a mugging to a mall security guard. I think that about sums it up.

  96. For those that aren't watching video, what "gameday" like site to you like to use the best. I mean other than gameday, because this thing has sucked at updating for me. I've gotta find a better way (short of someone typing up each thing that happens on here)

  99. The Twins coming back to tie up an almost hopeless game has given me more optimism for the season than anything else they have done this year.

    1. I had a weirdly good feeling about this one, and when Mauer hit the homer I had that 2006 feeling where I just knew we'd catch up. Now I'm nervous, though.

  100. Well, every time I see something like that happen to a Twin I assume they'll be out for a few months. Kind of glad it wasn't our guy on that one for once.

    1. If it was a Twin pitcher that was stepped on he would end up needing elbow/Tommy John surgery.

      1. Not until 2013 after pitching ineffectively with the injury amidst a couple of trips to the DL.

  104. The Rockies (Moyer)-Giants (Bumgarner) game features the third-largest disparity in age for starters in MLB history, apparently. The blurb doesn't say what beats it, but I assume Satchel Paige is involved.

    1. Paige v. Bill Monbouquette (sp?) in 1965 is one - couldn't tell you the other one but it might involve Ted Lyons.

        1. Paige's last season in MLB, before the stunt in 1965, predated Monbouquette's first minor league season.

      1. I know he's a good player. He's just one of those annoying players who plays absolutely out of his mind when facing the Twins. Career OPS: .725. OPS vs. Twins (before today!): 1.030.

        It's infuriating since he always comes up in important situations, and they can never get him out. Every crappy little dribbler he hits gets through, every ball he hits into the outfield runs the gap. It's just exasperating. See also: Polanco, Placido.

        1. Yes, but Polanco somehow didn't convert Tolbert's GIDP in Game 163 into a GIDP, but instead allowed the ball to elude him to tie the game.

        2. Matt Stairs. There will be no other player that completely and thoroughly destroyed the Twins as him.

    1. Or keep the right-handed relief pitcher in to face him. Gardy either trusts a reliever and sends them in way too often, or never gives them a chance to prove they're capable.

        1. I'm pretty sure Spooky has always at least kind of liked Swisher (I've certainly always liked him more than kind of).

  113. Wait, Joe got a single his last time up? Talk about some home scorekeeping.

    1. There wasn't a fielding error on it. It would've been weird to call it a fielder's choice since he didn't have one.

          1. Doesn't matter - he still should have made the play. That's the only criteria.

    2. I dunno. Who do you give an error to there? If the shortstop just holds the ball its not an error. If he throws to the wrong base its not an error.

  115. BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

      1. @1500ESPN_Reusse : Mauer gets ripped more on Twitter when he hits HR than when he doesn't play in a day game.

        @stickandballguy: @1500ESPN_Reusse Most rips by mainstream media types.

        @1500ESPN_Reusse: RT @stickandballguy: @1500ESPN_Reusse Most rips by mainstream media types.

        @SouhanStrib: @1500ESPN_Reusse @stickandballguy Yeah, it was the mainstream media types who were booing him from Target Field stands today.

        There you go.

        1. People can audibly boo from Target Field stands via Twitter? Is there nothing technology can't do?

  120. BBOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!ONO!!N!O!N!O!N!O!

    1. Did you notice the loser of that game was Jason Bulger, who moved on to be a Twin for about 5 months and is now a Yankee?

  129. Okay, I have had this game recap half-written like three times now. Time to start over again!

  130. Maybe this team won't be completely worthless. I'm happy with jumping to that conclusion after 6 games.

  140. You realize that if Capps can hold onto the lead your AL wins leader will be Jeff Gray.

  141. Why yes, I have been in a meeting for the past 90 minutes and missed all the fun. I hate it when work gets in the way of baseball.

  143. Last time the Twins had 19 hits in a game, July 27 2010
    Last time the Twins had 20 hits in a game, July 26 2010

    2. that was quite a run of games for the Twins:
      July 25 against Bal 10 runs on 19 hits
      July 26 against KC 19 runs on 20 hits
      July 27 against KC 11 runs on 19 hits

  147. I guess the Twins hitters didn't have a lot of confidence in Matt Capps saving two 1-run games in a row.

    2. it was a ball almost batted off the plate, took a high chop and along the line. Valencia ran in and made a sweet play to get the close out at first

  180. What a game. Came back from being down 6 and nearly blew it in the end.

    The offense is looking a lot more like I expected it before the season.

    Unfortunately, the pitching too.

    But a win's a win.

  182. Jeff Gray is on his way to a major-league record 158 wins in a single season, having thrown only 237 pitches.
    He's like a reverse-Guerrier.

  183. Another Madd Capps save! Actually, he didn't pitch all that bad. No walks, no extra-base hits. Would have been pretty easy if the ump hadn't blown the call at first on the potential dp.

  184. At 2-4, my current absurdly simple win expectation formula has the Twins up to 71.3 expected wins, from 71.8 to start the season. Low point so far: 69.2 expected wins.

  185. Twins came up two runs shy of doubling their season total of runs in consecutive games and for the third time this season.

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