2015 Twins Game Logs

Game 161: Tragic Number 1.

123 Comments

Twelve teams of thirty have any reason to play today beyond "well, they scheduled 162, so we gotta play em, right?" The Twins are one of those teams.

By this time last season, game logs consisted of "Twins continue to try to get KC a division crown." (that is the entirety of the header for Game 161's log last year), and the comments consisted of excitement that the Twins had won 70 in a season for the first time in 4 years.

This year's been good.

Technically, it's not all over, but suffice to say, it ain't looking real good right now. The playoff picture is essentially drawn on the head of a pin that makes up a collage that scream either Angels red or Astros...orange? So, rather than wallowing in the fact that there is exactly 1 scenario in 81 that ends with us even getting to a play-in game, let's remember the good times.

What was your favorite moment of the season. Since I turned off that one Tigers game in the 7th inning, I'm going to say it was Sano's 12th inning pinch hit home run against KC.

123 thoughts on “Game 161: Tragic Number 1.”

    1. I wish I knew where you and spooky were sitting that night. Man that was such insanity.

      1. I met with Spooky in the third deck concourse, but I went back down with my brother to sit in the lower deck down the third base line, near the corner of left field, a couple sections down from where our tickets had us. I must led "that's why you don't leave early!" about twelve times.

        1. I texted spooky in the second inning. He didn't respond until fifteen minutes after the game ended.

  3. So I just turned this on and I don't know, the twins look a little defeated already, as if last night crushed them.

  4. How many angels can fit on the head of a pin?
    Fav moment this season? Kernel & Niblet's first game.

      1. bS - this wasn't directed at Sciosia,* was meant to be a play on words from nibs' intro, the Angels post-season aspirations and the futility of talking odds when the choices are win or go home.

        *I don't have any idea what folks have against him... I don't really care about him one way or the other.

          1. Heh ... I was a bit into my cups last night. Carry on about your business folks, nothin' to see here.

  5. Gladden, the only way we're going to find out if Buxton can hit enough to start in the majors leagues is to let him start in the major leagues. We're not going to find it out by having him sit the bench or play in Rochester.

    1. I may be beating a dead horse, bit especially when he's sitting behind an old guy we know can no longer hit in the big leagues.

  6. I'm forced to watch this game streaming instead of just watching on fox because apparently people in southern Wisconsin would prefer to watch a team from Los Angeles and Texas.

    To be fair, it's better this way anyway since I can avoid the national broadcast crew.

  8. "Three straight seasons over a hundred hits" is not particularly impressive for someone who's a regular.

  9. How many times do I have to say it?!?!?!????!!?!??

    THE TWINS ARE GOING TO WIN THIS GAME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    1. Well if there's one thing a guy who can throw 100 and has an amazing breaking ball needs, it's an extra couple inches off the edge of the zone.

  17. This would be a really good time for the Joe Mauer from a few years ago to make an encore appearance.

  22. I look forward to the day when technology calls strikes and balls. I do not enjoy games being decided by the human error of umpires.

  23. These announcers really love Ventura. He's not bad, but let's not act like a 12-8 pitcher with a 4+ ERA and a mid 3.60 FIP is Maddux in his prime or something.

    1. They are just setting up #storylines and #narratives for postseason play. Because the Royals need a marquee player for America to love.

  24. It had to be tempting for Molitor to go out there and get himself kicked out of the game on those calls. He didn't, and he shouldn't have, because part of his job is to stay under control in situations like that. But it's got to be hard when you're already up against it and you see the umpire taking what little chance you have away from you.

  25. HA!

    Patrick Reusse ‏@1500ESPN_Reusse
    Larry Vanover calls out Plouffe on pitch 3 inches off plate. Hey, Larry was 33% correct on close plays at first last night.

  31. she-it. terrible throw by Boyer. Not sure whether Joe gave him a good inside target....yes, he did.

    2. And I think Cain was technically not in the runners lane, though I never cared for that rule

    3. It's too bad that ball 1 there was actually a strike.

      I think every Royals batter in this inning has had a clear strike called a ball.

      I mean Boyer's throw was absolutely terrible. For sure. But Escobar probably shouldn't have had the chance to hit that triple. And Cain should've struck out earlier in that at bat. The Twins aren't doing themselves any favors, but the ump is certainly not helping matters.

  32. I would be ok with the twins going in a different direction instead of Boyer next year.

    1. Boyer leads the full-time relievers in rWAR at 1.5. May is at 1.6, but he has 50 more innings because he was a starter to begin with. The Twins have had their problems in the bullpen. Boyer is not the biggest of them. I'm all for going and getting some big-time arms for the bullpen, but let's replace guys like Duensing and Cotts first and make sure Graham and Tonkin earn their way into the bullpen. Boyer has really been as good or better than could be expected this season. I'm fine with him returning as a middle or long reliever.

      1. As long as guys like Kepler get a start, I'd be fine with that. I can just do ballpark sounds.

      1. There was Moooose'ing at a few points in the game, and one instance in which Moooose'ing turned into booing. (We had a group of Royals fans sitting directly behind us, and the were big Moose-ers.)

  44. I have no idea who will catch if this game goes to the 10th, but I love that Molitor is managing like the season on the line. Because it is.

  50. Not that it matters, but I wonder who'll start tomorrow. They'd talked about Gibson on short rest, but I don't know why you'd do that now. On the other hand, there aren't a whole lot of other options. Maybe a bullpen game?

  51. Good news: The Angels are losing 10-6 in the eighth. I'm not as down on them as some around here, but since the Twins can't get there, I'd rather have it be Houston than the Angels.

    1. I'm down on them and wish them no success because I have still not forgiven them for the rally monkey and I probably never will.

      1. I am not a fan of Josh Hamilton, but the way they treated him this season was really, really gross. And I wish them zero success because of that.

    2. Wow. Angels score 5 in the 9th to win 11-10 and prevent Rangers from clinching. If Astros win tonight and both Angels and Astros win tomorrow, then the Rangers and Astros will play Game 163 on Monday. Astros with an early 1-0 lead.

    2. Losing out on the playoffs on the last day of the season is more gut punching than the second to last day. So there's that.

  53. Go Houston
    Go Royals
    Go Cubs
    Go Pirates
    Go Blue Jays

    Cards, Yankees, Dodgers, Mets, Rangers... I got nothing for ya. Go back to camp.

  54. You gotta give Mike Riley credit for finding a way to get Illinois back in the game when Nebraska had it sewn up. Sheesh.

    3d and seven with 55 seconds left and illini have no time outs. He calls a passing play. Incomplete. Illinois gets the ball back, marches down, gets the winning score with 10 seconds left. Sure, they benefitted from a trap on a pass and a questionable interference call. But really bad coaching.

  55. Well, it was a fun game to attend, even though the wrong team won. The weather was gorgeous--bordering on hot in the sun, I tried and enjoyed aloo gobi from the Hot Indian cart (and suffered no ill effects, AMR), and at least the Twins managed to put some guys on base in the bottom of the ninth rather than totally collapsing. Plus, the game was quick enough that the jalapeño and I could still catch the end of the open house at the fire station.

    1. Also: The jalapeño started asking to leave in about the seventh inning. He didn't stop asking until the game was done. But as soon as we got to the playground (conveniently located behind the fire station), he told every kid within earshot he'd been to a WHOLE baseball game.

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