Here's hoping for one of those patented bounceback wins from the Twins today. Berríos is on the mound today, so hopefully the keys are in the hands of the right driver. Not that starting pitching has really been the issue lately...
Monthly Archives: June 2019
Minor Details: Games of June 16
Some familiar names come through for the Red Wings. The Kernels clinch a playoff spot.
Son of Orange County – More Trouble Every Day
It wouldn't be vintage meat week without me posting at least one video at noon........ and switching videos.......
2019 Recap: Game Seventy
KANSAS CITY 8, MINNESOTA 6 IN MINNESOTA
Date: Sunday, June 16.
Batting stars: Max Kepler was 4-for-6 with two doubles and two RBIs. Jonathan Schoop was 3-for-5. Miguel Sano was 2-for-4 with a home run (his seventh) and a walk. Nelson Cruz was 2-for-5 with a home run (his thirteenth), a double, and three RBIs. Eddie Rosario was 2-for-5. Jorge Polanco was 1-for-4 with two walks.
Pitching star: Matt Magill pitched a scoreless inning, giving up a walk and striking out one.
Opposition stars: Martin Maldonado was 3-for-4 with a double, scoring twice and driving in two. Jorge Bonifacio was 2-for-5 with a double and two RBIs.
The game: The Twins got a pair of runners on in the bottom of the first but did not score. This would be a theme. In the second, the Royals put together a walk and four singles to score three runs and take a 3-0 lead.
Martin Perez settled down after that, and the Twins got back in the game with two in the fourth. Sano led off with a home run, Marwin Gonzalez was hit by a pitch, and singles by Schoop and Kepler cut the lead to 3-2. Polanco was intentionally walked to load the bases with two out, but Nelson Cruz struck out to strand the runners.
In the seventh, two singles, a bunt, and an error plated to Kansas City runs to make it 5-2. Cruz homered in the bottom of the seventh to make it 5-3. Three singles loaded the bases with one out, but Schoop struck out and Mitch Garver flied out to strand the runners. The Royals extended their lead in the eighth on an error, RBI doubles by Bonifacio and Maldonado, and a run-scoring single by Billy Hamilton. It was 8-3 and it looked like the game was gone.
To the Twins' credit, they came back to make a game of it. In the bottom of the eighth, a walk to Ehire Adrianza and singles by Kepler and Polanco again loaded the bases, this time with none out. Cruz doubled home two to make it 8-5, but the Twins could do no more. In the ninth, Schoop singled, Kepler had an RBI double, and Polanco walked to bring the winning run to the plate, but Cruz struck out to end the game.
WP: Jorge Lopez (1-6). LP: Perez (7-3). S: Ian Kennedy (7).
Notes: Gonzalez was in right field, with Kepler in center and Byron Buxton still resting a bruised wrist. Adrianza was at first base with C. J. Cron on the bench.
Polanco is batting .332. Garver, who came in as a pinch-hitter in the seventh, was 0-for-2 and is batting .310. Mike Morin allowed three runs in 1.1 innings, but the runs were all unearned, so his ERA is down to 1.17.
The Twins stranded fifteen men and went 4-for-18 with men in scoring position. The good news is that they had fifteen hits, five walks, and a hit batsman, giving them twenty-one baserunners. It was a frustrating game, no question, but it happens once in a while. If they keep getting twenty-one baserunners a game, I think they'll be okay.
All the runs against Morin were unearned, but you can't argue that he pitched well. After the error, which put a man on first with one out, there was an RBI double, a fly out, another RBI double, a run-scoring single, and a walk before the third out was recorded. It seemed odd that Morin remained in the game that long. I wonder if Rocco thought the game was gone at that point and didn't want to burn another reliever. That's mere speculation on my part, but it's hard to think Morin would've pitched that long if the manager thought the game was on the line.
In regard to the game-ending checked swing, I really thought that was a call that could've gone either way, and it didn't go the Twins' way. But Cruz had stood there and watched two good strikes, then started to swing at a pitch well out of the strike zone. I don't think he or the Twins have much complaint coming on that.
On the one hand, it was a frustrating game to lose. On the other hand, I didn't think the Twins played all that well in the whole series. Maybe it was the hubbub over Joe Mauer weekend, maybe they're getting a little bit tired, maybe they just find it hard to get up for a series against Kansas City. It just seemed to me that the team was a little bit off all weekend, and they were fortunate to win two out of three. But maybe that's the mark of a good team, too--to be able to win even when you're a little bit off.
Record: The Twins are 47-23, first in the American League Central, ten games ahead of Cleveland.
Projected record: We'll just have to settle for 139-23!
June 17, 2019: Have Smoker, Will Travel
Like Mike, I'm also wondering about this guy. I'm picturing him, after the day's work was done, riding off into the sunset pulling his smoker behind his horse.
Happy Birthday–June 17
Pete Browning (1861)
Joe Bowman (1910)
Ray Scott (1919)
Dave Concepcion (1948)
Joe Charboneau (1955)
Tom Drees (1963)
Manny Lee (1965)
Mike Magnante (1965)
Ray Scott broadcast Minnesota Twins games from 1961-1966 and 1973-1975.
Outfielder Joe Charboneau was drafted by Minnesota in the sixth round of the January draft in 1976, but did not sign.
We would like to wish a very happy anniversary to Mr. and Mrs. socaltwinsfan, a very happy birthday to Mrs. MagUidhir, and a very happy birthday to nibbish's newbish.
2019 Game 70: Kansas City at Minnesota
Happy Fathers Day! I'm always reminded on this day of the two men drinking at the bar. One is commiserating at length on the pitfalls of fatherhood and proclaims finally that ten minutes of pleasure can lead to a lifetime of obligation and aggravation. The other man takes this in while staring into his drink, and after a long pause turns his head and says, "How do you make it last for ten minutes?"
The Twins wrap up Joe Mauer weekend at Target Field with a chance to sweep the beleaguered Kansas City Royals and extend their 25.5 game lead over the AL Central cellar dwellers. Watching the number retirement ceremony yesterday and seeing Joe with his little boy and the rest of his family confirmed for me that the Chairman made the right decision when he prioritized his health and family over another year of major league baseball and one last chance at a championship. I'm sure that given how the team is performing he sometimes wishes he'd given it another year, and frankly I do, too. I do think the reluctance the front office showed to even talk about a contract extension last year helped tip the scale toward retirement and like an inside fastball off the handle of the bat, that still stings a little. But in the end, we're left with a career's worth of memories (the no-look, behind-the-back crouching backhanded pick without missing a beat on a wild pitch that ricocheted straight off the sandstone backstop - I could watch that on an infinite loop). The great thing about baseball memories is that we feel them personally, we make them our own and the best ones we tuck away like treasures. We take them out from time to time to polish and admire, but we also share them freely and happily with our families and friends and other fans around the world, and that makes them even more special because they connect us in a way that transcends differences.
Jake Odorizzi proved himself human yesterday, gave up four runs and saw his ERA balloon to 2.24. Today's starter, Martin Perez, is also human but having a better year than I, for one, anticipated. He's 7-2 with a 3.97 ERA and 67 strikeouts in 70.1 innings pitched. He's served as a good pivot between our aces Berrios and Odorizzi and the less effective end of the rotation in Gibson and Pineda. The Royals today give the ball to 26-year-old Jakob Junis. The KC right-hander is probably better than his 4-6 record and 5.35 ERA, but that will happen with Kansas City's defense and offense backing you up. The Twins start today's game with a 62.6% win probability, so I believe I'll dust my broom. Play ball!
June 16, 2019: Pa
Happy Dad’s Day, everyone. May the ties you receive be resplendent.
Fleetwood Mac – Oh Well
Happy Birthday–June 16
Max Surkont (1922)
Ernie Johnson (1924)
Richard Jacobs (1925)
Bob Miller (1926)
Ken Johnson (1933)
Joe Decker (1947)
Ron LeFlore (1948)
Salome Barojas (1957)
Wally Joyner (1962)
Calvin Schiraldi (1962)
Kevin Young (1969)
Chris Gomez (1971)
Kerry Wood (1977)
Joe Saunders (1981)
Jonathan Broxton (1984)
Justin Haley (1991)
Zack Weiss (1992)
Richard Jacobs was the owner of the Cleveland Indians from 1986-2000.
The Bob Miller born today, although a pitcher, is not the Bob Miller who pitched for the Twins.
We would also like to wish a very happy birthday to socaltwinsfan.