Monthly Archives: May 2023

Keeping Track

Minor Details: Games of May 5

NASHVILLE AT ST. PAUL

The game was suspended after 2 1/2 innings with the Sounds leading 3-2.  It will be completed today.

NATURALS 5, WIND SURGE 1 IN NORTHWEST ARKANSAS (GAME 1--7 INNINGS)

Northwest Arkansas scored two in the first and three in the fourth.

Alex Isola was 2-for-3.

Starter Chad Donato pitched 3.1 innings, allowing five runs on eight hits and struck out three.
Seth Nordlin pitched 2.2 scoreless innings, giving up one hit and striking out one.

NATURALS 4, WIND SURGE 3 IN NORTHWEST ARKANSAS (GAME 2--7 INNINGS)

Northwest Arkansas scored all of their runs in the first.  Wichita had the bases loaded with one out in the seventh, but DaShawn Keirsey, Jr. hit into a double play to end the game.

Brooks Lee was 2-for-3 with a double and a walk.
Seth Gray hit a home run, his second.

Carlos Luna pitched 4.1 innings, giving up four runs (three earned) on five hits and a walk and striking out four.
Michael Boyle struck out three in 1.2 scoreless innings, giving up one hit.

KERNELS 3, CUBS 0 IN SOUTH BEND

Cedar Rapids scored single runs in the third, fifth, and sixth.

Willie Joe Garry, Jr. was 2-for-4 with two doubles.

Starter Marco Raya struck out three in three shutout innings, giving up two hits and a walk.
Pierson Ohl struck out nine in six innings of relief, giving up three hits.

BLUE JAYS 7, MIGHTY MUSSELS 6 IN FORT MYERS (11 INNINGS)

Nicolas Deschamps hit a two-run homer in the top of the eleventh to break a 5-5 tie.

Maddux Houghton was 2-for-4 with a home run (his second), a walk, and three RBIs.
Jorel Ortega was 2-for-6 with a triple.

Develson Aria struck out five in 4.2 innings, giving up three runs (two earned) on five hits and two walks.
Jackson Hicks pitched three shutout innings, giving up one hit and striking out one.

TODAY'S TILTS

12:00  Nashville at St. Paul (completion of suspended game followed  by scheduled game.  Randy Dobnak, 1-0, 5.23, is scheduled to pitched the scheduled game.
3:05  Cedar Rapids (Jaylin Nowlin, 0-2, 5.74) at South Bend
5:00  Dunedin at Fort Myers (TBD)
6:35  Wichita (Blayne Enlow, 0-0, 3.05) at Northwest Arkansas

Keeping Track

Happy Birthday–May 6

Bonesetter Reese (1855)
Walton Cruise (1890)
Mike McCormick (1917)
Willie Mays (1931)
Russ Gibson (1939)
Bill Hands (1940)
Masanori Murakami (1944)
Steve Staggs (1951)
Larry Andersen (1953)
Al Williams (1954)
Gerardo Parra (1987)
Jose Alvarez (1989)
Jose Altuve (1990)

John “Bonesetter” Reese worked with many baseball players and other famous people in the first part of the twentieth century.  Today we might call him a physical therapist, although he did not have a formal degree.  “Bonesetting” is a Welsh term for the treatment of muscle and tendon strains.

Masanori Murakami was the first Japanese-born player in the major leagues.

Infielder Steve Staggs was drafted by Minnesota in the fourteenth round in 1970, but did not sign.

Continue reading Happy Birthday–May 6 →

2023 Twins Game Logs

2023 Game 33: Twins at Guardians

28 Comments

I think it's fair to say that the White Sox series had mixed results. The pitching was good, the bats were ass. Tonight the Twins travel to Cleveland to start a key early-season series. Already up 3.5 games on Cleveland, the Twins could really start to pad that with some head-to-head victories, or let it slide with some loses.

Bailey Ober starts tonight against rookie Peyton Battenfield. Which is a horrible name for a pitcher. Honestly.

Keeping Track

Minor Details: Games of May 4

SOUNDS 10, SAINTS 8 IN ST. PAUL (10 INNINGS)

Nashville scored two in the ninth to tie it 8-8 and Abraham Toro hit a two-run single in the tenth to give them the victory.

Edouard Julien was 2-for-4 with a home run (his third), a walk, two runs, and three RBIs.
Ryan LeMarre was 2-for-5 with a home run (his third), two runs, and two RBIs.
Chris Williams was 2-for-5 with a double.
Kyle Garlick was 2-for-5 with two RBIs.

Starter Brent Headrick pitched 3.2 innings, allowing four runs on seven hits and striking out nine.
Cody Laweryson struck out five in three perfect innings.
Oliver Ortega pitched a scoreless inning, giving up a walk and striking out one.

WICHITA AT NORTHWEST ARKANSAS

Rained out.  Will be made up as part of a doubleheader today.

KERNELS 8, CUBS 1 IN SOUTH BEND

Leading 3-1, Cedar Rapids scored four in the sixth.

Kala'i Rosario was 4-for-5 with two RBIs.
Ernie Yake was 2-for-4 with a double and two runs.
Keoni Cavaco was 2-for-5 with a double.

Orlando Rodriguez struck out six in five innings, giving up an unearned run on five hits.
John Stankiewicz pitched two perfect innings, striking out one.
Matthew Swain struck out two in two shutout innings, giving up a hit and a walk.

BLUE JAYS 6, MIGHTY MUSSELS 5 IN FORT MYERS

Trailing 6-2, Fort Myers scored three in the ninth and got the tying run to second base with two out, but Rubel Cespedes grounded out to end the game.

Jorel Ortega was 2-for-4 with a double, a walk, and two runs.
Carlos Aguiar was 2-for-5.
Andrew Cossetti was 2-for-5.

Starter Zebby Matthews pitched four innings, allowing four runs (three earned) on nine hits and a walk and striking out eight.
Johnathan Lavallee struck out five in two shutout innings, giving up two hits.

TODAY'S TILTS

5:00  Wichita (Carlos Luna, 0-0, 5.79 and TBD) at Northwest Arkansas--doubleheader
6:00  Dunedin at Fort Myers (Develson Aria, 0-0, 4.63)
6:05  Cedar Rapids (Marco Raya, 0-0, 7.94) at South Bend
6:37  Nashville at St. Paul (Simeon Woods Richardson, 0-3, 5.79)

 

Keeping Track

Happy Birthday–May 5

3 Comments

Due to personal time constraints, this is a reprint from last year which has not been updated.

Chief Bender (1884)
Bob Cerv (1926)
Bing Russell (1926)
Red Robbins (1928)
Jose Pagan (1935)
Tommy Helms (1941)
John Donaldson (1943)
Larry Hisle (1947)
Joe Angel (1948)
Ron Oester (1956)
Charles Nagy (1967)
Hideki Irabu (1969)
Mike Redmond (1971)

Better known for his role as Deputy Clem Foster on “Bonanza”, outfielder Bing Russell played minor league baseball from 1948-1949.  He is the father of actor (and minor league player) Kurt Russell and the grandfather of major league player Matt Franco.

Spencer “Red” Robbins was a minor league player for fourteen years.  He then spent many years in the Twins’ organization, most of them as a scout (1963-1986).

Joe Angel was a broadcaster for the Twins from 1984-1986.

Today we also salute Eddie Mayo, Jackie Mayo, and Mayo Smith.  Sadly, there has never been a major league ballplayer named "Cinco".  However, baseball-reference.com says that Johnny Cueto's nickname is Cinco.

 We would also like to wish a happy birthday to Mrs. Rhubarb_Runner.

Continue reading Happy Birthday–May 5 →

2023 Twins Game Logs

2023 Game 32: Twins Cities at Second City

29 Comments

Disconcerting. That's the safe-for-work word I'll use to describe blowing into the Windy City and dropping the first two games - both of them achingly winnable - to the Pale Hosers. Pitching has not been the problem, though (odd how saying that feels like putting on a shirt that doesn't quite fit right).

Between the last two losses and a couple of others here and there the Twins could easily have 20 wins or more under their collective belt. Instead, sporadic ass-battery has reared its ugly head and is driving the team down. Six out of nine hitters in today's starting lineup have averages below .250 and as a team the Twins are hitting a paltry .232, and from that vantage point you can damn near see Mario Mendoza. Buxton solo home runs are great to watch, but if they don't ultimately deliver puppies and fireworks what's the point?

On the mound today, Pablo Lopez (2-2, 4.00 ERA, 46K) will face off against Lucas Giolito (1-2, 4.15 ERA, 34K). Hopefully when Lopez comes off the mound today it will be late in the game with the Twins leading and no trainers in sight. It's great to have starting pitching depth in St. Paul, but it's even better when you don't have to use it.

Play ball!