If the Twins win this evening, they'll match a win total that I would have, before the season began, considered a benchmark for a successful season.
They've done well - better than I would've expected, clearly - and have also been the benefactors of some crazy disparity in the AL (only five teams in the AL have records above .500. Considering that the AL has gone 156-137 in interleague play this season, it's not that there aren't a ton of wins to go around).
Here to bring us all one step closer to actual, real postseason baseball is the ace, himself. Ervin Santana has been better than I could've guessed he might be this season (by most stats other than fWAR, it's his second best), and he finds himself our likely champion if we do all end up having baseball plans on October 2nd.
He takes on a Tigers team with nothing to play for but the possible #1 draft pick next June (seriously, they're only two games "back" of the Giants). They'll be sending Matt Boyd to counter.
Twins on Leaderboards!
rWAR (position players) - Buxton - 5.3 (9th)
Defensive WAR - Buxton - 2.9 (2nd)
Batting Average - Mauer - .308 (6th)
OBP - Mauer - .385 (5th)
At Bats - Dozier - 595 (5th)
Plate Appearances - Dozier - 678 (3rd)
Runs Scored - Dozier - 96 (7th)
Triples - Buxton - 6 (t-3rd)
Home Runs - Dozier - 32 (t-10th)
Strikeouts - Sano - 170 (6th)
Stolen Bases - Buxton - 27 (7th)
Singles - Mauer - 112 (8th)
Times on Base - Dozier -235 (t-6th)
Sacrifice hits - Polanco - 7 (t-2nd)
Sacrifice Hits - Buxton - 5 (t-6th)
Sacrifice Flies - Rosario - 8 (t-4th)
Intentional Walks - Dozier - 6 (t-9th)
Caught Stealing - Rosario - 8 (t-2nd)
Caught Stealing - Dozier - 7 (t-6th)
SB % - Buxton - 96.4% (1st)
Power/Speed - Dozier - 21.3 (7th)
Power/Speed - Buxton - 20.1 (9th)
Outs - Dozier - 461 (7th)
WPA - Mauer - 2.9 (7th)
rWAR for Pitchers - Santana - 4.4 (8th)
ERA - Santana - 3.34 (6th)
Wins - Santana - 15 (7th)
W/L % - Santana - .652 (10th)
WHIP - Santana - 1.139 (5th)
H/9 - Santana - 7.5 (5th)
Saves - Kintzler - 28 (t-6th)
Innings Pitched - Santana - 199.1 (3rd)
Starts - Santana - 31 (t-6th)
Complete Games - Santana - 5 (t-1st)
Complete Games - Colon - 1 (t-5th)
Shutouts - Santana - 3 (t-1st)
Home Runs Allowed - Santana - 30 (t-9th)
Walks Allowed - Santana - 61 (9th)
Walks Allowed - Gibson - 60 (t-10th)
Wild Pitches - Santana - 12 (3rd)
Hit By Pitch - Berrios - 13 (t-1st)
Hit By Pitch - Santana - 9 (t-10th)
Batters faced - Santana - 820 (4th)
Games Finished - Kintzler - 41 (8th)
ERA+ - Santana - 132 (7th)
lol
I got a notification saying Dozier singles in 1st. Dozier scores. Twins up 1-0.
...whaa?
Would it confuse you more to know he bunted?
Is Dick still breathing?
Ain't that some shit.
I guess momentum doesn't mean anything
And here I thought it was gonna be one of those nights for the tigers. Guess I was wrong.
No, it just took a while to get there.
Oh for dumb.
That went well.
I walk away for 20 minutes and the Tigers score two? blah!
If it helps, it was largely because of dumb.
Doesn't really help
Where'd Max go to?
injury. think i heard hip(?).
The Twins should score a run or seven this inning.
8.
Hahaha.
Meh. Solo.
Bert said that was a fastball. At 86?
Sweet.
Braves just gave Suzuki another year.
He might end the year with more HRs (18) than walks (16)
oh no
I hope his leg/ankle is not broken
Yeah, too early too look for much swelling, but his practice throw looked like a hairline fracture reaction
Good call.
Joe takes out his rage against pitchers. Ouch
Ouch. Joe hammered that.
Rosario!!
So, tie game? Yeah baby!
Also, I have to pat my own back as the creator of the header image. I was enfuego with that one.
off the bunting.Tigs guys call that a jam job. I'll take it.
Also, Tigers announcers making me really, really homesick for Dick n Bert. I've been too hard on the hometown team.
I got them on MLB channel.
Molitor, let that be a lesson.
What? You think having your cleanup hitter try to bunt is bad strategery?
Thank goodness Escobar couldn't get the bunt down.
You a commie, doc?
I like bunting.
+1 WGOM buck.
Big Erv has deserved a win the last couple games -- nice that the boys came back to set it up for him.
Grossman actually wears different helmets to switch hit? Instead of a two-flapper?
Two-flapper?? Might as well put a face mask on it and paint it purple while you're at it
Gross. Man.
Broken leg for Alex Wilson. damn.
Damn.
I just saw the replay. Why, why did they let him pitch again? Jesus.
No kidding! Just dumb
"non displaced fracture". Damn.
non-displaced fracture; bit worse than the hairline that I was guessing
Tigger Baseball!
Bat around inning with 10 different batters.
oh crap
Maybe it looked worse than what it was.
SOLID!
Someone remind the tigers their season is over.
Nah, they're still playing for a shot at Brice Turang.
GREEKHOUSE INNING!
Heh.
Awesome.
Solid like a rock.
Not a Pussy Single in the Pussy Single spot.
'grats, Granite!
I'm so glad the twins basically play the tigers the rest of the way. (minus a few spiders games)
excellent catch by Navaro there.
there's the 8 run inning that i requested.
Eighth time this month the Tigs have given up 10+. Yea, I think they know the season is over.
Didn't the Tigs FO just fire their manager... I'm pretty sure everyone in Detroit knows when hockey season starts.
Their hockey team is going to be not good like the Tigers. But they have a shiny new stadium!
Effectively. They said his contract will not be extended after the season, but want him to finish the season.
That's a Mauer move, getting a hit with the game decided, Bux.
I'll give that one golf clap. one.
Vargas, king of the infield hit. Wheels!
Nice to see Molly using the bench here.
When the strength of your team is limiting losing streaks to four or fewer....
Only need best-of-nine series now.
heh heh -- Dick implying that they have to be careful pronouncing "Buck Farmer", tomorrow's Tiger starter
He saw my comment about Farmer last week, I tells ya.
guaranteed .500 ball this year
I may have to start talking with Twayn on getting this year's model Homer Hanky for framing
Back to the Future!
I saw just the last inning of this one - tomorrow, on my day off, I'll be driving down to Belle Plaine to meet my dad for lunch. Dad, a football guy, probably has no idea how much I want to see this game. Oh well. Radio.