The quest to stop other teams from clinching at Target Field began with a pitcher's duel through 4. Pelfrey and Verlander, nearly indistinguishable in anything but appearance and pitching ability battled each other until the Ghost of Twins' teams past bounced a pitch of Pelfrey's over the fence for a double. Tigers 1-0.

The Ghost struck again in the top of the seventh with a double, followed by a single, another single, another double and then a walk. Fien got pulled for Pressly and a double play ended the inning, but the Tigers scored two more. Tigers 3-0.

Double was the theme of the game and Escobar bounced one against the left field wall in the bottom of the 8th with Thomas scampering home to give the Twins a run. A Doumit double scored Escobar and minimized the deficit to 1, but that was all the Twins got in the 8th. Tigers 3-2.

Bottom of the ninth, last chance saloon...DOZIER! A lack of a second Dozier in the lineup meant free baseball. 3-3.

Perkmatic, Swizzlestick threw runless frames and on to the bottom of the 11th. More Dozier! This time it was just a single, but it was a lead off one! Gardy wisely realized that Willingham has never bunted once in his life and let him swing away. The strategy paid off when Hammer struck out on a wild pitch and Dozier advanced to second. Up stepped Pinto-don't call me Punto- who shot a line drive to right field. The Ghost from Twins' teams past picked it up as Dozier was digging around third and threw it with all of his strength home. Strength doesn't equal accuracy though and not all ghosts haunt forever. DOZIER SCORES AND THE TWINS WIN! 4-3.

Does anybody still do these? I guess it doesn't matter.

In another fall(nearly) makeup of a spring game, the Twins clashed with another losing team from a major market. Unlike the Mets though, the Twins won.

Miracles were performed with a couple hundred people in attendance. The Twins scored runs with nobody out and the bases loaded. The Twins got crucial hits with runners in scoring position. The bullpen didn't give up any runs.

Not playing the Blue Jays was the key to the game.

Who ever said dongers don't win baseball games? The Twins went yard a total of four times in Houston's most spacious wiffle ball park, scoring 7 of their 10 runs using big ball. It was the second of Colabello's pair of big balls that put them over the top in the ninth though, causing the Houston crowd to pour out early to beat the other dozen people to their cars.

Meanwhile, in the race to be better than the White Sox, the Yankees decided not to take Labor Day off and stomped the South Siders 9-1. The gap between common crapitude and the basement of horrid despair has been widened to four games.

Remember when interleague baseball used to be fun? A yearly ritual in which that National League was shamed before their American League betters?

Yeah, me neither.

Gibson continues to make the case to be shut down for the season, while the Twins lineup appears to have already done that.

The next three games are in Detroit. It might be better to focus on how well Mauer is doing, or whether Swarzak can perfect the movement on his sinker. Or the fact that TC Bear could destroy all other mascots in a softball home run competition. You know, the positive things.

I was driving from the Twin Cities to Chicago yesterday so I only saw the last inning.

But it was awesome. Please continue the awesome starting pitching tonight.

So, my internet went out halfway through the game and I was unable to see the Twins close this one out. What I did get to see is Clete Thomas go into Beast Mode and further establish himself as the 3.5th outfielder the Twins have needed to get over the hump. 3-1 since the All-Star Break, and a week before the trade deadline. BUY!