All posts by Twayn

Bats: Right Throws: Right
2022 Twins Game Logs

2022 Game 26: Twins at Orioles

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I recall several years ago when the Twins were good and we would go on these fairly long winning streaks, but we also managed to limit our losing streaks to no more than a few games. That trend seems to be repeating so far this year, with the team's longest winning streak hitting seven games, and their longest losing streak ending after two mere defeats. We had four of those two-game losing streaks in the first two weeks of the season, and none since. The pitching staff has been outstanding, the offense is scoring more than four runs a game, and the defense has been solid. One has to wonder, just based on historical precedent,  when the feces will eventually  impact the rotary oscillator. We're already starting to see some injuries whittling into the roster, and I guess if that's what it takes to get a guy batting .090 out of the lineup I'll take it. But despite my natural inclinations I'm trying cockeyed optimism on for size. Maybe this will be the year after all.

Chris Archer on the mound tonight for the Twins, he's in his tenth major league season. He has no decisions in four starts, a respectable 2.93 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, and 14 strikeouts. He needs to limit the walks, he's given 9 free passes so far, but otherwise the status quo is just fine by me.

Baltimore sends Spenser Watkins out to sling for the final matchup of this four-game series. He also has no decisions in four starts, a 2.55 ERA and 1.25 WHIP with 8 strikeouts. The only Twins hitter to ever face Watkins is Gio Urshela, who faced off with him once and did not record a hit.

Play ball!

2022 Twins Game Logs

2022 Game 19: Tiggers vs. Twinkies

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If you'd told me two weeks ago that on this day the Twins would be in first place riding a 6-game winning streak and have one of the best pitching staffs in baseball, statistically speaking, I would have scoffed, perhaps even guffawed at such a foolhardy notion. Yet here we are. Joe Ryan is absolutely, undeniably ridiculous. He's 3-1 in four starts and has only given up 3 earned runs on just 10 hits in 23 innings pitched, good for a 1.17 ERA. He's struck out 25 and only walked 6 batters, giving him a 0.70 WHIP. Ridiculous, I say.

If Joe Ryan is ridiculous, Dylan Bundy is absurd. He's undefeated in three starts with a 0.59 ERA. Chris Archer, one of the more veteran arms, has no decisions nor gaudy numbers, but he's got a respectable 3.18 ERA and he's holding hitters to a .209 batting average. Chris Paddack and Sonny Gray have been the hard luck kids of the rotation with 3.68 and 5.68 ERAs, respectively.

That brings us to today's Twins starter, Bailey Ober, 1-1 in 3 starts, 2.81 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, and 13 Ks in 16 innings. You know, middle of the road. He goes up against southpaw Tarik Skubal for the Tigers. He's 1-1 with a 2.30 ERA and 16 strikeouts. I'd say we should maybe expect a pitcher's duel today but the Twins are swinging some hot bats, so maybe not. Either way, it's a fun team to watch right now.

Play ball!

2022 Twins Game Logs

2022 Game 13 – Minnesota Twins at Sally’s House

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Today's cuppa rightfully calls out the ass-battery the local nine have been displaying pretty much since the season opener. We've seen a few flashes of high-octane offense here and there, but that certainly has not been the trend. Miguel Sano is batting for a paltry .091 average, and I'm tired of waiting for him to turn into the David Ortiz we didn't throw away. Today's starting lineup features four players batting below .200, and only one batting above .300, and he doesn't have quite enough at-bats to qualify for the leader boards. So yeah, it's been cold here all spring and the bats are still in hibernation, but they will wake up one of these days. I'm hoping the return of Buxton to the lineup (DH today)  will provide a much-needed offensive spark.

On the mound, young Joe Ryan will take the ball for his third start this year. He's got a split win-loss record with one apiece, sports a 2.70 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and has 11 strikeouts in 10 innings pitched. Not bad for a rookie. I can recall many seasons past when we collectively bemoaned the team's reluctance to rely on young starting pitchers, but this is a different FO and manager. If the Twins are to go anywhere this year, it will be on the arms of a rotation that averages just 28 years old. Here's a tip for the rookie today from an old observer of the game who turned a year older today -- don't throw a single pitch to Salvador Perez, just point to first base. Every. Fucking. Time.

At the other end of the career spectrum today, KC sends to the mound an old, familiar nemesis in Zack Greinke, who at the ripe age of 38 is pitching in his 19th major league season this year. I simply have to tip my cap and applaud a guy who has spent half his life as a major league pitcher. Zack has had no decisions in his first two starts of this campaign but brings an impressive 2.45 ERA and 1.09 WHIP to the hill with him. He's recorded just one K in 11 innings and strikeouts aren't as much of his game as they used to be, but his VSI (veteran savvy index) is off the damn charts.

Play ball!

2021 Twins Game Logs

2021 Game 127: Twins at Red Stockings

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Game Time - 6:10 p.m. CT

After winning in spectacular gut-wrenching, extra-inning, bomba-blasting fashion to even the series in Boston last night, the Twins seek to win their fourth series this month by taking tonight's rubber game. Rocco seems determined to see if John Gant can be turned back into a starting pitcher after two years of bullpen duty, so he'll be pitching the initial frames for the Twins tonight. The Red Sox, 7.5 games back of the Rays and 3 behind the Yankees, are feeling the pressure to win games and at least secure a wild card berth in the playoffs. They'll be sending Chris Sale to the mound for just his third start in two years following Tommy John surgery. But they've been really good starts. He's 2-0 with a 1.80 ERA and 13 strikeouts in 10 innings. Play ball!

2021 Twins Game Logs

2021 Game 122: Twins at Yankees

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Game Time - 6:05 p.m. CT

The Twins hit the road today to kick off a 4-game set with the Yankees on the heels of their most successful homestand of the year, winning all three series and going 6-3 against the White Sox, Rays, and Guardians. In three of the last four games, Twins wins came off the bat of Jorge Polanco, who delivered a sac fly and two base hits for walk-off victories. I would love to see the boys extend their winning ways on this road trip, but whenever we head to New York and that bandbox replica stadium, I take all of my expectations for winning, tie them up in a burlap bag, and drown them in the river.

After the game Tuesday night I rode an elevator with John Gant and what I assume is his wife or girlfriend (I don't really know his marital status). Players don't normally use that elevator so maybe he got lost in the tunnels or something, but I knew it was him by the name tag on his suitcase. Just to make some small talk I asked him how he liked Minnesota. He said he loves it so far. I replied with, "Well, we like your pitching. So far."

It sounds like Rocco is going with a bullpen game tonight with Gant getting the ball first. Since joining the team he's had six good outings and one bad one where he gave up five runs over two innings , but the man has strike-'em-out stuff and I'm happy to have him around. Even though I think of him as a relief pitcher, this will be Gant's 15th start this year, his most since 2018 when he started 19 games. He worked exclusively out of the bullpen in 2019 and 2020. I'm guessing he'll throw just a few innings tonight before passing the baton and hitting the shower. Jameson Taillon gets the ball today for New York. He's 7-4 in 23 starts on the season with a 3.89 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP. He strikes out about one batter per inning, and strikes out three hitters for every one he walks, so he's been pretty good. Play ball!

 

2021 Twins Game Logs

2021 Game 109: Twins at Astros

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Game Time - 7:10 p.m. CDT

The Twins made multiple deals ahead of the trade deadline last week as they "retool for the future." No word on when that future is expected to arrive. Fans are asked to remain patient while the retooling  process is underway.

Griffin Jax on the mound for the Twins today. He's 1-1 in 3 starts with a 6.41 ERA and a 1.35 WHIP, so there's some room for improvement here. Framber Valdez takes the ball for the Astros. He's got a 7-2 record, a 3.01 ERA, and a 1.30 WHIP. Play ball!

2021 Twins Game Logs

2021 Game 97: Angeli versus Gemini

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Game Time - 7:10 p.m. CT
Gates Open - 5:30 p.m. CT

During the  last home stand I noticed a few ushers sitting in the bleachers during BP collecting baseballs hit up there. I asked one of them about it and he said they give them to kids during the ballgame. I think I'm gonna be one of those guys now. Lots of promotions at the ballpark this weekend. Tonight is Celebrate Diversity day with free shirts to the first 10,000 fans. Friday is postgame fireworks and Josh Donaldson Bobblehead night with the wobbly souvenirs going to the first 10,000 fans through the gates. Saturday and Sunday are Back to School weekend with an undisclosed back to school item going the the first 5,000 fans 12 and under each day.

My wife is convinced that every year the Twins get on a roll of winning right before the All-Star break and then go on a losing streak after the break. I haven't done the research on previous years yet, but this year we won the last four games before the break and lost the first three games after, and we've only won two and lost five since coming off the mid-season intermission. That's mainly due to bad luck from not playing very good.

Kenta Maeda (4-3) today gets his 16th start of the year for the Twins. He's sitting on a 4.71 ERA, almost a point higher than his career total, but he's got 79 Ks in about 73 innings. He's only walked 14 batters,  though, and over his last seven starts his WHIP is a meager 1.14.

Andrew Heaney (5-7) gets the start for the Angels today. He sports a 5.56 ERA, also about a point higher than his career total. He's lefthanded and breathing. Play ball!

2021 Twins Game Logs

2021 Game 82+4: Tigers at Twins

14 Comments

Game Time - 7:10 pm CDT

The Twins kick off their last series before the All-Star break against the Tigers tonight, and their last series at home until the Angels come to town on the 22nd. At 35-50, the Twins sit 15 games below .500 and in sole possession of last place in the division 15.5 games behind the Pale Hosers. I have to think that Messieurs Falvey and Levine are working overtime to figure out how to extract the most possible value for any player that's not a building block. At this point they have to have a chop shop mentality - strip  it to the frame, get what you can for the parts, and start rebuilding this broken down team.

There are no promotional giveaways tonight (there is a UND special ticket package), but tomorrow's game features the baby blue Twins replica jerseys to the first 10,000 fans, along with post-game fireworks. Saturday is the 30 HR Bomba Club bobblehead giveaway, and Sunday they're handing out Twins photo magnet schedules. The team has been drawing close to 20,000 fans per game at home since going to 100% capacity, even with the poor caliber of play on the field, so I'm thinking there's just a ton of pent up demand to take me out to the ballgame and low quality performance is not going to deter most people from coming out. It's nice being part of the ballpark experience for folks, but standing on concrete for six hours sure does take a toll on your lower extremities, and I'm working three out of four games this series starting tonight. I'm hoping for fast games with no extra innings, and any wins that the Twins might stumble into are a bonus. J.A. Happ on the hill for the Twins tonight, southpaw Tarik Skubal starting for the Tigers. Play ball!