Category Archives: 2011 Twins Game Logs

2011 Twins Game Logs

2011 Game 73: Twins at Giants

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2:45 Central? What kind of goofy game time is that? Programming Note: This is the MLB.tv free game of the day.

The Dunce 4-6, 74.2 IP, 4.82 ERA, 3.59 FIP, 3.96 xFIP, 1.3 WAR
The Freak 5-6, 98.1 IP, 3.39 ERA, 3.02 FIP, 3.07 xFIP, 2.2 WAR

You know, I saw some mainstream junk asking what Lincecum(5-6)'s problem was this year, and I gotta tell ya: looks like the answer is "nothing." Score some runs for him, and he'll beat the other team every time. He's again on pace to throw a total buttload of innings; how long is that arm going to hold out? Is he that once-in-a-generation guy who can do that? I hope so, 'cause I always liked him.

Meanwhile, Duensing also has been better than his mainstream numbers suggest, though certainly nowhere near as good as Lincecum. This isn't a game to be betting on the Twins, though it would be nice to steal a win before the Wolves amuse and depress us all at another draft tonight.

Two more days until Thome and Twitchy are back, right? I've been trying not to say "When the Twins are all healthy" because I'm not convinced it's ever going to happen, but wouldn't it be awesome?

2011 Twins Game Logs

2011 Game 72: Twins at Giants

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Nick Blackburn 6-4, 91 IP, 3.16 ERA, 4.50 FIP, 3.82 xFIP, 0.6 WAR
Ryan Vogelsong 4-1, 64.2 IP, 1.92 ERA, 2.93 FIP, 3.37 xFIP, 1.5 WAR

If you find yourself looking at these numbers and saying, "What the hell is a Ryan Vogelsong?", you're not alone. Although his name seems only vaguely familiar to me, he's actually a couple of months older than I am and he's been kicking around pitching "meh" baseball for seven years now. From 2003-2006 he pitched rather poorly for the Pirates, then completely disappeared until last year when he pitched not so well for the Phillies AAA team, then was traded and pitched not particularly well for the Angels AAA team. So, naturally, now he's an effective starter for the defending champions.

Blackburn is an enigma as well, putting together a season (and, I suppose, a career) that I never saw coming. The Twins are now just seven games under .500 and six and a half games out of first after one of their best stretches ever, and although this is the kind of game that would have filled me with dread a few weeks ago, I'm finding it harder and harder to be pessimistic.

Keep it rolling, boys.

2011 Twins Game Logs

2011 Game Logs Game 71: Minnesota @ San Francisco Baseball Giants

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Carl Pavano

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Madison Bumgarner

Are we having fun yet?

No matter what arbitrary end points you chose the Minnesota Twins have been playing pretty good baseball as of late. They have won 6 in a row-- 9 of 10--  14 of 16-- well, if you go back much further than June 1st it doesn't look too good but you get my point. The Minnesota Twins are starting to do what many predicted them to do at the start of the season, be a winning team with aspirations of a division title.  This isn't new information to anyone here, of course.

If the Twins do the unexpected and climb back from from 16 or so games back from the division lead to claim the AL Central title there is going to be a ton of revisionist history claiming this team got hot once star players like Joe Mauer, Jason Kubel, Jim Thome, Tsuyoshi Nishioka,  Glen Perkins (heh), Justin Morneau, Denard Span, Kevin Slowey, and Joe Nathan all returned to the line up from injury. Only then did this team start to live up to its expectations.  I am just here to remind everyone the following players are the ones who trimmed the division lead down to 7.5:

Ben Revere, Rene Tosoni, Brian Dinkelman, Matt Tolbert, Rene Rivera, Drew Butera, Luke Hughes, Jason Repko, Trevor Plouffe!, Anthony Sleestak, Phil Dumatrait, Chuck James, Eric Hacker, and well, not so much Jim Hoey.

Just remember Brian Dinkelman when Reusse complains on the radio in September saying this team had no chance until their players got healthy. Remember Rene Tosoni when Souhan says the Twins would have won the division by 15 games if Joe Mauer wasn't such a wuss. Remember Chuck James when the Twins prepare to face the Yankees in the first round of the playoffs, again.

Summer starts today and the Twins are looking good.

I don't know about you but this is starting to get fun.

2011 Twins Game Logs, Minnesota Twins, MLB

Game 70: Padres at Twins

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Dustin Moseley vs. Francisco Liriano

The Twins already have won four 1-0 games. The Padres struck out 10 times in eight innings against Scott Baker yesterday and now face Francisco Liriano. The Twins scored just one run yesterday and Mauer won't be catching today, although he could be a DH. Danny Valencia has homered in consecutive games, but he strained a muscle his arm in the eighth inning last night and most likely won't be playing today. Based on this and my many years of watching baseball, I'll predict a 9-7 game.

At least we won't have to sweat through a Matt Capps save since he's pitched in each of the last three games and probably won't be pitching today. Glen Perkins will probably pitch the ninth. I'm fine with that as long as Liriano goes eight. Actually, a blowout will be much better.

FWIW, Capps has allowed 1 run in his last seven innings with 5 hits and 1 BB and five strikeouts.

2011 Twins Game Logs

Game 69: Padres at Mauers

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Back in game log 35, I made the statement "when the major leaguers on this team outnumber the minor leaguers, they might grab my interest again." In fairness, the scrubs started playing pretty well the last couple of weeks. It seemed for a little while there that I was marveling at the sheer wretchedness of that night's lineup every night, only to have them score a buttload of runs for our suddenly-rock-solid starting pitching staff.

That's all well and good, but now that things are gradually swinging back to "Minnesota Twins" rather than "Minnesota Red Wings", I'm finding myself genuinely excited by the team. Sure, we still have one too many players on the team named "Butera", and Jim Hoey is inexplicably still employed by a major league ballclub, but Tolbert is back to his rightful position as backup utility infielder! Dusty Hughes is elsewhere! Joe Mauer played in a major league game last night.

For all our pessimism earlier this season, we were still invested in just about every game. It looks like the Twins are ready to reward us.

Scott "All Star" Baker vs. Tim "Don't Look At My Record, Either" Stauffer

I expect Baker to have a very good game today, as he builds towards his All-Star resume (in vain, of course). I do not expect the same for his counterpart.

2011 Twins Game Logs

2011 Game 68: San Diego Padres at Minnesota Twins

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Clayton Richard vs Brian Duensing

Jake Peavy with White Sox: 3.3 fWAR for $25.067 million, with $21 million more guaranteed.
Clayton Richard with Padres: 2.8 fWAR for $0.746 million.
I hear Peavy did quite well in his last rehab start though.

The Padres rank dead last in runs scored per game. The Twins next stop, the Giants, rank second to last, a smidgen less than the Mariners. Both have good pitching, although it's helped one more than the other.

Playing well over last two weeks: check
Playing a weaker league: check
Time to take back first place move above .500!

2011 Twins Game Logs

2011 Game 67: Hosers at Twins

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Morning baseball (morning here, anyway). Yesterday, the Twins did what they do, beating the White Sox at home. Well, recently, they've beaten them everywhere. How do we feel about today?

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrly 6-4, 86.2 IP, 3.95 ERA, 3.74 FIP, 4.29 xFIP, 1.5 WAR
Nick Blackburn 5-4, 83 IP, 3.47 ERA, 4.60 FIP, 3.77 xFIP, 0.5 WAR

Buehrle, in his twelfth season with the White Sox, doesn't show signs of being a different pitcher at all. His numbers are totally stable this year in comparison to recent years, so the Buehrle you know is the one that's pitching today.

Blackburn's K/9 is all the way up to 4.99, which might help to explain why he's been so much more successful this year than last. His GB% is a tick up from last year, too, which was up from the year before, which was up from the year before. I never trusted the guy, but it seems like he might turn out to be a good pitcher by sheer force of will. For those playing at home, Aaron Gleeman once made a bet with someone that Blackburn would never get 75 Wins as a major leaguer (I agreed). As of today, his next one will put him over 50% of the way there. I still don't know if he gets there, but I'll say I'm definitely not rooting for him to start failing today.

2011 Twins Game Logs

2011 Game Logs Game 66: Chicago (AL) @ Twins

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Gavin Floyd

@

Carl Pavano

 

Let's warm up for the first game of the series against the White Sox with a miniature version of The Nation Has Problems, sound good? Great.

On Saturday a Twins starter retired the first 12 batters he faced.

On Sunday a Twins starter retired the first 19 batters he faced.

The last time the Twins opened a series on a Tuesday against the Chicago White Sox the Twins starter did not allow a single hit.

How many batters will the Twins starter, Carl Pavano, face before allowing a hit tonight?

Sadly, there is no spoiler button for when you are writing a post. It seems each of you will have to watch 9 innings of baseball to find out. Oh crap, I hope I didn't give it away.

Let's keep this streak of butt-kicking alive. Win Twins.

 

2011 Twins Game Logs, Minnesota Twins, MLB

Game 65: Rangers at Red Wings

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No, this isn't the Stanley Cup Finals. This is a baseball game. And it is an opportunity for the Twins to win their third straight series. I would have to say I would be satisfied with a split giving the minor league nature of the lineup, but a win would sure be sweet.

The mound matchup is Matt Harrison vs. Francisco Liriano. So, another lefty to pitch against the Twins, the third in the series. Probably a good time for Justin Morneau to get a few days off, if there is such a thing. Harrison had little margin for error with a below-average K rate and he doesn't help himself much by walking more than average. His groundball rate is only average, but despite all this he has a shiny 122 ERA+. His stats show that he has gotten a ton of popups and double plays and has allowed few line drives, so it looks like he has had pretty good command despite the excessive walks. FWIW, the Twins have hit him well, but most of those in the lineup today weren't in the lineup the last time he pitched against the Twins. Harrison also has been trying to pass a kidney stone, so don't be surprised if he collapses in pain during the game.

Liriano was solid in his last start and hasn't allowed more than two runs in his previous three starts. Hopefully, he's getting ready to start dominating again. For the Twins to continue this run of good play, the starters will have to lead the way. It's difficult to imagine that this lineup will continue to score runs like they have of late. However, I've got to say, Ben Revere is quickly moving up my list of favorite players. GO WINGS!!