Category Archives: 2013 Twins Game Log

2013 Twins Game Log

Game 23: A Pelfrey-less Tuesday

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This is my first ever game log without the starting pitcher being Mike Pelfrey who single handedly made the Marlins look like a competent offense last week.

Of course, my first Pelf-less night comes with a Verlander start.

Game 23:
Vance Worley (0-3, 6.38 ERA) vs. Justin Verlander (2-2, 1.95 ERA)

I was able to watch Worley's last start thanks to the magic of a national broadcast, and I feel less concerned about his early struggles compared to Pelfrey's. That said, I'm still not expecting much overall from this game. A good Worley start will probably go un-rewarded unless the Twins can be patient tonight and drive Verlander's pitch count up to get to the soft underbelly of the Tigers bullpen. Fortunately, the Twins have recent history on their side as they've already lost the first game of a Tigers series, just like last time!

Prediction: Hicks hits his frist home run off of Verlander as revenge for making him look terrible in the first game of the season.

2013 Twins Game Log

2013 Game 21: Rangers at Twins

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The Twins finish one of the tougher series on the schedule today as Alexi Ogando faces Kevin Correia, who's silencing critics all over the country with his ace-level pitching. Or maybe it's just early. Either way, the Twins are 10-10, and if baseball was handicapped, they'd certainly be leading the division, yes? Ogando's last two starts have been a bit of a mess, as he's given up seven runs in just over nine innings.

The Rangers haven't been beaten on back-to-back days this season. Huh. Also, they've lost five of their last six day games. Which meaningless statistic will come out on top?! This is so exciting!

I know the Twins aren't going anywhere this season, but it sure is fun to see them try. I'd be more than happy with .500 baseball for as long as I can get it, and a four-game split with Texas is much more than I'd even think to ask for.

2013 Twins Game Log

2013 Game 19: Rangers at Twins

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Justin Grimm
v
Scott Diamond

As I am sure will be mentioned every inning, the temperatures have finally matched the date. It is 67 degrees outside as I write this. Since it was 45 this morning, I dressed for that, so of course I'm going to be a bit warm waiting for the bus this evening. Thankfully it will be in the shade and windy.

Oh, yeah, the Twins. Nine wins after 18 games is more than I would have expected. Hicks going from a black hole to η Carinae A, roughly, helps; though it didn't help the Twins. Since ending his strikeout streak, he has struck out only twice while walking eight times. Unfortunately, he only tallied three hits.

What I also wouldn't have expected after 18 games: Mauer and Morneau have played in every game, and only them.

2013 Twins Game Log

2013 Games 16 & 17: An Entire Series in One Day!

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Apparently, as punishment for missing last Tuesday's game log, I have to write about Pelfrey (again!) and the Miami Marlins. But in a fun twist, I get to talk about a whole series all on the same day.

Game 16:

Kevin "Suck it Aaron" Correia (1-1, 2.95 ERA) vs. Ricky Nolasco (0-2, 3.86 ERA)

I'm realistic enough to know that Correia probably won't keep up this pace all season. But if you're going to have some surprising success as a pitcher, Miami is a pretty good team to have to face to keep doing it, with their league low 43 runs scored. Even Kevin Slowey can't win with an offense like Miami's behind him.

Game 17:

Mike "Winner" Pelfrey (2-1, 7.30 ERA) vs. Jose Fernandez (0-1, 3.60 ERA)

A quick perusal of Fangraphs tells me Jose Fernandez is pitching pretty freekin good so far this year, with lots of strikeouts (over 10 K/9). Since it'll be frickin cold at the Bullseye tonight, and the umps will have already spent three-ish hours in the cold earlier, I'm setting the over under on strikeouts for Fernandez at 26.5.

Mike Pelfrey, on the other hand, sucks at the whole "striking guys out" thing. But with the potential cold strike zone, maybe he'll get his first career K tonight.

2013 Twins Game Log

2013 Game 15: Twins at Hosers

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Like most of you, when this team lost five in a row to run their record to 4-7, I figured we'd seen .500 for the last time. Well, here we are again, after getting there with a tenth inning victory in unfriendly US Cellular Field. So, what are the chances we rise above .500?

Scott Diamond, who doesn't seem quite ready to go through the lineup three times yet, faces Gavin Floyd, who's been a thoroughly predictable pitcher for about four years now. He's having a bit of a disastrous season, but it looks to be due to bad luck (.404 BABIP; 25 percent of flies have been homers).

The last time the Twins went through a rough spell, I eventually tuned out. Yes, my life was a mess then, as I was tampering with stupid things at the time that took up most of what would have been my "focus," but I ignored baseball in every sense outside of checking the standings now and then to see that, yes, the Twins were still terrible and looked like they would be for the rest of eternity. I about gave up when they announced Butch Huskey as an important free agent signing, but as the fog in my brain cleared, the Twins started putting a decent product on the field again and thankfully, hooked me anew.

The last two years have been brutal, but - and here's my point, if it qualifies as one - I have elected not to tune out for more than a couple of days because of this community. So do I thank you for keeping me interested in baseball, or blame you for forcing me to watch bad baseball?

I choose the former. Cheers, Citizens!

2013 Twins Game Log

Game 14: Twins @ White Sox

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Baseball's back! Again!

Did you miss it? I'll bet you did.

Worley takes on Jake Peavey today. The Vanimal has been pretty dreadful so far, but that .455 BABIP will probably come down at some point. Even if it doesn't, he's only affecting one game out of five. The guy we traded him for isn't doing a lot better, and he's in every game.

I'm predicting a 13-0 away team victory.

Twins on Leaderboards

WAR (position players) - Mauer, 10th (0.9)Batting Average - Mauer, 4th (.386)
Hits - Mauer, 7th (22)
Triples - Plouffe & Dozier, t-7th (1)
Base on Balls - Willingham, t-3rd (10)
Strikeouts - Hicks, t-6th (20)
Singles - Mauer, t-10th (15)
OPS+ - Mauer, 10th (176)
Runs Created - Mauer, t-9th (14)
Hit By Pitch - Plouffe, 2nd (3)
Hit By Pitch - Willingham, t-3rd (2)
Sacrifice Hits - Dozier & Florimon, t-6th (1)
Sacrifice Flies - 5 tied for 10th (1)
Caught Stealing - 5 tied for 5th (1)

Pitchers bWAR - Correia, 8th (1.1)
Wins - Pelfrey, t-10th (2)
BB/9 - Correia, 4th (1.266)
Saves - Perkins, t-7th (3)
Hits Allowed - Worley, t-7th (25)
Losses - Worley, t-7th (2)
Earned Runs - Worley, t-4th (14)
Wild Pitches - Burton, t-3rd (2)
Games Finished - Perkins, t-7th (5)