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Archive for game logs from previous seasons.

2011 Twins Game Recaps, Minnesota Twins

2011 Game 137 Recap: Gemini 13, Cherubim 5

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Weather: 74 degrees, clear
Wind: 3 mph, out to CF
Time: 3:23
Attendance: 37,198

BOX SCORE
FANGRAPHS

The dog days of summer were not good to the Twins this year. The team posted its worst monthly record ever in August, winning just seven games while losing 21. If Target Field weren't such a lovely place, and if Minnesotans weren't so gosh darn polite, you'd probably see a lot of empty seats in the stands for home games after a month like that. For my own part, I knew going into the season that August would be a lost month for me as far as watching baseball goes. Major product launch at work, family road trip vacation, getting ready to send Elder daughter to college. I just figured back in April that August would be a lost cause. I was more right than I could have known.

But those hot August nights are behind us now, and the Twins/Red Wings want to finish the season strong. At this point, that basically means staying out of last place in the worst division in baseball. For a team that's never been in first place this year, or even above .500 this year, even that may prove to be a tall order.

So what can you say about a meaningless road win in September? Well, you can say its better than a meaningless road loss in September. You can say Carl Pavano pitched an okay game, giving up four runs, just three of them earned, in six and three-quarters innings. You can say the Twins were facing a rookie pitcher who struggled with his control, and that the Angels bullpen resembled nothing more than the Twins bullpen, allowing seven runs in five innings. And you can say that it was the Twins, not the Angels, who played like they were only a few games out of first place going into the home stretch of the season.

You could probably say a lot more if you actually watched the whole game instead of just the last couple of innings.

2011 Twins Game Logs

2011 Game 137: Twins at Angels

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Pavano v Weaver Tyler Chatwood.

The Twins have a one game lead over the Royals for last place of the annual worst division. At 57-79, they are just three losses from guaranteeing a losing year. Averaging each entry for the poll, I get ~70 wins as the expected number. That means they'll win 13 out of their final 26 games. Nope, not happening. Extrapolating their current record out nets them 10 wins, which means a top five draft pick next year. Here's to a strong draft class next year and loose purse strings. It may be our only hope.

2011 Twins Game Recaps

Game 136 Recap: Twins Win!

17 Comments

Twins 7, Sux 6
WP: Diamonds are a girls best friend LP: Peavy
SAVE! Joe Nathan
Twins record 57-79, 18 games out of first, 1.5 games ahead of the cellar

I'd look at the king of the savers race, but I really don't care.

The Twins scored a whopping 7 runs in this game. Whopping. One of the runs scored was driven in by Joe Mauer which brings his career total to 500 rsbi. If he'd play like a man he'd have more than a mazillionty by now, but he's really a puss. Not. The only other thing to know about this game is that SBG fired the Tweet heard round the strib. Rational folks cheered.

Culture Club: I've always enjoyed touring Chicago's art venues, and when in town I always make a trip to the Museum of Contemporary Art. There is always something happening at the MCA including great installations, weird contemporary art, performances, theater, working artist projects, and a good gift shop to boot. Heads up, hj, Tuesday admission is FREE for IL residents.

2011 Twins Game Recaps

Game 135: Twins lose again, Zack struggles to care

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I didn't get to watch or listen to this game at all, as I was working until midnight at my former job as part of a consulting gig I offered to take on until I can transfer all the knowledge I amassed during my tenure there. I have very limited internet access at my new job, so I won't be able to post tomorrow, so I wanted to get something up.

I checked in a couple times during the game and was surprised to see they scored 6 runs. I was less surprised that they lost anyway thanks to their craptastic bullpen. As I can't give a whole lot more than that on the game, I thought I'd start a post which may be early to talk about the 2012 Twins (who I sincerly hope earn their W back).

I think part of the big problem they're going to have next year is that the there is a very thin crop of middle infielders, which I still think is their most glaring need. I don't mind having Plouffe, Nishioka, Casilla, or Hughes manning those spots occasionally, but we basically have four guys who should be backups as the starters. And the depth beyond that is... well, I don't consider that depth. It's too bad Jose Reyes has probably played himself into a $100+ million deal. We could sign a Type A free agent without surrendering a pick!

I'm assuming that Span & Revere are for sure in the outfield. I'm guessing one of Cuddyer or Kubel will be back. I'm thinking Tosoni & Benson will be in the mix at some point. I don't have a lot of concerns here other than Cuddyer getting a giant albatross of a contract.

The starting pitching was clearly exposed this year, and who knows what they'll ride into next year with. The bullpen is, um, less than adequate. I'm hoping they can restructure something to lock up Nathan for another couple of years. I hope Neck Fat isn't a disaster again. I hope Perkins continues to be lights out. I would like Duensing back into the 'pen. After that, I hope they can find someone on the scrap heap and not pay them outrageous sums of money.

I think right now outside of Mauer, Morneau, Span, and Valencia, I don't know who I'd be too attached to on the roster to carry over into next year. I think next year's team is going to look vastly different. I hope there is a front office shakeup. Any chance they can go hire Andrew Friedmann to overhaul the team? I just don't want them to think everything will be fine when they're healthy. This team had horrible health and was unlucky... but there were a crapload of problems beyond that.

What are your thoughts on what next year's team will look like? Thinking about a better roster next year is about all I have left.

2011 Twins Game Logs

2011 Game 134: Spoilers on the South Side

91 Comments

Yahoo sez:

Buehrle has a 0.39 ERA this season and 26 wins in his career against Minnesota, reasons the White Sox should feel confident heading into Monday night’s opener of a three-game set at U.S. Cellular Field.

On July 10th, the Twins had just taken the third of four games from the South Siders and were heading home for an extended homestand, following the All-Star game break. We were excited. The club had managed to trim nine games from its division deficit (which had peaked on May 23 at 15.5). And we were going home to beat up on the Landed Gentlemen, then face down our two biggest division threats of Cleveland and Detroit. The team had its fate in its hands.

Four games against KC added to the excitement, as our boys took three of four, for their fifth straight series win. They were now within five games of the top of the division and facing division-leading Cleveland. Time to make our move? Meh. Two losses, followed by two wins. Water treaded.

Hey, division-leading Detroit is next. We lost three of four. Something was telling us that this was not our year. A 4-6 West Coast trip didn't help our moods, but at least we were going home to beat up on the ChiSox again. I mean, we own these guys, right?

Three. Game. Sweep. Series over, season over.

All we have left now is our shattered pride and a shot at some Schadenfreude. The Sox are a half-game above .500 (a place the Twins have never been this season) and six games back of Detroit -- close enough that they seem to think they've got a shot. Minny plays seven games against the Sox in the next 10 days. All I ask is that we shatter some dreams the next week and a half, boys. The word for the day, again, is Schadenfreude.

Pitching matchup: Hound Dog Slowey vs. Cy Brrly.

2011 Twins Game Logs, Minnesota Twins, MLB

Game 133: Tigers at Twins

56 Comments

Brad Penny vs. Brian Duensing

Brad Penny is not a good pitcher. His 3.6 K/9 is worse than Pavano's and is a full 1 K/9 worse than Blackburn's. And he's walking more per 9 than Duensing, so he doesn't have good control to offset a low K rate either.

However, Duensing has been awful of late and the Tigers pretty much feast on lefties.

The Twins need this one to avoid losing 10 games on a homestand. Wow, that's bad. Let's get it done. GO TWINS!!!