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Archive for game logs from previous seasons.

2011 Twins Game Recaps

2011 Game 84: Twins 3, Rays 2

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This was one of those games that even though the hometown nine won, it wasn't terribly satisfying. Early in the game, they had some hits against Shields but never really seemed to string together enough to get an extended rally. The runs they scored were on a ground out and a bloop single that got past the Rays' right fielder. Clearly the more concerning things are Baker leaving with an elbow injury & Capps's continued ineptitude.

Everything the training staff said yesterday made this seem like a minor injury for Baker, but their track record is spotty at best. If Baker is out of the rotation for significant time, this will definitely hurt the Twins' chances of making a comeback. He's definitely been the ace of the staff, and I would be pretty bummed if he lost significant time since he has been so darn good. I want Slowey to be freed and I look forward to seeing Gibson in the rotation, but I do not want it to come at the expense of Baker's rotation spot.

Capps has been crapp in his last three outings, and I don't want him on the mound at all. He's pure butt right now. He needs a couple days off to get his mind right. He needs some low leverage work to get sorted out. Early in the season, I liked him as the middle-late inning fireman. If Nathan can take over 9th inning duties, Perkins can continue to ball outrageous, and Capps can reclaim that role the bullpen would be much better for it. There's no sense in throwing him out there to get pounded in the 9th over and over just because he's the "closer."

The Indigenous People & Tigers lost last night. Seven back. I can hardly believe it. I can't wait for the Indians & Tigers to come to town after the All Star Break.

Final Score: Minnesota Twins 3, Tampa Bay Rays 2
Twins Record: 38-46, 7.0 GB in the AL Central.
WP: Scott Baker (7-5) | LP: James Shields (8-6)

2011 Twins Game Logs

2011 Game Logs Game 84: Rays @ Twins

260 Comments

James Sheilds

@

Scott Baker

The Twins are in a pretty good position right now. If they win the next two Minnesota will go into the All Star Break riding an 8 game winning streak, setting themselves up nicely for a second half run.  What? Is it too soon to just chalk up every game against the White Sox as a win?

Without getting too New Guy-y here I predict the Twins will be in third place in the AL Central before the Mid Summer Classic.

2011 Twins Game Recaps, View from the Ballpark

2011 Game 83 – Twins 7, Rays 0

16 Comments

Weather: 83°F, sunny
Wind: 9 mph
Attendance: 39,528
Time: 2:24

Twins record: 37-46 (4th in AL Central, 8.0 GB)
Fangraphs boxscore | MLB Game Wrap

Highlights:

  • Highest WPA, hitter: Nishioka .153 (1-3, 2 RBI, SO) | Highest WPA, pitcher: Duensing .295 (9.0 IP, 6 H, 4 BB, 7 K)
  • Duensing threw his second career shutout.
  • Cuddy go boom! and Juicy!
  • Laddy and Cuddy flashed some leather.

Lowlights:

  • Lowest WPA, hitter: Hughes, -.045 (0-4, 3 SO) | Lowest WPA, pitcher: N/A
  • Hughes, pretty much.

As games go this season, yesterday's was a fun one. Well, it would have been a fun one any season, but this one it was a particular treat. Which means I naturally Battey'd the wrap until just now. I guess I'm more used to wrapping a loss at this point.

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There's a slightly different image format for this week's View from the Ballpark. Let's see if that helps or hinders:

photo by Nyall and Maryanne

photo by Flickr user Nyall & Maryanne

Remember, no embiggening.

2011 Twins Game Recaps

2011 Game 82 (2nd Half, Game 1) Recap: Brewers 7, Twins 9

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Minnesota (36-46)  -  Milwaukee (45-40)
WP: Dumatrait (1-1)
LP: Loe (2-7)
SV: Perkins (1)

JI JIM Mashes Taters and the Iceman cometh up big time as the pair drove in 4 runs and scored 4 runs. Jim crossed home plate 3 times but arguably the biggest moment was not career HR 595 in the 2nd (which was nice), it was the 2-out walk off of Grienke in the 4th. Juicy followed with his first hit of the day, a double, which paved the way for Rene Tosoni's 3-run blast. The Iceman's donger got the Twins back into the game after a terrible top half of the 4th saw the visitors throw up a 5 spot.

After that, it was all Twins bullpen (with a little help from Kotsay in the 7th). Snicklefritz, Dumatrait, Nathan, Capps and Perkins combined to go 5 innings giving up only 1 run on 4 hits. Twins batters scored 4 times in the 7th - all with 2 outs and all off of walks or singles...or on the hilarious fielding error by Mark Kotsay.

Nathan looked good in the 8th. Conversely, Capps looked pretty bad in the 9th. Gardy, quite surprisingly, pulled him out after he managed to put runners on 1st and 2nd with only 1 out and Prince Fielder due up. Perkins got the call and struck the big vegetarian out on 3 pitches! The Brewers still had one more batter, but you just knew it was in the bag after that.

Neither Grienke nor Blackburn figured in the decision. Zack went 6 innings giving up 5 runs on 5 hits, 4 of them earned. Nick went 4 innings giving up 6 runs on 6 hits, all of them earned.

Cuddyer is our All Star representative. They announced it during the game and he got a pretty good ovation. After that, it's a good thing he got in on the scoring with 2 RBI on 2 hits as he badly misplayed a ball off the right field wall in the 4th, leading to a triple for Kotsay and at least one of those 5 runs for the Crew.

On a personal note, I'd like to post a thank you to Cornsilk  (thanks for that one guys) who took me to the game today. She doesn't follow the World's Greatest, but I am blessed and wanted to share it with you all.

Weather: Gorgeous

Time of Game: 3 hours 14 minutes

Attendance: 41,195



2011 Twins Game Logs, Minnesota Twins, MLB

Second Half, Game 1: Brewers at Twins

129 Comments

Wouldn't it be cool if the major leagues do as the lower-level minors do with the first-half and second-half winners both getting into the playoffs? You could wipe the slate clean halfway through the season and give last-place teams in July something to hope for. That's something the Twins could lobby for.

As it is, the Twins have still gone 19-9 in their last 28 games and they've managed to hover around the fringes of contention thanks to a mediocre division. If they can continue to hang in there until at least Delmon and Kubel can return, then they might be able to put another big run together.

The key will be for the team to figure out how to avoid the long losing streaks. This is why today's game is so key. The Twins need to avoid letting last night's Crapptastic ending force them into another losing streak. A win today would do just the trick.

Blackburn also needs to bounce back after his last disastrous start against the Dodgers. Having a heavily right-handed Brewers lineup should help him as long as he can keep the ball down in the zone. GO TWINS!!!

2011 Twins Game Recaps, Minnesota Twins, MLB

Game 81: Brewers 8, Twins 7

12 Comments

Matt Capps sucks. Joe Mauer is a wuss. This was the worst ...

Nope. I'm not going to say it. Every time someone says it, a worse one comes along.

I just would like to know if this was the eighth inning and Capps was considered a setup man, how long would he have been in there? I would have to believe that he would not have been allowed to face Nyjer Morgan.

Maybe some good will come out of this if Joe Nathan is reinstated as the closer. It certainly couldn't hurt.

2011 Twins Game Logs

End of the First half: Brewers at Twins

224 Comments

Thirty games ago, I don't think any of us would thought we could be 8 games out at the halfway point. Fifteen games ago, I doubt that any of us would've been happy with that result, but here we are.

Tonight, we've got Carl Pavano taking on Chris Narveson tonight. When these matches up last Sunday, the result was... not good. On the other hand, after Liriano's game last night, I expect that the Twins will probably win 8-0.

I won't be around much this weekend, so everybody have a safe, fun 4th of July weekend, and cheer on the Twins to a positive end to the first half.

Go Twins!

2011 Twins Game Recaps, Minnesota Twins

2011 Game 80 Recap: Ambrosiamen 2, Twins 6

14 Comments

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOaT6M6GOEA

Weather: 71 degrees, rain
Wind: 15 mph, in from LF
Time: 2:30.
Attendance: 40,812.

Box Score
Fangraphs

Francisco Liriano was the bomb, going seven strong and giving up just two runs on four knocks with seven sit-downers.

Joe Mauer went three for four, all singles, and scored twice. At the suggestion of Ron Gardenhire, Top Jimmy was last seen flagellating his own face with a trout.

JI

JIM THOME MASHED A TATER OVER THE OPPOSITE FIELDERS HEAD AND DROVE IN THREE RUNNERS.

Twins win to climb back to eight games out of first with nine to play before the break. And it's Independence Day weekend. Where I come from that means fireworks. Stay safe, kids.

2011 Twins Game Logs

2011 Game 80: Milwaukee Brewers at Minnesota Twins

251 Comments

Yovani Gallardo vs Francisco Liriano

I think the Yankees just own every Midwest team. The Brewers swept the Twins but were then swept by the Yankees. They scored a meager four runs compared to the 22 by the Yankees over the three games. Which leads to somewhat interesting interleague records for the Twins:

Twins away record against the NL: 1-8
Twins home record against the NL: 5-1

Just where the Twins want them. Sweep time!