Category Archives: Gamelog Archive

Archive for game logs from previous seasons.

2011 Twins Game Recaps

2011 Game 49 Recap: City of Angels Squared 6, Land o’ Lakes Twins 5

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Weather: 53 degrees and overcast
Wind: 10 mph, right to left
Time: 3:21
Attendance: 38,976

 

Box Score
Fangraphs

The boys from last year, so freewheelin',
are back on their heels now and reelin'
from a punch to the nose
and a heel to their toes
and a knee to the groin they're still feelin'.

It's not what we thought we were getting
and I'm glad that I'm not fond of betting;
I'd be down on my luck
and I'd lose my last buck
on a wager I'm best off forgetting.

Intemperate spring soon turns to summer,
but this season has been such a bummer
that I don't think I'll mind
when we leave it behind.
Reading Souhan always makes me feel dummer.

The Twins tilt tonight was no fans delight,
carnage in the bullpen's a terrible sight.
But no crying, no sorrow,
there's another game tomorrow
and maybe we'll have something go right.

2011 Twins Game Recaps

Game 47: #6org 4, #6org 2

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All the optimism and hope I had at the beginning of the season has mostly evaporated at this point. I tell myself that all I want is for the Twins to play competitively, and if they're going to be miserable they end up with a protected first round draft pick.

Easier said than done, I guess. The last few games have been gut wrenching. So tonight when Blackburn got into trouble in the 7th, and Casilla gunned down Olivo at the plate to seemingly get out of trouble, I was waiting for the other shoe to drop. I was totally expecting Brendan Ryan to run into one and deposit it over the fence. Or just hit some junk ball down the line. I was expecting the worst possible outcome.

So when they wriggled out, I was shocked. I spent the rest of the game waiting for that other shoe to drop. As we approached the 8th & 9th innings, I was wondering who in the world would pitch if the Twins got the lead. I was both relieved that Capps & Nathan were unavailable, and horrified at the Rochester Red Wings waiting in the 'pen to try to save the game. Blackburn had an efficient 8th and came out in the 9th to get the complete game win.

So, apparently all they have to do to win is to keep the bullpen from getting involved? Sounds like an easy blueprint for success! But they can worry about tomorrow tomorrow. The Twins beat the Mariners and the Cameron Curse tonight. It's been a while since the Twins won one at home. Feels good, man.

Final Score: Minnesota Twins 4, Seattle Mariners 2.
Twins Record: 16-31, 14.5 GB in the AL Central. Could the Indigenous People lose a few, please?
WP: Nick Blackburn (4-4) | LP: Doug Fister (2-5)

2011 Twins Game Recaps, View from the Ballpark

2011 Game 46: Mariners 8, Twins 7 (10)

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Weather: 75°F, partly cloudy
Wind: 9 mph
Attendance: 37,498
Time: 3:40

Twins record: 15-31 (last in AL Central, 15.5 GB)
Fangraphs boxscore | MLB wrap

Highlights:

  • Highest WPA, hitter: Thome .344 (2-3, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 2 BB) | Highest WPA, pitcher: Dumatrait .038 (0.1 IP)
  • JI
  • JIM THOME's return

Lowlights:

  • Lowest WPA, hitter: Kubel, -.166 (0-5, SO) | Lowest WPA, pitcher: Sconeskuzz, .338 (0.2 IP, 2 H, ER, BB)
  • Bullpen: 3 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, BB, 2 K

Over a decade ago I had a side gig as a yard maintenance lackey for a realtor who owned a bunch of rental properties. The guy lived in my neighborhood, in a huge red brick Victorian house with white trim and a huge front porch that I can't remember him ever sitting on in the evenings. Well, the guy must've decided that he'd had enough of living near the college (and his tenants), or maybe business was just that good, but he and his family bought an even bigger Tudor close to the Big Lake in Winona. Being that I worked for him, he asked me if I would help move them out. I don't remember what he paid me, but whatever it was, it wasn't enough.

The day of the move arrived, and I walked down the block to his place. One of the guy's tenants showed up around the same time, either to work off some unpaid rent, get a reduction in rent, or pick up a little cash, I don't remember which. We were told to head down to the basement, which was our main focus for the day. Once down there, we just about turned around and walked back up the stairs and away from what was in store for us. I honestly don't know what made us stay. There was crap everywhere. Collections of bicycle rims, coffee cans full of random junk, old sheet metal signs, rusty miscellaneous iron componentry - you get the picture. And it wasn't organized. Oh no. It was just strewn about, almost as if the guy had opened the basement door, stood at the top of the stairs, and heaved whatever was in his hands into the depths beyond. He was the Smaug of low-grade scrap metal, at least for an area supposedly zoned as residential.

Well, my temporary coworker and I schlepped that junk up the stairs all day, piling it in the back of an old quarter-ton pickup, the gloss of the maroon and white two tone paint on its flanks long gone. It was pretty wretched work, but what took the cake was, near the end of the day, unearthing a freakin' barber's chair down in the basement, one of the old ones with more chrome parts on it than a 1958 Buick. That sucker was heaaaavy, but we were duty-bound to lug it up the basement stairs, hoist it up into the truck bed, and haul it in one of the last loads over to the big Tudor. As we got in the truck for the drive across town, bed piled high with barber chair, rims, and all kinds of other detritus, the tenant looked at me and said, "You remember that TV show, Sanford & Son?" I looked at him, sighed, and said, "Yeaaah...," and hoped nobody I knew saw us until the job was behind us.

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This week's View from the Ballpark:
photo by Flickr user kevin wen

 

photo by Flickr user kevin wen

Remember, no embiggening.

2011 Twins Game Logs

2011 Game 46: Mariners at Twins

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Another "tough weekend" in the rearview mirror.

Twins fans were a-twitter after a three-game run against Seattle and Oakland that seemed to signal that the end of the dark times was nigh, as predicted by the prophet Harold Camping. All those hopes foundered on the plain of Megiddo Maricopa, as the Righteous were denied three times by the serpents in the service of Kirk Gogson.

But the false prediction might not be so easily effaced from the lives of Twins followers. The L.A. Times writes that a 38-year-old tractor trailer driver took a road trip with his family to see the Twins before the world ended.

"With maxed-out credit cards and a growing mountain of bills, he said, some wins would have been a relief," the paper writes.

But he is not angry at Camping for his false prediction. "Worst-case scenario for me, I got to see Baker and Liriano outhit their catchers," he told the paper. "If I should be angry at anybody, it should be me."

An east coast fan, who spent $140,000 of his life savings to advertise the Twins resurrection in New York, said he was dumbfounded when life went on as usual Saturday.

"I do not understand why ...," he told Reuters while awaiting the event in Times Square. "I do not understand why they just can't seem to get it done. I thought Morneau was out of his slump and that Dusty Hughes would make all the difference."

Fortunately, life and the season go on.

Seattle comes in on a roll, having won five straight since the Twins bested F-Her.
Pitching matchup:

Jason Vargas (3.39 ERA, 3.16 FIP, 3.78 xFIP, 110 tRA+, 41:14 K:BB, 4 HR in 58 1/3)
Pavanostache (5.30 ERA, 4.25 FIP, 4.65 xFIP, 85 tRA+, 20:14 K:BB, 5 HR in 54 1/3)

also, THOME TONIGHT!!!!!1111one1111!!!! (thanks, socal)

2011 Twins Game Recaps

Game #45: Diamondbacks 3, Twins 2

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Twins record: 15-30
Fangraphs
MLB Game Wrap

If this were a season in which the Twins had lost fewer than two games for every game they've won, today's loss would probably be one of those Sunday roll-over games that doesn't sting too much. Heck, even this year, this is one of those that doesn't sting too much. From what I know of him, Dan Hudson has looked like a pretty good pitcher fairly consistently in his major league career so far, so it's not that shocking to see the Twins' bats shut down by him. And Liriano, while not as steady as last week in Seattle, was decent enough to be officially "Quality". Still, anyone who heard Alex Burnett was coming into a tie game in the seventh, and subsequently heard he'd given up the go-ahead run, should probably have responded with an "Of course, that happened."

Even after a weekend of disappointment and heartbreak, the Twins finished with a 3 and 4 road trip. Most years, you'd take a 3 and 4 road trip. Most weeks after you lose every game the previous week, you'd take a 3 and 4 road trip. If the Twins have any hope of being competitive at this point, though, 3 and 4 road trips probably need to turn into 4 and 3, 5 and 2, or maybe even more than that.

Hitter of the Week: I really want to be able to give this to a catcher again someday, so I'll just pick Rene Rivera.
Pitcher of the Week: Again, he wasn't his sharpest today, but he was okay, and he was great last week - Francisco Liriano had two quality starts, which was one more than anyone else.

2011 Twins Game Logs, Minnesota Twins, MLB

Game 46: Twins at Diamondbacks

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The Twins narrowly averted another tragedy late Saturday night when Hall of Fame inductee Bert Blyleven was hit in the head by a baseball thrown by Scott Baker but not seriously hurt. The motive behind the throw was not entirely clear, but Baker was heard to yell "Is that enough attitude for ya?" after the throw.

The baseball glanced off the top of Blyleven's head and knocked him to the ground. He did not lose consciousness and was taken to the hospital as a precaution. An emergency room physician was concerned that Blyleven was showing signs of a serious concussion before fellow television announcer Dick Bremer told the doctor, "No, that's the way he always talks." The doctor immediately admitted Blyleven into the hospital for observation and referred him to a specialist in dementia.

Baker was demoted to Triple-A Rochester immediately after the incident. The Twins did not say whether the demotion was a punishment for the incident or if the incident was just the last straw in their disappointment in Baker's inability to get the ball down.

The incident was just another bad moment in a season full of them for the Twins. However, they finally seem to have found their offense despite the absence of Joe Mauer and Jim Thome and have an opportunity to salvage a winning road trip with a victory today.

The Twins will send Francisco Liriano to the mound. He pitched the Twins to a 2-1 victory in his last start that ended a nine-game losing streak and will probably be asked to go as deep as possible in this one. The Diamondbacks will be sending former White Sox prospect Daniel Hudson, who has won four of his last five starts after losing his first four.

2011 Twins Game Recaps, Minnesota Twins, MLB

Game 45: Diamondbacks 9, Twins 6

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Who do we blame? Who has done this to the Twins? Who did the Twins piss off to bring this horrible curse on themselves? Yes, the Twins have played horribly for the most part throughout this season, but they have also had hideously bad luck with injuries and illness to players they just can't afford to lose. Especially not all at once. Just when it seems like the Twins are finally getting healthy, their best reliever in a very shallow bullpen goes down. And this just after Jose Mijares has gone on the DL. Now the Twins are down to Matt Capps, Joe Nathan and ?????

And then there has been too much pure bad luck on the field. Too many line drives for outs for the batters (or double plays) and too many bloopers and bad bounces at just the wrong time.

Saturday's game featured the second straight game in which the Diamondbacks' late big inning featured not one but two bunts, and the Diamondbacks screwed up both of them. One was a terrible bunt that was popped up over the head of hard-charging Danny Valencia for a single. I mean, the D'backs were trying to give away an out with a runner already in scoring position, and instead they get a gift single, and there was nothing the Twins could do about it. What was really bad luck was the Twins had Valencia charging. Often with a runner at second, the third baseman lays back in hopes the pitcher or catcher can field the bunt and throw the runner out at third. If the Twins had chosen to use this defense, Valencia would have had an easy catch for the first out. Since the runner didn't advance on the infield single, the next batter, a rare pinch bunter, bunted and left it too close to home, so catcher Drew Butera jumped on it and threw to third base for the forceout.

The previous night, the Diamondbacks had runners at first and second and no outs and the batter attempted to bunt, but the Twins got the forceout at third. With the pitcher up, he did get a sacrifice down, and, after an unfortunate decision to intentionally walk Willie Bloomquist, Perkins allowed a three-run double to make a one-run deficit a four-run deficit. Of course, the Twins would eventually lose by just one run. Plus, you don't want to forget Jason Kubel's triple, which was hit to the only part of the ballpark that it wouldn't have been a home run.

As for Saturday's game, the Twins were perfectly set up with a three-run lead and Glen Perkins in to face three left-handers with only one runner on base. He comes up lame after a hit and suddenly Capps has to come in with no outs and the tying run on base. Other than the home run, I really don't think he pitched all that poorly. The double that made it a one-run game not only was butchered by Delmon Young (who has actually been pretty good defensively this year), but also was on a pitch that looked to be six inches outside. Then there were the two bunts and then a soft single to left and then the home run.

Capps may have blown up in the ninth if Perkins had gotten out of the eighth without injury, but I have to believe that having his routine suddenly changed. I'm sure he won't use that as an excuse, but I'm sure it didn't help any. I always get a bad feeling when a pitcher comes in after an injury and is given as many pitches as he needs that the pitcher doesn't use as many as he should to get ready since all eyes are on him and he probably realizes he's the one holding up the game.

Another frustrating issue, in this series the Twins have hit five home runs; all solo shots. And it's not like they haven't had runners on base.

Looking at it another way, the Diamondbacks had five errors, struck out nine times and allowed two home runs and won.

Can someone find me a live chicken to send to Gardy?

It just better be Chuck James getting the call up this time, because Dumatrait has done nothing to make me feel like he can be trusted to be a LOOGY in the eighth inning. I'm also expecting Brian Duensing to be sent to the bullpen and either Slowey moved into the rotation or sent to AAA in favor of another starting pitcher, although Kyle Gibson hasn't been very good of late. I guess Manship could be recalled and he or Smartyak put into the rotation.