Category Archives: Gamelog Archive

Archive for game logs from previous seasons.

2011 Twins Game Recaps

Recap from The Emeritus: Twins 1, Chicago 0

13 Comments

This.

I was feeling lonely last night, having been away from home for seven days and counting. I miss my wife and daughter. Wednesday is getaway day and I'll be home by Wednesday at 8 PM for six straight days. But, last night, I was tired and lonely. Sure, Mom and Dad are around and that's terrific, but I needed to get home.

Dad and I settled in down the basement to watch the game on his flat screen. I like watching the game down there... it's cozy, Dad's TV is nice and the lighting is soft: a very good viewing atmosphere.

Somewhere in the middle innings, I dozed off. I woke up in the sixth and I said to Dad, "Has Liriano given up a hit yet?" "Nope." I saw the pitch count: 86 pitches. No way he makes it.

Then, inexplicably, the White Sox started helping out. Maybe Liriano was making pitches that they couldn't take or maybe the White Sox got jumpy, but the next six outs took just 15 pitches and it was clear that Liriano was going to get a shot at it. I talked to Dad about that game against the White Sox where Jacque Jones got the only hit for the Twins, a 1-0 victory that I had the good fortune of seeing in person. I thought about how much fun it would be to see my club get a no-no for the first time. I was driving through the Twin Cities on the morning of Eric Milton's no-no and I didn't see Scott Erickson's either. So, I was pretty excited about the prospect of seeing it. With Liriano cruising through the seventh and eighth, I was thinking he had plenty to get there.

The ninth was no picnic, though. Liriano looked like he was nervous. His first two pitches of the inning were breaking balls, badly thrown and out of the strike zone. I'm sure he was tired and nervous. That first ball to Tolbert was the kind of play that makes you realize why he's not a regular. He had plenty of time, but he hurried the throw. Luckily, there was a major leaguer over there to catch it. A little pop up for the second out and here comes Adam Dunn.

Dunn doesn't have a single hit against left handers this year. Not one. But, he's a big homerun hitter and thoughts of that Jones game flashed through my head: one hit and a win. One hit by Dunn here would equal a win. Liriano went to 3-0 on him and battled to a full count. Dunn fouled off a pitch and then hit a bullet right at Tolbert.

And there it was. In this frustrating season, with Liriano being so disappointing, there was nothing but happiness last night for Twins fans. I'm going home today, the Twins did it to the White Sox again, and all is right with the world.

Sorry to step on toes, but we need a recap for this one.

2011 Twins Game Logs

2011 Game Logs: Game 28 Minnesota @ Chicago (AL)

244 Comments

Francisco Liriano

v

Edwin Jackson

There is a saying here in Buffalo, New York about our football team, the Bills. It goes something like "I don't care if the Bills go 2-14 every year as long as the beat the Dolphins those two games". I am sure Vikings fans have a similar saying about the Packers or the Bears or whomever it is Vikings fans deem their biggest rivals. It's funny because I honestly believe that statement to be true. Well, maybe not every year, but if there were a season or two where the Bills only won two games I would be pleased to stick it to those south beach jerks who wear aqua and white.

Now, I know the Twins have been playing poorly. You can chalk it up to injures, ass-batting middle infielders, me giving my child the middle name of Mauer, or whatever else it is you want to blame. You could write off the team this season for all I care. But I will tell you what, if you can't get up for a Twins/White Sox game I don't know if there is any hope for you.

Sure, a baseball team going 18-144 would be embarrassing-- no question about it. But hell, wouldn't it be great it those 18 wins all came against the White Sox?

 

2011 Twins Game Recaps

Game #Whatever: Royals a lot, Twins blah blah

14 Comments

Twins record: bad

I don't really know what to say about this. The Twins are just a very bad team right now. I don't think I'm going to do Players of the Week this time, either.

Let's talk about food instead. What's everyone eating this weekend? I think I'm going to have some chili tonight. What are everyone's thoughts on chili? Best kind of meat to use, and best way to cut that meat up? Lots of chunky tomatoes, or just a rich broth? Beans or no beans (and what kinds)? What's your optimal combination of seasonings to use? Should it be really spicy, or really really spicy? Am I forgetting some crucial aspect of chili for which I should be harshly disciplined? Let's talk about that.

2011 Twins Game Logs, Minnesota Twins, MLB

Game 27: Twins at Royals

78 Comments

WARNING:

Watch this game at your own risk. The writer of this game log assumes no risk or responsibility to what may happen to you if you do watch this game. Watching Twins baseball in 2011 has been known to cause shortness of temper, stomach pain, nausea, violent fits of rage, depression, deep despair, uncontrollable weeping, extreme cravings for alcohol, convulsive arm muscle spasms, flying remotes, cracked television screens, uncontrollable shouting of expletives, incontinence and impotence. Some fans have even begun to believe that Bert Blyleven and Dan Gladden know what they are talking about.

Remember, you have been warned.

2011 Twins Game Logs

Game Log #26: Twins at Royals

149 Comments

I'm pretty sure that this recent stretch is a loyalty test for Twins fans. The team has managed to look absolutely awful since that tiny hopeful stretch last weekend. I choose to handle this game log the same way I've handled all Twins conversation for the past week or so...

I'm going to change the subject.

Beer brewing has been going well. I'm actually brewing up a batch of Wisconsin Spring Porter right this very minute... hang on, let me check my temperature.... looking good.... Time to add in some maple syrup.

I do have one question for all the brewmasters that this place has accumulated. How does one achieve the balance between getting enough hops into the beer, without adding a ton of sediment? When I made my hopnog, it had fantastic hoppy flavor (like, really hoopy tasty flavor), but since I ended up tossing the hops directly into the wort, it ended up with a ton of sediment, which I'd prefer avoid, since the final product was good, and tasty, but also quite heavy and near opaque. Last time, we steeped the hops, rather than toss them directly in, and the finished product had less sediment, but also less hoppy flavor.

Regardless, beer brewing is becoming a very enjoyable hobby, and the compliments the finished product has received ar sort of addicting (most of my friends have never had homebrew before, so their reviews end up anywhere from "damn tasty brew" to "best beer I've ever tasted".) So I'm pretty happy with what's been going on thus far. It's a great hobby to get into.

Oh wait... this is a baseball-related site? Oh.

Duensing vs. O'Sullivan - I'm tired of impassioned entreaties, I'm tired of excuses, I'm tired of the reasons that we haven't been winning lately. Just win. Watching baseball is about a hundred times more fun when the cheered for team wins, so get on that. Go Twins!

 

2011 Twins Game Recaps, MLB

2011 Game 25 Recap: Twins 3, Royals 4

5 Comments

Weather: 73 degrees, partly cloudy
Wind: 17 mph, right to left
Time: 2:53
Attendance: 31,407

Box score

Fangraphs

The Crisis

These are the times that try men's souls. The summer and the sunshine will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their team. The Royals are not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as winning should not be highly rated.

Okay, so I took a little liberty with the words of Thomas Paine. And I'm not sure you can call this a crisis just yet. It probably is too early to panic. The sky probably isn't falling. Being eight games under .500 is worrisome in August, sure, but not so much to spark heartburn about at the end of April. Did I mention that it's probably too early to panic?

Continue reading 2011 Game 25 Recap: Twins 3, Royals 4 →

2011 Twins Game Logs

2011 Game 25: Minnesota Twins at Kansas City Royals

298 Comments

Scott Baker vs Bruce Chen.

Well that sucked. It does amuse me that the team most often picked to win the division is doing just as well as the Twins. I think only Detroit is doing roughly as expected, though the Royals are very quickly returning to their expected level.

This is an awful streak and it's magnified by starting the season with it. If only there was some way to look at streaks within previous, full seasons...

First, some notes about this season's streak to compare to previous miserable streaks. The Twins have scored 77 runs and given up 124 runs, which comes out to 3.2 scored versus 5.2 against.

In 2010, there was a period when the Twins didn't play particularly well in the middle of the season. Concerning, yes, but no hysterics about it. Taking a look at 2010, I note that from games 85 to 94, seven times were the Twins 9-15 over the previously played 24 games (e.g. games 62-85 the first time). They also were 8-16 once and 10-14 twice. During the 8-16 stretch, they scored 109 runs and gave up 131 runs. That's 4.5 runs/game and 5.5 runs/game respectively. In terms of wins it was worse, but the run differential is just shy of one run a game instead of two runs per games.

Let's try another year that also started poorly but ended up okay. Like 2006. Oh look! They also started 9-15 and hovered around 10-14 for quite a few consecutive 24 game stretches. That was a frustrating early 46 games. Anyway, they scored 96 runs and gave up 148 runs to start the season. And that's with a True Ace anchoring the staff. That's an even 4 runs/game scored and 6.2 runs/game given up. And it got worse! From games 3-26, those figures were 3.7 and 6.1 respectively.

Going earlier, I see in 2003, the Twins were as bad as 6-18 with similar run differentials to this season's differential. Games 72-95 for instance they were 7-17, scored 79 runs and gave up 137.

Now, I am not saying things are going to go just like 2006 and the Twins will have a historically great second half of the season or they finally put some pitcher into the rotation and he pitches quite all right. Instead, awful stretches happen during seasons that otherwise end well. Truthfully, I do not foresee any big changes like in 2003 or 2006 that will dramatically alter the team's true talent level. They could continue to suffer from injuries and finish worst in the division, it happens, but that's a worst case scenario even now and acting like it's fated to be is, well, stupid.

2011 Twins Game Recaps

Game 24 Recap: Rays 6, Twins 1

10 Comments

I am sorry for getting this up so late, but at the same time, I don't think anyone wants to relive this. Mercifully, I was too busy at work to get to listen to either game yesterday. I don't think I could have taken getting no hit by Jeff freaking Niemann for 6 innings. Since I didn't watch the game, and haven't watched a game in many days I don't have a whole lot to add. Everyone's hurt, nothing is going right. I hope they can win some games this weekend, and get some folks healthy.

Final Score: Tampa Bay Rays 6, Minnesota Twins 1.
Twins Record: 9-15, 7.0 GB in the AL Central.
WP: Cy Niemann (1-3) | LP: Anthony Swimtrunks (0-1)
I Really Miss: Joe Mauer.
Something I'd Really Like:  A .500 record.

2011 Twins Game Logs

2011 Game 24: Twins at Rays

80 Comments

In general, it takes a lot for the NBA and NHL playoffs to pry my eyes from the Twins. This year, it's getting harder and harder to resist the urge to favor them over my injury-riddled, assbatting Twins.

The good news is that our starter today, Anthony Slapshanks, has as many Wins as Rays starter Jeff Niemann.

Stripsearch hasn't pitched in the majors since he did so rather poorly in 2009, and his 2010 in AAA was nearly as bad. He was 5-12 last year with a 6.21 ERA and a 4.75 FIP. This year he's off to a better start, but the Rays are a far tougher test than he's had in a couple of years, even without Longoria.

Niemann is off to an awful start, with a 7.08 ERA and a 5.30 FIP in 20 innings, but his .348 BABIP is so much higher than his career .287 mark that he's bound to regress soon. Still, if the Twins can't beat up on a right-hander at home after a couple of beatings in a row, it's going to be a tough pill to swallow. Well, the playoffs are only a click away. I suppose the draft is, too, but I only watch that when a friend is around to tell me who the hell all the players are, and the friend who was going to do that is sick.

Go, Twins. Let's get a split out of today, at least. Win one for the Smokestack.