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Archive for game logs from previous seasons.

2011 Twins Game Recaps

Game 61 Recap: Twins at Natives

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Twins 3, Tribe 2 (10)
WP: Matt Capps. Wait, what?
LP: Perez
Blown Save: Matt Capps. Yeah, that seems about right.
Save: Phil Dumatrait. Wait, who?
Twins Record: 23-38, 11.5 games out of first, 2.5 games out of not in the cellar.
Fangraphs loves a winner.
MLB recap.

Who has two thumbs and loves to close games? This guy.

Holy cows. Over the last one game the Twins have won one, in extras to boot. Hot Carl Pavano had a solid outing, allowing seven hits and one earned run over seven innings, striking out three, and walking one. Jose "My Neck Isn't Fat, It's Big Boned" Mijares came on for the eighth and retired all three batters he faced. Then Shortening come on to close out the game. He cruised through the first two batters and then decided to serve up a meatball to Jack Hannahan who promptly deposited the ball into the bleachers. Crisco had trouble with the next batter, Lou Marson, before getting Milton Bradley Michael Brantley to pop up to the glove of Butters in foul territory. This marks the 5th blown save in 13 attempts this season for Capps. At the dish the Twins relied on Ben Revere, who warned Texas that the Twins are coming. Sweet Ben went 3-5, driving in two runs, and scored the only other Twins run of the day off a Morneau double in the 6th. According the Dick, the Key "Hit" in that inning was Cuddy's ground out to the first baseman. Yeah, Dick, that hit really tied the inning together for the pitcher*.

Art, and culture. Cleveland is home to many fine art institutions, including the Cleveland Institute Of Art, The Cleveland Museum of Art, the Museum of Contemporary Art, and some sort of hall of fame. If you happen into Cleveland this summer I would recommend a stop by any of these fine institutions, and after you can refresh your palette here.

*edited for clarity

2011 Twins Game Logs

2011 Game Logs Game 60: Winners @ Losers

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Francico Liriano

@

Carlos Carrasco

Assuming the Twins continue winning games at the rate they have in their past 5 games for the next 12 games , they will bring their winning streak to 17 consecutive games.  Minnesota then, coupled with every other team losing each of its games other than when they play each other (Detroit wins two of three at home against Cleveland next week), will be playing for sole possession of first place on Tuesday, June 21st, the first day of summer, against the San Francisco Giants.  It will be a fitting passing of the guard when the Twins then sweep the  defending World Champion Giants, extending their winning streak to 20 games.

What a great first day of summer it will be.

 

 

2011 Twins Game Recaps, View from the Ballpark

2011 Game 59: Twins 6, Indians 4

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Weather: 83°F, clear
Wind: 9 mph
Attendance: 15,278
Time: 2:34

Twins record: 22-37 (last in AL Central, 11.5 GB)
Fangraphs boxscore | MLB Game Wrap

Highlights:

  • Highest WPA, hitter: Tolbert .246 (2-4, R, 2 RBI, SO) | Highest WPA, pitcher: Mijares .104 (0.2 IP)
  • The Twins have now managed to string five wins together for the first time this season.
  • The Twins drafted a college middle infielder.

Lowlights:

  • Lowest WPA, hitter: Casilla, -.088 (0-4, GIDP) | Lowest WPA, pitcher: Baker, .067 (7.0 IP, 9 H, 2 HR, 3 ER, 5 K, HBP)
  • Despite drafting a middle infielder, the Twins will still be rostering Tolbert & Casilla for the foreseeable future.

There typically hasn't been much chatter about the actual games in the Monday morning recaps, but just because I run View from the Ballpark that doesn't mean talk about the actual game isn't welcome. Then again, this is the first time that the Twins won on a Monday since the Monday after the Big Move, way back at Game 16. So, if you have observations about last night's break from the trend, do share them.

-------

Here's this week's View from the Ballpark:

photo by Flickr user Curtis Cronn

Though I never was able to attend a game here, this was one of my favorite ballparks in all of baseball. A substantial part of the park actually still exists, but unfortunately has been pitched to the needs of a radically different tenant, erasing a few of the signature elements I really loved about the place, such that the view from this spot no longer exists.

photo by Flickr user Curtis Cronn

Remember, no embiggening.

2011 Twins Game Logs

2011 Game 59: Senators at Naps

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The Arizona Diamondbacks are 13-4 since May 20, when they began a three-game sweep of our boys (and 18-5 back to May 14. I just wanted to point that out, because through April, the Snakes were 28th in MLB in FIP (just ahead of the Twins) and 26th in pitching WAR (the Twins were dead last). Now Arizona is in the hunt in the NL West, a half-game back of SF, thanks to much improved pitching (they were middle-of-the-pack in FIP, xFIP and pitching WAR in May).

The Twins ride into Cleveland on the wings of a four-game sweep of the Landed Gentlemen. Not exactly the 1927 Yankees there, but a feel-good weekend nonetheless. But if the Twins are going to make a move, now is the time to get it started, with a series win against the surprise division leaders.

Pitching matchup:

Scott Baker (3.86 ERA, 4.06 FIP, 3.65 xFIP, 66:23 K:BB, 10 HR in 67 2/3)
Josh Tomlin (3.27 ERA, 4.33 FIP, 3.86 xFIP, 41:11 K:BB, 11 HR in 71 2/3)

Tomlin, a righty, has been riding the tiger in Cleveland. He's 7-2, thanks in significant part to best-in-the-majors run support (7.91 r/g), a .213 BAA and unsustainable .213 BABIP, despite not missing very many bats and having given up HRs at the same pace as our boy Scotty. He throws a pedestrian 2-seam fastball, cutter, curve and changeup and recently has been compared unfavorably to Phil Humber. If only we had some healthy, left-handed sluggers to put in the lineup against this Cinderella Story.... Go, Red Wings Rock Cats!!!111one111!!!

2011 Twins Game Recaps

Game #58: Twins 6, Royals 0

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Twins record: 21-37
Fangraphs

Whoops, I forgot I had to do one of these, so I'm going to get in, get out, and go to bed. The Twins won, we swept the Royals in KC, baseball is fun again, Duensing was on top of his game, there's some cool pictures from the WGOM get-together in the CoC, I can't think of as many things to say when the Twins win as when they lose. That's all I've got.

Hitter of the Week: I suppose I ought to give one of these to Alexi Casilla before he turns back into Alexi Casilla.
Pitcher of the Week: Carl Pavano

2011 Twins Game Logs, Minnesota Twins, MLB

Game 58: Twins at Royals

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Brian Duensing vs. Jeff Francis

This is the Twins' fourth three-game winning streak of the season and they do not have a four-game winning streak. So, the Twins are due, right? This will be the third time that Duensing is the starter as the Twins go for a fourth consecutive victory.

The Twins have followed the three previous three-game win streaks with six-, nine- and four-game losing streaks, so the Twins need to find a way to keep this going, but the current health of their roster is likely to make this difficult. With a lefty on the mound, I wouldn't be surprised if both Justin Morneau and Denard Span get an extra day off to help with their minor injuries.

Duensing is 0-5 in his last six starts. This bad stretch started in Kansas City, so hopefully coming full circle will help Duensing put an end to it.

Alexi Casilla is now hitting .301/.370/.390 in his last 34 games (119 PAs).  The Twins desperately need some production and consistent defense from a middle infielder, so this is a good sign. GO TWINS!!!

2011 Twins Game Recaps, Minnesota Twins, MLB

Game 57: Twins 7, Royals 2

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Twins manager Ron Gardenhire rubbed the champagne out of his eyes as he reflected on the wild ride of the past five months that had concluded with the franchise's third world championship following another epic seven-game World Series against the Philadelphia Phillies.

"I've never had as much fun managing a team as I have these past five months," Gardenhire said. "But I've never been as miserable managing a team as I was the first two months."

So, what keyed the turnaround?

"No. 1 was getting healthy," Gardenhire said. "It was ridiculous there for awhile. They should have just called us the Red Wings. I'd never seen anything like it. Once we got our horses back, we started to play like we expected to. Then we started to get our bullpen straightened out as well as healthy. Chuck James was just a godsend. He gave us three strong lefties along with Glen Perkins and Jose Mijares. Then we could match up Slama with righties, who have a real tough time with his motion. Of course, just getting Joe Nathan healthy enough to resume his closer role was big so Cappy could go back to setting up.

"But what I think really helped us turn it up to a high level was getting back to Twins-brand baseball."

Was there any point in the season to point to that began the turnaround?

"That series in Kansas City in the beginning of June," Gardenhire said. "We had almost the entire starting lineup on the DL or on the bench with injuries, so we had almost no power at all in the lineup, so we talked to the guys about just being more aggressive with the small ball. Taking extra bases, hitting-and-running, bunting, that sort of thing.

"Lexi (Casilla) and Benny (Revere) really took to it.  It was fun to watch."

That series was during Casilla's resurgence. Casilla had nearly played himself off the roster with his terrible hitting and inconsistent defense the first six weeks of the season, but Casilla turned it around and became a key member of the Twins and formed an exciting double-play combo with Tsuyoshi Nishioka. Revere, of course, took advantage of the injuries and played so well he eventually displaced Delmon Young as the starting left fielder.

With Revere and then Nishioka added to the lineup along with Casilla and Denard Span, Piranhas II: The Comeback was born.

2011 Twins Game Logs

Game 57: Twins at Royals

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Last night at my mother-in-law's retirement party, the subject turned to our favorite baseball team. The (extremely drunken) consensus seemed to be that the team should trade Mauer to beef up our relief pitching. That's not a joke. That's an example of the fine analysis straight from the type of people whom I am privileged to talk sports with on a day in, day out basis with. You guys are truly a lifeline.

I mocked Swizzlestick last week, and he responded with might end up as the best Twins start of the season. Do I have to make fun of Blackburn's mom or something? Because so help me, I will.

As it turns out, Blacky's actually been doing pretty well, last start excepted. Tonight, he goes against Luke Hochevar, who has to be about the most "Royal"ish Royal out there. I feel pretty good about the Twins chances of grabbing a third straight, as well as my chances of picking up a third game log victory.

2011 Twins Game Recaps

Game 56 Recap: Twins 5, Kansas City 2

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C: a one (hundred) act play

[To end 8.5 innings, Morneau grounds out to Hosmer, who flips to
Teaford for the 3rd out]
[Pavano picks up glove, readies to go to the field]
[Gardenhire steps in front of him and place a hand on his chest]
Gardenhire: Whoa, whoa, buddy.  Where do you think you’re going?
Pavano:  Uh, I’m finishing this thing.
Gardenhire: What, what, what?!?  I don’t think so, buddy.  First of all, you’ve
thrown, like, 2 million pitches--
Pavano: 103
Gardenhire: Yeah, well, that’s, like, 3 more pitches than too many.  Second,
this is technically a save situation, which means, technically, that I have absolutely
no choice but to put in my closer, no matter what possible extenuating— wait, are
you pitching a no-hitter?
Pavano: 9 hits.
Gardenhire: …no matter what the possible extenuating circumstances may be.
However, I used Capps yesterday when we were up by 6 runs, so, uh… And third!  I’ve
got Hoey and Burnett all warmed up, and if they can’t get the job done, Dumatrait’s
ready to get up at a moment’s notice.
Pavano:  You can’t be serious.
Gardenhire: Ahh, but I am.  I’m sorry, Pavvy, but I just don’t see how I can—
[Pavano grabs Gardenhire at the chest]
Pavano: Listen, old man, this is my 7th try at 3 digits.  I ain’t making no Hall of Fame,
but I’m getting this 100th win no matter what you, Smithy, or the bullpen you genii
hobbled together have to say about it.  If my words aren’t enough to convince you, then
look into my mustache.
Gardenhire: But, you don’t have a—
Pavano: LOOK AT IT!!!!!!
Gardenhire: Um, okay, Pavvy.  It’s all yours...