The Cardigans are one of my most favorite unfairly labeled one hit wonder bands. I would put them behind Superdrag but ahead of Fountains of Wayne.
I haven't done much breaking up lately but my favorite break up album of all time is Long Gone Before Daylight from the Cardigans.
(7 votes, average: 7.57 out of 10)
Loading... Max Scherzer vs Brian Duensing
I was hoping to be able to write about the Twins tying the White Sox for third place, but that is going to have to wait until tomorrow. Instead, let's investigate the non-Verlander pitchers. Verlander is 13-5 for the season, but the Tigers are 14-8 in games started by him. Makes sense. Especially since he has yet to throw fewer than 100 pitches in a game this year. He only had three last year and five the year before.
Anyway, that leaves the rest of the Tiger staff at 38-38. Tonight's starter, Scherzer, is only 10-5 but the Tigers are 13-7 in his starts despite his mediocre 4.53 ERA. The offense has also scored 5.2 runs/game for him. Note to Duensing: don't let the Tigers score that many runs. Note to Twins offense: despite Scherzer's ERA, he has a decent FIP and pretty good xFIP, so practice some patience.
DETROIT 6, MINNESOTA 2
Record - 46-52 (4th in Central, 1.0 game out of 3rd, 6.0 games out of first)
Highest WPA - Cuddyer and Mauer (both 2 for 4) were the only positive WPA Twins
Lowest WPA - Jim Thome (0 for 3, BB, 3 SO) - Only one true outcome short of the complete set.
NOTES - Twins are 0-6 against Detroit this year.
Fangraphs
MLB Recap
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Not exactly the start to the series that the Twins were looking for. Verlander was pretty good, and he dialed it up a bit after Cuddyer's leadoff triple in the second inning. Strikeouts of Thome and Valencia along with a Delmon groundout to second (BOOM BITCH!) got him off the hook and kept the game scoreless.
Then it was a matter of Pavano trying to keep it close. After a frightening 4th inning (bases loaded, one out) was defused by a double play, it seemed like a one-run deficit could be overcome. Then a 2-run Brennan Boesch homer in the 5th extended the Tiger lead. 3 runs against Verlander seemed a tall order, but the Tiger bullpen has been pretty bad and my friend who is a Tiger fan wouldn't admit victory.
The sixth inning saw the Twins score on a string of 2 out hits, but the top of the inning had already yielded two more Tiger runs, so the deficit was only narrowed to four.
Beating Verlander is always a tall order, and it was one the Twins weren't up to last night. Fortunately, there are three more games in the series, and no more Verlanders in the Tigers' rotation.
a semi-recent addition to the JoePosd, baltimore duo wye oak.
2010
(5 votes, average: 8.60 out of 10)Loading... Tonight, the Twins play the first of four against the scarier of the two not-scary-to-any-other-divisions-out-there Central division leaders. Of course, the home field advantage is nullified by the pitching matchup:
Carl Pavano 6-6, 130 IP, 3.88 K/9, 1.73 BB/9, 4.08 ERA, 3.97 FIP, 4.12 xFIP, 1.6 WAR
Justin Verlander 12.5, 157 IP, 8.77 K/9, 1.89 BB/9, 2.29 ERA, 2.70 FIP, 2.96 xFIP, 4.7 WAR
You know, now that Pavano's numbers are starting to look not so bad, it's cruel that I have to set them up against Verlander's ludicrous numbers. Well, Pavano walks 0.16 fewer guys per nine innings. That's something, right? Guys?
This one could get frustrating for the hitters, but hey, Kubel might be back tomorrow, and Verlander isn't all that likely to pitch in back-to-back games, as durable as he is.
Go Twins! Bunt early, bunt often. Get Verlander tossed!
I know that we spun some Rilo Kiley recently but I have I really been digging on this song as of late.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KZqit3JgME
It also appears to be the only version available is being viewing from Real Player on a 28.8K modem. The video sucks but the audio is pretty good.
(5 votes, average: 7.00 out of 10)Loading... Twins 7, Indian 5
WP: Matt Capps (wait, what?) LP: Sipp
SAVE! Joe "that's right bitches" Nathan
Fangraphs is confused about Capps winning, too.
MLB recap, spoiler ---> the local nine win this one.
Ah, everyone's favorite feature comes roaring back to life with a Joe Nathan save on a Wednesday. Let's look at the progress of the king of the savers race, shall we? Craig Kimbrel and The Beard are tied for the lead with 29 saves. The Beard gets extra credit for style and blowing up fewer games. The ninth guy on the list plays in the AL, for De-toilet to boot, and has 25 saves on the season. There's a lot of baseball to be played, and a lot of saves to be racked up. Stay tuned saves fans!
Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in. The last two games have been some of the most exciting baseball that I've watched all season. How awesome was it to bloop and dink our way to walk off on Tuesday night, and then to double down on Wednesday and split the series with the Tribe to stay alive in the central. Blackie pitched a hell of a ballgame getting tagged with only 1 earned run, but the defense behind (and in front) of him allowed 3 unearned runs to score. Joe Mauer flashed the leather a couple of times because he's the best evah. The bullpen made things very interesting, but pulled through to keep the score knotted at 4. Laddie led off the eighth with a ground rule double, Mauer pussied a single, Cuddy looked vintage, and Thome drew a walk. If Orlando Ballgame had been just a little bit taller, if had had been a baller, he would have robbed Danny V of the go ahead single, but he wasn't and he didn't. Del was Del. Nishi cracked the game open with a two run single. Drew was Drew. Joe Nathan allowed the obligatory closer's donger (thankfully it was of the solo kind), and the Twins win. I don't care if the Twins come back to make the postseason this year, but I love the way they drag me back in just when I think I'm out.
Day Game.
Again.
And today's a big one. [Motivational Pep Talk] [Great Speeches Youtube Video] [Baseball!]
Pitchers:
TWINS: Nic Blacburn. 3.99 ERA | 4.53 FIP | 3.97 xFIP | 4.68 K/9
indians: Josh Tomlin 4.03 ERA | 4.22 FIP | 3.85 xFIP | 5.07 K/9
Lineups:
TWINS!!!
indians
Waiting for the game to start? Want to read a story about cheating in baseball? Here's the one where according to Chili Davis all pitchers were cheaters. Via Fangraphs.
Go Twins!
dunno about y'all further up north, but it's still mighty uncomfortable around these parts. today's predicted temp: 97°
1980
(6 votes, average: 7.67 out of 10)Loading... Justin "Huge Platoon Split" Masterson
v
Masterson in 2011:
| Season | Split | IP | ERA | TBF | H | 2B | 3B | R | ER | HR | BB | IBB | HBP | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | vs L | 70.0 | - - - | 297 | 78 | 16 | 2 | 34 | 32 | 3 | 17 | 0 | 3 | 41 |
| 2011 | vs R | 58.2 | - - - | 234 | 41 | 8 | 0 | 11 | 8 | 1 | 23 | 2 | 4 | 54 |
I would like to see the following line up tonight:
Span, Laddie, Joe, Justin, Jimmer, L'orange, Repko (9), Nishi, Revere (7).
[pipe dream .jpg]
I have a feeling Masterson is going to make Cuddy look silly tonight. Time for Jimmer and Joe to do some work.
Let's get one back tonight.