Category Archives: WGOM

Game (1 of 2): Twins and Clevelanders

Hey, doubleheader... why not?

So it seems that baseball's 200,000th major league game will be played today. They're counting the start of the actual National League as the first game, mostly because it's easier to place a direct date on it that way. If nothing else, it's kind of cool that much as it's changed over the past 140 years, there's still a certain heart at the center of the game that ties it all together.

Now, before I go all Field of Dreams on everyone and start misattributing everywhere, there are urgent matters to attend to in Cleveland. A win today would ensure that the race to the bottom will fall short of its "target". Much as I believe that this is the worst year of Twins baseball since the franchise got here, it would be nice the ragtaggers to win back at least that much of their dignity. Hell, if they sweep the doubleheader, they would only need one more win to avoid 100-losses. That would be.......something, I guess.

Looking into the crystal ball, we've got three opening day batters in our lineup (which, if I'm not mistaken is about the most there can be for the rest of the season, so the lineup's not getting nay better than this). Rivera gets to try to out-Butera Butera. Right now he's at a .406 OPS, so it'll be exciting to see whether he can push that into sub-400 territory.

Brian Duensing's on the mound, if he can make it through five and a third innings, he'll qualify for the ERA title. Then again, if he gives up 4 runs in those five and a third, he'll have the worst ERA for any qualifier, so... go Duensing?

David Huff pitches for Cleveland, he ate us alive his last time out, so maybe 1982 isn't safe, just yet.

2011 Game 156 Recap: Twins 5, Gentleman Masher 3, Other Indians 3

Weather: 61 degrees, drizzle
Wind: 12 mph, L to R
Time: 2:52 (:27 delay)
Attendance: 36,807

Box Score
Fangraphs

By the banks of the mighty Cuyahoga River (Non-flammable for Half a Century!™), the good people of Cleveland paid tribute tonight to Jim Thome. The Gentleman Masher rose to the occasion with a home run, a double, and an infield single, driving in half of the Tribe's runs for the night. I'm going to miss that guy. Oh, hell - I miss him already.

Like many games this season, the Twins could just as easily have won this one had they been able to coax a clutch hit with men in scoring position. The Twins left a team total of 11 runners on base, and left runners in scoring position in seven innings.

Despite that brain-rattling level of offensive impotence, the Twins managed to score five runs off Cleveland, four of them off starter Justin Masterson, who struggled with his command and didn't make it out of the fifth inning.

Chris Parmelee earned his coffee tonight by leading off the Twins' scoring in the top of the first, driving in Ben Revere and Trevor Plouffe! with a roller up the middle that made it to the grass just in time. In his next at bat leading off the third inning, Parmelee jacked one into the right field seats and took a 360-foot stroll. Joe Benson added to the Twins' tally with a productive out, scoring Dinkleman on what would have been a double play if not for a throwing error by pivot man Jason Kipnis.

With the game tied 5-5 going to the home half of the ninth inning, Twins skipper Ron Gardenhire sent seven-million dollar man Matthew Dicus Capps to the mound to extend the game. Instead, he extended an invitation to mash a tater to pinch hitter Carlos Santana, who deposited said tuber over the fence in right center. Meanwhile, in the District of Columbia, young Wilson "League Minimum" Ramos has played in 109 games and booked 420 plate appearances. He's batting .267 with a 112 OPS+. Drew Butera is not.

Nirvana – Lithium

get ready to feel old: nevermind came out 20 years ago tomorrow. oy. anyway, here's one of the great moments in rock n' roll, and certainly one of the last great moments on the MTV. from said network's music video awards, rape me lithium.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIQ4tkfysn8
1992

7 votes, average: 8.29 out of 107 votes, average: 8.29 out of 107 votes, average: 8.29 out of 107 votes, average: 8.29 out of 107 votes, average: 8.29 out of 107 votes, average: 8.29 out of 107 votes, average: 8.29 out of 107 votes, average: 8.29 out of 107 votes, average: 8.29 out of 107 votes, average: 8.29 out of 10 (7 votes, average: 8.29 out of 10)
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Game 155 Recap: Twins 3, Mariners 2

A win, an honest-to-God win.  I haven't seen on of these on my recap day since....

(goes to check the archives) ....

(scrolls further back in the archives) ....

Ah, here it is - July 14 was the last time the Twins won on a Thursday (they moved to 6 games under .500 on that day, 6 games out of first).  Which reminds me, let's check out the day-of-the-week standings with 6 days and 7 games (double-header on Saturday, get excited!) remaining.

W L PCT
Sunday 10 14 .417
Monday 4 15 .211
Tuesday 10 12 .455
Wednesday 12 11 .522
Thursday 8 10 .444
Friday 8 16 .333
Saturday 8 17 .320

I would have bet and lost a large sum of money that there wasn't a day of the week over .500 this season.  I will note that Tuesday now has the longest losing streak at 8 games (going back to July 26).

 

Game 154 Recap: Twins 14 hits, not enough runs.

Twins 4, M's 5
WP: Jimenez (1-0)
LP: K-slow Who improved his record to 0-7 on the year. Yay!
Scotty Baker pitched a scoreless ninth earning an honorary save.
Save: S. League (36)
Twins record 59-95 (holy balls this team is bad)

36 saves, eh? Not enough to crack the top 5 on the leader board. Dancie McDoucheface is still in the lead with a perfect 47 for 47 saves converted. Kimbrel is hot on his heels with 45. I'm fully expecting Mr. McDoucheface to blow up in the postseason.

Yeah, I didn't watch this one. I'm in the process of working out the details of leaving the country, and I had to wash my hair. The Twins have a firm grasp on last place in the Al central, so, there's that.