Twins 6, Tigers 5
WP: Matt Capps. Wait, What? LP: Dancie McDancealot
Blown Save*: Matt Capps
Save: Joe Nathan
Fangraphs likes making graphs.
We only have a few games left so we'd better check in on the King of the Savers Race. John Axford and Craig Kimbrel are riding on top of the list with 36 saves apiece, but Jose Valverde and The Beard are hot on their heels with 35 successful saves.
Carl Pavano looks mad, rip snorting mad. Over his last 10 starts he has factored in half the decisions winning one and taking the loss in the other four despite being 'quality' over his last three starts. He's beat up water coolers, spiked the ball (several times), sneered at opposing batters, and, most egregiously, he had to endure Joe Mauer's pitch calling last night. He's angry. You can see it on his face, but that really isn't important at this point in the season. This game had it's share of baseball magic. The Twins took the lead in the second, Detroit tied it up in the third, and then took the lead in the sixth. The Twins came roaring back to take the lead in the top half of the seventh, and then served up the tie in the bottom half. Then big Jim Thome came to the plate and stroked a single take back the lead. I'll never, ever, tire of watching Thome swing the lumber. Glen Perkins came on to be automatic, and instead loaded the bases without retiring anyone. Shortening was called in, and I couldn't watch. I sat at my couch staring at the rug waiting to hear the roar of the crowd that would affirm my worst fears, but that roar never happened. With the game knotted at 4 Leyland brought in his Iceman, the douchy closer who's been perfect in save opportunities this year, and he blew up the game. Morneau had the clutch hit driving in two runs, and Joe Nathan saved the day by only giving up one run. The Twins may have raised the white flag, but there are some positive things to watch for towards the end of the season. We may get to see K-slow pitch a real game, and, unless he's traded to AMR's new boyfriend team, we may get to see Jim Thome pass Sammy Sosa on the all time list.Even if the Twins aren't in the race for the division title I'm not willing to give up watching them play because the off-season is long and dark.
*that makes 8 blown saves for Crisco this season which = $875,000.00 per. The more he blows the cheaper they get.
Culture Club: Heads up to Hungry Joe, and anyone else who is hanging out around Chi-Town, the International Museum of Surgical Science is a great place to spend an afternoon (although, they are closed until labor day). Of the many reasons to like a museum dedicated to surgical science the most important reason is that they have a forward thinking approach to the connection between art and science with their Anatomy in the Gallery program. If you can't make it down to Chicago you can get your fix at the Museum of Questionable Medical Devices on display at the Science Museum of Minnesota.
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