Category Archives: WGOM

2011 Twins Game Recaps

Game 56 Recap: Twins 5, Kansas City 2

7 Comments

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...

2011 Twins Game Logs

2011 Game 56: Twins at Royals

88 Comments

Carl Pavano v Danny Duffy.

Pavano seems to be repeating his 2009. Unfortunately, the Twins are the recipients of the poor performance.

Duffy decided to return to baseball in 2010 and racked up some frequent flyer miles proving himself. Seven games with the Rafters (which B-R doesn't even list and I can't corroborate), two games with a rookie team (Arizona), two more with another rookie team (Idaho), three games at A+ (Delaware), and finally seven games at AA (Arkansas).

He averaged more than a strikeout per inning in the minors while walking three per nine innings. The strikeouts followed him, but the control lagged some. The number of free passes issued has monotonically decreased. I don't expect the Twins to change that.

2011 Twins Game Recaps

Game 55 Recap: Twins 8, Royals 2

6 Comments

MINNESOTA 8, KANSAS CITY 2
Record - 18-37 (Last in the Central)
Highest WPA - Swarzak (6.0 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 1 SO), and Rivera (1 for 3, BB, R, RBI)
Lowest WPA - Every single Twin who appeared in this game had a positive WPA.
Fangraphs
MLB Recap

-----------------------------

Here's your stupid stat of the day:

The Twins scored runs in 3 different innings last night, I was wondering how often that had happened this season, and so I generated the following results.

  • When the Twins score in 0 innings of a game, they are 0-5.
  • When the Twins score in 1 inning, they are 4-8.
  • When the Twins score in 2 innings, they are 4-13.
  • When the Twins score in 3 innings, they are 7-4.
  • When the Twins score in 4 innings, they are 2-7.
  • When the Twins score in 5 innings, they are 1-0.

So, by bringing in Soria and setting the final 6 Twins hitters down in order, KC was playing right into our hands.  It's obvious what would have happened if the Twins had scored runs in one of those innings.

2011 Twins Game Logs

2011 Game 55: Twins at Royals

132 Comments

The good news is that it's the Royals! The bad news is that we're still the Twins, and we're as injured as ever.

Anthony Soulsister 0-2, 15 IP, 3.60 ERA, 4.80 FIP, 5.06 xFIP, 0.0 fWAR
Sean O'Sullivan 2-4, 50.2 IP, 6.75 ERA, 6.05 FIP, 5.47 xFIP, -0.5 fWAR

I may never say this again, but this pitching matchup seems to favor Sickleshuffle pretty heavily. O'Sullivan is out of his element as a starter in MLB, as he wasn't even that good in AAA. This year his Ks are down and his walks are way up in what's not all that small a sample anymore.

O'Sullivan's a righty, too, so he doesn't even qualify as a Jeremy.

Can the Twins win some games in June? Can they start a bona fide winning streak tonight? Hey, if Drew Butera can hit a home run (with a runner on base, even!), I can believe anything.

2011 Twins Game Recaps

Game # who cares recap —> 20 games under .500

2 Comments

Twins 2, Tigers 4

Twins record 17-37, 16 games out

LP Scott Baker, WP R. Porcello

Save: The King of D-bags, Valverde

What to say about this? Well, there isn't much to say about this. Oh, what's that you say? Alexi decided that bunting for a base hit with two strikes in the 9th was a good idea? Holy crap, I wish I had dreamed that, but I didn't. No, with the undisputed king of the d-bags on the mound Alexi decided to bunt with two strikes. He executed the bunt puuuuurfectly for the tigers. I imagine that Joe Mauer will take the blame for this loss. As boosty pointed out in the game log this is a particularly  bad loss bringing the twins to 20 games under .500. That's bad. Really. B-A-D.

This, of course, doesn't mean that I'll stop watching the Twins lose, but this is still  something of a milestone. Boo.

 

Art.

2011 Twins Game Logs

Game 54: Twins at Tigers

197 Comments

Didn't see one up, so have at it.

TWINS (17-36)

1. Denard Span, CF
2. Alexi Casilla, SS
3. Justin Morneau, 1B
4. Michael Cuddyer, 2B
5. Jim Thome, DH
6. Danny Valencia, 3B
7. Delmon Young, LF
8. Jason Repko, RF
9. Drew Butera, C

Starting pitcher: RH Scott Baker (2-3, 3.65 ERA)

TIGERS (28-26)

1. Don Kelly, LF
2. Ramon Santiago, 2B
3. Brennan Boesch, RF
4. Miguel Cabrera, 1B
5. Victor Martinez, DH
6. Andy Dirks, CF
7. Jhonny Peralta, SS
8. Alex Avila, C
9. Brandon Inge, 3B

Starting pitcher: RH Rick Porcello (4-2, 3.08 ERA)

2011 Twins Game Recaps

Game 53: Detroit Tigers 8, Minnesota Twins 7

7 Comments

I almost think it was better when the team was getting blown out. It is very frustrating to have the bullpen rip the team's guts out over and over. Kevin Slowey needs to man up and pitch 300 innings out of the 'pen, and the Twins should send their 5 best prospects to the Angels for Torii Hunter who could play in the middle infield and the outfield and close. If they made these moves, I'm sure the team would win their next one hundred and nine games in a row.

I apologize, but between their poor play and stuff in my life I have very little to say about this game or this team right now. I assume you all understand. Now I will return to listening to "Let's Get This Paper" by Rich Boy (Warning: Explicit Lyrics, absolutely bananas beat) on repeat for the rest of the evening.

Final Score: Detroit Tigers 8, Minnesota Twins 7
Twins Record: 17-36, 15.5 GB in the AL Central. This may as well be 115.5 GB.
WP: Al Alburqerque (3-1) | LP: Kevin Slowey (0-36)