2011 Twins Game Logs

2011 Game 72: Twins at Giants

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Nick Blackburn 6-4, 91 IP, 3.16 ERA, 4.50 FIP, 3.82 xFIP, 0.6 WAR
Ryan Vogelsong 4-1, 64.2 IP, 1.92 ERA, 2.93 FIP, 3.37 xFIP, 1.5 WAR

If you find yourself looking at these numbers and saying, "What the hell is a Ryan Vogelsong?", you're not alone. Although his name seems only vaguely familiar to me, he's actually a couple of months older than I am and he's been kicking around pitching "meh" baseball for seven years now. From 2003-2006 he pitched rather poorly for the Pirates, then completely disappeared until last year when he pitched not so well for the Phillies AAA team, then was traded and pitched not particularly well for the Angels AAA team. So, naturally, now he's an effective starter for the defending champions.

Blackburn is an enigma as well, putting together a season (and, I suppose, a career) that I never saw coming. The Twins are now just seven games under .500 and six and a half games out of first after one of their best stretches ever, and although this is the kind of game that would have filled me with dread a few weeks ago, I'm finding it harder and harder to be pessimistic.

Keep it rolling, boys.

2011 Twins Game Recaps

Game 71: Minnesota Twins 9, San Francisco Giants 2

Well this sure was fun. The game started as I left my office, and by the time I got to my car it was already decided.

In the top of the first the Twins decided to celebrate the summer solstace by not making outs. This plan was, of course, ruined by Pavano's strike out and Joe GIDPer hitting into yet another double play. When all was said and done, the Twins tagged Madison Bumgarner for 9 hits, and 8 runs. He pitched one third of an inning. Yikes.

With a lot of room for error, Pavano pitched an efficient game. Thankfully he pitched much better than he hit batted. You chose the right profession, Carl. The game was essentially on cruise control until the 9th when Alexi "Babe Ruth" Casilla muscled up and hit his second homer in the last two games. If you extrapolate that out over the rest of the season, methinks Alexi will be in the running for MVP.

Eight wins in a row, three of them against the teams in last year's World Series, and two against the South Siders? Twins baseball is fun again. I am still surprised every time I see that they're under .500 on account of how good they've been playing. I'm thinking this is going to be a fun summer.

Final Score: Minnesota Twins 9, San Francisco Giants 2
Twins Record: 32-39, 6.5 GB in the AL Central. Do you suppose the Tigers & Native Persons hear footsteps yet?
WP: Carl Pavano (5-5) | LP: Madison Bumgarner (3-9)
Madison Bumgarner's Game Score Last Night? 2.

2011 Twins Game Logs

2011 Game Logs Game 71: Minnesota @ San Francisco Baseball Giants

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Carl Pavano

@

Madison Bumgarner

Are we having fun yet?

No matter what arbitrary end points you chose the Minnesota Twins have been playing pretty good baseball as of late. They have won 6 in a row-- 9 of 10--  14 of 16-- well, if you go back much further than June 1st it doesn't look too good but you get my point. The Minnesota Twins are starting to do what many predicted them to do at the start of the season, be a winning team with aspirations of a division title.  This isn't new information to anyone here, of course.

If the Twins do the unexpected and climb back from from 16 or so games back from the division lead to claim the AL Central title there is going to be a ton of revisionist history claiming this team got hot once star players like Joe Mauer, Jason Kubel, Jim Thome, Tsuyoshi Nishioka,  Glen Perkins (heh), Justin Morneau, Denard Span, Kevin Slowey, and Joe Nathan all returned to the line up from injury. Only then did this team start to live up to its expectations.  I am just here to remind everyone the following players are the ones who trimmed the division lead down to 7.5:

Ben Revere, Rene Tosoni, Brian Dinkelman, Matt Tolbert, Rene Rivera, Drew Butera, Luke Hughes, Jason Repko, Trevor Plouffe!, Anthony Sleestak, Phil Dumatrait, Chuck James, Eric Hacker, and well, not so much Jim Hoey.

Just remember Brian Dinkelman when Reusse complains on the radio in September saying this team had no chance until their players got healthy. Remember Rene Tosoni when Souhan says the Twins would have won the division by 15 games if Joe Mauer wasn't such a wuss. Remember Chuck James when the Twins prepare to face the Yankees in the first round of the playoffs, again.

Summer starts today and the Twins are looking good.

I don't know about you but this is starting to get fun.

Keeping Track

Minor Details: Games of 6/20

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Charlotte 7, Rochester 2 in Charlotte (Game 1—Scheduled 7 innings).  The Knights got all they needed with three in the second and put it away with four in the seventh.  All five Red Wings hits were singles.  Kyle Gibson struck out six in five innings but gave up six runs on eight hits.

Charlotte 5, Rochester 1 in Charlotte (Game 2—Scheduled 7 inningsz).  The Red Wings were limited to four hits in the nightcap, for a total of nine on the doubleheader.  Scott Diamond struck out eight in five innings, giving up three runs on three hits and two walks.

New Britain—No game scheduled.

Ft. Myers 6, Palm Beach 3 in Palm Beach.  The Miracle scored five in the seventh to overcome a 3-0 deficit.  Jamaal Hawkins had two hits.  Nick Romero tripled with the bases loaded to give Ft. Myers the lead.  Kane Holbrooks gave up three runs on four hits and two walks in five innings.  Andrew Albers worked a scoreless sixth to get the win.  Matt Hauser followed with two scoreless innings, and Dakota Watts blanked the Cardinals in the ninth to get his eighth save.

Beloit.  No games scheduled.

GCL Twins 2, Orioles 1 at Twins.  The Twins tied it with a run in the sixth and won with one in the ninth in their league opener.  Drew Leachman singled in Kelvin Silvania with the winning run.  The Twins had only five hits in the game.  Ricardo Arevalo pitched five innings, giving up an unearned run on three hits and three walks while striking out five.  Tyler Herr and Luis Nunez followed with two shutout innings each, with Nunez getting the win.

DSL Twins 9, Padres 0.  The Twins scored three in the first and three in the fifth.  They had only eight hits, but were aided by six Padres errors.  Felix Martinez singled and tripled.  Victor Arias singled and doubled, driving in three.  Sterling Bonilla struck out four in four innings, giving up three hits and a walk.  Randy Rosario followed with three hitless innings, walking two and getting the win.

Keeping Track

Happy Birthday–June 21

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Matt Kilroy (1866)
Randy Moore (1906)
Harold Seymour (1910)
Ed Lopat (1918)
Merle Harmon (1926)
Jackie Collum (1927)
Charlie Moore (1953)
Rick Sutcliffe (1956)
Jay Pettibone (1957)
Donovan Osborne (1969)
Garrett Jones (1981)

Merle Harmon broadcast Minnesota Twins games from 1967-1969.

We would also like to wish a very happy birthday MagUidhir, Sheenie, and UncleWalt's daughter.

Continue reading Happy Birthday–June 21 →

Remodeled basement. Same half-baked taste.