Keeping Track

Minor Details: Games of 6/12

3 Comments

Toledo 6, Rochester 3 in Toledo.  The Mud Hens scored three in the first and the Red Wings never caught up.  Aaron Bates had two singles and a double, raising his average to .355.  Tsuyoshi Nishioka singled and doubled.  Eric Hacker surrendered all six runs on nine hits and two walks in 4.2 innings.  Jake Stevens pitched 2.1 innings of scoreless relief, giving up just one hit.

Erie 2, New Britain 0 in New Britain.  Chris Cates had two doubles, which was half of the Rock Cats hit total.  Dennis Suarez worked seven strong innings, giving up one run on three hits and two walks, but took a tough loss.

Bradenton 7, Ft. Myers 3 in Ft. Myers.  The Mets scored three runs in the last two innings to put the game away.  Steve Liddle had three hits.  Edgar Ibarra allowed four runs (two earned) on ten hits and a walk in five innings.  Ricky Bowen pitched two shutout innings, giving up no hits but two walks.

Beloit 7, Lake County 2 in Beloit.  Andrew Achter struck out six in six shutout innings, giving up three hits and three walks.  Wang-wei Lin singled and doubled.  Jairo Perez had two hits.

DSL Twins—No game scheduled.

Keeping Track

Happy Birthday–June 13

Jim Mutrie (1851)
Bill Bergen (1878)
Gene Desautels (1907)
Mel Parnell (1922)
Dave Rosenfield (1931)
Tom Cheek (1939)
Marcel Lachemann (1941)
Ernie Whitt (1952)
Darrell May (1972)

A part-time catcher for eleven seasons, Bill Bergen played in 947 major league games, gettting 3,028 at-bats.  In those at-bats, he compiled a batting line of .170/.194/.201.  He must have been a tremendous defender.

There do not appear to be any players with connections to the Minnesota Twins who were born on this day.

The Nation Has An Appetite

Summer Salad Satisfaction

3 Comments

In Friday's CoC, Greek(??) was calling for recipes to up his veggie intake. The specific context was Indian food, but I was determined to have burritos last night, so the Indian recipes will have to wait.

Instead, I'm offering a refreshing, crunchy salad/salsa, easy to make and perfect to accompany something On The Grill (ahem -- consider that a Batsignal, Banjo).

Cucumber-Corn Salad with Chile-Lime Dressing

1 can sweet corn (or 2 ears fresh corn, preferably roasted, and stripped) 1/2 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
1 red bell pepper, roasted, peeled and chopped 1 avocado, diced
1 tbsp chopped cilantro, with stems chile-lime vinaigrette to taste

for the dressing:
1 tsp ground chile (New Mexico or California, or paprika can substitute, 1/4 to 1/2 tsp cayenne
a big pinch of kosher salt and a few grinds of black pepper

1-2 cloves of garlic, smushed into a paste, 1 tbsp honey
juice of 1/2 lime plus grated lime zest, extra virgin olive oil

gently heat the chile, salt and pepper to "bloom" the essential oils (a quick zap in the microwave, or heat briefly in a small frying pan). Put into a small mixing bowl and combine with honey, then the garlic and lime. Whisk in olive oil until you've reached your desired consistency (about 1/3 cup of oil). Check for seasoning. If it needs more acidity, add a few drops of red wine vinegar or more lime juice.

gently combine all vegetables and dress with the viniagrette. Mix in the cilantro and serve. This works as a salad or salsa. Great accompaniment to grilled chicken, ribs, pork, fish, black beans...beer and chips.

2011 Twins Game Logs, Minnesota Twins, MLB

Game 65: Rangers at Red Wings

198 Comments

No, this isn't the Stanley Cup Finals. This is a baseball game. And it is an opportunity for the Twins to win their third straight series. I would have to say I would be satisfied with a split giving the minor league nature of the lineup, but a win would sure be sweet.

The mound matchup is Matt Harrison vs. Francisco Liriano. So, another lefty to pitch against the Twins, the third in the series. Probably a good time for Justin Morneau to get a few days off, if there is such a thing. Harrison had little margin for error with a below-average K rate and he doesn't help himself much by walking more than average. His groundball rate is only average, but despite all this he has a shiny 122 ERA+. His stats show that he has gotten a ton of popups and double plays and has allowed few line drives, so it looks like he has had pretty good command despite the excessive walks. FWIW, the Twins have hit him well, but most of those in the lineup today weren't in the lineup the last time he pitched against the Twins. Harrison also has been trying to pass a kidney stone, so don't be surprised if he collapses in pain during the game.

Liriano was solid in his last start and hasn't allowed more than two runs in his previous three starts. Hopefully, he's getting ready to start dominating again. For the Twins to continue this run of good play, the starters will have to lead the way. It's difficult to imagine that this lineup will continue to score runs like they have of late. However, I've got to say, Ben Revere is quickly moving up my list of favorite players. GO WINGS!!

Remodeled basement. Same half-baked taste.