Tag Archives: Baltimore Orioles

2011 Twins Game Logs

2011 Game 127: Mauers w/Pauers at P*ssy Single Hitters

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Tonight, the Twins get to take on somebody their own size for a change. The O's are a sad 47-77, on pace for 101 losses per coolstandings.com.

Pitching matchup:
Zach Jeremy Britton for the O's (scheduled; he's coming off the 15-day DL, although it was for a strain in his non-pitching shoulder)
Carl Pavanostache for the Twins.

Bal'more is tied with Minnesota and Seattle for having used the most position players this season (35 different players have had PA), but they've gotten much better offensive production out of all that deck-chair shuffling (team OPS+ of 99, compared to 85 for the Twinkies).

On the bright side, the O's pitching staff leads the AL in HR allowed by a wide margin (157; Twins are tied for second at 130) and is last in the AL in "defensive efficiency" according to b-r (Twins are two rungs higher). So I'm rooting for a slugfest. How long has it been since Jimbo had a three-HR game??

(oh, and that Wieters guy? He's hitting 261/319/404 with 12 HRs and 69:32 K:BB in 426 PA, compared to Joe's 288/350/352, 1 HR and 33:23 in 277; so I suppose you could say that the moniker kind of fits this season)

2011 Twins Game Recaps

Game 19 Recap: Twins 3, Orioles 1

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MINNESOTA 3, BALTIMORE 1
Record - 7-12 (Last in the Central)
Highest WPA - Baker (7.0 IP, 0 R, 9 SO) and Thome (2 for 4, HR, 2 RBI)
Lowest WPA - Hoey (0.0 IP, 2 H) and Valencia (1 for 4, SB)
Notable - Jim Thome has hit .455 (5 for 11) in the three Thursday games this season and has a positive WPA in all three.
Fangraphs
MLB Recap

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The story in this one was Scott Baker.  For the second consecutive outing, he looked really good.  Nine strikeouts (only one walk) in seven innings.  Only four hits allowed, and the O's went 0 for 5, with a walk, against him with runners in scoring position.  That was actually better than batters had done against Baker in that situation so far in 2011.  With this game added in, now opponents are hitting .000/.048/.000 (21 PAs) against him with runners in scoring position so far this season.  With that in mind it's probably unlikely that we'll continue to see Baker completely shut teams down as he has recently, but it's a good reminder that he's got the stuff to strike some people out when he's in a jam (24 K's in 25 IP in 2011) and if he keeps the ball in the park (6 of his 7 runs allowed courtesy of the longball - 14.3% HR/FB) he can be a real good pitcher.

Speaking of the longball, Jim Thome and Michael Cuddyer each poked one out, and Thome added an RBI single to supply the offense.  It seems like a fool's errand to attempt to draw any conclusions about this team offensively when so many parts are missing, so I'll just stick with the sentiment that I'm glad the offense scored enough runs to make the gem that Scottie pitched stand up.

First Thursday win of the season!

And the first Thursday that didn't end up with a regular on the DL!! (Mauer last week, Nishioka the week before)

Does it get any better?

 

2011 Twins Game Logs

2011 Game 18: twins at ORIOLES

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image

According to mlb.com Blac_burn "is 1-2 with a 5.79 ERA in four career appearances against the Orioles."  Change the ERA to 3.06 and you have pitching joe's numbers for this season. I refuse to look up any more stats for Nick, as with the way this week has gone ignorance is bliss.

But I do think he's been pitching well this season. Hail Blackbeard the Pirate Ace who loves hitting the plank.
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2011 Twins Game Recaps, View from the Ballpark

2011 Game 16: Twins 5, Orioles 3

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Weather: 67°F, partly cloudy
Wind: 2 mph, out to CF
Attendance: 13,138
Time: 2:50

Twins record: 6-10 (tied for last in AL Central, 6.0 GB)
Fangraphs boxscore | MLB Game Wrap

Highlights:

  • Highest WPA, hitter: Butera .224 (2-4, 1 2b, 3 RBI) | Highest WPA, pitcher: Hoey .236 (1.1 IP, K)
  • Jim Hoey's firefighting in his Twins debut
  • The Twins have now managed to string two wins together for the first time this season.

Lowlights:

  • Lowest WPA, hitter: Span, -.087 (0-5, 2 SO) | Lowest WPA, pitcher: Mijares, .020 (0.1 IP, HBP)
  • Top 5 hitters in the order: 2-21, R, 8 SO
  • Tolbert: still batting second
  • Chris Guccione's kaleidoscope eyes

Given the night the top five batters in the order had, there's no way the Twins could have expected to win this game. Not with one of the four remaining spots in the lineup featuring a middle infielder with a bat -34.7 runs above average in 1108 career plate appearances. Not with one of the three remaining slots featuring a backup catcher, forced into a starting role, whose bat was worth -10.3 runs above average in 2010. Yet that backup catcher knocked in three of the evening's five runs and secured the win with what, thanks to some shaky ninth inning relief, proved to be a key run-producing double late in the game.
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2011 Twins Game Logs

2011 Game 16: Twins at Orioles

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6:05 Central Time start. Why is this night different from all others?

Happy Passover. Orioles are indeed kosher.

I for one have had about enough of bitter herbs this spring. Time to make some Hillel Sandwiches out of the opposition. Pass the matzot. And don't ask me what I am drinking in the third inning.
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