Tag Archives: Minnesota Twins

Game #159: Twins 6, Indians 4

Twins record: 61-98
Fangraphs
MLB Game Wrap

I didn't watch a bit of this game today. I barely paid attention to it online. But, I was glad to see they won it in the extra frame. Obviously, my ideas and enthusiasm for recapping games this season were tapped out by the end of July. I would apologize to the WGOM Nation for that, but I don't think the Twins are going to be apologizing to me any time soon, so we'll all just have to live with it.

Without going into too many specific points or breakdowns, I will say that I am not at this time particularly optimistic about this organization's chances for success in the near-term going forward. I was on record (privately, but I know I told this to at least one Citizen) before the season as believing the Twins would definitely not win the division or make the playoffs. I didn't foresee a collapse this large, but I didn't foresee the injury disasters of this season, either. However, I don't believe the injuries alone account for the weaknesses of this roster's construction. I believed in March, and I still do, that this roster, even at full strength, was not as good as last year's team and not good enough to make the playoffs. I hope the organization takes some major steps this offseason to address turning the team back around. I'm not sure I have much faith in the current regime's ability to do that meaningfully and successfully, though. I hope they prove me wrong.

Since this is the last Sunday recap of the season, I tallied up my non-joke Hitter and Pitcher of the Week awards. I now present you with the Second Annual DK Hitters and Pitcher of the Season.

Co-Hitters: Jim Thome and Jason Kubel each were awarded weekly honors five times. It's hard to remember (for me, anyway), but for a couple of months before he got hurt and the Team MVP took over, Kubel basically was the Twins' entire offense. I think all but one of his awards came in April or May. Thome, meanwhile, is the sentimental and very deserving pick for reaching a career milestone in a Twins uniform.

Pitcher: Scott Baker was also named five times this season. This, too, may be hard to remember, since he was shelved by injury for almost the entire second half, but Light Rail was by far the best starting pitcher the Twins had, showing, I hope, those who doubt him that he really can be a very valuable piece of the rotation puzzle when he's healthy.

2011 Game 156 Recap: Twins 5, Gentleman Masher 3, Other Indians 3

Weather: 61 degrees, drizzle
Wind: 12 mph, L to R
Time: 2:52 (:27 delay)
Attendance: 36,807

Box Score
Fangraphs

By the banks of the mighty Cuyahoga River (Non-flammable for Half a Century!™), the good people of Cleveland paid tribute tonight to Jim Thome. The Gentleman Masher rose to the occasion with a home run, a double, and an infield single, driving in half of the Tribe's runs for the night. I'm going to miss that guy. Oh, hell - I miss him already.

Like many games this season, the Twins could just as easily have won this one had they been able to coax a clutch hit with men in scoring position. The Twins left a team total of 11 runners on base, and left runners in scoring position in seven innings.

Despite that brain-rattling level of offensive impotence, the Twins managed to score five runs off Cleveland, four of them off starter Justin Masterson, who struggled with his command and didn't make it out of the fifth inning.

Chris Parmelee earned his coffee tonight by leading off the Twins' scoring in the top of the first, driving in Ben Revere and Trevor Plouffe! with a roller up the middle that made it to the grass just in time. In his next at bat leading off the third inning, Parmelee jacked one into the right field seats and took a 360-foot stroll. Joe Benson added to the Twins' tally with a productive out, scoring Dinkleman on what would have been a double play if not for a throwing error by pivot man Jason Kipnis.

With the game tied 5-5 going to the home half of the ninth inning, Twins skipper Ron Gardenhire sent seven-million dollar man Matthew Dicus Capps to the mound to extend the game. Instead, he extended an invitation to mash a tater to pinch hitter Carlos Santana, who deposited said tuber over the fence in right center. Meanwhile, in the District of Columbia, young Wilson "League Minimum" Ramos has played in 109 games and booked 420 plate appearances. He's batting .267 with a 112 OPS+. Drew Butera is not.

Game 155 Recap: Twins 3, Mariners 2

A win, an honest-to-God win.  I haven't seen on of these on my recap day since....

(goes to check the archives) ....

(scrolls further back in the archives) ....

Ah, here it is - July 14 was the last time the Twins won on a Thursday (they moved to 6 games under .500 on that day, 6 games out of first).  Which reminds me, let's check out the day-of-the-week standings with 6 days and 7 games (double-header on Saturday, get excited!) remaining.

W L PCT
Sunday 10 14 .417
Monday 4 15 .211
Tuesday 10 12 .455
Wednesday 12 11 .522
Thursday 8 10 .444
Friday 8 16 .333
Saturday 8 17 .320

I would have bet and lost a large sum of money that there wasn't a day of the week over .500 this season.  I will note that Tuesday now has the longest losing streak at 8 games (going back to July 26).

 

Happy Birthday–September 19

Yank Robinson (1859)
Stuffy McInnis (1890)
Roger Angell (1920)
Epitacio Torres (1921)
Bob Murphy (1924)
Duke Snider (1926)
Bob Turley (1930)
Bill Williams (1930)
Chris Short (1937)
Joe Morgan (1943)
Joe Ferguson (1946)
Masaji Hiramatsu (1947)
Joe Maddon (1954)
Charlie Reliford (1955)
Randy Myers (1962)
Jim Abbott (1967)
Pedro Munoz (1968)
Javier Valentin (1975)
Mike Smith (1977)
Scott Baker (1981)
Danny Valencia (1984)

Continue reading Happy Birthday–September 19

Where They Stand

Minnesota is 59-84, fifth in the AL Central, 22 games behind Detroit.  The Twins are on a one game winning streak and are 3-7 in their last ten games.

Rochester finished 53-91, sixth in the IL North, 29 games behind Pawtucket.  The Red Wings finished on a two game losing streak and were 4-6 in their last ten games.

New Britain finished 72-70, third in the EL East, 5 games behind New Hampshire.  The Rock Cats finished on a one game losing streak and were 5-5 in their last ten games.

Ft. Myers overall was 63-76, fifth in the FSL South, 12 games behind Bradenton.  In the first half, the Miracle was 34-36, second in the FSL South, 4 games behind St. Lucie.  In the second half, the Miracle was 29-40, fifth in the FSL South, 16 games behind Bradenton.  The Miracle finished on a one game losing streak and was 6-4 in its last ten games.

Beloit overall was 69-69, third in the ML West, 12.5 games behind Quad Cities.  In the first half, the Snappers were 38-32, tied for third in the ML West, 7 games behind Burlington.  In the second half, the Snappers were 31-37, tied for fourth in the ML West, 10 games behind Quad Cities.  The Snappers finished on a one game losing streak and were 5-5 in their last ten games.

Elizabethton finished 42-46, second in the AL West, 3 games behind Johnson City.  The Twins finished on an eight game winning streak and were 9-1 in their last ten games.  They qualified for the playoffs, losing two games to one to Bluefield in the first round.

The GCL Twins finished 31-29, second in the GCL South, 7 games behind the Orioles.  The Twins finished on a one game winning streak and were 8-2 in their last ten games.

The DSL Twins finished 42-26, second in the B. C. B. C., 3.5 games behind the Orioles.  The Twins finished on a three game losing streak and were 6-4 in their last ten games.