Tag Archives: Minnesota Twins

2011 Twins Game Recaps, Minnesota Twins

2011 Game 137 Recap: Gemini 13, Cherubim 5

2 Comments

Weather: 74 degrees, clear
Wind: 3 mph, out to CF
Time: 3:23
Attendance: 37,198

BOX SCORE
FANGRAPHS

The dog days of summer were not good to the Twins this year. The team posted its worst monthly record ever in August, winning just seven games while losing 21. If Target Field weren't such a lovely place, and if Minnesotans weren't so gosh darn polite, you'd probably see a lot of empty seats in the stands for home games after a month like that. For my own part, I knew going into the season that August would be a lost month for me as far as watching baseball goes. Major product launch at work, family road trip vacation, getting ready to send Elder daughter to college. I just figured back in April that August would be a lost cause. I was more right than I could have known.

But those hot August nights are behind us now, and the Twins/Red Wings want to finish the season strong. At this point, that basically means staying out of last place in the worst division in baseball. For a team that's never been in first place this year, or even above .500 this year, even that may prove to be a tall order.

So what can you say about a meaningless road win in September? Well, you can say its better than a meaningless road loss in September. You can say Carl Pavano pitched an okay game, giving up four runs, just three of them earned, in six and three-quarters innings. You can say the Twins were facing a rookie pitcher who struggled with his control, and that the Angels bullpen resembled nothing more than the Twins bullpen, allowing seven runs in five innings. And you can say that it was the Twins, not the Angels, who played like they were only a few games out of first place going into the home stretch of the season.

You could probably say a lot more if you actually watched the whole game instead of just the last couple of innings.

Keeping Track

Where They Stand

4 Comments

Minnesota is 57-79, fourth in the AL Central, 17.5 games behind Detroit.  The Twins are on a one game winning streak and are 2-8 in their last ten games.

New Britain is 70-67, second in the EL East, 3.5 games behind New Hampshire, 0.5 games ahead of Reading for the last playoff spot.  The Rock Cats are on a one game winning streak and are 6-4 in their last ten games.

Ft. Myers is 26-39 in the second half, sixth in the FSL South, 15 games behind Bradenton.  The Miracle is on a one game winning streak and is 5-5 in their last ten games.

Beloit is 30-35 in the second half, fourth in the ML West, 9 games behind Quad Cities.  The Snappers are on a three game winning streak and are 4-6 in their last ten games.

Elizabethton finished the regular season 42-26, 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 regular season games.  They are currently tied 1-1 with Bluefield in the first round of the playoffs.

The GCL Twins ended their season 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.

Keeping Track

This Week in Twins Transactions

7 Comments

Jason Repko was activated from the disabled list by Minnesota.
Rene Rivera was promoted from Rochester to Minnesota.
Matt Tolbert was sent from Minnesota to Rochester.
Scott Diamond was promoted from Rochester to Minnesota.
Jim Hoey was promoted from Rochester to Minnesota.
Tom Stuifbergen was promoted from Ft. Myers to Rochester.
Michael Tarsi was placed on the seven day disabled list by New Britain.
Pat Dean was promoted from Ft. Myers to New Britain.
Clint Dempster was activated from the disabled list by Ft. Myers.
Alexi Casilla was sent to Ft. Myers on a rehab assignment.
Sam Spangler was placed on the seven day disabled list by Beloit.
Ben Tootle was activated from the disabled list by Beloit.

2011 Twins Game Recaps, Minnesota Twins

2011 Game 131 Recap: Tigers 8, Twins 1

3 Comments

Box Score
Fangraphs

Weather: 86 degrees, clear
Wind: 12 mph, out to RF
Time: 2:55
Attendance: 38,918

I woke up with a head pounding like Niagara Falls and a mouth as dry as Death Valley. An empty bourbon bottle lay on its side on the table, another soldier that gave its last full measure. The dame was long gone, more than a month ago now. One night while we were having a few laughs she slipped me a mickey and took a powder, taking the mojo and my wallet with her. Yeah, she played me for a real sap, and I let her. The name's Twayn. I'm a shamus.

I thought I had her angle figured, see? It seemed clear that the dame was setting me up for a double cross. It was the smart move, after all. Hire me to find the mojo for her, then stick a shiv in my back and make tracks. There's no shortage of teams looking for some mojo this time of year, and they're willing to shell out a stack of semollians to get it. Some of them aren't above using a dame to get what they want. I was onto her from the start, but I let my guard down that night. Maybe it was the way her eyes shined in the moonlight, or the sob story she poured out along with the whiskey.

I've heard a lot of sob stories in my day. They mostly went along with the sound of a tinny piano playing in the parlor downstairs. "Mister, I met a man once when I was young," it always began. This one wasn't much different. So I let her set the hook and start reeling. I just didn't figure she'd make her move quite so fast. Now the mojo is gone for good, and things have been going south ever since she flew the coop. Bad pitching, bad hitting, bad defense -- it's pretty much been the perfect storm of horseshit baseball for the team. And to top if off, Jim Thome got shanghaied to Cleveland.

I still watch the games most nights. Call it my self-imposed penance for letting the mojo get away, and since the boys downtown pulled my license I don't have a lot to do these days. But it doesn't take a detective to see the signs of a team that's lost its mojo. A 5-18 record in August, the worst in the major leagues. Six losses in a row, and no more than a run scored in any of them. Hell, the boys haven't scored more than a run in 13 of their last 23 games. And for the first time in franchise history, they've lost six straight games at home.

I pull the covers back and drag my sad sack of bones out of the bed, run fingers through my hair and head for the shower. There's an afternoon game today, and I need to get to the liquor store before first pitch. Maybe I should just get a case this time. I have a hunch it's going to be a long September.

Keeping Track

Where They Stand

2 Comments

Minnesota is 55-75, fourth in the AL Central, 16 games behind Detroit.  They have lost five consecutive games and are 2-8 in their last ten games.

Rochester is 48-85, sixth in the IL North, 26.5 games behind Pawtucket and Lehigh Valley.  They have lost six consecutive games and are 1-9 in their last ten games.

New Britain is 66-65, third in the EL East, 5 games behind New Hampshire.  They have won one consecutive game and are 6-4 in their last ten games.  They are 1 game behind Reading for the last playoff spot.

Ft. Myers is 22-35 in the second half, fifth in the FSL South, 14 games behind Bradenton.  They have lost two consecutive games and are 2-8 in their last ten games.

Beloit is 26-33 in the second half, fourth in the ML West, 9 games behind Quad Cities.  They have lost five consecutive games and are 3-7 in their last ten games.

Elizabethton is 37-26, second in the AL West, 5 games behind Johnson City.  They have won three consecutive games and are 8-2 in their last ten games.  The Appalachian League season ends August 30.

The GCL Twins are 30-28, second in the GCL South, 7 games behind the Orioles.  They have won seven consecutive games and are 9-1 in their last ten games.  The GCL season ends tomorrow.

The DSL Twins finished 42-26, second in the B. C. B. C., 3 games behind the Orioles.  They lost their last three games and were 6-4 in their last ten games.

Keeping Track

This Week in Twins Transactions

Nick Blackburn was placed on the fifteen day disabled list by Minnesota.
Lester Oliveros was promoted from Rochester to Minnesota.
A player to be named later was acquired from Cleveland for Jim Thome.
Francisco Liriano was placed on the fifteen day disabled list by Minnesota.
Scott Diamond was promoted from Rochester to Minnesota.
Jason Repko was assigned from Minnesota to Rochester.
Jair Fernandez was promoted from New Britain to Rochester.
Caleb Thielbar signed and was assigned to Ft. Myers.
Kyle Knudson was placed on the seven day disabled list by Beloit.
Michael Gonzales was activated from the disabled list by Beloit.
Nate Roberts was activated from the disabled list by Beloit.

Keeping Track

Happy Birthday–August 23

1 Comment

George Davis (1870)
Guy Bush (1901)
Lonny Frey (1910)
Nels Potter (1911)
Carl Pohlad (1915)
Dale Mitchell (1921)
George Kell (1922)
Sherm Lollar (1924)
John Romano (1934)
Marty Martinez (1941)
Ron Blomberg (1948)
Jerry White (1952)
Mike Boddicker (1957)
Julio Franco (1958)
Randy St. Claire (1960)
Casey Blake (1973)
Mark Bellhorn (1974)

Carl Pohlad, of course, was the owner of the Twins for many years.

Continue reading Happy Birthday–August 23 →