Twins record: 56-77
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MLB Game Wrap
Oh hey, the Twins won a game.
Hitter of the Week: Luke Hughes
Pitcher of the Week: Matt Capps
Tag Archives: Minnesota Twins
2011 Game 131 Recap: Tigers 8, Twins 1
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.
Happy Birthday–August 27
Lew Simmons (1838)
Hal Janvrin (1892)
Peanuts Lowrey (1917)
Joe Cunningham (1931)
Jim King (1932)
Ernie Broglio (1935)
Joe McCabe (1938)
Ed Herrmann (1946)
Buddy Bell (1951)
Mike Maddux (1961)
Brian McRae (1967)
Jim Thome (1970)
Jose Vidro (1974)
Where They Stand
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.
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.
Happy Birthday–August 23
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.
Game #126: Yankees 3, Twins 0
Twins record: 55-71
Fangraphs
MLB Game Wrap
Hitter of the Week: Jim Thome
Pitcher of the Week: Anthony Swarzak
2011 Game 124 Recap: Evil Incarnate 8, Shadows of Their Former Selves 1
Weather: 75 degrees, overcast
Wind: 12 mph, out to RF
Time: 2:44
Attendance: 41,328
Words cannot express my disgust with this game, with the New York Yankees baseball club as an organization, with certain New York Yankees players in particular, and with the run of rotten luck inflicted on the Twins this season.
But this baby can.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfZjg1X6BXk
Where They Stand
Minnesota is 54-69, fourth in the AL Central, 11 games behind Detroit. The Twins have lost one consecutive game and are 3-7 in their last ten games.
Rochester is 47-79, sixth in the IL North, 24.5 games behind Pawtucket and Lehigh Valley. The Red Wings have lost three consecutive games and are 2-8 in their last ten games. They have been eliminated from the playoffs.
New Britain is 61-63, fourth in the EL East, 8 games behind New Hampshire. The Rock Cats have lost one consecutive game and are 5-5 in their last ten games. They are 1 game behind Reading and Trenton for the last playoff spot.
Ft. Myers is 20-32 in the second half, fifth in the FSL South, 13 games behind Bradenton. The Miracle has lost one consecutive game and is 4-6 in its last ten games. Their elimination number is 6.
Beloit is 24-28 in the second half, fourth in the ML West, 7 games behind Kane County. The Snappers have lost one consecutive game and are 5-5 in their last ten games. They are 4 games behind Clinton for the last playoff spot.
Elizabethton is 32-24, second in the AL West, 5 games behind Johnson City. The Twins have won three consecutive games and are 7-3 in their last ten games. They are 1 game ahead of Kingsport for the last playoff spot. The Appalachian League season ends August 30.
The GCL Twins are 23-28, third in the GCL South, 10 games behind the Orioles. The Twins have lost one consecutive game and are 4-6 in their last ten games. They have been eliminated from the playoffs. The Gulf Coast League season ends August 27.
The DSL Twins are 42-25, second in the B. C. B. C., 2 games behind the Orioles. The Twins have lost two consecutive games and are 7-3 in their last ten games. Their elimination number is 2. The DSL season ends tomorrow.
This Week in Twins Transactions
Justin Morneau was activated from the disabled list.
Alexi Casilla was activated from the disabled list, then was placed on the disabled list the next day.
Jason Repko was placed on the fifteen day disabled list.
Kevin Slowey was promoted from Rochester to Minnesota.
Trevor Plouffe was optioned from Minnesota to Rochester, then was recalled to Minnesota two days later.
Cole Nelson and Lester Oliveros were acquired from Detroit for Delmon Young. Nelson was sent to Ft. Myers and Oliveros was sent to Rochester.
Rene Tosoni was promoted from Rochester to Minnesota.
Luke Hughes was promoted from Rochester to Minnesota.
Denard Span was placed on the fifteen day disabled list.
Mike Hollimon was sent from Rochester to New Britain.
Ray Chang was activated from the disabled list by Rochester.
David Bromberg was placed on the seven day disabled list by New Britain with shoulder tendonitis.
Michael Tarsi was activated from the disabled list by New Britain.
Clint Dempster was placed on the seven day disabled list by Ft. Myers.
Jon Goncalves was sent from Ft. Myers to Beloit.
Daniel Santana was placed on the seven day disabled list by Beloit.
Nate Roberts was placed on the seven day disabled list by Beloit.
Tyler Jones signed and was assigned to Elizabethton.
Brett Lee signed and was assigned to the GCL Twins.