Twins record: 26-39
Fangraphs
MLB Game Wrap
[Picture of a giant exploding mushroom cloud, the resulting effect of the dropping of the F-BOMB on the Texas Rangers Baseball Club on the afternoon of June 12, 2011]
Hitter of the Week: The Team MVP, soon-to-be W.A.S.T.E. 2.0
Co-Pitchers Aces of the Week Team: Scott Baker and Francisco Liriano
Things are looking brighter. The Twins swept a mediocre team, won their first three game series against a better team, and did well against Texas.
Texas sends another lefty to the mound tonight, since it worked so well last night. Let's just not give up the game-tying homer this time, okay?
It's actually two weeks, but this still seems like an awfully long list:
Brian Dinkelman was promoted from Rochester to Minnesota.
Dusty Hughes was optioned from Minnesota to Rochester.
Luke Hughes was promoted from Rochester to Minnesota.
Chuck James was promoted from Rochester to Minnesota.
Jason Kubel was placed on the fifteen day disabled list.
Francisco Liriano was placed on the fifteen day disabled list, then came back off the disabled list.
Jose Mijares was activated from the disabled list.
Joe Nathan was placed on the fifteen day disabled list.
Trevor Plouffe was optioned from Minnesota to Rochester.
Ben Revere was promoted from Rochester to Minnesota.
Anthony Slama was promoted from Rochester to the major leagues, then was optioned to Rochester.
Jim Thome was placed on the fifteen day disabled list.
Rene Tosoni was promoted from Rochester.
Matthew Brown was released by Rochester.
Ray Chang was placed on the seven day disabled list by Rochester with a broken fibula.
Cole DeVries was promoted from New Britain to Rochester.
Mike Hollimon was promoted from New Britain to Rochester.
Jeremy Reed was traded to Rochester from Nashville.
Steve Singleton was promoted from New Britain to Rochester.
Michael Tarsi was promoted from New Britain to Rochester.
Joe Benson was placed on the seven day disabled list by New Britain with a sore left knee.
Brian Dozier was promoted from Ft. Myers to New Britain.
Jair Fernandez was activated from the disabled list by New Britain.
Blake Martin was promoted from Ft. Myers to New Britain.
Bruce Pugh was promoted from Ft. Myers to New Britain.
Spencer Steedley was placed on the seven day disabled list by New Britain.
Dennis Suarez was assigned to New Britain by Minnesota.
Ricky Bowen was assigned to Ft. Myers from extended spring training.
Matthew Hauser was promoted from Beloit to Ft. Myers.
Aaron Hicks was activated from the disables list by Ft. Myers.
Kane Holbrooks was activated from the disabled list by Ft. Myers.
Joe Mauer was assigned to Ft. Myers by Minnesota.
Tsuyoshi Nishioka was assigned to Ft. Myers by Minnesota.
Brad Tippett was released by Ft. Myers.
Dakota Watts was activated from the disabled list by Ft. Myers.
Hyeong-rok Choi was promoted from Elizabethton to Beloit.
Nelvin Fuentes was activated from the disabled list by Beloit.
Gunner Glad was released by Beloit.
Jairo Perez was promoted from the GCL Twins to Beloit.
Alexandre De Oliveira was placed on the restricted list by the DSL Twins.
Carlos Martinez was assigned to the DSL Twins by Minnesota.
Angel Mata was placed on the reserve list by the DSL Twins.
Aderlin Mejia was placed on the reserve list by the DSL Twins.
Joel Polanco was assigned to the DSL Twins by Minnesota.
Brayan Rivera was assigned to the DSL Twins by Minnesota.
Emilio Sepulveda was placed on the seven day disabled list by the DSL Twins.
Reyson Zoquiel was assigned to the DSL Twins by Minnesota.
MINNESOTA 5, TEXAS 4
Record - 24-38 (2.5 games out of 4th place)
Highest WPA - Chuck James (0.2 IP, SO), Casilla (2 for 5, GWRBI) and Cuddyer (2 for 4, HR, 3 RBI)
Lowest WPA - Mijares (2 batters faced, 2 hits), Revere and Morneau (both 0-4)
Fangraphs
MLB Recap
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Alexi Casilla in the last month - .325/.400/.410
Will it continue?
Probably not.
Is it fun while it lasts?
It was tonight.
Twins record: 21-37
Fangraphs
Whoops, I forgot I had to do one of these, so I'm going to get in, get out, and go to bed. The Twins won, we swept the Royals in KC, baseball is fun again, Duensing was on top of his game, there's some cool pictures from the WGOM get-together in the CoC, I can't think of as many things to say when the Twins win as when they lose. That's all I've got.
Hitter of the Week: I suppose I ought to give one of these to Alexi Casilla before he turns back into Alexi Casilla.
Pitcher of the Week: Carl Pavano
Pavano seems to be repeating his 2009. Unfortunately, the Twins are the recipients of the poor performance.
Duffy decided to return to baseball in 2010 and racked up some frequent flyer miles proving himself. Seven games with the Rafters (which B-R doesn't even list and I can't corroborate), two games with a rookie team (Arizona), two more with another rookie team (Idaho), three games at A+ (Delaware), and finally seven games at AA (Arkansas).
He averaged more than a strikeout per inning in the minors while walking three per nine innings. The strikeouts followed him, but the control lagged some. The number of free passes issued has monotonically decreased. I don't expect the Twins to change that.
MINNESOTA 8, KANSAS CITY 2
Record - 18-37 (Last in the Central)
Highest WPA - Swarzak (6.0 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 1 SO), and Rivera (1 for 3, BB, R, RBI)
Lowest WPA - Every single Twin who appeared in this game had a positive WPA.
Fangraphs
MLB Recap
-----------------------------
Here's your stupid stat of the day:
The Twins scored runs in 3 different innings last night, I was wondering how often that had happened this season, and so I generated the following results.
So, by bringing in Soria and setting the final 6 Twins hitters down in order, KC was playing right into our hands. It's obvious what would have happened if the Twins had scored runs in one of those innings.
Twins record: 17-34
Fangraphs
MLB Game Wrap
Not a lot to say. Dan Haren, even when he's not great, is pretty good. The Twins, this year, are not, and their infield defense today especially was not.
I feel kind of bad for Jim Hoey. I can't hate him. It's not his fault someone thought he was a decent trade return for a salary dump of a bona fide major league shortstop. It's not his fault someone thinks he's a major league quality relief pitcher, and it's not his fault that he keeps being asked to perform as one when it seems clear, right now, that he's not. When he came in the game in the top of the 9th today, the score was 5-3, and I figured that after he did his damage, the Twins were about to make it closer in the bottom of the 9th. They did, scoring two runs after Hoey gave up a home run to Mark Trumbo, the first batter he faced. It's been that kind of year.
Hitter of the Week: Denard Span
Pitcher of the Week: I ought to be more selective, but I can't, because suddenly it's the majority of the starting rotation that's keeping the Twins' heads anywhere close to above water. Nick Blackburn pitched a good game that he won, and Scott Baker and Anthony Swarzak pitched possibly even better games that they didn't win, earning them the undying ire of Twins broadcasters, but hopefully some respect from Twins fans.
Glen Perkins was placed on the fifteen day disabled list by Minnesota.
Kevin Slowey was placed on the fifteen day disabled list by Minnesota.
Jim Thome was activated from the disabled list by Minnesota.
Dusty Hughes was recalled from Rochester to Minnesota.
Jim Hoey was recalled from Rochester to Minnesota.
Luke Hughes was optioned from Minnesota to Rochester.
Ben Revere was optioned from Minnesota to Rochester.
Ryan Mullins was promoted from New Britain to Rochester.
Jake Stevens was promoted from New Britain to Rochester.
Jeff Manship was placed on the seven day disabled list with a sore right shoulder.
Tony Davis was promoted from Ft. Myers to New Britain.
Dakota Watts was placed on the seven day disabled list by Ft. Myers.
Brad Stillings was activated from the disabled list by Ft. Myers.
Derek McCallum was promoted from Beloit to Ft. Myers.
Kane Holbrooks was placed on the seven day disabled list by Ft. Myers.
Aaron Hicks was placed on the seven day disabled list by Ft. Myers.
Kyle Knudson was activated from the disabled list by Beloit.
Martire Garcia was released by Beloit.
A.J. Achter was promoted from Elizabethton to Beloit.
Angel Mata was placed on the reserve list by the DSL Twins.
Weather: 53 degrees and overcast
Wind: 10 mph, right to left
Time: 3:21
Attendance: 38,976
The boys from last year, so freewheelin',
are back on their heels now and reelin'
from a punch to the nose
and a heel to their toes
and a knee to the groin they're still feelin'.
It's not what we thought we were getting
and I'm glad that I'm not fond of betting;
I'd be down on my luck
and I'd lose my last buck
on a wager I'm best off forgetting.
Intemperate spring soon turns to summer,
but this season has been such a bummer
that I don't think I'll mind
when we leave it behind.
Reading Souhan always makes me feel dummer.
The Twins tilt tonight was no fans delight,
carnage in the bullpen's a terrible sight.
But no crying, no sorrow,
there's another game tomorrow
and maybe we'll have something go right.