Tag Archives: Minnesota Twins

2011 Twins Game Recaps

Game #58: Twins 6, Royals 0

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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

2011 Twins Game Logs

2011 Game 56: Twins at Royals

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Carl Pavano v Danny Duffy.

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.

2011 Twins Game Recaps

Game 55 Recap: Twins 8, Royals 2

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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

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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.

  • When the Twins score in 0 innings of a game, they are 0-5.
  • When the Twins score in 1 inning, they are 4-8.
  • When the Twins score in 2 innings, they are 4-13.
  • When the Twins score in 3 innings, they are 7-4.
  • When the Twins score in 4 innings, they are 2-7.
  • When the Twins score in 5 innings, they are 1-0.

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.

2011 Twins Game Recaps

Game #51: Angels 6, Twins 5

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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.

Keeping Track

This Week in Twins Transactions

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.

2011 Twins Game Recaps

2011 Game 49 Recap: City of Angels Squared 6, Land o’ Lakes Twins 5

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Weather: 53 degrees and overcast
Wind: 10 mph, right to left
Time: 3:21
Attendance: 38,976

 

Box Score
Fangraphs

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.

Keeping Track

Happy Birthday–May 25

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Al Reach (1840)
Lip Pike (1845)
Tip O'Neill (1858)
Joe Judge (1894)
Martin Dihigo (1905)
Lindsey Nelson (1919)
Bill Sharman (1926)|
Jim Marshall (1931)
W. P. Kinsella (1935)
Glenn Borgmann (1950)
John Montefusco (1950)
Bob Knepper (1954)
Kerwin Danley (1961)
Dave Hollins (1966)
Bill Haselman (1966)
Joey Eischen (1970)
Todd Walker (1973)
Miguel Tejada (1974)
Jason Kubel (1982)

Basketball Hall of Famer Bill Sharman was a minor league outfielder from 1950-1953 and in 1955, reaching AAA with St. Paul.

Today is also the birthday of Twins' farmhand Pat Dean (1985).

Continue reading Happy Birthday–May 25 →

2011 Twins Game Recaps

Game #45: Diamondbacks 3, Twins 2

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Twins record: 15-30
Fangraphs
MLB Game Wrap

If this were a season in which the Twins had lost fewer than two games for every game they've won, today's loss would probably be one of those Sunday roll-over games that doesn't sting too much. Heck, even this year, this is one of those that doesn't sting too much. From what I know of him, Dan Hudson has looked like a pretty good pitcher fairly consistently in his major league career so far, so it's not that shocking to see the Twins' bats shut down by him. And Liriano, while not as steady as last week in Seattle, was decent enough to be officially "Quality". Still, anyone who heard Alex Burnett was coming into a tie game in the seventh, and subsequently heard he'd given up the go-ahead run, should probably have responded with an "Of course, that happened."

Even after a weekend of disappointment and heartbreak, the Twins finished with a 3 and 4 road trip. Most years, you'd take a 3 and 4 road trip. Most weeks after you lose every game the previous week, you'd take a 3 and 4 road trip. If the Twins have any hope of being competitive at this point, though, 3 and 4 road trips probably need to turn into 4 and 3, 5 and 2, or maybe even more than that.

Hitter of the Week: I really want to be able to give this to a catcher again someday, so I'll just pick Rene Rivera.
Pitcher of the Week: Again, he wasn't his sharpest today, but he was okay, and he was great last week - Francisco Liriano had two quality starts, which was one more than anyone else.

2011 Twins Game Logs

2011 Game 43: Minnesota Twins at Arizona Diamondbacks

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Brian Duensing vs Ian Kennedy

And now begins the interleague preview.

The Twins have played the Diamondbacks three times. The most recent series was here in 2008, sweeping them. Livan out pitched Webb for the win in game 1. The Twins visited Arizona in 2005, winning the series 2-1, and again in 2004 with the same results. Their sole loss was a complete game by Randy Johnson. I guess Silva, Aaron Fultz, and Joe Roa weren't a good match against him. In 2003, the Twins lost the series 1-2, with the sole win coming from spot starter Santana. It was his final start for a month before he was permanently installed in the rotation.

Following the clear progression, I predict a sweep.