Tag Archives: Minnesota Twins

2011 Twins Game Logs

2011 Game 37: Blue Jays at Twins

327 Comments

"It's been tough to watch lately. Really tough."

Just about every game log, regardless of writer, has started with some permutation of that phrase. It's been horrifically true, though. When the pitching's good, the offense declines to score any runs. When the offense does click and puts up a gargantuan run total (maybe something like five runs or so), the pitching blows it.

The injuries have played a factor, obviously, but Delmon Young, Joe Mauer, and Jim Thome are not going to turn this team into a division winner. In fact, I'm becoming increasingly pessimistic about our chances of breaking even (we'd have to play 69-57 from here on out to make it to .500. That's .547 from now on, and I don't know if we've seen more than a couple of games all year where they looked like they could play that way for any length of time.)

So, that's that. The team needs to turn around, and they can't wait for the star catcher to come back. They can't wait for the MVP first baseman to get his head right. They can't wait for the "mvp" (lower case) to Just. Stop. Sucking. It needs to happen right now. It probably won't happen (Sean's historical searchings didn't exactly provide a silver lining), but come on... giving up before June is for Pirates fans, right?

We've got Blackburn on the mound today, they've got Jo-Jo Reyes. Both seem to be fairly allergic to striking people out (though Blackburn's 3.5 k/9 is just absurd*), so I guess we can expect lots of hits today. That'll be a nice change of pace, at least.

Blackburn's our "big game pitcher" right? Well, we need this one. Go get 'em, Blackie.

2011 Twins Game Logs

2011 Game 36: Toronto Blue Jays at Minnesota Twins

309 Comments

Ricky Romero vs Carl Pavano.

Number of teams to make the postseason since 1995 that started at 12-23: one. The previous team to do that was the Blue Jays in 1989. In 1981, the Royals made the postseason with a worse record after 35 games, but unless the players plan on striking for a third of the season, I don't think it's a good model. After that, just one more team* did it: the 1974 Pirates.

It doesn't look good my friends.

* Caveat: I only checked for the years since divisional play started.

2011 Twins Game Recaps

Game #32: Red Sox 9, Twins 5

6 Comments

Twins record: 12-20
Fangraphs
MLB Game Wrap

The Twins are consistently running out a lot of players who are either just very bad (the catchers, most of the bullpen, Casilla/Tolbert) or some combination of pretty limited and in over their heads (Hughes, Revere, Tosoni, probably Plouffe - although he's been great offensively in all of three games, that will come down to earth, and I'm not sold on his defense at all). Those are all pretty frustrating, but they can only concern me to a point. If all of those guys get lots of playing time because others are hurt, the Twins are probably not going anywhere this season. If, however, many of those guys get replaced by the proper starters, the Twins are still going to most likely need contributions towards success from two guys I am a little more concerned about: Carl Pavano and Justin Morneau.

Pavano went a second straight entire game without striking anyone out today. I harp on this a lot, but it's just a lot less likely to be successful as a pitcher without getting strikeouts. He seems to be getting a little over-hammered - I have his FIP right now at about two runs less than his ERA, but a 4.6-ish FIP still isn't quite where he was at the past couple of years. Morneau, on the other hand, has me concerned that he's not physically back together yet. I have his line after today at .202/.269/.293 so far. I'm a little reminded of the beginning of 2006, when there was much gnashing of teeth over how lost he looked at the plate over the first month, before Gardenhire famously gave him "The Talk" that turned him into a (not-quite-worthy) MVP. His line over March/April that year was .208/.274/.416 - basically the same, except back then he still hit a few homers.

At least one other guy whose physical state/all-the-way-back-ness has been a concern, Joe Nathan, had a pretty good outing today.

Hitter of the Week: Jason Kubel is still pretty close to the only horse in this race.
Pitcher of the Week: Duh.

2011 Twins Game Recaps

2011 Game 30 Recap: Twins 9, Crimson Hosiery 2

14 Comments

Weather: 66 degrees, partly cloudy
Wind: 21 mph, out to CF
Time: 2:37
Attendance: 37,798

Box Score
Fangraphs

What's not to love about this game? The Twins jet into Beantown on a wing and a prayer, a wisp of momentum, and a sigh of relief that they were able to best the offensively impotent Pale Hosers in a series deuce on the South Side, a short set featuring a no-hitter the hard way that F-bomb rolled for a 1-0 win. The boys haven't exactly been swinging hot lumber lately. With Butera and Casilla mired below the Mendozza line like sloths in La Brea tar, and Morneau barely above it, and Mauer and Delmon and JI

JIM THOME bruised and benched, our lineup doesn't have the punch of a full-strength squad hitting to expectations. But you wouldn't know it tonight.

Continue reading 2011 Game 30 Recap: Twins 9, Crimson Hosiery 2 →

2011 Twins Game Logs

2011 Game 30: Minnesota Twins at Boston Red Sox

169 Comments

Scott Baker vs Tim Wakefield

Knuckleball pitchers may be ageless, but Wakefield's time machine finally broke. Nonetheless, I think he will have a long leash in today's game. Knowing the Twins' offense, they might not be able to score enough runs in a single inning to knock him out of the game and expose the tired bullpen. Instead, they will have time to perfect the single/walk, steal, sacrifice, sacrifice (fly) strategy.

The Red Sox used their entire bullpen for Wednesday's game, including Wakefield, for a 13 inning game in which the starter lasted 4.1 innings. Naturally, the starter in yesterday's game also lasted a mere four innings, but it was mop-up time after that and anyone important was saved for today's game. The Sox have yet to top .500 after failing two previous times. Hopefully the Twins don't notice the "Red" part and treat these Sox like their bleached brethren.

Keeping Track

Happy Birthday–May 4

1 Comment

Charley Hickman (1876)
Jack Tobin (1892)
John Tsitouris (1936)
Rene Lachemann (1945)
Ken Oberkfell (1956)
Rick Leach (1957)
Tim Tschida (1960)
Eddie Perez (1968)
Joe Borowski (1971)
Miguel Cairo (1974)
Ben Grieve (1976)
Jason Michaels (1976)
Ryan Jorgensen (1979)
Matt Tolbert (1982)
Kevin Slowey (1984)

We would also like to wish a happy birthday to Twins farmhands Erick Gonzalez (1991) and Matej Hejma (1990).

Continue reading Happy Birthday–May 4 →

Keeping Track

Happy Birthday–May 3

6 Comments

George Gore (1857)
Garry Herrmann (1859)
Eppa Rixey (1891)
Red Ruffing (1905)
Goose Tatum (1921)
Chuck Hinton (1934)
Chris Cannizzaro (1938)
Davey Lopes (1945)
Dan Iassogna (1969)
Darren Dreifort (1972)
Ryan Dempster (1977)
Ben Revere (1988)

Better known as a member of the Harlem Globetrotters, Goose Tatum played in the Negro Leagues for several years in the 1940s.

Continue reading Happy Birthday–May 3 →

2011 Twins Game Recaps

Game #Whatever: Royals a lot, Twins blah blah

14 Comments

Twins record: bad

I don't really know what to say about this. The Twins are just a very bad team right now. I don't think I'm going to do Players of the Week this time, either.

Let's talk about food instead. What's everyone eating this weekend? I think I'm going to have some chili tonight. What are everyone's thoughts on chili? Best kind of meat to use, and best way to cut that meat up? Lots of chunky tomatoes, or just a rich broth? Beans or no beans (and what kinds)? What's your optimal combination of seasonings to use? Should it be really spicy, or really really spicy? Am I forgetting some crucial aspect of chili for which I should be harshly disciplined? Let's talk about that.

WGOM Videos

Ennio Morricone – The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly

Video 7 Comments

and so closes april 2011 for the twins. there's been precious little of the first, a whole lot of the middle, and way too much of the latter. but, this is where the protagonist stands up, brushes himself off, and turns it all around, right? right?!?!

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZVBzQh1K7E

6 votes, average: 8.83 out of 106 votes, average: 8.83 out of 106 votes, average: 8.83 out of 106 votes, average: 8.83 out of 106 votes, average: 8.83 out of 106 votes, average: 8.83 out of 106 votes, average: 8.83 out of 106 votes, average: 8.83 out of 106 votes, average: 8.83 out of 106 votes, average: 8.83 out of 10 (6 votes, average: 8.83 out of 10)
You must be a WGOM Citizen to rate WGOM Videos.Loading...
2011 Twins Game Recaps, MLB

2011 Game 25 Recap: Twins 3, Royals 4

5 Comments

Weather: 73 degrees, partly cloudy
Wind: 17 mph, right to left
Time: 2:53
Attendance: 31,407

Box score

Fangraphs

The Crisis

These are the times that try men's souls. The summer and the sunshine will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their team. The Royals are not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as winning should not be highly rated.

Okay, so I took a little liberty with the words of Thomas Paine. And I'm not sure you can call this a crisis just yet. It probably is too early to panic. The sky probably isn't falling. Being eight games under .500 is worrisome in August, sure, but not so much to spark heartburn about at the end of April. Did I mention that it's probably too early to panic?

Continue reading 2011 Game 25 Recap: Twins 3, Royals 4 →