Tag Archives: Nick Blackburn

2011 Twins Game Logs

2011 Game Log No 97: Indians at Twins

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Day Game.

Again.

And today's a big one. [Motivational Pep Talk] [Great Speeches Youtube Video] [Baseball!]

Pitchers:

TWINS: Nic Blacburn. 3.99 ERA | 4.53 FIP | 3.97 xFIP | 4.68 K/9
indians: Josh Tomlin  4.03 ERA | 4.22 FIP | 3.85 xFIP | 5.07 K/9

Lineups:

TWINS!!!

  1. Revere CF
  2. Casilla 2nd
  3. Mauer 1st
  4. Cuddy RF
  5. Tomei DH
  6. Dan 3rd
  7. Young LF
  8. Nishioka SS
  9. Butters C

indians

  1. Carrera CF
  2. Cabrera SS
  3. Hafner DH
  4. Santana C
  5. LaPorta 1st
  6. Cabrera 2nd
  7. Chisenhall 3rd
  8. Kearns RF
  9. Valbuena LF

Waiting for the game to start? Want to read a story about cheating in baseball? Here's the one where according to Chili Davis all pitchers were cheaters. Via Fangraphs.

Go Twins!

2011 Twins Game Recaps, Minnesota Twins

2011 Game 91 Recap: Royals 2, Twins 1

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Weather: 74 degrees, overcast
Wind: 9 mph, R to L
Time: 2:37
Attendance: 39,177

Box Score
Fangraphs

I <3 Ben Revere

This game was all about pitching. The good, the bad, and the ugly. Nick Blackburn pitched a good game. Luke Hochevar pitched a good game. Both went seven innings. Blackburn gave up no runs on four hits and two walks, Hochevar gave up one on three hits and three walks.

Coming out of the bullpen in the eighth, Joe Nathan and Tim Collins were good, neither giving up a hit and only Collins allowing a base runner on one walk.

Continue reading 2011 Game 91 Recap: Royals 2, Twins 1 →

2011 Twins Game Logs

2011 Game 91: Kansas City Royals at Minnesota Twins

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Luke Hochevar vs Nick Blackburn

This has to be a perfect way to start the second half for the Twins. First, a warm-up against the Royals. Four games, more than enough to find the mojo and remind everyone about owning the AL Central. Then, taking on the first place Indians with another four game series. After that, yet another four game series against the other first place team, the Tigers.

I had some stuff written about the four consecutive series against AL Central, breaking down some possibilities. Someone decided to steal it for the game recap though. Instead, I'll close with Win Twins!

2011 Twins Game Recaps

2011 Game 82 (2nd Half, Game 1) Recap: Brewers 7, Twins 9

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Minnesota (36-46)  -  Milwaukee (45-40)
WP: Dumatrait (1-1)
LP: Loe (2-7)
SV: Perkins (1)

JI JIM Mashes Taters and the Iceman cometh up big time as the pair drove in 4 runs and scored 4 runs. Jim crossed home plate 3 times but arguably the biggest moment was not career HR 595 in the 2nd (which was nice), it was the 2-out walk off of Grienke in the 4th. Juicy followed with his first hit of the day, a double, which paved the way for Rene Tosoni's 3-run blast. The Iceman's donger got the Twins back into the game after a terrible top half of the 4th saw the visitors throw up a 5 spot.

After that, it was all Twins bullpen (with a little help from Kotsay in the 7th). Snicklefritz, Dumatrait, Nathan, Capps and Perkins combined to go 5 innings giving up only 1 run on 4 hits. Twins batters scored 4 times in the 7th - all with 2 outs and all off of walks or singles...or on the hilarious fielding error by Mark Kotsay.

Nathan looked good in the 8th. Conversely, Capps looked pretty bad in the 9th. Gardy, quite surprisingly, pulled him out after he managed to put runners on 1st and 2nd with only 1 out and Prince Fielder due up. Perkins got the call and struck the big vegetarian out on 3 pitches! The Brewers still had one more batter, but you just knew it was in the bag after that.

Neither Grienke nor Blackburn figured in the decision. Zack went 6 innings giving up 5 runs on 5 hits, 4 of them earned. Nick went 4 innings giving up 6 runs on 6 hits, all of them earned.

Cuddyer is our All Star representative. They announced it during the game and he got a pretty good ovation. After that, it's a good thing he got in on the scoring with 2 RBI on 2 hits as he badly misplayed a ball off the right field wall in the 4th, leading to a triple for Kotsay and at least one of those 5 runs for the Crew.

On a personal note, I'd like to post a thank you to Cornsilk  (thanks for that one guys) who took me to the game today. She doesn't follow the World's Greatest, but I am blessed and wanted to share it with you all.

Weather: Gorgeous

Time of Game: 3 hours 14 minutes

Attendance: 41,195



2011 Twins Game Logs

2011 Game 77: McCourtsMLBs at Pohlads

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Finally, we get to go home and take on somebody our own size. The Dodgers (35-44) are the epitome of a small-market club, struggling to make payroll, playing their games in an old, rundown stadium with trough urinals.

They do have some Midwestern charm, however:

The Dodgers owe everybody and their mother money:

The team owes a total of $74,121,433 to their players, food and travel vendors, and even the city of Los Angeles.

The team owes Los Angeles $240,563 in taxes. It also owes Levy Restaurants $588,322 for running the concession stands at the stadium, as well as $339,403 to Continental Airlines for team travel.

Some of the Dodgers' major payroll creditors include former players Manny Ramirez ($20.9 million), Andruw Jones ($11.1 million, currently with the NY Yankees), and Juan Pierre ($3.05 million, currently with the Chicago White Sox, who is also owed $3.5 million for his trade). Other players on the list include the current roster, and the LA Times points out that two of the players owed money (Zach Lee and Alexander Santana) haven't even begun playing yet. Also on the list: longtime sportscaster Vin Scully ($152,778).

That would be the best-PBP-voice-in-baseball Vin Scully. Unfortunately, Scully, 82, rarely does away games east of Denver these days. So scratch that from the list of attributes for this series.

Instead, let's just hope Our Boys can get some Mojo back in order to make a run at respectability. They still have a shot at the International League playoffs!!!11one111!!!!

Pitching matchup:
Chad Billingsley (Righty, 4.48 ERA, 3.35 FIP, 3.56 xFIP, 86:40 K:BB in 94 1/3)
Nick Blackburn (3.15 ERA, 4.43 FIP, 3.89 xFIP, 51:27 K:BB in 97 innings)

Billingsley is right at league averages for GB%, FB% and LD%. His 5 1/3 innings against Detroit last Tuesday (6 hits, 2 BBs, 6 Ks, one run) was his longest outing in a month. He has given up four or more runs in four of his last six starts. Even better, the Dodgers' bullpen has been awful -- minus 20.7 pRAA on the season (the Twins' pen is only -12.5 pRAA).

Offensively, the Dodgers have been mediocre, with the glaring exceptions of Matt Kemp (327/416/619) and Andre Ethier (317/389/461). If we can avoid Neck Fat giving those guys hanging sliders, we might actually win this series.

2011 Twins Game Logs

2011 Game 72: Twins at Giants

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Nick Blackburn 6-4, 91 IP, 3.16 ERA, 4.50 FIP, 3.82 xFIP, 0.6 WAR
Ryan Vogelsong 4-1, 64.2 IP, 1.92 ERA, 2.93 FIP, 3.37 xFIP, 1.5 WAR

If you find yourself looking at these numbers and saying, "What the hell is a Ryan Vogelsong?", you're not alone. Although his name seems only vaguely familiar to me, he's actually a couple of months older than I am and he's been kicking around pitching "meh" baseball for seven years now. From 2003-2006 he pitched rather poorly for the Pirates, then completely disappeared until last year when he pitched not so well for the Phillies AAA team, then was traded and pitched not particularly well for the Angels AAA team. So, naturally, now he's an effective starter for the defending champions.

Blackburn is an enigma as well, putting together a season (and, I suppose, a career) that I never saw coming. The Twins are now just seven games under .500 and six and a half games out of first after one of their best stretches ever, and although this is the kind of game that would have filled me with dread a few weeks ago, I'm finding it harder and harder to be pessimistic.

Keep it rolling, boys.

2011 Twins Game Logs

2011 Game 67: Hosers at Twins

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Morning baseball (morning here, anyway). Yesterday, the Twins did what they do, beating the White Sox at home. Well, recently, they've beaten them everywhere. How do we feel about today?

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrly 6-4, 86.2 IP, 3.95 ERA, 3.74 FIP, 4.29 xFIP, 1.5 WAR
Nick Blackburn 5-4, 83 IP, 3.47 ERA, 4.60 FIP, 3.77 xFIP, 0.5 WAR

Buehrle, in his twelfth season with the White Sox, doesn't show signs of being a different pitcher at all. His numbers are totally stable this year in comparison to recent years, so the Buehrle you know is the one that's pitching today.

Blackburn's K/9 is all the way up to 4.99, which might help to explain why he's been so much more successful this year than last. His GB% is a tick up from last year, too, which was up from the year before, which was up from the year before. I never trusted the guy, but it seems like he might turn out to be a good pitcher by sheer force of will. For those playing at home, Aaron Gleeman once made a bet with someone that Blackburn would never get 75 Wins as a major leaguer (I agreed). As of today, his next one will put him over 50% of the way there. I still don't know if he gets there, but I'll say I'm definitely not rooting for him to start failing today.

2011 Twins Game Logs

2011 Game 62: Rangers at Twins

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The Twins return from a road trip that turned out to be pretty respectable, particularly because of winning six of their last seven. The team isn't that good, but they weren't as bad as they played up to that point, either, so whatever.

Now the Twins host the West-leading Rangers in another chapter in the ongoing saga of Josh Hamilton vs. Jason Morneau. Who will they be jacking 28+ dongers against tonight?

Derek Holland 5-1, 74.1 IP, 4.36 ERA, 4.01 FIP, 3.72 xFIP, 1.1 WAR
Nick Blackburn 5-4, 75.2 IP, 3.57 ERA, 4.51 FIP, 3.85 xFIP, 0.5 WAR

Some similar numbers there, but Holland's value comes from his ability to strike some punks out (60 in 74.1 innings, while over the same workload, Blackburn has negative three strikeouts). Holland is a lefty who tends to wreck lefties, so it's all up to Cuddyer and pals tonight. Ahem.

I'm feeling a little better about the Twins after the last week, but the Rangers could easily bring that to a screeching halt if our team continues to lose at home. Let's avoid that, Nick "Big Game Ace Superstar" Blackburn.

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.