Tag Archives: Race to the Bottom

2013 Twins Game Log

Game 150: Two of the Same Thing vs. Colorless Socks

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Big Pelf (5-12,  5.31 ERA) vs. Quintana (7-6, 3.56 ERA)

I check the standings when I remember to prepare a game log to figure out which game number to put in the title, and its been an increasingly depressing activity this season.  Fortunately, there's the Pale Hosers manning the bottom of this division. I was contemplating putting up the magic number for the Twins to hold off the Sox to avoid finishing last in the AL Central, but there's nothing magic about it so I decided not to.

Anywho, I presume Mauer is being shut down for the rest of the season meaning the lineup is still a diminished Willingham and a bunch of "young" guys, so that's fun.

What is actually fun is the reaction down here to the Badgers losing this weekend. People take this crap way too seriously around here and get really deluded about things. Its both humorous and insufferable at the same time.

2013 Twins Game Log

Game 130: If it weren’t for the White Sox…

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Sheilds (8-8, 3.22 ERA) vs. Correia (8-10, 4.52 ERA)

We've come back around to play the Royals again at the friendly confines of the heat soaked Target Field. I expect big things, really. Fortunately, the White Sox exist, as even with a recent hot streak, they've kept a few games back of the Twins, preventing the dread "last in the crappy AL Central" title to be bestowed upon the Minnesotans. I'm also told that Joe Mauer is eligible to come off the DL from his concussion, but won't be back just yet. So, things are looking level!

Anyway, I haven't really been able to pay a whole lot of attention the past few days. The good news is that the bauble got out of the PICU yesterday and has been steadily getting better. Hopefully he can come home in a few days and I can keep closer tabs on the race to the bottom.

 

2011 Twins Game Logs

Game (1 of 2): Twins and Clevelanders

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Hey, doubleheader... why not?

So it seems that baseball's 200,000th major league game will be played today. They're counting the start of the actual National League as the first game, mostly because it's easier to place a direct date on it that way. If nothing else, it's kind of cool that much as it's changed over the past 140 years, there's still a certain heart at the center of the game that ties it all together.

Now, before I go all Field of Dreams on everyone and start misattributing everywhere, there are urgent matters to attend to in Cleveland. A win today would ensure that the race to the bottom will fall short of its "target". Much as I believe that this is the worst year of Twins baseball since the franchise got here, it would be nice the ragtaggers to win back at least that much of their dignity. Hell, if they sweep the doubleheader, they would only need one more win to avoid 100-losses. That would be.......something, I guess.

Looking into the crystal ball, we've got three opening day batters in our lineup (which, if I'm not mistaken is about the most there can be for the rest of the season, so the lineup's not getting nay better than this). Rivera gets to try to out-Butera Butera. Right now he's at a .406 OPS, so it'll be exciting to see whether he can push that into sub-400 territory.

Brian Duensing's on the mound, if he can make it through five and a third innings, he'll qualify for the ERA title. Then again, if he gives up 4 runs in those five and a third, he'll have the worst ERA for any qualifier, so... go Duensing?

David Huff pitches for Cleveland, he ate us alive his last time out, so maybe 1982 isn't safe, just yet.

2011 Twins Game Logs

2011 Game 152: Playing out the string in the Bronx

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12:05 start.

Diamond Scott versus the Other Al J. Burnett. The Race to the Bottom continues in earnest.

In the all-important Wild Card Race, Boston hosts Bal'more for a day-night double header. The O's offer up Jeremy "Jeremy" Guthrie vs. some dude named Kyle Weiland in the day game, and Brian "the 'tusz" Matusz vs. John Lackey in the nightcap. The Rays have the day off, but trail Boston by only two games after taking three of four in Boston.

Unfortunately for the Rays, they have seven games remaining against the Yanquis and three against Toronto, whereas the Sawks have seven against the O's and three at the Bandbronx to finish.

Over in the N.L., the Giants have won eight straight to close within 4 of the Wild Card leader, Atlanta, and 5 of NL West-leading Arizona. Three of SF's last nine are at Arizona, so they still have a shot. But the Snakes finish the season on a home stand with three vs. Pittsburgh starting on Monday, followed by an off day, then the three-game set with SF and finishing with a three-game series against the Dodgers. The Giants' odds are long. coolstandings.com pegs their playoff odds at just over 5 pct.