Results tagged ‘ injured ’
Thank you, helmet.
Well, I suppose the bright side is that the Twins, 2.5 back from the Tigers, won 7 of their last 8 games, including a 7-0 shutout last night against the White Sox.
The bad? Poor Denard Span. Watch this video and tell me that’s the grossest sound to hear in conjunction with a pitch hitting someone’s head:
http://www.kaltura.com/index.php/kwidget/wid/_35168/uiconf_id/1002330
As the title of this post indicates, I am a big fan of batting helmets. Although not those creepy new ones.
Luckily Numero 2 has just a mild concussion and is listed as day-to-day. And on a another side-note, it sorta melted my icy little heart to see none other than A.J. Pierzynski rush over to make sure Span was okay. Well, I mean granted the guy was right behind him when the pitch nailed Span, but my usual searing hate for AJP subsides a little when I see that on the video. He’s not ALL bad, folks.
Anyway, hang in there Denard. Hopefully our lead-off hitter can be back in ship-shape soon.
EDIT:
Well THIS is disheartening.
Come together, right now … with Crede?
** BEATLES REFERENCE, IN HONOR OF THE REMASTERS, FTW!! **
Wow, the happenings of the past week. Last post, we won against the White Sox and were 3 1/2 back from the Tigers. Oh, cruel fate …
Well, we dropped down to 7 back from the Tigers after losing – horribly – the next two games. Our losing streak went as follows: one to the Sox, two to the Indians, and one to the Blue Jays yesterday. Since the 1st, we’ve had four wins and four losses. It looked bleak. And then …
I’m going to say something I never thought I’d say: thank you, Kansas City Royals.
The Royals WON TWO IN A ROW against the Tigers the past two nights, taking us to a more manageable 5 1/2 games back. Now I know we should be playing our best, winning games, blah blah … but: anyone who helps us catch up to Detroit, I am more than okay with.
Points to touch on:
- WTF was with the game on Saturday (the 5th) being called the “Fox Game of the Week” and then NOT EVEN BEING SHOWN?
- Our pitching staff is still making me cry tears of blood. Example: Duensing was doing so well yesterday against the Jays, then suddenly completely loses it, and none of the relievers could remedy the awful situation. We had a 3-0 lead until the 5th. And guess what happened next?
But all of that came to a crashing halt in the sixth inning when the Twins pitching suddenly went awry.
Duensing faced three batters and didn’t retire a single one, loading the bases before being replaced by right-hander Jon Rauch.
Rauch had found early success in Minnesota, having not allowed a run in his first four appearances for the Twins, totaling four innings. But on this night, things would not go so well for the newcomer.
Aww.
- But speaking of pitchingfail: the most upsetting one in the past week lies squarely on the shoulders of Joe Nathan. I hate even typing that, but that was some SERIOUS choke. Our 2-0 lead with J-Nate closing became a tie after two back-to-back homers. Then two walks. Then all hell broke loose. Guerrier came in, and, well … let’s just say the game ended 4-2. FROWN.
- “Big Rauch,” or as I like to call him, CockRauch, has been doing fairly well since he came to Minnesota in late August. That dude has some serious tattoo action going on, no joke. Our 6’11″ beast of a reliever can be a sad sack of terrible sometimes, but I think he’ll be good for the Twins, even if it’s just the intimidation factor to the batter. Also, apparently Rauch makes Gard-Dog say some pretty awesome things:
“He’s big,” manager Ron Gardenhire said. “Really, really big.”
Hahaha. Right.
- Morneau finally broke his streak of sucking tonight, hitting a homer off of the apparently impossible to beat Halladay. Well, we beat him. It was 51 at-bats since our Canadian Wonder hit a home run, bringing the count up to 30 on the year. I think SOMEONE had a plate of poutine before the game …
- I have to ask: If I make inappropriate, off-color comments to Brendan Harris, does that make it “Sexual Harrisment?”
- My babycakes Joe Crede still is MIA, but word is that he’s doing better. I am seriously going to have a funeral for my Crede shirt if this is how his career with the Twinsies ends. Supposedly, like I said last week, retirement is not in his future. But after reading this article, I need a hug. Or a martini. Such a bummer.
That’s all I got. Our last game in my fave city Toronto is tomorrow, and hopefully we can walk away with a third win and take the series. And by “hopefully we can” I mean “WE BETTER OR I’M BECOMING A FRICKIN’ TIGERS FAN.” And I really don’t want to do that.
Color me excited.
Here’s to another win
today, this time against the Shite Sox. Because of our
awesomeness this evening, we’re 3 ½ games back from the first-place Tigers and 2 ½ ahead of the Sox.
Color me excited:
Okay, the opposite of this.
Another reason to be
excited: JOE CREDE AIN’T
RETIRING. Although he’s been
battling a seemingly endless list of injuries this year with the Twins, and despite his current status on the disabled
list, my dearest Joe isn’t
ditching out of baseball just yet:
Joe Crede heard the rumor speculating that he may retire after the end of
this season. After all, the 31-year-old third baseman has had two back
surgeries and is currently on the disabled list with more back problems.
…
“I read that article the other day. I don’t know
where they based that off of,” Crede said about the original speculation reported Sunday in
the Chicago Tribune.
The Other Joe, No, Not that One, Or That One, the One on Third, says he needs to give his back a bit of time and
rest, hoping to come back soon to help the Twins push their way into the playoffs. It’s a bummer he seems like he’s made
of glass, but it sounds like he’s still eager to get back in the game:
Crede got a second epidural today and said before the game it was
already working. He also shot down a speculative report out of Chicago that he
might retire after this season.
“I
think in baseball years, I’m still fairly young,” the 31-year-old said.
“I know I have more years in me left. I still love the game. I still love
coming to the ballpark everyday. I have no plans of retiring.”
GOOD! We love you, Joe! Even
my dad doesn’t complain about you (which can’t be said about Cuddyer, Gomez,
basically all of our pitchers except Joe Nathan, Young,
some of the batboys, … etc.)
More things that make me
smile: HOMERS! The third inning
tonight was pure gold; what, with Mauer hitting that huuuuuge solo homer into the upper deck, and then Kubel following his lead with a two-run home run:
But with two outs in the third, the Twins were able to strike.
Mauer continued his own hot spell, belting his 26th home run of the
season which also doubled his previous career high of 13 from 2006.
…
Justin
Morneau followed up Mauer’s homer with a single to right field. Kubel then added his second two-run home
run in as many days, blasting a 437-foot shot deep to center field to give Minnesota a 3-0 lead.
That was so glorious. But those hits were definitely not
purely what won the game; Blackburn
had a surprisingly good outing, probably one of his first in at least a
month. He’s obviously been
struggling, but something tonight was definitely going well for him, and I
suspect it was his newly-sprouted facial hair:
Donning a
new beard, one that teammate Kevin Slowey suggested he should keep, Blackburn turned things around by getting back
to what had made him successful earlier this year.
[ I knew it! ]
“I
still wasn’t making good pitches the entire night, but I was able to get away
with it,” Blackburn said. “My stuff was sharper tonight than it had been in a
long time. The stuff [pitching coach Rick Anderson] and I have been working on in the
last couple weeks finally kind of set in and started working for me. “
Hopefully he can keep it
up, because he was absolutely amazing earlier this year. I was at the Dome for one of those games in June when he pitched the
whole thing (might’ve been against the Pirates?).
And here’s my final happy
note: ALEXI CASILLA! Seeing all these great things that he
can do out on the field is making me swoon. I was super bummed earlier this year when he was sent down
not once but twice for just plain sucking. More than anything, I’m pretty sure it was his attitude (I’m
95% sure I read that in an article, so I’m not making that up), but whatever it
really was, he’s changed it.
I also love not having Photoshop …
And the hits Casilla’s been getting have been great, too … I want to
attribute it to a million different things, like being back on the team with Gomez, the fatherly presence of Orlando Carbrera (Padre Orlando!), maturity from learning from his previous
mistakes … whatever. I’m rooting
for that little Dominican dude, because I think the more he plays, the better
he plays, and the better the team is for it. He and Gomez
are going to pose a serious threat in the future – mark my words!
So, here’s hoping we
continue this fierce battle-to-the-death attitude:
“It’s a
completely different feel around our clubhouse, and I think everybody’s pretty
excited about the way it’s going,” Kubel said. “That’s what we’re
focusing on right now, how we go about our own business.”
I want to see us take the
AL Central away from the frickin’ Tigers. They may be admittedly
playing well, but after the BS we’ve made it through this season and are
starting to overcome, we deserve it.
PS. Mike Redmond‘s TRIPLE yesterday?! Hilarious.
One batter
later, catcher Mike Redmond — who earlier in the game hit just his third career triple –
hit a chopper to first base that was fielded by Hank Blalock.
The whole team was
cracking up in the dugout, watching Reddy round those bases. Aww!
Several things.
Several things:
ONE:
Black is white, up is down, Mauer is weak sauce and Cuddyer makes Twins history by hitting TWO homers in ONE inning. TWO … PLUS ONE … MATH!!!!
All I know is that Cuddyer is up there with Kubel, Mauer, and Morneau with the most home-runs this season, and that is FRICKING SHOCKING:
Of course, the Twins got all the power they needed from Cuddyer, who became the first player in Twins history to hit two home runs in the same inning. Cuddyer, doing his best Morneau impersonation, hit his two long balls in the seventh — two deep bookends in an eight-run inning.
The first — a first-pitch solo shot off Royals starter Brian Bannister — gave the Twins a 2-1 lead.
The second — a two-run, 427-foot blast over the fountains in left — came off reliever Kyle Farnsworth and stretched the Twins‘ lead to 9-1.
TWO:
We won again today? 10-3?? Um, excuse me, the first sweep/series win since July? Two more wins and we’ll be back to .500 (pathetic); we are currently still in 3rd in the AL Central and only 4 1/2 games back from the first-place Tigers (less pathetic than recently).
But hey, sweeping the Royals was just what we needed, even though it’s about as admirable and difficult as beating up a toddler. Not that I condone that; they’re quick little guys!
THREE:
Crede, Liriano, and Morneau are all banged up in some way, causing Crede to sit out today’s game and Morneau continuing his break since the 17th due to an inner-ear infection. Gardenhire says he may be back for the upcoming series against the Orioles on Monday. And Liriano, out for a while with a “tired arm,” could be replaced by none other than …
BOOF! BONSER!
Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said Sunday that injured pitcher Francisco Liriano could be out longer than 15 days, but — and here’s the good news — starter Boof Bonser could possibly return to the Twins‘ staff in September.
Bonser, who had surgery in April to repair a torn labrum and rotator cuff in his right shoulder, is rehabbing in Florida and progressing rather quickly, Gardenhire said.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOF!
FOUR:
Man, I’m happy we’ve won 5 of our last 7 games. SERIOUSLY. Minnesota Twins cominatcha, Orioles!
Royal flush.
1B: Cuddyer (!)
2B: Casilla
3B: Crede
SS: Cabrera
RF: Span
CF: Gomez
LF: Young
C: Mauer
PITCHING:
- Blackburn
- Guerrier
- Mijares
- Nathan
PRE-GAME:
Morneau is still out with an inner-ear infection. When he first left the game the other day, I told someone it was “acute maple-syrup poisoning.” AND THEY BELIEVED ME.
EEE! Kubel talking with Dicky B! You know … he’s kind of a robot. Just once I’d like to see him smile or laugh or joke or … well, make any sort of movement with his face.
Dude … those wings look GOOD.
OMG – Ron Coomer is filling in for my Bert this weekend?? NOOOOOOOOOO!
Gratuitous Crede shot! YESSSSSSS!
David “The Jesus” DeJesus - we meet again. Along with Chone Figgins, he has one of my favorite names in baseball. Coco Crisp doesn’t count, because he sounds like a cereal.
TOP O’ THE FIRST:
“So you’re saying it was hot [in Texas?]” Yes, Ron. It’s hot there. Hot like their pitchers … specifically that hot slice Mr. Wilson. It was weird watching him pitch to us because I wanted the Twins to win, but at the same time I wanted C.J. to take his shirt off. A mix of emotions.
And we do nothing. Boo.
BOTTOM O’ THE FIRST (0-0):
Hooooly crap – 2 outs, Butler with 1-2 count, and he slams one into the stands. Oh, Blackburn. And the walks the next guy. And then Callaspo (Collapse-O) gets a single. WITH TWO OUTS. AAAAAGH!!!
And we leave two on, at least.
TOP O’ THE SECOND (1-0, Royals):
Umm, weirdo in bright green in the crowd? Like, covered head to foot in a bright green body-sock. And Dicky B says, “I hope that isn’t a Minnesotan.” Honestly … it probably was.
Aw, and Cuddyer hits into a double play. SAVE US, JOE CREDE! And he doesn’t.
BOTTOM O’ THE SECOND (1-0, Royals):
Oh weird, 1-2-3 inning for Blackie.
TOP O’ THE THIRD (1-0, Royals):
God, Gomez is such a spaz. A lovable spaz.
Good Lord, those 1979 Pirates uniforms were absolutely heinous. And a young Blyleven. Awww.
And we’re terrible, the end.
BOTTOM O’ THE THIRD (1-0, Royals):
ARE YOU EFFING SERIOUS? ANOTHER HOME RUN?? I’m already sooooo annoyed with our pitching. I feel like we have all these great players, and then we’re losing all these games because our pitching staff is completely inept. WHERE DID THAT COME FROM?? We were great in June, and then in late July we just start choking over and over.
Blackburn gets nailed by the ball. By all means, take him out. Oh wait, then he’d just be replaced by another joke of a pitcher. FROWN.
Oh, CUDDYER! A bad throw to third and another run is scored. Now is one of those times I wish these blogs weren’t edited, because there would be a healthy string of expletives. Ugh.
TOP O’ THE FOURTH (3-0, Royals):
I have a bad feeling about tonight’s game. Our batting is not looking too nice right now. COME ON, BOYS, PRETEND YOU’RE PLAYING THE WHITE SOX/BREWERS!
And The Jesus catchers Mauer’s attempt. Boooo.
BOTTOM O’ THE FOURTH (3-0, Royals):
Blackie hits ‘em with the slider. Do that again. And again. Please.
TOP O’ THE FIFTH (3-0, Royals):
I forgot I was still watching this game. Apparently we still suck.
BOTTOM O’ THE FIFTH (3-0, Royals):
Here’s a fun fact: Kansas City is called “The City of Fountains.” Another fun fact: I don’t care about fountains.
Ahaha, the Aflac duck scared the bajeesus out of Ron. It’s okay, Coom, it terrifies me too.
Oh hey, 1-2-3 inning.
TOP O’ THE SIXTH (3-0, Royals):
OOohhh, Gomez gets a one-out single. I know that’s sad to be excited about, but um … I’m a Twins fan, so really we take anything we can get.
Bad throw and Gomez gets to third. YES.
Casilla (!) gets a nasty double down the right field line, bringing in Gomez. Um, FINALLY. Only one out, too. And he steals third!
And heeeeeere’s Denard! Hit into the right field corner, Casilla runs it in, the outfielder fumbles with the ball like a teenager at their first make-out party, and Span runs in! TIIIIIIIED!
Oh, that poor outfielder. I mean, YAY, good work on sucking and helping us score, but that’s a bummer. I bet he feels super dumb.
Oh funny, a “Let’s go, Mauer” chant is clearly audible in Kaufman, answered by a “Let’s go Royals” chant. Don’t be stupid, Royals fans, you can’t drown out Mauer’s awesomeness. Cranks a nice one to right for a single.
Kuuuuuu-beellllll!! Aw sad, pop fly ends the inning.
I love these 6th-inning rallies we seem to get going lately. Keep that up, sirs.
BOTTOM O’ THE SIXTH (3-All):
Holy crap. Suddenly Blackburn is a strike-machine.
And this Mauer-Nathan commercial really warms my heart. I love how my future mother-in-law makes an appearance. One day, Joe, you will be mine.
TOP O’ THE SEVENTH (3-All):
1-2-3. Aw.
BOTTOM O’ THE SEVENTH (3-All):
Guerrierieirerrr and Mijares are warming up. HOLY MOSES, Mijares had an amazing night the other night against the Rangers. I was totally shocked, after pretty much writing him off.
Blackburn ends the 7th well. Wow, didn’t expect that.
TOP O’ THE EIGHTH (3-All):
Gomez hits to center, leading off. Sac-bunt from Casilla gets him to second base. Span bats him in with a double! WHAT’S UP NOW, KC??
Span on second … I think it’s time for some Mauer Pauer. Oh, just kidding, the Royals are scared and intentionally walk him. And then Kubel is thrown out. Awww.
BOTTOM O’ THE EIGHTH (3-4, Twins):
Oh Jeez, Guerrier is in. Oh, I guess not for long. Heeeeeere’s Mijares.
Oh cute, Mijares gave the guys on the team a cigar because he just had a baby! Adorable, because he didn’t know the tradition of the have a baby, get a cigar thing and Gardy had to explain it to him. Oh, Venezuelans, will you ever learn?
Ha ha, Bloomquist, caught you stealing!
TOP O’ THE NINTH (3-4, Twins):
AHHHHHH JOE NATHAN WARMING UP!!
Jesus, Crede, you’ve been kinda blah lately.
Well, since we have a one-run lead, I hope Mr. Nathan can hold it down. The Twins losing? To the Royals? It’s more likely than you think.
BOTTOM O’ THE NINTH (3-4, Twins):
J-NATE!
And there’s these little hooligans at the game, probably 8 years old, shirtless and screeching. Look, future frat boys!
We really need to clone Nathan to form a new pitching staff. Yo, science: help us out. Also, another fun fact: J-Nate is on Twitter!
Frick. Full count, aaaaand … HOME RUN? TIE GAME??!
OHMYGOD, OHMYGOD, ALMOST ANOTHER HOMER … AHHHHHHHHHH! Oh, Nathan, save the game – please!
My God – on to the 10th …
TOP O’ THE TENTH (4-All):
Poop. This game was in the bag, and now look at us. BUT WE CAN’T LOSE!
Crain warming up, are you serious? Ugh.
Nice hit, Casilla. I love ‘Lexi.
Cabrera: now would be the time to get a really good hit. OMG OMG OMG BLOOMQUIST FUMBLES AGAIN! ALEXI SCORES! CABRERA ON THIRD! Psh, of course they intentionally walk Mauer, and the crowd boos. Twins on the corners, and Kubel is up.
Dear Jason Kubel, I like you. I really do. But now’s the time to make it rain. So do it, please. Your Pal, Alicia.
Agh, a good little hit, but Padre Orlando can’t score as Kubel is thrown out at first.
Nathan’s still pitching?! MONEEEEEEEY!
BOTTOM O’ THE TENTH (5-4, Twins):
One quick out. I’m scared. I tried counting how many times Nathan does the little horse-puff thing when he’s about to throw, but I lost count at like 15.
Chokequist is up. Booooooo!
C’mon, J-Nate, just two more outs and we can end this epic battle, which I don’t know why in the first place we are seriously battling the ROYALS.
Double play, please? Or a pop fly for the second out. EEEEEEE!
46 pitches for Nathan, and Crain is all warmed up – but Nathan wants to do it. Cute!
Last strike … aaaaand … several more fouls … AND SPAN CATCHES IT! GAME OVERRRR!
FINAL:
5-4, Twins – 10 frickin’ innings!
POST-GAME:
Cabrera talks to Ian or whatever that guy’s name is (I call him Little LaPanta). I love Padre Orlando. Nice job on that triple.
Okay, and EW with that bug on Ron’s mic … !
Denard!
VERDICT:
Well, let’s see: Blackburn was terrible at first, then a little wobbly, then pulled it together. Cabrera, Casilla, and Span did some good leg-work, and even though we won, I think we can mostly attribute that to some terrible fielding by the Royals (ahem, BLOOMQUIST). But Joe Nathan: you are amazing. Scary, though, that he couldn’t pull off that save in the 9th, but at least he took care of it an inning later. So, uhh, way to almost get beat by the Royals, boys …
The Minnesota Mauers.
Oh. My. God.
Laughing so I don’t cry.
Let’s play a game of “find the typo,” shall we?
I’m amazed …
And while I’m on the subject of funny things, looks like Mr. Weirdest Stance Ever and some pitcher for the Tigers who’s like 12 started a bit of a brawl …
Also, Jeff Manship got moved up to replace the ailing Glen Perkins. Jeff MANSHIP?? My God. That’s such a manly name – it’s like Rock Hudson, Wes Mantooth, Stone Phillips … wow. Jeff “All That Is Man”-Ship.
Oh and I guess we don’t really have a pitching staff anymore, because everyone was replaced by little leaguers. FROWN.
There is no clever title for this.
Seems as though we took the series this weekend against the division-leading Detroit Tigers. The Twins (43-40) are now just two games behind Detroit (44-37), and are currently leading the division in my heart. Awww!
So, while I was busy getting sunburn and blowing my fingers off with firecrackers at a cabin this weekend, it looks like the boys held it down despite that EPIC game which ended in a loss Friday (which I was only aware of thanks to a friend with an iPhone):
That’s exactly what happened in a marathon at the Metrodome on Friday night, as the Twins fell to the Tigers by an 11-9 final in a game that took 16 innings, a combined 35 hits, 15 total pitchers and over five hours to finish.
After checking the score nine hundred times, my fragile little heart broke when I read Crede struck out, ending the game. I was like, “no … no! NOOOO! HE’S GRAND-SLAMMED BEFORE!“ But then he didn’t and all Twins fans died a little inside.
So no big deal, we just lost one game, right? Oh, no:
Right-hander Kevin Slowey was placed on the 15-day disabled list after the contest with a strained right wrist. The Twins have called up right-hander Anthony Swarzak from Triple-A Rochester to take his place on the roster.
Slowey, who entered [Friday's game] trying to become the first pitcher in the Majors to win 11 games, tossed just three innings against Detroit as he gave up a season-worst six runs on five hits.
That is super awful. I loves me some Kevin Slowey-Children; hopefully his wrist will be alright ASAP. Because, you know, he kinda needs his right wrist A LOT.
So, major bummers abounded Friday, but it all turned around on Saturday, July 4th with a 4-3 win. God bless America, and apparently Nick Punto:
Punto singled up the middle in the fourth inning, but it was his jam shot to left in the eighth inning that allowed pinch-runner Matt Tolbert to score from second base and break up what had been a 3-3 tie.
Aww, yeahh! And today was another win, an almost-shutout for Blackburn:
Spotted six runs in the fourth inning by his offense, Blackburn continued to pound his sinker low in the strike zone, holding the Tigers scoreless for eight innings while allowing just four hits.
But an error in the top of the ninth was followed by a two-run home run by Brandon Inge, and Blackburn’s bid at his first career shutout evaporated.
Whatever, that’s the third complete game that guy’s pitched in the past few weeks; it’s just the Twins’ nature to choke somewhere in the 8th or 9th despite his best efforts. You’ll get one again someday, Dreamyburns II.
Other stuff:
- Morneau not starting in All-Star game, but joins starters Nathan and Mauer as a reserve.
- My fave Canadian not likely to go to the Home-Run Derby, but a certain set of sideburns just may make an appearance …
- I was watching FSN or something last week and the story of these reality show winners from India who got signed with the Pirates pretty much sucked me in. WELL, looks like they made their pitching debuts. Such an interesting story!
- Oh. My. God. Seriously??
I’m too tired and in need of a tub of aloe to make sense anymore, but as a reminder: a day off tomorrow, and then it’s on to the effin’ Yankees (A.K.A. America’s Sweethearts vs. That Team That’s from Almost Canada)!
Carry on, my wayward son.
Well now, looks like the Twins got their affairs
in order last night to win 2-1 against the Royals. “2 to
1,” you may point out, “that’s like the saddest score ever.”
Well at this point, a win is a win, especially against the Royals, who I still have
no idea why we lost to in the first place. They’re at least 9 games
behind the Tigers, and we’re something like 4 behind.
Anyway, the funny part is even the Twins website recognizes
how we hardly won with this awesome headline: “Twins find just enough
offense in win.“ HAHAH. Just enough to beat a terrible
team. Oh well, at least it looks
like Justin Morneau is back in the business of home runs:
Justin
Morneau hit a
426-foot solo home run on a 2-2 pitch from Bannister that splashed into the top level of
fountains in right-center field in the fourth inning. Morneau’s 19th homer of the season knotted the
game at 1 and erased Baker’s early damage in the contest.
…
Morneau, who before Sunday had not hit a
homer since June 9, has homered in three straight games. It’s the first time
he’s done that since May 3-8, 2005, when he went deep in four straight
contests.
Three in a row? I’m
very much okay with three games, three Morneaumers. Hopefully he can get a fourth in the
game that’s currently happening today.
Speaking of which, checking in:
TOP OF 6th (3-0, Twins):
In the 2nd, Cuddyer was able to crank
his 14th homer, bringing us ahead 1-0.
In the 3rd, Crede reaches on an error
by the Royals and Mauer runs another one in.
And in this inning, Mauer hits a single to get Gomez in, making the
score 3-0.
I’d love to actually be watching THIS game, as opposed to the
last two sad ones, but instead it’s the radio for me. I heard a commercial with Joe Nathan for Kemps, in which
he said he likes to down chocolate milk after a game to keep him strong. Right.
And KC scores, thanks to DeJesus running one
in. That is the best last name
ever, but only if you pronounce it the English way.
The Royals have two errors this game; the Twins have 30-something
errors this year, which is actually 47 LESS than the Royals.
BOTTOM OF 6th (3-1, Twins):
I’m totally bummed that I don’t get to actually watch this game,
because the Twins have a day off tomorrow and my life has no meaning without live
baseball. I’m kidding of course …
or AM I?
TOP OF 7th (3-1, Twins):
Quick 1-2-3 inning for Cuddyer, Crede, and Morales.
BOTTOM OF 7th (3-1, Twins):
Oh, Jesus: Harris replaces Punto at shortstop, and Buscher replaces Morneau at first. FOR SERIOUSLY? Why don’t you just go grab someone out
of the crowd to play first?
Although that switch happened, Harris and Buscher manage to get DeJesus (“THE JESUS!”) for
the third out.
TOP OF 8th (3-1, Twins):
WHOA WHOA WHOA. Redmond, apparently, left
the game with an injured hand/wrist; Punto left with an injured back; and Morneau left on account of
his groin. This is REALLY bad.
Span gets a single, and then steals a base. Oh look, and Tolbert gets a double
after that … aaaand Span scores. 4-1!
Mauer is intentionally walked. That would be truly annoying, to go up to bat and be like,
“welp, guess I won’t try …” And Bale replaces Tejada.
Bases loaded and Cuddy’s up … and he’s walked?! And Tolbert scores.
BOTTOM OF 8th (5-1, Twins):
Dickey replaces Perkins. Knuckleballin’, yo.
And nothing exciting happens, BYE.
TOP OF 9th (5-1, Twins):
And all our batters strike out and totally suck. I have this feeling we may win, though …
BOTTOM OF 9th (5-1, Twins):
Two outs and a walk, first and second occupied, aaaand … Joe Nathan swoops in??
Nathan versus The Jesus … 2-2, and then five fouls in a row.
10 pitches later, Nathan strikes out TheJesus, and the Twins win.
Better game than the last two; we take the series and are TWO games above 500 – finally! A day off before the boys take on the Tigers at the ‘Dome. Peace out, Kansas City!
Let’s get Denarded in here!
AHHHH DENARD IS BACK! Pregame, Span told FSN he was looking forward to contributing in Milwaukee after the frustration of being on the DL. Hopefully all will be well and we can get a few very nice hits out of him.
1B: MORNEAU
2B: TOLBERT
3B: CREDE
SS: HARRIS
RF: CUDDYER
CF: SPAN
LF: KUBEL
C: MAUER
PITCHING:
- BAKER
Not too shab.
Baker told that new guy on FSN … the one who looks like Anthony LaPanta Jr. … that today is the day to represent the pitching staff in the batter’s box. Hope so, because Blackburn and Liriano were, at best, questionable.
Good luck, boys!
POST-GAME UPDATE:
FINAL: 6-4, Twins
… and get Denarded we did. Mr. Span, might I kindly offer you my hand in marriage? Or perhaps, at the very least, a batch of cookies? Because today, instead of playing like an over-stimulated kindergartner with all the paper and finger-paint you can handle and a king-size candybar freshly in your tum-tum, you held back and played deliberately and patiently. There was no over-eager Span trying to prove himself, just good playing. A beautiful triple sealed the deal, and well as superb defense. You, sir, are a class-act.
And oh, Joe Crede, all my dreams came true with our homer today. No, it was not a grand slam as you’re skillfully executed before, but a very nice solo home run at just the nick of time, taking and keeping us ahead of the Brewers. You, my little ginger-snap, are truly a gentleman.
And also, seriously, I wish we played by AL rules sometimes so I could see the pitching staff batting some more. BAKER at the plate?? AHAHHA. I loved it. Bert and Dicky B were so proud when he could “make contact.” Baker, Guerrier, and Nathan were a great combo, keeping lots of Brewer runs off the board.
Feels good to take the series – on the ROAD! – and have Denard back.
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