After burning all pitchers, Twins start Fox against Rangers
So, tonight against the first place Texas Rangers, battling for home field advantage in the playoffs, the Minnesota Twins are going to start Matt Fox. Who’s he, you might ask? Matt Fox is a guy who didn’t play yesterday, so he can pitch today. Matt Fox is also the newest member of the Twins starting rotation, since they like to burn those guys in the bullpen anyway.
What a joke.
I’m sure this Matt Fox kid is good and all, but I still can’t believe the Minnesota Twins burned two starting pitchers in the bullpen last night in a game that we didn’t really need to win all that badly. On the other hand, we really, really need to win this series with the Texas Rangers.
Why didn’t the Twins let Jesse Crain finish the game last night? Why? And if you’re going to burn a starting pitcher, why not burn just one? Why burn the guy who’s supposed to start the next night?
The ineptitude of that decision-making process is downright scary. Gardenhire, please don’t get ejected anymore, no matter how good an idea it seems at the time. It’s not.
So, today the Twins called up three pitchers: Rob Delaney, Alex Burnett (who I firmly believe should stay in the minors for eternity), and Matt Fox. And Fox is starting tonight. According to the Star Tribune, Fox is 27 years old, had shoulder surgery five years ago, and throws a fastball in the neighborhood of 90 mph.
Okay. Sure.
Matt Fox also used to pitch to back up catcher Drew Butera, who I think will get the start for the Twins tonight after Joe Mauer suffered through five hours behind the plate last night. At least Butera and Fox know each other.
The good news: Orlando Hudson and Jim Thome are ready to go tonight. I have a feeling we’ll need all the offensive help we can get.
Let’s hope the Twins make some better decisions against the Texas Rangers. Maybe this Matt Fox will step up in his first major league debut and throw a no hitter. Is that too much to hope for? That’s too much to hope for.
I guess I’ll settle for four decent innings. I hope we have somebody left in the bullpen.
Twins lose nasty, sloppy game to Tigers; any pitchers left?
Last night’s loss to the Detroit Tigers was the nastiest, sloppiest, longest Minnesota Twins game I’ve seen in a long time. And it went on forever. And we have no pitchers left. We used all the healthy ones, relievers and starters, last night. The Twins will have to call somebody up to pitch tonight. Boo.
I heard last night’s ballgame described as “bizarre” and “wild.” I would use these words: Sloppy. Messy. Lazy. The Twins gave up every lead they had to the Tigers. It was horrifying. And it went on and on until the Twins ultimately lost. Ugh.
Here’s how ESPN described it, “Six lead changes, five ties, four errors, two blown saves, 25 runners left on base and at least four botched double plays.” That sounds about right to me. Yuck.
You could also add in “four home runs – none of them from the Twins.”
The funniest thing about it? Ron Gardenhire wasn’t even in the dugout – he was ejected by the second base umpire halfway through the game (that was in the seventh inning).
And I was pissed, too, by the way – Alexi Casilla may have dropped the ball, but not before he secured the out at second. You can’t negate the out just because he dropped the ball so he couldn’t throw to first for the double play! Casilla still caught the ball in the first place.
Anyway, Twins starting pitcher Scott Baker left the game with a sore elbow, taking a second cortisone shot in nearly as many months to help it (great). Little did he know that he left eleven full innings for the relief pitchers.
Twins reliever Jeff Manship had a terrific game, pitching long for four innings and holding the Tigers to one run. But Brian Fuentes (bad back) and Matt Capps (some kind of soreness) were unavailable.
So, the Twins had to put in two starters: Brian Duensing, who threw over 100 pitches two days earlier, and Nick Blackburn, who was supposed to start tonight. Needless to say Blackburn’s not starting now.
Right now, we don’t know who will start for the Twins tonight. Probably somebody from Triple A. They can’t even call up Glen Perkins because he just pitched. We have nobody. Yikes.
And the Twins were utterly sloppy on the field last night. They were up 7-3 going into the eighth inning, and that should have been it. Instead, it was the halfway point of the game as the Twins and Tigers played thirteen innings of baseball over nearly five hours.
That is too many innings. It’s just too many. And it’s too many hours, too.
The one good thing about the game: white-hot Danny Valencia went 3 for 3 with two RBI. The guy is killing it out there.
Too bad every other Twins player is a disaster right now. I guess that’s why we lost.
Twins go for sweep of Tigers; Baker v. Verlander
Tonight is going to be an exciting night in Minnesota sports. The Minnesota Twins go for a sweep of the Detroit Tigers tonight at Target Field (Scott Baker will take on Justin Verlander). The Minnesota Vikings take on the Denver Broncos in their final preseason game. And the Minnesota Gophers play their season opener against Middle Tennessee State University. Both the Twins and the Vikings play at home.
With the Minnesota State Fair in full swing, that’s a lot of activity for the land of 10,000 lakes this evening. The only real question is which game to watch.
Tonight’s Minnesota Twins lineup looks familiar: Denard Span (CF), Alexi Casilla (2B), Joe Mauer (C), Michael Cuddyer (1B), Delmon Young (LF), Danny Valencia (3B), Jose Morales (DH), Jason Repko (RF), J.J. Hardy (SS).
It worked last night against the Tigers, so I can’t imagine it won’t work tonight.
Orlando Hudson, Jason Kubel, and Jim Thome are still listed as day-to-day on the Twins injury report, but Thome had a single last night when he pinch hit for Alexi Casilla in the ninth inning. Rumors indicate Thome may be healthy enough to pinch hit again tonight for the Twins if need be.
It should be quite the pitching battle between Verlander, who is 14-8, and Scott Baker, who stands at 12-9. Verlander has been the ace for the Tigers, pitching eight innings in his last two outings.
Soctt Baker’s no slouch, either, at 5-0 in his last seven outings for the Twins. And Baker has been pitching seven or nearly seven innings for the Twins.
Tonight, I’d look for a pitching duel between the Minnesota Twins and the Detroit Tigers. The Twins haven’t been very successful at sweeping teams this season, but I’ve got a good feeling about this Twins-Tigers series.
And if not, well, the Twins are still well at the top of the AL central division, so that’s just fine.
Valencia and Cuddyer 10th inning heroes; Twins beat Tigers 2-1
In an exciting 10th inning finish last night, the Minnesota Twins win a second game in a row against the Detroit Tigers, squeaking out a 2-1 victory. Michael Cuddyer turned a single into scoring position with a steal to second base, and Danny Valencia finished the job with a double to center field, scoring Michael Cuddyer and ending the game.
How about that Danny Valencia? He’s a monster at the plate, whether he’s at home or on the road, batting .332. Valencia’s a solid fielder, too. Nick Punto is going to have a tough go of it trying to get playing time at third base once his hamstring heals. Valencia has certainly proven his worth to the Twins.
But the real story of the Twins-Tigers game was the pitching. If the score is as low as 2-1 in ten innings, you know that it had to be a pitching duel.
Detroit Tigers starter Matt Scherzer was phenomenal last night, pitching a full game and giving up only one run. Minnesota Twins starter Francisco Liriano was just as good, pitching seven complete innings and also giving up only one run.
The Twins and Tigers starting pitchers were excellently matched, so it’s a shame that neither one of them was credited with the win in the end. That distinction went to Twins reliever Jon Rauch, who held off the Tigers in the 10th inning.
Maybe the win will get Rauch’s confidence back up. I like Rauch, so that would be nice to see.
But this game belonged to Michael Cuddyer and (especially) Danny Valencia with his game-winning double, which came at the end of a very patient, full-count at bat.
I like it.
Injured Twins to take two in a row from Tigers at Target Field
Maybe tonight will be as exciting as last night’s victory, as the Minnesota Twins attempt to take two games in a row from the Detroit Tigers tonight at Target Field. The Twins acquired more injuries in last night’s miserable victory against the Tigers.
The Twins lineup for tonight is certainly interesting, with Jose Morales as designated hitter since Jim Thome (back) and Jason Kubel (pitch to the wrist last night) need a little time to heal.
The entire Minnesota Twins lineup tonight is as follows: Denard Span (CF), Alexi Casilla (2B), Joe Mauer (C), Michael Cuddyer (1B), Delmon Young (LF), Danny Valencia (3B), Morales (DH), Jason Repko (RF), and J.J. Hardy (SS). Twins starter Francisco Liriano pitches.
I am still under the impression that J.J. Hardy’s wrist is suspect – especially given that errant throw to Michael Cuddyer in last night’s game against the Tigers. I also don’t like injuries to Jason Kubel and Orlando Hudson – Alexi Casilla is in for Hudson tonight, and Jason Repko is playing for Kubel.
And newly acquired left-handed reliever Brian Fuentes is out with a bad back, too. But as I understand it, that’s more of a chronic issue with Fuentes – his back just locks up sometimes. I hope it unlocks itself, however, because the Twins are going to need the guy.
Jim Thome, Jason Kubel, Orlando Hudson, and Brian Fuentes are all listed on the Twins injury report as day-to-day. Nick Punto is still on the 15-day DL, as is concussion-ridden Justin Morneau (man, could we use him back).
Fortunately, Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Max Scherzer has been horrible against the Minnesota Twins this season, going 0-1 with an 18.00 ERA. He doesn’t seem to have the ability to pitch deep into the game when he starts against the Twins, either.
Scherzer should make a lovely foil for Francisco Liriano, who made Cliff Lee look like a little girl in his last outing at Rangers Ballpark. Liriano hopes to add a seventh game to his current six-game winning streak tonight.
And if the Minnesota Twins aren’t so lazy out there on the field (what was the first half of that ball game yesterday, anyway?), they should end the night with a second win in a row against the Detroit Tigers.
