Article: TOR 7, MIN 2: Pub Crawlers Have Best Night Ever Despite Twins Loss

[Tom Froemming]

The Twins lost to the Blue Jays Saturday evening, but good luck trying to tell that to anybody at Target Field who was wearing a gorgeous red “From Worst To Thirst” shirt. We were all too busy having a great time to even notice (or maybe that was just me).Snapshot (chart via Fangraphs)

Download attachment: Snapshot917.png

The Twins may have lost Saturday night, but it could have been worse if not for a brave pub crawler. In the middle of the fifth inning, with the Twins already down 3-0, a brave man recklessly tore through Minnie & Paul’s reminding every fan he could possibly get the attention of that the Twins were in the process of being no-hit.

 

Some fans met this news with disgust, but the brave town crier carried out his job, undeterred by the negative reactions, for he knew somewhere, somehow the Baseball Gods were listening. Thankfully, the brave work of that unknown man (it was Nick Nelson) paid off, and the no-hitter was effectively jinxed. Eddie Rosario blasted a homer run in the bottom of the fifth, his 24th of the season.

 

What of the rest of the game? Well, never mind that. Rest happily knowing that there was many a pub crawler who had an excellent evening watching a meaningful Minnesota Twins game on a wonderful mid-September evening. Looking back to March, could you have asked for anything better than that?

 

Yes, the Twins lost. Yes, the stadium was filled with Blue Jays fans. Does that make us all losers by association?

 

…

 

Wait, what were we talking about again?

 

AL Wild Card Standings

WC1: Yankees 82-66 (+5.0)

WC2: Twins 77-71

Angels 76-72 (-1.0)

Seattle 74-75 (-3.5)

 

Postgame With Molitor

Bullpen Usage

Here’s a quick look at the number of pitches thrown by the bullpen over the past five days:

Download attachment: Bullpen917.png

Looking Ahead

Sun: Twins (Kyle Gibson) vs. Blue Jays (Joe Biagini), 1:10 pm CT

Mon: Twins (Ervin Santana) at Yankees (Jaime Garcia) , 6:05 pm CT

Tue: Twins (Jose Berrios) at Yankees (CC Sabathia), 6:05 pm CT

 

Looking Back

TOR 4, MIN 3: Pressley Fails To Pounce, Is Victim Of A Bad Bounce

MIN 3, TOR 2: Buxton Blasts Walk-Off HR

MIN 3, SDP 1: Rosario Hits Walk-Off HR in 10th Inning

 

Click here to view the article

[bighat]

Yikes. A game up on the Angels, one more game against Josh Donaldson today and have 3 games in the Bronx looming.

 

If anyone's watched Mejia over the past coupla years, he looked probably just like you thought he'd look - rusty and not good. The Twins really need to get him pitching more efficiently. Maybe start by watching Bartolo or better yet Erv.

 

Fielding woes are really sinking the Twins this series. Where are those bats? Did the Twins waste all their fire power during that 17-0 drubbing early this week?

 

A win today would really steady the ship before the plane ride to NYC. Need this one today fellas!

[mikelink45]

It is very hard for a Twins fan to not start feeling nervous after these two games.  

I am wondering why we have not had Gonsalves pitch a game.  I know we did not call him up and that makes me even more confused.  

 

Is there any sign of Sano returning?

[Han Joelo]

Our "Ace" is on the mound today, and then we're facing disgruntled former employee Jaime Garcia, who likely has a vendetta against this classless organization. Then it's Colon versus Sabbathia? Holy cow, I'm leaving that one alone, although I think it would be classy if Colon had saved one of those XXL t-shirts for CC.

[Doctor Wu]

What, no bunts today?

[notoriousgod71]

Our "Ace" is on the mound today, and then we're facing disgruntled former employee Jaime Garcia, who likely has a vendetta against this classless organization. Then it's Colon versus Sabbathia? Holy cow, I'm leaving that one alone, although I think it would be classy if Colon had saved one of those XXL t-shirts for CC.

That should have been the matchup for Bartolo's Twins debut until Girardi ****ed up the rotation.

[Cap'n Piranha]

I hope every batter bunts against Sabathia.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

Mejia apparently has less stamina that Colon, which is saying something.

[bluechipper]

The Twins may have set some sort of record for pop ups last night. I don't know what their deal is with struggling against Estrada and his pitching clone, Mike Fiers.

[bluechipper]

 

Our "Ace" is on the mound today, and then we're facing disgruntled former employee Jaime Garcia, who likely has a vendetta against this classless organization. Then it's Colon versus Sabbathia? Holy cow, I'm leaving that one alone, although I think it would be classy if Colon had saved one of those XXL t-shirts for CC.

What are the quotation marks around Ace for?

[blindeke]

 

What are the quotation marks around Ace for?

 

They signify a quotation, or perhaps some sort of ironic distance from the statement on behalf of the writer.

[Kwak]

 

I hope every batter bunts against Sabathia.

I'll bet he does too!

Edited September 17, 2017 by Kwak

[Florida Loggerman]

I'm totally frustrated with the recent managing by Molitor in regards to him and pitching coach not figuring out the simple fact that Josh Donaldson Owns the Twins, Period! Yet, game after game, inning after inning, Molitor and the PC continue to allow the Twins pitchers to Pitch to Donaldson???? Why???? after how many Home Runs, and simply tearing the Twins a new one; we still allow this hittiing monster to Kill us, again today, Donaldson already has 2 dingers against us, and Lord onlly know, I'm sure we will continue to not Walk the guy???? isn't a walk to Donaldson better than the other options??? daaaa

[Dantes929]

 

What, no bunts today?

I was thinking that myself.   The Twins were so off balance and the pitcher was in such a groove I would have had the Twins try bunting for hits 4 or 5 times to get some runners on and to get that guy off his stride.    Homers are great as evidenced by today's game but keep in mind that we scored 13 runs with three homers.   Most of the damage was non home run generated.  I still love to see bunts for hits and would like to see that strategy against CC and I really do not believe he would like it at all.  

[ThejacKmp]

1.) I thought they pulled Mejia a bit quickly. He'd been rolling and it wasn't like they were stinging the ball all over the place. It's also not like the Twins have an amazingly deep bullpen that you want to turn the game over to super early. 

 

2.) I want to see a playoff start where the Twins run Mejia for the first three innings (getting the other team to get their righties in the lineup) and then switch to Colon. Both of these guys are great in short spurts and you'd give Colon a shot at a lefty-less lineup.