Most Heart Breaking Twins loss ever?

[notoriousgod71]

I really can't think of anything that I would consider on par with some of the Vikings losses in recent memory. To me Game 163 in 2008 was a great game, but not heart breaking. The closest I can think of Game 2 in 2004. Maybe in retrospect the Eric Fox game?

What does everyone else think?

[Squirrel]

Game 7, 1965 World Series

[Guest USAFChief]

Game 7, 1965 World Series

 

Yup. One broken 7-year- old heart for sure.

[nicksaviking]

Tom Brunansky lost for Tommy Herr.

[Brandon]

Twins abilty to find Pitching talent on the FA market We just lost again to ourselves. Heartbreaking.

[Boom Boom]

http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSXaNe_vMlHS32YbI72kkASifbLAgy2atfzOfk3eusN-KY03QraaA

[Guest USAFChief]

Game 7, 1965 World Series

 

Yup. One broken 7-year- old heart for sure.

 

From your photo I would have guessed you to be a much younger woman.

 

You'd be wrong on both counts.

[Sssuperdave]

I'm sure this isn't the most heartbreaking one, but I'll never forget May 17, 2002. I was in college at the time and had stayed up way too late watching this game...

 

The Twins were playing the Yankees in New York and were down 8 to 3 after 5 innings. They came back with 6 runs in the 6th to take a 9-8 lead through a pirhanna-like combo of singles, doubles, and sacrifice flies. Then in the bottom of the 9th Bernie William hit a homerun off Eddie Guardado to tie it at 9. That was heartbreaking enough but was just a taste of what was to come.

 

The game went into extra innings and there was no scoring until the 14th, but the Yankees left the bases loaded in both the 11th and the 13th. Then in the 14th inning the Twins broke through with three runs. I remember thinking I would finally get to go to bed with a Twins win. But, the Twins had used up all their relievers and had only Mike Trombley left, who was clinging on to the end of his career. He came in for the bottom of the 14th and promptly gave up 2 singles and a walk, followed by a grand slam by Jason Giambi. Just like that, after 14 innings, the Yankees won.

 

I remember the look on Trombley's face as Gimabi rounded the bases - it was like he was disoriented, in too much shock to even be frustrated, just dazed and confused at what just happened. He had a couple more garbage-time outings but was released at the end of the month and his career was over. Pretty sad ending to a workman-like career.

[Winston Smith]

When they lost the last two games against the Red Sox in 67 and missed the World Series.

[Ben B]

My two votes have already been mentioned. ALDS Game 2 in 2004 and the ALDS game in 2006 against the A's with Kotsay's inside the park homer. I was at the A's game and you could just feel the Dome deflate. I knew it was over then.

[70charger]

Already been mentioned, but that 2008 tiebreaker was pretty heartbreaking. Blackburn actually pitched a hell of a game there; Thome home run was the deciding factor.

[TwinsFanInPhilly]

Twins were tied for the AL West lead only a few days prior and were still in the race on 9/28/1984 when this happened:

 

Box Score of Game played on Friday, September 28, 1984 at Cleveland Stadium

 

I remember it like it was yesterday.

[luke829]

I'm sure this isn't the most heartbreaking one, but I'll never forget May 17, 2002. I was in college at the time and had stayed up way too late watching this game...

 

The Twins were playing the Yankees in New York and were down 8 to 3 after 5 innings. They came back with 6 runs in the 6th to take a 9-8 lead through a pirhanna-like combo of singles, doubles, and sacrifice flies. Then in the bottom of the 9th Bernie William hit a homerun off Eddie Guardado to tie it at 9. That was heartbreaking enough but was just a taste of what was to come.

 

The game went into extra innings and there was no scoring until the 14th, but the Yankees left the bases loaded in both the 11th and the 13th. Then in the 14th inning the Twins broke through with three runs. I remember thinking I would finally get to go to bed with a Twins win. But, the Twins had used up all their relievers and had only Mike Trombley left, who was clinging on to the end of his career. He came in for the bottom of the 14th and promptly gave up 2 singles and a walk, followed by a grand slam by Jason Giambi. Just like that, after 14 innings, the Yankees won.

 

I remember the look on Trombley's face as Gimabi rounded the bases - it was like he was disoriented, in too much shock to even be frustrated, just dazed and confused at what just happened. He had a couple more garbage-time outings but was released at the end of the month and his career was over. Pretty sad ending to a workman-like career.

 

You just opened up some old emotional wounds with that.

[Roaddog]

Dont remember what year, thinking 1993. Eric Fox hits a 3 run HR off of Rick Aguilera. A's went on to win the division and sent the twins into an era of putrid baseball

[ashbury]

Twins were tied for the AL West lead only a few days prior and were still in the race on 9/28/1984 when this happened:

 

Box Score of Game played on Friday, September 28, 1984 at Cleveland Stadium

 

I remember it like it was yesterday.

 

Is that the one where Gaetti said afterward in self-reproach, "it's pretty tough to play this game with both hands wrapped around your throat"?

 

Or the one where Ron Davis cried?

[DaveW]

2009 game 2 ALDS. Was there in person, I actually thought we had that game won. ugggghhhhhh

[YourHouseIsMyHouse]

Pick any game that we've played the Yankees.

[JeffB]

Game 3, 2009 ALDS vs. Yankees (last game in Dome). Twins were on a roll, ready to take the lead when this happened:

 

[johnnydakota]

the 1st game of 2013.....gardy is still here:banghead:

[glunn]

I remember almost all of these and am now calling my doctor to ask for some antidepressant medication.

[freshinthehouse]

Dunno if it has been mentioned, but game 4 of the 2004 ALDS was disgusting. Up 5-2 late, Rincon gives up that bomb to Ruben Sierra.

[drjim]

Dunno if it has been mentioned, but game 4 of the 2004 ALDS was disgusting. Up 5-2 late, Rincon gives up that bomb to Ruben Sierra.

 

This. That was the best Twins team in this entire run. Up 5-1 going to the 8th and Rincon had been a stud all year and coughed it up. Haven't won a playoff game since. That whole series was a heartbreaker.

[one_eyed_jack]

This thread is depressing, but enjoyable on some level. Lots of good mentions so far.

 

I'm going to go with game 1 of the 2006 ALDS, Santana vs Zito. That was heartbreaking to me because there was so much momentum and anticipation going into that postseason, but once we lost that game, I knew it was over.

 

The various playoff losses to the Yankees where we had a late lead and blew it were all heartbreaking, but there were so many that they all just kind of blend together for me.

 

The Vikings have broken a lot of hearts too, but you've at least got to give them style points for finding new, interesting and creative ways to torture their fans. I mean to say, taking yourself out of range of a game-winning field goal in the NFC championship game with a too many men on the field penalty?! Not just anyone could come up with that. With the Twins, it's the opposite. Losing to the same team. The same way. Every. Single. Year.

[Izzy997]

My two votes have already been mentioned. ALDS Game 2 in 2004 and the ALDS game in 2006 against the A's with Kotsay's inside the park homer. I was at the A's game and you could just feel the Dome deflate. I knew it was over then.

Was that the play Torii botched? I was there also and you're right, the life went out of the place after that.

[TheLeviathan]

This. That was the best Twins team in this entire run. Up 5-1 going to the 8th and Rincon had been a stud all year and coughed it up. Haven't won a playoff game since. That whole series was a heartbreaker.

 

2010's team was pretty good too. I went in to that playoffs pretty high on that team so Game 1 was a soul-crusher. But I'd rank this game ahead of it, but I would nominate Game 2 of that same series. Koskie's ball stays in the park and we may win that sucker. Extra inning dramatics only made it worse. We had a chance to put a 2-0 stranglehold on that series too.

[freshinthehouse]

This. That was the best Twins team in this entire run. Up 5-1 going to the 8th and Rincon had been a stud all year and coughed it up. Haven't won a playoff game since. That whole series was a heartbreaker.

 

Yessir. Every playoff loss since hasn't been as bad IMO because we were the inferior team. Even in 2006 our rotation was in shambles once Radke got hurt. A few things go our way in 2004 and we get past the Yankees.

[John Bonnes]

Dunno if it has been mentioned, but game 4 of the 2004 ALDS was disgusting. Up 5-2 late, Rincon gives up that bomb to Ruben Sierra.

 

This. That was the best Twins team in this entire run. Up 5-1 going to the 8th and Rincon had been a stud all year and coughed it up. Haven't won a playoff game since. That whole series was a heartbreaker.

 

I'd choose Game 2 of that series over Game 4. Up one game to zero (which the Twins won in Yankee stadium), the boys rally to tie up the second game in Yankee stadium in the eighth inning. In extra innings, the Twins gain a lead in the top of the 12th on (if I remember right) a home run by Hunter. But Nathan goes out for his third consecutive inning to try and close it out and loses on three walks and a double.

 

The Twins would have been up 2-0 and coming home had they held onto that one. Game 4 was practically anti-climactic after that.

[Ben B]

My two votes have already been mentioned. ALDS Game 2 in 2004 and the ALDS game in 2006 against the A's with Kotsay's inside the park homer. I was at the A's game and you could just feel the Dome deflate. I knew it was over then.

Was that the play Torii botched? I was there also and you're right, the life went out of the place after that.

 

Yep, that was the Torii play. I remember Cuddyer and Morneau had just hit back-to-back homers to tie it and the place was electric...and then the very next inning, that happened.

[diehardtwinsfan]

2004 ALDS game 2.

[Guest USAFChief]

Twins were tied for the AL West lead only a few days prior and were still in the race on 9/28/1984 when this happened:

 

Box Score of Game played on Friday, September 28, 1984 at Cleveland Stadium

 

I remember it like it was yesterday.

 

Is that the one where Gaetti said afterward in self-reproach, "it's pretty tough to play this game with both hands wrapped around your throat"?

 

Or the one where Ron Davis cried?

 

It's the Gaetti game. Although i think the quote was closer to "it's hard to throw to first with both hands wrapped around your neck."