Twins (67-63) @ Indians (71-57) Aug 27-29, for boblee

[Can't Never Tried]

I was doing so good for a few days.

One day @ a time Govs...

[Neutron 14]

For tonights selection...



It can be tiled as big as you want. Cool huh?

It doesn't end.

[Neutron 14]

OMG!! Great play at 2nd by my man Punto! You gotta love this guy!

[Govs93]

That's one of the best I've seen in MLB all year... did you see how his momentum on the throw turned him right over?! That's crazy.

[HShockeywatcher]

Follows up the great play with a K, bringing his AVG to .198

On a positive note, Tyner gets his 3rd hit of the night, bringing his avg to .298

[HShockeywatcher]

Tyner steals 2nd and gets to 3rd for Torii

[Can't Never Tried]

Nice catch!

[boblee]

Justin Morneau needs to get a big hit. Teams are going to start doing what the Indians are doing...simply...make Morneau beat them, which means pitching around Hunter. Justin has seen a month straight of breaking balls down and away off the plate and fastballs in, and somehow, he cannot adjust.

[HShockeywatcher]

If it wasn't for a classic couple ER at the worst time but Neshek we'd be tied after Buscher's first HR of the year.

[HShockeywatcher]

4 hits for Jason Tyner on the night, bringing his avg to .300

[HShockeywatcher]

Torii got us one run away from tying. Mornaeu has one out to keep us in this one.

[HShockeywatcher]

Well, great outing for everyone except our relievers

[boblee]

Morneau proves his 2007 AL LVP Status again tonight and fails to clutch up in two big situations.

[tomASS]

LOL

[EREmpireStrikesBack]

If it wasn't for a classic couple ER at the worst time but Neshek we'd be tied after Buscher's first HR of the year.

Eh, nvm.

[Can't Never Tried]

If it wasn't for a classic couple ER at the worst time but Neshek we'd be tied after Buscher's first HR of the year.

Eh, nvm.

That does read pretty well!

[goldy313]

I was listening to the Cleveland broadcast tonight and they made a couple of great points: Punto is great defensively, but can't hit and there is probably a starter or two (Santana) who could hit better and he should be DH'd for but the stigma of that prevents Gardy from doing it.

Aside from Punto, Hunter, Cuddy, and the catcher the Twins are a poor defensive team and you can't be a poor defensive team and hit like the Twins and be successful. Bartlett is bad, he's the Bizzaro Punto.

Morneau is slumping and in key situations just looks lost. They said this prior to him going down looking in the top of the 9th.

When you put it all together the Twins are the best team on paper in the Central, but paper doesn't win games. The best bullpen in baseball has been overworked, the Twins are third in the AL in starters going less than 6 full innings. Finally people get on Terry Ryan for not doing anything, but Ryan doesn't have 6 RBI in over a month (Morneau), hit below .200 (Punto), or can't stay healty (Mauer and White) along with a meriad of other problems the Twins have had. Players play and to date many of the Twins have underachieved.

[HShockeywatcher]

Wow, I put the wrong word in one spot and a bunch of people comment on it, while you never comment on when other people do the same. Real mature

[boblee]

Twins have to win tonight or it's officially over.

[Knowlzee]

I disagree Boblee,.....it's "officially" over, when it's officially over. That is one of the great aspects of baseball,.....it's not over until the last out is made.

[HShockeywatcher]

Not true. It's technically over when you can't make it back by winning out if the team ahead of you loses out. Tampa Bay is the only team that will actually be out of the running within the week.

But we both know that's not what boblee meant. I have to disagree for a different reason. We don't do well against Cleveland, for whatever reason. If we were to lose tonight AND only give up 4 or less runs, there's still hope. We still have 7 v. KC, 6 v. CWS, 3 v. TEX, and 6 v. DET (who we can probably split with at the very least). Yes, a loss tonight would make it hard, but not impossible.

[Neutron 14]

Count to ten Knowlze.

If that doesn't work count to 100.

If that too fails (see below)

[boblee]

6.5 games back will be greatly better than being 8.5 back and here is why...

This is what we have left...

4 vs. Kansas City
3 vs. Cleveland
3 @ Chicago
3 @ Kansas City
3 vs. Detroit
3 vs. Texas
3 vs. Chicago
3 @ Detroit
4 @ Boston

Cleveland has...

1 vs. Seattle
3 vs. Chicago
3 @ Minnesota
4 @ Los Angeles
3 @ Chicago
3 vs. Kansas City
3 vs. Detroit
3 vs. Oakland
4 @ Seattle
3 @ Kansas City


Maybe we have a bit of a more difficult schedule...but even if we take the remaining three game, we somehow have to make up another 6 games to win the division if we lose tonight. Not only that, but we also have to pass Detroit. If the Twins lose tonight, with their ace on the mound, the September callups may get a lot of time. The one thing we have going is by the time we get to Boston, they should have clinched, and will hopefully have clinched home field as well, hence playing their callups. If we lose tonight, I just don't see it as possible, not with this years team.

[Irishmans Shanty]

Knowing the Twins, tonight's game will resemble one of the following.

Exhibit A
800-000-000
000-210-300

The feast or famine bats will feast and famine within this contest and the Twins will hold on to claim victory.

Exhibit B
000-000-020
230-010-000

The Twins will fall behind early and go quietly and quickly until adding a couple of runs after the fact.

[HShockeywatcher]

Sure, Detroit's ahead of us, but we don't need to worry about them for the time being. All you need to do is worry about passing the guy in first. Just like in a race, if you're in 6th and you want to win, you don't just worry about the guy ahead of you, you just focus on passing the guy in 1st, plain and simple. Sure 2nd is better than 3rd, but neither makes the post-season.