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No timing.

WE GOT FRANK OUT!!!

The As scored 2 runs.....in the same inning.

Is that legal?

Like I have been saying all along

Hit the BALL

Michael Cuddyer solo shot
Justin Morneau solo shot

2-2


Thank You

Go Twins

BA-OOOOOGA
BA-OOOOOGA

Thank you Cuddyer and Morneau.

Maybe that will get them going.

It better.

Anyone else less than impressed with the Ump's strikezone today?

Neshek for 7th

Crain for the 8th

Nathan for the 9th (10th if necessary)

Man this is getting ugly, Nathan gives up a run in the 9th and it's now 5-2 Oakland. What happened on the inside the park homer, did Torii boof it up or something?

No hit. No bullpen. No wins

They could win 2 out in Oakland.

Remeber, we got good old Billy Chapel goin in game 3.

And Silva seems to be the least of our worries packerboy...

Gardy's head has to be spinning.

He hasnt pushed a right button yet. We will see if Radke can do what Boof did today and they can score some runs. If not, it will be over before it started.

And thats right Neut, now it isnt a big deal who the game 4 starter might be. Its will there be a game 4?

The objective for now switches from winning the series to simply extending the series.

Yup and the good news is: If they hit and pitch in the bullpen, they will extend it.

What in the Boof was Hunter thinking?

Thats what happens when it takes 6 innings to score a run all the time. You press and dont 'stay within yourself'. No reason to take that gamble.

Here is the bad news: When they go into these hitting fogs, it usually lasts 3 or 4 games.

The Twins have been a streaky hitting team all year. I thought I heard yesterday that they had been shut out 14 times this season. It seems like when they do break out though, they explode so here's hoping for a nice 7-2 win on Friday.

I don't know the numbers but it also seemed like they had a lot of comeback wins this year where they'd win the game in their last at bat or tie it up in the 9th and win it in extra innings. They had chances to do that in both games, but their luck ran out on them.

Paul Molitor was on Chad Hartman's show this afternoon and felt that the Twins should send Santana out there on Saturday if they make it to a 4th game, assuming that Santana would be ready. The logic being that in the fifth game you could send out as many pitchers as it took to win.

Let's not forget about the quality of Oakland's defense, they've got a lot of speed in the outfield and have positioned themselves very well in the two games so far. They've made the plays and the Twins defense has not.

The good thing is the Twins are not done yet though they are on the ropes. This team has been on the ropes for most of the season so if any team can come back from the dead it's this one.

Top of the 7th the Dodgers were trailing the Mets 4-1 this afternoon, there was a knock, an error, a SO, a knock, a flyout, and a two out two run knock by Nomar to tie the game at 4. Just like that the Dodgers got three.

Four times now in five years the Twins have been in the show and every darn year it is the same old story. This is a 96 win team that led the league in hitting and they've been reduced to two out singles as their only form of offensive life.

Eight times in two days the Twins have had multiple men on or a runner in scoring position with 2 out. They have failed on every occassion to get that man across. They have failed because six times the hitters have fallen behind on the count. This tells me that 1) A's pitchers do not fear any of our hitters and are going right at them 2) they are hitting corners within the zone with pitches that our hitters are laying off or can't drive with authority. Once ahead, the Twins batters are forced to swing at the pitches their pitchers want them to, thus resulting in a ton of lazy fly balls or easy ground balls at well placed infielders. By the way, who was the one batter who was ahead on his count? Well that would be Mauer and his laser to Chavez tells me he hit the pitch he wanted. Chavez simply took the RBI single away with great positioning and great hands.

A's scoring and threats
2nd - Payton singles on first pitch, Thomas walks
4th - Thomas doubles on 1-0 count
5th - Swisher doubles on first pitch, Scutaro doubles on first pitch
6th - Payton singles on 2-1 count
7th - Ellis singles on 1-1 count, Kotsay Homers on 3-1 count
9th - Swisher doubles on first pitch, Kendall doubles on first pitch

CONCLUSION
All the A's damaging hits came in situations where they did not have to swing. Twins pitchers must hit corners within the zone rather than going down broadway. Through two games A's pitchers have made fewer mistakes within the strike zone. Remember, our starters have been great, but this tells me that Loaiza and Zito have been better.

You have to give credit to Oakland. They have been very opportunistic at the plate. When the Twins pitchers make a mistake its taken advantage of.

The Twins havent done enough of that and they have been hitting in tough luck.

Maybe some of these guys are not ready for prime time just yet. Some times a team will make an apperance in the playoffs and just take off and do well without any experience at all. 1987 comes to mind.

Other teams or groups of players need to experience it before they can relax, settle in and play their game. Because thats all the Twins need to do...play their game. They dont need to dive for a ball in CF with 2 outs and a runner on first in a tie game in the 7th inning.

Maybe the reason for the lack of offenese and realtively poor play is that they are pressing. Trying to do to much. Not ready for prime time.

I didnt think this was a 96 win team when they came north. None of us did. Maybe they are a little ahead of themselves and maybe they are in a little over their heads right now.

Maybe they will win the next 3.

PS to IS. Good observations but let me add this. When Zito was settling in during the early to middle innings on Tuesday, he was getting ahead on first pitch fastballs.

Twins hitters were taking them trying to 'work the count'. If you do that against Zito he works you.

After a couple of innings of this, the Twins picked up on this and started to swing at the first pitch fastball and hit the ball but not hard and/or right at someone. They didnt do what Swisher et al did even when they didnt have to swing.

What's best for a team that is pressing? Get out of town

There's no pressure in Oakland, there will be no army of people wearing your jersey and chanting your name, only drunken fans taunting you and your mother's reputation. There will be no people counting on a win because you are the best road team in the league.

After having a day to digest the events of Mon and Tues I am still quite optimistic, which for me is rare. This series is not over and a win tomorrow get's them one well timed hit or defensive play from being all square.

I would be worried if the Twins had played well and were down two, as the Tigers will by 3pm CST today.

My impression of the first game was that Zito was wild early and the Twins helped him out by swinging at pitches out of the zone. When he realized the Twins would be aggressive he didn't give in figuring the Twins would continue to chase. I don't know whose impression is correct, mine or packerboy's, but the truth is that Zito pitched a masterful game and when he did make a mistake the Twins could not take advantage.

So Oakland has played about as well as they can and the Twins have made a lot of mistakes. The law of averages would suggest that things should even out but packerboy makes the point that this team may need more playoff experience to do any damage. In some ways, it may be good for next season for the team to falter in the playoffs this year, making them more hungry next year. On the other hand you never know what next year will bring and this may be the only time these guys make it to the playoffs.

I think they'll win tomorrow but the game on Saturday will be a dogfight and I just don't have any idea who will pull it out.

The Twins have scored 4 runs, 3 on solo home runs and 1 on a dome ball that turned an out into a triple. Their defense has not been very good and neither has their bullpen or baserunning. To put it mildly that's not Twins baseball, they need to get out of Bizarro world and back in this one.

Through 2 days of post season baseball I have seen some of the worst baseball of the year; the Dodgers getting 2 guys thrown out at home on the same play, the Tigers having Ordonez try and steal 3rd with no outs, Hunters play, etc. Did the Yankees win that impresively or did the Tigers play that badly? The Tigers had so many runners on in the early innings and they bailed Wang out, he was borderline awful.

Gardy- put Redman in the line up somewhere, Nevin and Tyner are not Major League players and they're your DH. You have to manage to win, not to protect yourself in case a catcher gets hurt. If that's the case there is no reason Nevin should be on the post season roster, Heinz should be so you have 3 catchers. That's my only beef with Gardy, he's gives up the DH spot too easily.

Interesting scenario for Radke, this could very well be his last game of his career and he has it his hands. (unless the Twins continue to flail with RISP) He has won games like this before and it's not like the A's have been killing the ball either in this series.

I write this as I try to talk myself off a ledge, but hopefully Friday brings better news. Hitting is the big link missing in this series, it's hard to ask a bullpen throw so many innings in which they cannot afford to give up a single run.

Radke can at least go uut with a bang, let's hope he does it.

The offense that IS promised would not show up did show up. And against a pitcher who used to be great and one that never has nor ever will be.

ChrisK, I give Zito credit for realizing how he could get the Twins out.

I also give the Oakland hitters credit for hitting the mistakes of a now great pitcher and one who has been as good as any down the stretch and against the best bullpen in baseball.

The Twins have not driven in a guy from scoring position with a hit. Geez, so why are they losing? Big mystery isnt it.

I still cant figure out what Hunter was thinking. But if they had 4 runs on the board, it probably doesnt happen.

So, everybody now , WHAT DO THE TWINS HAVE TO DO?

Get another pitcher?

How easy has it been to be an A's fan this week?

Your team has held a lead for 12/18 innings and have not trailed in any game at any point.

The opponent's DH (DH - harry chested thumper who hits the crap out of the ball but is too old, injured, or untalented to play the field) has yet to hit a ball over the fence in fair play with over 1000 career attempts.

12/18 innings your opponent fails to get a man on base until there are two outs already in the book.

Your opponent is 0 for the week with men in scoring position.

By the time you get out of bed your team already has a lead.

Goldy.. excellent points about Redmond and the DH position!