6/10/05: Twins/Dodgers

[Steak]

After a great series against a good Arizona team. another big test is waiting for the Twins tonight as they face the LA Dodgers. Dodgers has been solid all year. This is the first time both teams face each other since the 65 World Series. FSN North will have features of the 65 World Series during the pregame and during the game tonight. I would love to have seen that. Meanwhile, I get to hear Vin Scully who loves the sound of his voice.

Joe Mays is on the hill. Let's hope he does well.

Twins are really playing well right now. This team is starting to play like a whole especially with out hitters. This is what I want to see and this is what I expect. I love what I am seeing. Let's hope they keep it up.

Penny vs. Mays

[777rak]

go Twins!!

[Steak]

This was a very bad loss tonight. Twins did not pitch well after the fifth inning. I don't know if the mound hurted the Twins pitchers or what. Twins pitchers seem to have problem with the Dodgers mound all night long. Dodgers are so used to pitching in that high elevated mound at Dodgers Stadium while a team like the Twins are not used to it. They clearly had problems all night as you saw with the extra pitches. It does not excuse the Twins pitchers because they should find a way to get it done. Now I see why LA pitchers are great. They are so used to pitching in that high elevated mound while the other pitchers don't seem to grasp it. I ain't whining. I am just being honest. I notice a lot of managers have had problems about how the Dodgers pitchers use that mound to that advantage while the other team pitches on it.

Joe Mauer seemed to have problems with receiving catches from the pitchers out there so hencey why I felt that mound was an issue with the Twins. Also Joe is normally gold when he throws runners out, but that throw to second was way off.

Twins pitchers just did not get it done. Joe Mays was not very good at all. Jesse and Juan labored out there and they were fortuante to get out of it. It's unfortunate Choi homered of TM in TM's first and last pitch. That ball looked like it was going to be foul, but it hit the pole. I swear Dodgers Stadium's foul pole is the longest in baseball. Dodgers really have what you call a real home-field advantage where the conditions are tough to play for the other team.

Twins really wasted a good offensive showing tonight. 5 runs should be good enough to win you a game. Penny and the relievers just found a way to get it done.

Some great defense in this game. First, Shannon made a fantastic catch as he banged himself in the foul pole. Unfortunately, Shannon had to be taken out of the game for precaution. Still, he will be okay. Great job by Shannon. Second, how about Jacque saving Jesse Crain as he robbed an double from the Dodger hitter. That catch kept the game tied at 5.

Speaking of the Dodgers relievers, I had no idea why the Dodgers relievers were yelling at the Twins dugout. Something tells me that we will see nonsense brewing this weekend. I know both teams were plunking each others batters. Stay tuned.

Tough loss.

[realmofotalk]

Choi hit the game winning homer against TM, of all Twins. TM owed us that win.

[Steak]

TM may have lost this game, but you know what. TM was not the only one who stunk. Every Twins pitcher stunk IMO tonight. Jesse and Juan did not give up runs, but they did not distinguish themselves out there as you saw with the wild pitches and Mauer trying to catch the ball.

I am glad Gardy brought TM here. Why? First off, I don't trust J.C. at all. Second, I don't want Joe Nathan pitching in extra innings unless we run out of pitchers or if we need him to win a series. That's the only time Joe should be there in extra innings. TM has been a huge part of this team's success and Gardy shouldn't have second thoughts. I am not even second-guessing one bit on this because TM was the right guy at the right time. Maybe if Joe Mays can learn how to go deep in the game, the Twins would not be in this situation and just maybe TM would not have pitched in that inning.

[Steak]

"It's probably one of the sloppier games I've seen us play in a long time," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said.

Gardy said it best. It was really bad. Lot of errors, wild pitches, and wild throws. Not Twins baseball for sure. You don't win games by playing like that.

[DiamondGirl]

Gardy is right - very sloppy game. But how enjoyable was it to listen to such a legend - Vin Scully. He kept me interested throughout the entire game. What a machine that man is - and he is in the booth all by himself!

Let's hope Carlos Silva pitches better tonight than what we had to suffer through last night.