Monday, July 19, 2010

Thoughts after a stirring win


That was quite the ninth inning Sunday. A few thoughts after the Twins took three of four from the White Sox:

* The immediate Chisox fan reaction, as seen through comments on the Chicago Tribune gamer, suggested that this was the first time a third-place team has mathematically eliminated the first place team in mid July.

The flip side of that overreaction can be seen on this side of the rivalry, in such pieces as this.

Tom Kelly was big on this one: Momentum is tomorrow's starting pitcher. Which is akin to denying that there's any such beast.

* I'm pretty certain that the starting pitcher on one of these tomorrows is going to be Brian Duensing. I don't know who he's going to replace in the rotation, however. If Scott Baker's elbow barks today, it might have to be him. Neither Nick Blackburn or Kevin Slowey is a sure bet to stick either.

* Duensing's four innings Sunday included seven hits and a walk, which is a lot of baserunners allowed. Only one of them scored. He did induce two double plays, and Jason Kubel gunned down Paul Konerko trying for an extra base; those plays took three of the eight baserunners out of play.

* The single biggest key to that ninth-inning rally was right at the start, when Orlando Hudson worked Bobby Jenks for a 10-pitch walk. Things just snowballed from there.

* How many of us were dismayed when Jason Repko, rather than Jim Thome, had to hit in the ninth? That worked out pretty well.

Still, I was skeptical of the decision to pinch-run for Thome in the eighth inning down three runs. Odds were that if the Twins were to get back into the game, that spot in the lineup was going to come up. Had he represented the tying or go-ahead run, sure, pinch run. Down three, I don't see the logic.

3 comments:

  1. "The immediate Chisox fan reaction, as seen through comments on the Chicago Tribune gamer, suggested that this was the first time a third-place team has mathematically eliminated the first place team in mid July." It is for witty expressions like this one that I, in Greensboro, NC, read your blog every day (thanks to Aaron Gleeman's praise of your work last summer). Good work. While I may not be the biggest Twins fan in the entire world (only because there's a huge amount of competition), I am definitely the biggest Twins fan in the Southeast, and your blog helps me satisfy my Twins cravings.

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  2. As much as I loved the line quoted in the first comment, I think the best part of this blog is the pinch-running for Thome thread.
    It's a valid, valid point, one neither Gordon or Gladden brought up on the radio. Of course, Gordon went the entire Kubel at-bat and much of the Cuddyer at-bat telling us Thome was going to be up. And one of the things I really appreciate about your blog, Mr. Thoma, is the constant reminder how bad those two guys can be.
    I was in the car for the ninth inning, and I defy anyone who was listening to tell me they had any idea what went on after Delmon hit the ball. It went from something about "right-center" to "Twins tie" to "Twins win."
    Had no idea until I got online that there was an error on the play.

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  3. One of the benefits of "watching" the games in real-time from here in Japan is that I have no chance to hear announcers butcher their coverage. I too wondered about a pinch-runner at such a junction, but some guy said, "all's well that end's well." Now let's remove Mahay and Blackburn from the pitching staff, bring up Morales and Slama and make some hay with this soft part of the schedule.

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