We’re So Happy, Andrew Albers (Twins 3 Indians 0 – Game 116)

Andrew Albers must’ve felt relieved when he finally hit the sack last night. He picked the Twins up with his right arm, the Twins fans up with his left, and still pitched a complete game shutout. That’s a lot of weight to haul around.

I miss watching the games on cable more as the season stumbles toward a finish. Carroll’s gone to the Royals, who are eyeing life beyond the season finish. Even if the players don’t get cut or traded, they’ll be hibernating for the winter.

Gotta love a brand new pitcher who can warm a town’s heart, even if his fastball didn’t bring much heat.

Conjuring Hits (Twins 5 Indians 2 – Game 117)

I silenced my electronic score updating machine and settled into the movie theater to give The Conjuring a chance to scare the crap out of me.

The hit horror flick didn’t have the stuff to get it done, and when I pulled my phone out of my pocket the Twins didn’t have the good stuff, either. And after Andrew Albers mania announced itself to the world, I had high hopes for both the movie and the game.

Scaring people with a movie is basically pitching. Disrupting timing. The scares The Conjuring pitched to me got left hanging over the plate, and I never felt unsettled. The good ones, like the original The Haunting, The Shining, or Rosemary’s Baby, leave you shaken.

Andrew Albers is getting hyped up, too. People trip over themselves to be the first to proclaim a new scariest movie or scariest pitcher, because both are rare and beautiful. Also, both rarely live up to the hype.

Blown Ending (Twins 9 Indians 8 – Game 118)

Things would be neater if the Twins had won this game. Fans are still giddy with Albers fever, and the Twins put up a four run lead and held on. Until they let go and lost the game.

I heard the Giambi home run on the radio and I could feel it in my bones. From there the game got energetic, almost pleasantly spiteful. Mauer paired his supernatural ability to get base hits with a dramatic home run, putting him at 5 for 7 for the day and keeping the Twins alive in the game’s late innings.

Great story, but it ended more Bad News Bears than Major League.

I wanted to be pissy about the loss, but I couldn’t. A good fight is a good fight. With fall crispness returning to the air, I’ll take any glory in a ballfield battle I can find.