Article: Game Thread: Twins @ Rays, 8/25 @ 6:10pm CT

[Riverbrian]

Are the Twins done?

NYET.

It's a roller coaster ride folks. This is the way it works when you play hard ball. You lose three in a row to the Yankees and Twins Daily goes nuts. You win 4 in a row and Orioles Daily goes nuts.

This isn't just a Twins thing. All across America and St. Petersburg... fans lose their minds with every win and loss and in baseball... there are a bunch of wins and losses to fuel this roller coaster.

Let's hope the Twins can keep this streak going because a winning streak will make everyone, including the guys on the field, feel good.

Except for VodkaDave... of course.

 

1. Tampa Bay -- This is not the name of the city and I just discovered this. The city is simply Tampa... The bay is what is called Tampa Bay. The team called Tampa Bay plays in St. Petersburg and St. Petersburg is the 2nd largest city in Russia. Baseball isn't very big in Russia and this explains why nobody attends Rays home games. The club is desperate to build a stadium on American soil to cut down on the travel time, play games on real grass, increase club revenue with all the modern amenities and, perhaps most importantly... because the Russian accents were scaring people away.

2. The Rays -- They used to be known as the Devil Rays... However, some guy named Ray was able to convince them that they should drop the Devil and a new religion was formed. The Rays are currently 62-62. This puts them right behind the Twins; and the Twins are right behind the Rangers for the final playoff spot. The Rays don't believe in playing games on paper... they play games on plastic instead. Historically they are low budget and this leads to James Loney batting 4th. It doesn't seem to matter... they win games 50 percent of the time.

3. Sano, Buxton and Rosario -- The talented youngsters are up and finally playing together. So far the results have been fantastic. With these 3 in the same lineup the Twins are 4-0. To put this in perspective.... when any of these three are not in the lineup... the Twins are 4331 and 4395. However, it should be pointed out that despite a losing record when either Sano, Buxton or Rosario are not in the lineup, the Twins did manage to win the World Series in 1987 and 1991.

4. Swing and Miss -- The Twins need to go up to the plate with a plan against the Rays starting pitching. Karns tonight, Archer tomorrow and Smyly on Thursday. All three of these guys average over a strikeout an inning or very close to a strikeout per inning. I'd like to joke about this but strikeouts are not funny.

5. Sorry/Apologize -- My whole life I thought I understood the English language. I've always believed that saying "I'm sorry" and "I apologize" was the same thing. I've tested this theory many times with my wife. I've told her "I'm sorry" and I've told her "I apologize" many many times because I left a towel on the bathroom floor or I forgot to mow the lawn. I've used "I'm sorry" and "I apologize" interchangeably and it's worked every time. It was clear to me that they mean the same thing... until I apologized at a funeral yesterday.

----------------------
Game-time forecast: It'll likely be hot, humid and maybe rainy in Tampa/St. Pete's today, but not to worry ... the game is indoors so who cares about the forecast.

Lineups:

TWINS
Buxton CF
Dozier 2B
Mauer 1B
Sano DH
Plouffe 3B
Rosario LF
Hunter RF
Suzuki C
Escobar SS

Santana P

RAYS
Sizemore RF
Jennings LF
Longoria 3B
Jaso DH
Forsythe 2B
Cabrera SS
Loney 1B
Kiermaier CF
Casali C

Karns P

Go Twins! Play ball!

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[Platoon]

You didn't have to apologize, the guest of honor at the funeral home was probably already dead when he got there. VodkaDave should be a St. Petersburg fan. I hear Vodka is the drink of choice. They even have a Family Plan. Two adults, two children : Four shots of Vodka and four slices of black bread, and a shirtless Vladimir Putin Bobblehead, all for 14,225 rubles.

[Craig Arko]

Why drink vodka when you can get Jameson? Life's too short (and getting shorter every day).

[AlwaysinModeration]

5 game winning streak would be nice.

[spinowner]

Great intro, comrade!

[John Bonnes]

Loved this, Riverbrian.

[John Bonnes]

I just realized, it's also "Hor Day!" What is Hor Day, you might ask?

 

It's 8/25/2005 and I'm attending an afternoon game with a bunch of friends from work. We've done this a few times, so by now I know the Hormel Row of Fame Song is going to illicit some boisterous karaoke. Sometime around the fourth inning, it starts.

 

When you are at the game
(ba-ba-ba-bum)
Are you in Hormel's Row of Fame?
(ba-ba-ba-bum)..

 

Except that this time the track gets stuck.

 

If you are in the lucky seat
(ba-ba-ba-bum)
You'll win a Hor....skip
You'll win a Hor....skip
You'll win a Hor....skip

 

By this time, the work friends and I are exchanging uncomfortable smiles. The skipping audio seems to goes on forever, but it was probably only three more times before the booth quickly faded it out. At which point I hear the guy behind me remark:

 

"That WOULD be a lucky seat."

 

---

 

For the record, I still know those friends with whom I was at the game, and they throw a party every year to commemorate it the weekend nearest to the game. I missed it this year because I was out of town, but The Voice of Reason™ and I are getting together with them tonight to watch the game. 

[Craig Arko]

"The Twins need to go up to the plate with a plan against the Rays starting pitching."

 

http://goo.gl/kyf5I

 

[Boom Boom]

When you visit the concession stands at the Trop, you can get beets and bread for free, but it takes forever to get through the line.

[sampleSizeOfOne]

I didn't realize it until i looked at a calendar yesterday, but i guess i'm celebrating my 15,000th today...

 

I'm still wondering... how?

 

Any recommendations for celebrating would not be taken amiss.

[Jerr]

Another important series and I want a win tonight for the Twins!!!

[Mike Sixel]

It's actually National banana split day, and national whiskey sour day. Apparently some teenager decided what today was......

 

or, you could consider this day:

 

http://nationaldaycalendar.com/national-kiss-and-make-up-day-august-25/

 

apparently those are all "unofficial" days, so, you know, celebrate how you want.

Edited August 25, 2015 by mike wants wins

[gocgo]

Win 1 of 3 and we have a .500 road trip.  I'll take it.  Go .500 on the road and win 2 of 3 at home and it's a good year.

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

Win 1 of 3 and we have a .500 road trip.  I'll take it.  Go .500 on the road and win 2 of 3 at home and it's a good year.

It's my opinion the Twins really need 2 of 3 in this series.

 

Teams receive limited opportunities against WC teams outside the division. The Twins need to do all they can with those limited opportunities... And they've done a pretty good job of it lately, at least against the teams they have a chance of catching.

 

Two of three against the Rangers.

Four of four against the Orioles.

 

The Twins were never going to catch the Yankees or Jays so I find those series less important, though it would have been nice to accumulate at least one win against those clubs. Argh.

[James]

In mother Russia, baseball plays you!!!

http://www.getbranson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/yakov.jpg

[sampleSizeOfOne]

It's actually National banana split day, and national whiskey sour day. Apparently some teenager decided what today was......

 

or, you could consider this day:

 

http://nationaldaycalendar.com/national-kiss-and-make-up-day-august-25/

 

apparently those are all "unofficial" days, so, you know, celebrate how you want.

Thanks for the link!

 

Yup, it's the day for banana splits and whiskey sours to kiss and make up. (I think they got angry because they both chose the same day and didn't want to share)

 

Someone tell me how it ends... (Wait a moment. Can't kissing ruin make up?)

 

Following the link, it is also National Park Service founding day, or something like that. But next year will be the real deal, as it is their centennial.

 

I'm gonna probably try and make up for all my laziness, stuff like paying bills and vacuuming and sweeping, and putting toys away...

[Mike Sixel]

Huh, how did I miss the National Park thing? National Parks are kind of my thing.......

[Kirby_waved_at_me]

Hoping tonight's the night for Ervin Santana to get his groove back - I'd settle for a "Quality Start"

 

He did pitch into the 8th inning against the Yankees, so that's nice, the pair of HRs hurt, but that should be harder to replicate in St. Petersburg....

[Riverbrian]

BTW... I didn't mean to single out anybody in the intro. 

 

However Vodka fit the theme so Dave went under the bus. 

 

He's tough... The Bus won't slow him down. 

[USAFChief]

 

Huh, how did I miss the National Park thing? National Parks are kind of my thing.......

http://g.fastcompany.net/multisite_files/fastcompany/fc_files/2008/756453-take-me-out-to-the-ballpark-panoramic.jpg

 

National's Park.  Turn left at the Jefferson Memorial, ya can't miss it.

[Craig Arko]

BTW... I didn't mean to single out anybody in the intro.

 

However Vodka fit the theme so Dave went under the bus.

 

He's tough... The Bus won't slow him down.

[gocgo]

 

It's my opinion the Twins really need 2 of 3 in this series.

 

Teams receive limited opportunities against WC teams outside the division. The Twins need to do all they can with those limited opportunities... And they've done a pretty good job of it lately, at least against the teams they have a chance of catching.

 

Two of three against the Rangers.

Four of four against the Orioles.

 

The Twins were never going to catch the Yankees or Jays so I find those series less important, though it would have been nice to accumulate at least one win against those clubs. Argh.

I have given up hope of a WC spot.  Just looking to play out the year, stay competitive in games, and see improvement from some young guys.

[John Bonnes]

 

I have given up hope of a WC spot.  Just looking to play out the year, stay competitive in games, and see improvement from some young guys.

 

You may think you have, but the Twins have 19 games on the road and 19 games at home. If they go 10-9 on the goad and 12-7 at home, that's 22 more wins or 85 wins total. 8 games over .500 might be enough to get that second wild card this year. 

[gocgo]

 

You may think you have, but the Twins have 19 games on the road and 19 games at home. If they go 10-9 on the goad and 12-7 at home, that's 22 more wins or 85 wins total. 8 games over .500 might be enough to get that second wild card this year. 

8 games over .500 would definitely be enough to make me a happy baseball fan...not even thinking about "Playoffs! Playoffs!?"

[gocgo]

I think Texas has 23 games left at home and 16 on the road.  Curiously, they are 28-30 at home but 36-29 on the road.  If they were to continue that trend, they would finish 11-12 at home and 9-7 on the road to finish 20-19 and 84-78.  So, 85 wins could get some team in in front of Texas.

[Brock Beauchamp]

You may think you have, but the Twins have 19 games on the road and 19 games at home. If they go 10-9 on the goad and 12-7 at home, that's 22 more wins or 85 wins total. 8 games over .500 might be enough to get that second wild card this year.

It's entirely possible, for sure. The Twins also have a handful of September games against teams who are likely playing AAAA chaff or prospects in September. They close out the season against the Royals, who will almost surely be on full-blown autopilot by that point, resting their best players in preparation for the postseason.

[big dog]

 

When you visit the concession stands at the Trop, you can get beets and bread for free, but it takes forever to get through the line.

And the washing machines have a 6-year waiting list.

[jimmer]

Span is back! Go Denard!

[sampleSizeOfOne]

BTW... I didn't mean to single out anybody in the intro. 

 

However Vodka fit the theme so Dave went under the bus. 

 

He's tough... The Bus won't slow him down.

But i think the bus is towing a band wagon. Will that hurt Mr. Dave?

 

I'm also hoping Mr. Dave won't slow either the bus or the band wagon down too much.

 

I guess i feel the need for speed. Well, velocity rather. That's harder to make rhyme...

[sampleSizeOfOne]

Span is back! Go Denard!

Good to hear!

 

Hope he plays his heart out, and lifts them National parks up. For them, he can be the bus driver.