Twins Game Recap (9/3): Twins Win Nail-biter In Fenway!

I don't mind the blowouts, but winning these tight games--head off seeming implosions--is powerful stuff.

Good win, boys. With a 6.5 game lead on the division, I think we have this wrapped up for good this time.

Meanwhile, Oakland is just a half game back on Cleveland. Not a great spot for the Indians, getting swept by Tampa was huge.

I'' feel like we have it wrapped up when we are X games up with X-1 to go.    Pretty nice though to have reached the win total many predicted before the season and still have 24 games to go.   Great win.   I

Wins like this build confidence 

May did the same dumb thing Jack Morris said he shouldn't trying to be too cute when the fastball had Devers back on his heels. But, a win's a win. Getting Betts and Devers at the end made up for Roger's gopher ball to Benintendi.

I'' feel like we have it wrapped up when we are X games up with X-1 to go.    Pretty nice though to have reached the win total many predicted before the season and still have 24 games to go.   Great win.   I

I was an optimist. I had them at 88. I think they can do it!

Yesterday was Tuesday, September 3rd. It was the 138th game of the year putting the Twins 85% of the way through the season. The Twins hit 2 home runs upping their MLB record-breaking season total to 271 home runs.

I was an optimist. I had them at 88. I think they can do it!

I think I had them at the range of 77-97.   I'm hoping I'm wrong

Good win, boys. With a 6.5 game lead on the division, I think we have this wrapped up for good this time.

 

Meanwhile, Oakland is just a half game back on Cleveland. Not a great spot for the Indians, getting swept by Tampa was huge.

After today the Indians' division hopes are pretty much sunk, being 7 losses back and having played one more game.  They could take all 6 remaining against Minnesota and still be down.  That won't happen anyway - the Twins are 20 - 10 (only Yankees are better at 21 - 9) over the last 30 and 15 - 5 (!) in the past 20 games. Winning 100 games now only requires them to play at a paltry .583 pace.  Cleveland is nowhere near the Twins' recent clip, and now must win 20 of their last 23 to reach 100.  No further posts on this topic - turn out the lights, good luck in the wildcard chase, case closed.

Gained a game on Houston, now 3 back, but stiff-armed by New York at 4.

Here's the Twins Pitch from this game. Taylor Rogers' performance on zero days rest was one of many topics of conversation.

Here's the Twins Pitch from this game. Taylor Rogers' performance on zero days rest was one of many topics of conversation.

Rogers is good, but he's not Reardon or Aguilera, nor even Nathan or Guardado. Today's performance on no rest was too shaky to be trusted when it's time to go big or go home. The Twins are going to have to platoon him with other throwers in order to secure late-inning lockdowns.  Dyson should be another member of that team, but at this moment he is not the performer his numbers said he was before the trade.  This and the missing teeth in the gears of the starting rotation are a problem to be solved before the Division Series begin.

The good news is that the team has 24 games and a rack of arms to solve the problem.  It may be that the idea of starter and reliever get thrown out in favor of a matrix that accounts for opposing lineup matchups, endurance, rest, L/RP vs L/RB, leverage, pitch repertoire, contingency, etc.  In this arrangement, all that matters is how to mix-n-match the best set of pitchers to get the team 27 outs on a given day. Every game becomes a puzzle to be solved.

Don't look now but Yankees hit 5 homers last night, closing to within single digits of the Twins.

Be hilarious after setting "the record" for homers in a season if the Yankees actually out-homer the Twins this year.

Hope that Garver gets his gear back from Cooperstown.

Why even worry about HR records now that they happen every year, every month, every day?

Great results last night.  Way to scarry getting there.

Thought Thorpe showed us what type of pitcher he can be for three innings last night.  Was wondering when the last time was that he pitched more than 3.0 innings?  May have something to do with his fifth inning struggle.  Still only gave up a couple singles and would have looked so much better had May not thrown another curve ball to a lefty home run hitter.  Look for Lewis to be in the Twins rotation in 2020.

Sano's blast last night should count as 2 home runs. He hit it so hard that there were 3 sailors in uniform chasing the ball to keep it from  rolling off the yard arm, off the ship and into the ocean.

Don't look now but Yankees hit 5 homers last night, closing to within single digits of the Twins.

 

Be hilarious after setting "the record" for homers in a season if the Yankees actually out-homer the Twins this year.

 

Hope that Garver gets his gear back from Cooperstown.

 

Why even worry about HR records now that they happen every year, every month, every day?

They should out-homer the twins playing in that soapbox they call a ballpark.

Big shout out to the White Sox. Way to come through in the clutch.

After today the Indians' division hopes are pretty much sunk, being 7 losses back and having played one more game.  They could take all 6 remaining against Minnesota and still be down.  That won't happen anyway - the Twins are 20 - 10 (only Yankees are better at 21 - 9) over the last 30 and 15 - 5 (!) in the past 20 games. Winning 100 games now only requires them to play at a paltry .583 pace.  Cleveland is nowhere near the Twins' recent clip, and now must win 20 of their last 23 to reach 100.  No further posts on this topic - turn out the lights, good luck in the wildcard chase, case closed.

 

Gained a game on Houston, now 3 back, but stiff-armed by New York at 4.

All you say is true, or at least I am trusting you on the stats but if the Indians get a game back this series and then sweep us this weekend, everything will look different.

We sure could use a all-star caliber start tonight! Great bullpen win last night dials us in for a couple power starts to finish off the bosox season. I do not want to see Romo have to close them out tonight. 

Big shout out to the White Sox. Way to come through in the clutch.

And yet, in the all important Eliminate-the-White-Sox portion of the pennant race, with last night's win, the Twins have clinched finishing ahead of Chicago. They are 25 up with 24 to play.

This is the first goal in any season. Then we can move on to loftier goals such as the Wild Card, Division championship, etc.  

Too early to discuss the Twins magic number? (it's 18, by the way)

Nice win tonight, although May & Rogers made it a little too interesting.

Sano's HR was a massive blast, so fun to watch.

I said before this series started that i thought the twins had a solid chance of taking 2 out of 3 and that the bullpen game didn't scare me. feeling pretty good about that call right now, lol. 

Keep winning series, twins. you'll be fine if you just keep winning series.

Having a "closer" who does not recover well in back to back outings isn't a recipe for success in playoff baseball.

I want to agree...but the way they schedule off days in the post-season might make that point moot.

I want to agree...but the way they schedule off days in the post-season might make that point moot.

Not really - the ALDS is set up to play back-to-back games (1&2), off day, then back-to-back games (3&4), off day, then game 5.

I want to be sure we don't understate how good Thorpe looked for those 3 IP. Kid has a good arm and a good future. Still wouldn't be surprised if he makes the post season roster as an extra LH arm.

Not really - the ALDS is set up to play back-to-back games (1&2), off day, then back-to-back games (3&4), off day, then game 5.

Details. That's still a lot of off days for a 5 game series. Possible with an off day before and after as well, depending what the rest of the league does.