It wasn't quite the start Twins fans were hoping for, but it's only one game. Obviously you can't make any conclusions after one game, and that's quite a good thing. Well, except for Delmon Young.
Scott Baker had an off-night, Denard Span didn't look good at all, and Jose Mijares blew up in the blink of an eye. While I'm confident Baker and Span will recover from the one rough game, I'm not so sure that Mijares is going to be all that successful this year. His troubles in the offseason, along with his struggles during Spring Training, suggest that he may have lost something since last year, be it mental or physical.
Anyways, I know this was short, but it's time for game #2!
Showing posts with label opening day. Show all posts
Showing posts with label opening day. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Opening Day notes
- It was good to see C.C. Sabathia get bashed by the Orioles; hopefully this is a prelude to another disappointing season for the Yankees and then another long off-season explaining why they can't win with a budget as big as the recent bail-out.
- Johan Santana picked up a win in his Opening Day start for the Mets, pitching 5 2/3 innings and allowing just one run. The much-maligned bullpen showed its improvement by holding the Reds scoreless for the rest of the game.
- Kansas City and Chicago now lead the Central division thanks to their rain-out and subsequent 0-0 record. Detroit and Cleveland both got pounded.
- Mike Redmond suffered a groin injury--it seems unlikely he'll be starting tonight, given the fact that it's a possibility he's heading to the DL. That would be bad news because I have no interest in seeing Drew Butera behind the plate with any regularity.
Looking forward to game #2.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Monday, March 31, 2008
Opening Game Diary
7:18- I got started a little late because I had to restart my computer, but Livan Hernandez rolled through the first inning with three straight groundouts. Carlos Gomez then had his first Metrodome experience, with the ball hitting off a speaker and Weaver diving for the ball (and looking foolish) in foul territory. Fortunately, he missed, and Gomez rebounded with a frozen rope double down the left field line. What a good start so far!
7:20- Joe Mauer slices one into right center for the first run of the season! 1-0 Twins!
7:24- Michael Cuddyer makes the first out of the season, flying out to Torii Hunter in center. Hunter then looked a little over-exuberant in trying to throw to first to double up Mauer, but it didn't get away so it was of no help to the Twins.
7:30- Delmon Young shows his lack of plate discipline (although that wasn't exactly a bad pitch to swing at) and flies out to right, followed by.... what?!?!? I just noticed Craig Monroe is playing?! Idiot Gardenhire. It's even a righty!!
7:36- Torii Hunter flies out to Cuddyer in his first at bat of the season and first at bat against the Twins. Hernandez does give up one hit (a single) but pitches another good inning.
7:42- An unexciting half-inning, as the Twins' new acquisitions, Mike Lamb, Brendan Harris, and Adam Everett, go 0-3.
7:47- Hernandez throws a nasty 0-1 curveball (clocked at 60 MPH) to Mike Napoli before striking him out looking. Just after Jon Miller and Joe Morgan comment about how good the Twins' outfield arms are, Young delivers an absolute strike as Figgins slides into second for a double. He was called safe, but looked to be out on the replay.
7:59- Gomez successfully lays a bunt down the first base line, after trying to in his first at bat, and then steals second. He is looking really exciting so far (after two at bats, but still)!
8:07- In Hunter's second at bat, he lines into a double play. Harris catches and fires to Morneau, who has it pop out of his glove but is able to grab it with his bare hand, while keeping his foot on the base. Another scoreless inning for Livan!
8:15- Delmon Young with his first hit and a stolen base. I like the aggressiveness the Twins have shown so far. And then Mike Lamb picks up his first hit to make it 2-0 Twins!
8:27- Uh-oh. Trouble looming. Hernandez has loaded the bases with no one out. Maicer Izturis batting and then it goes back to the top of the line-up. Needless to say, this is a big at-bat.
8:34- Well, that wasn't a good inning. Hernandez got out okay, inducing a double play from Izturis, but he did allow two runs. All tied up--lets get those bats going again.
8:43- Gomez does it again! He draws a walk, steals second, Mauer moves him over again, and this time Cuddyer is able to get it done, hitting a single past the drawn-in shortstop. Twins retake the lead 3-2. Napoli then allows a fourth steal for the Twins, as Cuddyer moves up to second on Weaver's strikeout of Morneau.
8:56- Hunter is now 0-3 in his return to the Metrodome. Hernandez puts the Angels down 1-2-3 in completing a very solid six innings. Will he come back for the seventh?
8:58- What the....?! Monroe's 0-3 now, after pitifully running out that ball. He assumed it was a hit, but Kendrick knocked it down and then was able to get up, pick the ball up, and throw him out because of his lack of effort.
9:16- Weaver strikes out Gomez and is now done for the day. Mike Scoscia brings in the lefty, Darren Oliver, who gets Mauer to ground out to short. 2 outs in the seventh, Twins still up 3-2.
9:29- Hernandez has also finished, with Pat Neshek taking over. He strikes out the first two, but Gary Matthews Jr. hits a bloop double into left, bringing up Vladimir Guerrero. In a long at bat, Neshek ends up striking out the side by getting Guerrero to swing and miss on a high fastball!
9:36- Finally, Jason Kubel gets in the game, pinch-hitting for Monroe with the righty Darren O'Day pitching. Why didn't he just play the whole game? Well, he got a bloop double, very much like Matthews Jr.'s, and then Lamb was intentionally walked. Nick Punto is pinch running for Lamb.
9:40- This is frustrating. It seemed like the theme for last year was the Twins not getting big hits, and they certainly aren't getting them today. Harris strikes out with the bases loaded, followed by Everett flying out to left--although he did JUST miss a grand slam. Oh well, let's hope Joe Nathan can close it out and make us forget about it for the time being.
9:47- Now the excitement really begins. Gomez bumps into Young as he makes the catch for the first out, bringing up Torii Hunter against Joe Nathan. Hunter is finally facing a former teammate head-on, and he's looking overanxious, swinging at three bad pitches to start (although he does that a lot). He fouled the third one off, stayed alive for a few more pitches, but eventually struck out on a high slider. 2 out, just Casey Kotchman left.
9:51- Nathan gets Kendrick! After Kotchman reached on a slow (and I mean slow) dribbler down the third base line, Kendrick grounded to Everett, who stepped on second to end the game. Twins win their first game, 3-2, against the Los Angeles Angels, with Livan Hernandez getting the win and Joe Nathan the save. Hello first place (tied, obviously)!
7:20- Joe Mauer slices one into right center for the first run of the season! 1-0 Twins!
7:24- Michael Cuddyer makes the first out of the season, flying out to Torii Hunter in center. Hunter then looked a little over-exuberant in trying to throw to first to double up Mauer, but it didn't get away so it was of no help to the Twins.
7:30- Delmon Young shows his lack of plate discipline (although that wasn't exactly a bad pitch to swing at) and flies out to right, followed by.... what?!?!? I just noticed Craig Monroe is playing?! Idiot Gardenhire. It's even a righty!!
7:36- Torii Hunter flies out to Cuddyer in his first at bat of the season and first at bat against the Twins. Hernandez does give up one hit (a single) but pitches another good inning.
7:42- An unexciting half-inning, as the Twins' new acquisitions, Mike Lamb, Brendan Harris, and Adam Everett, go 0-3.
7:47- Hernandez throws a nasty 0-1 curveball (clocked at 60 MPH) to Mike Napoli before striking him out looking. Just after Jon Miller and Joe Morgan comment about how good the Twins' outfield arms are, Young delivers an absolute strike as Figgins slides into second for a double. He was called safe, but looked to be out on the replay.
7:59- Gomez successfully lays a bunt down the first base line, after trying to in his first at bat, and then steals second. He is looking really exciting so far (after two at bats, but still)!
8:07- In Hunter's second at bat, he lines into a double play. Harris catches and fires to Morneau, who has it pop out of his glove but is able to grab it with his bare hand, while keeping his foot on the base. Another scoreless inning for Livan!
8:15- Delmon Young with his first hit and a stolen base. I like the aggressiveness the Twins have shown so far. And then Mike Lamb picks up his first hit to make it 2-0 Twins!
8:27- Uh-oh. Trouble looming. Hernandez has loaded the bases with no one out. Maicer Izturis batting and then it goes back to the top of the line-up. Needless to say, this is a big at-bat.
8:34- Well, that wasn't a good inning. Hernandez got out okay, inducing a double play from Izturis, but he did allow two runs. All tied up--lets get those bats going again.
8:43- Gomez does it again! He draws a walk, steals second, Mauer moves him over again, and this time Cuddyer is able to get it done, hitting a single past the drawn-in shortstop. Twins retake the lead 3-2. Napoli then allows a fourth steal for the Twins, as Cuddyer moves up to second on Weaver's strikeout of Morneau.
8:56- Hunter is now 0-3 in his return to the Metrodome. Hernandez puts the Angels down 1-2-3 in completing a very solid six innings. Will he come back for the seventh?
8:58- What the....?! Monroe's 0-3 now, after pitifully running out that ball. He assumed it was a hit, but Kendrick knocked it down and then was able to get up, pick the ball up, and throw him out because of his lack of effort.
9:16- Weaver strikes out Gomez and is now done for the day. Mike Scoscia brings in the lefty, Darren Oliver, who gets Mauer to ground out to short. 2 outs in the seventh, Twins still up 3-2.
9:29- Hernandez has also finished, with Pat Neshek taking over. He strikes out the first two, but Gary Matthews Jr. hits a bloop double into left, bringing up Vladimir Guerrero. In a long at bat, Neshek ends up striking out the side by getting Guerrero to swing and miss on a high fastball!
9:36- Finally, Jason Kubel gets in the game, pinch-hitting for Monroe with the righty Darren O'Day pitching. Why didn't he just play the whole game? Well, he got a bloop double, very much like Matthews Jr.'s, and then Lamb was intentionally walked. Nick Punto is pinch running for Lamb.
9:40- This is frustrating. It seemed like the theme for last year was the Twins not getting big hits, and they certainly aren't getting them today. Harris strikes out with the bases loaded, followed by Everett flying out to left--although he did JUST miss a grand slam. Oh well, let's hope Joe Nathan can close it out and make us forget about it for the time being.
9:47- Now the excitement really begins. Gomez bumps into Young as he makes the catch for the first out, bringing up Torii Hunter against Joe Nathan. Hunter is finally facing a former teammate head-on, and he's looking overanxious, swinging at three bad pitches to start (although he does that a lot). He fouled the third one off, stayed alive for a few more pitches, but eventually struck out on a high slider. 2 out, just Casey Kotchman left.
9:51- Nathan gets Kendrick! After Kotchman reached on a slow (and I mean slow) dribbler down the third base line, Kendrick grounded to Everett, who stepped on second to end the game. Twins win their first game, 3-2, against the Los Angeles Angels, with Livan Hernandez getting the win and Joe Nathan the save. Hello first place (tied, obviously)!
Opening Day!
Well, it's finally here! The Twins open the season in the Metrodome as the Angels come to town, bringing with them Torii Hunter. I'm rooting for Torii to do well regardless of what his attitude was about returning to the Twins; he was a good player for many seasons and I always found him fun to watch. That being said, I won't be rooting for him tomorrow. Hopefully Livan Hernandez can handle him and the rest of the Angels' line-up, as he takes on Jered Weaver in the starting pitching matchup. I don't have much confidence in Hernandez, but maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised.
In reality, I'm much more excited to see the re-tooled offense in its first game. Hopefully Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau, Michael Cuddyer, Delmon Young, and Jason Kubel can combine to provide a pretty formidable middle of the lineup. They'll definately need to for the Twins to have any chance of making the postseason this season. Truthfully, it's not very likely we'll be seeing the Twins in October, but who knows? If Francisco Liriano comes back strong, the new additions live up to their potential, and Scott Baker, Kevin Slowey, and the other young pitchers excel, don't the Twins sound like a pretty good team?
Of course, that case--the "if everything works out" case--could be made for practically any team. Clearly, the Indians and Tigers have very good teams and it will be very tough for the Twins to finish ahead of either of them. But I was surprised to see Sports Illustrated project Minnesota to finish last in the AL Central. They had them winning 72 games, finishing a game behind the Royals. Perhaps I am quite biased, but I think the Twins are definitely still a better team than the White Sox and Royals. I guess we'll see who's right as the summer months roll along.
I'll be anxiously awaiting the official line-ups to be posted, and of course for the game to start. In case any of you weren't aware, it will be televised nationally on ESPN2 at 7:05. That's great news for people like me, who aren't in the Minnesota area, and thus wouldn't be able to watch their opening game otherwise. Let's hope they start the season off with a bang!
In reality, I'm much more excited to see the re-tooled offense in its first game. Hopefully Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau, Michael Cuddyer, Delmon Young, and Jason Kubel can combine to provide a pretty formidable middle of the lineup. They'll definately need to for the Twins to have any chance of making the postseason this season. Truthfully, it's not very likely we'll be seeing the Twins in October, but who knows? If Francisco Liriano comes back strong, the new additions live up to their potential, and Scott Baker, Kevin Slowey, and the other young pitchers excel, don't the Twins sound like a pretty good team?
Of course, that case--the "if everything works out" case--could be made for practically any team. Clearly, the Indians and Tigers have very good teams and it will be very tough for the Twins to finish ahead of either of them. But I was surprised to see Sports Illustrated project Minnesota to finish last in the AL Central. They had them winning 72 games, finishing a game behind the Royals. Perhaps I am quite biased, but I think the Twins are definitely still a better team than the White Sox and Royals. I guess we'll see who's right as the summer months roll along.
I'll be anxiously awaiting the official line-ups to be posted, and of course for the game to start. In case any of you weren't aware, it will be televised nationally on ESPN2 at 7:05. That's great news for people like me, who aren't in the Minnesota area, and thus wouldn't be able to watch their opening game otherwise. Let's hope they start the season off with a bang!
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