Results tagged ‘ Twins ’
First No-Hitter of the season..
A short congratulatory note to Francisco Liriano, who tossed the season’s first no-hitter last night as the Twins defeated the Chicago White Sox. Liriano, much like the entire Twins team, was having a very disappointing start to his year. Coming into the game his record was a poor 1-4 with an ERA over 4. But after 9 innings of work, Liriano became part of baseball history by tossing a no-hitter.
The second guessing of Girardi…
I know that last night’s Yankee loss to the Twins was a bit shocking to some Yankees fans considering the fact that the bullpen’s strong 8th inning pitcher had a meltdown on the mound. Usually a tough reliever, Rafael Soriano came in with a 4 nothing lead and left the game after giving up one run and loading the bases. After Soriano left the game, Robertson came in to try and clean up the mess, but by the time the inning was over, the Twins comeback was nearly complete. In the end, the Twins did what they had to do to win the game in a place that is nothing but a house of horrors for Ron Gardenhire’s team.
But in reality, there is no need to be shocked by what happened last night. Rafael Soriano–no matter how good he is–will have a bad game once in a while. Last night, Soriano didn’t get the job done. While I recognize and I agree with Girardi that bringing in Soriano was the right thing to do, there are always the second guessers out there–the sofa managers–who think they know better than the actual manager of the club. Listening to sports radio all day, it seems that Girardi committed a cardinal sin by not bringing in Rivera for a four out save and by taking Sabathia out of the game and bringing in Soriano (the 8th inning set up man) in the 8th. There are fans out there that actually believe that Sabathia should have stayed and thrown over 125 pitches.
I don’t blame them. Afterall Sabathia was dominant and would have pretty much finished the game if it was the middle of June. But since it’s just April, with cool tempetures and with over 158 games left in the year, Girardi made the right move in not overworking Sabathia and preferring to use his 8th inning set up man. The fact is, Girardi was right and his moves should not be second guess. What happened last night comes down to the simple that Soriano just didn’t have it. Yankee fans, get use to it, because there will be nights in which Soriano will not have his best stuff.
As for Sabathia..
As tough as it was to see the bullpen throw away a great outing by Sabathia, I can look at this game in a different way and be extremely pleased with the way he pitched last night. Sabathia usually struggles in the cool month of April before finding his dominant stuff in the warm months of the season. If Sabathia is locked in this early in the year he is prime to have a big year for the Yanks, a team that really needs its starters to step up this year if they want to compete against Red Sox, clearly the best team in the AL East.
Quick American League Predictions..
Forgot to add my American League predictions, but now that the season started, I’ll just add my quick predictions..not much to explain, I think it will be self explanatory…so here it goes:
AL East Champions: Boston Red Sox…they have an advantage over the Yankees at the moment, and unless if the Yankees make a move, the Red Sox should win the division. They have a tough lineup that added power and speed and has returning injured players from last year. This is a very good team with a very solid rotation. Lester and Buchholz are prime to have a big season, and if Jose Reyes is available he will be a Red Sox.
AL Central: Minnesota Twins…They have the best team in the division and one of the best ballplayers in the game today. I’m not sold on Chicago and their talk of good pitching. Joe Mauer will again have a big year and will lead this team to a division crown. The key for the Twins success in the post season will rest not on its pitching staff, or Mauer, but on the health of first baseman Justin Morneau.
AL West: Texas Rangers…They will repeat as champions. CJ Wilson is ready to be the ace of this pitching staff, and his short time with Cliff Lee probably has provided him with much needed leadership help. Moreover, the Rangers have a solid bullpen with up coming talent. Josh Hamilton needs to be healthy all year however if the Rangers hope to repeat as West champs..
AL Wild Card: New York Yankees…the Yankees are good enough to win the Wild Card, but not the division..unless they make a move for another starting pitcher…like Felix Hernandez. The Yankees will score a lot of runs, but have deep question marks in their rotation..
Of course there are some teams to watch in the American League this year. The Oakland A’s are much improved and could end up beating out the Rangers if things go well for them. Another team to watch is the White Sox…although I’m not sold on their pitching, but if Peavy comes back from the DL and remains healthy this year and if John Danks duplicates and improves upon from last season, the White Sox could surprise many teams this year.
Yankees take game 2
Game 2 between the Yankees/Twins series followed the same script of Game 1 and last season’s ALDS. This script is simple: Twins get the lead, Yankees tie the game and then take the lead, only to see the Twins make a comeback and either tie the game or take the lead, and then the Twins give up the lead the following inning. For the Twins, this has to be in their heads. For a team that one can argue has not only out played the Yankees in some of these games, but had many opportunities to win, for them not to squeek out a victory has to be painful.
After Orlando Hudson got the Twins back in the game with a solo shot in the 6th, all the Twins had to do was keep the Yankees off the bases. Since August, the Yankees have had their share of troubles getting runs across the plate, and tonight was no different. Unfortunately, Carl Pavano, who was doing a pretty good job through 6 (and showed once again why the Yankees signed him), had the roof cave in on him when he lost the plate and allowed a big RBI double by Lance Berkman. Pavano could have been out of the jam had the home plate umpire called the preceding pitch strike three. There was no doubt that pitch was a strike and Berkman was fortunate he wasn’t called out.
After the Yankees tagged another run, the game was all but over. Andy Pettitte came back in the 7th inning and pitched a quick one-two-three frame. Overall, Pettitte was the vintage post season pitcher the Yankees have known since 1996. Andy pitched 7 very strong innings, and only threw 88 pitches. He had enough to finish what he started, but Girardi decided to keep Andy fresh for the rest of the series.
Berkman…
What more can I say about the play of Lance Berkman tonight. When the game was tied at 1, Berkman hit a towering shot into the Twins bullpen to give the Bombers a 2-1 lead. Later, when the game was tied, he knocked out Pavano out of the game with another shot to centerfield. Berkman who has great post-season numbers, continued his outstanding play in October by helping the Yankees with two big hits.
Situational Hitting..
But not everything was great for the Yankees tonight and just like last post-season, they are once again having problems with their situational hitting. The Yankees in several big spots of the game, left too many runners on base, including leaving the bases-loaded in the sixth inning, when the Yankees could have broken this game open. If the Yankees hope to win this series, the ALCS and the World Series, they have to improve in their situational hitting. The Yankees were lucky last season that their poor situational hitting didn’t cost them a game or two. This post-season could be a different story because of the fact that the pitching around the league is much more improved.
Hopefully, the Yankees will bust out at home and take care of things and make their 13th trip to the ALCS!
Post season…
Let the (Post-Season) games begin. Tomorrow the road to the World Series begins for all 8 teams still alive this baseball season. As the other 24 teams in the league make plans for next year, the final 8 prepare to battle it out for baseball’s ultimate prize: A World Series Championship. So here are my short predictions.
American League Prediction:
Rangers v Rays:
I say the Rays win this series in five games. In the end, I do believe the Rays will do enough to manufacture enough runs to beat Cliff Lee, CJ Wilson and Colby Lewis. I also expect a big series from BJ Upton who will have to pick up the slack if Longoria doesn’t play. But even if Longoria plays, the Rays won’t win if Upton doesn’t produce. So the key for the Rays to win this series is simple: jump all over Cliff Lee in game one, and out pitch the rest of the Rangers staff. James Shields will have to be Big Game James and Matt Garza has to repeat the post season performance he put together in 2008.
Of course, just because I think the Rays could win in five doesn’t mean that the Rangers won’t surprise me and win this series. Cliff Lee has emerged as a dominant post-season pitcher, and I don’t expect that to change tomorrow. He will be tough on the Rays lineup and if CJ Wilson and Colby Lewis pitch well, the Rangers could beat the Rays. But I don’t expect to see Wilson and Lewis pitch well.
Yankees v Twins:
I’m biased, so the Yankees will win..enough said. However, could this be the year the Twins finally get over the hump? For all the Yankee fans who wished for a Twins/Yankees series, all I have to say is..be careful of what you wish for…
National League Prediction:
Phillies v Reds:
The Phillies are the class of the National League and will begin the road to their second World Series championship in the last three years (it makes me sick just typing that) tomorrow at home against the Reds. I expect Doc Halladay’s first post season game to be a great one. Halladay has always been a great regular season pitcher, and tomorrow I expect him to become a great Post-Season pitcher. Roy Halladay could be this year’s Cliff Lee for the Phillies. And unlike last year, the Phillies will have two top pitchers to ride this post season, and Roy Oswalt, a veteran post season pitcher will provide that Phillies staff with the experience and the arm they so miserably lacked last season, especially during the World Series. Moreover, the Phillies lineup is stack and could be a nightmare for the Reds starting rotation.
Where the Reds have a slight edge over the Phillies however, will be in the bullpen. The Reds have three tough lefties that could shut down Ryan Howard, Chase Utley and Raul Ibanez. Now that Travis Wood will be in the bullpen, along with Rhodes and Chapman, the Reds could steal a few games, or maybe even the series from the Phillies if any of the games come down to a big at-bat in the late innings by any of Phillies three top left handed hitters. However, the Reds will need a big performances from Arroyo, Volquez and Cueto and frankly, against this Phillies lineup that would be too much to ask for.
Giants v Braves:
I predict that the Giants will win in four games. San Francisco’s pitching will be too much for the Braves to handle, and the poor defense of the Braves infield will be a liability throughout the series. Derek Lowe had a great September and he has the post season experience to come up big, but the idea that Hudson and Hanson outpitching this formidable Giants staff is unrealistic.
Weird day yesterday…
I couldn’t help but notice some of the wierd goings-on around the league yesterday, especially involving the two teams in Florida. The Rays lose because their homefield isn’t really an advantage to them and the Florida Marlins lost their game against the Phillies because the umpire saw one thing, while the rest of us saw something else.
Wake up call?
If you’re a fan of the Rays, what happened yesterday afternoon must make you a little sick, if not, at least it should be of some concern. After being dominated by Kevin Slowey for 7.1 innings, the Rays finally put the pressure on the Twins and knock Slowey out of the game. Now with the Twins Jesse Crain on to pitch in relief of Slowey and the Rays down 6-1 with the bases loaded, Crain does what any reliever in such a pressure situation does best by forcing in a run. After Aybar’s pass to first and with the score now 6-2, Crain is relieved by Ron Mahay who immediately gives up a grand slam to pinch hitter Jason Bartlett to tie the game at 6. An incredible comeback by the Rays, after being dominated for 7.1 innings of baseball, the Rays roared back to tie the game and swing the momentum of the game entirely to their favor. As I sat watching the game on the MLB Network, I thought the Rays were once again on their way to another win.
But as fate would have it, the Rays own ballpark became their own worst enemy. After Jason Repko lead off the 9th inning with a double, the Twins get to work. After an intentional walk to Mauer and a force out at second, with two Jason Kubel hits a pop fly that should’ve been an easy play for Reid Brignac at second, except the ball hits one of the many catwalks in Tropicana field and it lands right behind the pitcher’s mound. Repko scores on the pop infield single, the Twins take a 7-6 lead and win the game 8-6.
As a Yankees fan, I’m not upset the Rays lost, but as a die hard baseball fan, it would make me sick to my stomach if the Rays lose the division by one game. If that were to happen, you can point at this game. If this isn’t a wakeup call to the fans of the Rays, St. Petersburg, Tampa and Major League Baseball, that the Rays need a real baseball park, then the next time it happens the game could mean much. It is time for MLB to take some of the billions it generates in revenue to help small market teams like the Rays get a new park. Moreover, big teams like the Yankees should be taxed a little more by MLB to help these small market teams improve their facilities, or get new parks.
As for the Marlins..
The Marlins got a tough break yesterday when third base umpire Bob Davidson called a fair ball off the bat of Gaby Sanchez. From the Marlins broadcast replay, it seems to me that the ball is foul over the bag, but because of the top spin on the ball, it lands fair. Because of that replay, I’m going to give Bob Davidson the benefit of doubt and say he made the right call. Bad for the Marlins, Gaby Sanchez could have giving the Marlins another walk off win this season, but it wasn’t meant to be.
Joba rebounds, Yankees win…the rest of the league.
Is there anyone out there that thinks Joba should be a starter? After last night’s performance by Joba, in a key situation, I think it is time to drop all the talk about Chamberlain being a starter and leave him in the pen where he can become a dominant relieve pitcher, and obvious heir apparent to Mariano Rivera. What Joba did last night was what Yankee fans became accustomed to seeing from him back in 2007, where he’d come out of the pen and dominate hitters with his pitching. Last night, although not the same Joba from 3 seasons ago, Joba was great. He inherited a runner on second, the potentially tying run, with one out in the 8th inning and proceeded to strike out Adrian Beltre and J.D Drew, thus preserving the Yankees’ one run lead. After a lackluster performance on Sunday night, Chamberlain rebounded nicely last night to help the Yankees win their first game of the year. Moreover, it seems to me that Joba looks more comfortable coming out of the pen in such key situations during the game and has a habit of coming up big when the Yankees need it. So I beg the powers that be in the Bronx, leave Joba in the Pen!
Around the Major’s last night..
There was a light schedule last night in the League, but nevertheless, the action was great.
The Minnesota Twins rebounded nicely after an opening night loss to the Los Angeles Angels. Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau provided a pair of homeruns for the Twins, a sign of things to come for the rest of the league as the M&M boys look healthy. J.J Hardy also contributed with a homerun of his own, and Nick Blackburn had a solid 6.2′s outing as the Twins won the game 5-3.
Bad news for the Angels however, as Joe Saunders had a terrible outing, giving up three homeruns. It might be a case of Saunders not being fully ready after Spring Training, but Twin hitters were on top of his fastball all night and, if you watched the game (on MLB Network 
) you saw the results as Mauer, Morneau and Hardy all hit their homeruns off Saunder’s fastball.
Tonight what to expect…
John Lackey doesn’t need motivation against the Yankees. With Pettitte on the mound for New York, this could be the best pitching matchup of this opening series. Then again, it is Yankees/Red Sox and both teams could bang 10 or more runs in less than two innings.
I still hate predictions…
I still hate predictions, but to finish the predictions I made earlier today, I will try to predict the American League division winners. The American League is harder to predict than the National League. Unlike the latter league, there is no clear runaway best team in the American League.
American League East Champion: New York Yankees
This isn’t an easy prediction, but I will still make it because I think the Yankees just have a formidable lineup that will match up and beat American League pitching. However, the Yankees drive to another division championship won’t be easy as they will they face a stiff challenge from the hated rival, Red Sox, but they will also have to fend off the young and talented Tampa Bay Rays team, who I think will show that last year was the fluke and not 2008. Yet I still believe the Yankees will win this division because with the addition of Nick Johnson and Curtis Granderson, this lineup will rely less on the homerun and more on timely hitting, stolen bases, and hitters taking more pitches to manufacture runs. A lineup that can manufacture runs on a consistent basis to compliment strong starting pitching is what gives the Yankees the edge over both Tampa Bay Rays and Boston Red Sox.
American League Central Champion: Minnesota Twins
The Twins will christen their new ballpark with a division title and a trip to the post season. Now that Joe Mauer has signed a 8 year extension, the Twins can focus on building a perennial contender around him and Justin Morneau. The Twins will also feature a young pitching staff that will be lead by Carl Pavano. If the everyday players like Morneau and pitchers like Kevin Slowey stay healthy, the Twins will have a much better team than the one that beat the Tigers last year.
American League West Champion: Los Angeles Angels
The loss of John Lackey, Vladimir Guerrero and Chone Figgins could hurt the Angels, but as long as Mike Scioscia is the manager of this club, he can mold any player to fit into his system. The Angels are the best team in manufacturing runs, and the addition of Hideki Matsui in the lineup will make the team one of the best in the American League. Moreover, the rotation will be young and I believe that Jared Weaver will fill John Lackey’s shoes perfectly and Joe Saunders, who I still believe is a very underrated pitcher, will have another solid season.
Even though the Mariners will definately give the Angels a scare, they won’t have enough to keep up with the Angels.
American League Champions: I don’t know
Unlike the Senior Circuit, there is no clear favorite in the American League in my opinion. I hope the Yankees repeat as American League champions for the 41st time but it will be tough.
A few thoughts on the LDS round.
After the first 11 games of this post season, 3 teams have already been eliminated, while two are tied (and currently playing in the top of the 4th inning, Rockies leading by 1). In the National League there was a surprise no one saw coming, except a minority of fans (including your humble writer), as the Dodgers swept the favored Cardinals in three games. When I picked the Dodgers to win, I thought this series would go the full five games. Instead, the Cards were three and out, even though Wainwright pitched well enough to win game 2. I guess the turning point of the series had to be the Matt Holliday drop with two outs in the bottom of the 9th with the Cards leading one. Had Holliday made the catch, there would have been a game four this afternoon. Alas it was not meant to be as Holliday comitted the error that not only turn the game around but turn the complexion of the series in the Dodgers favor. However, Cardinals fans shouldn’t be disappointed. If Wainwright and Carpenter comeback next season and continue to pitch as dominantly as they did during the season, the Cards would no doubt be the favorites in the NL.
Moving on to the American League, the Angels finally get the monkey off their backs (no pun intended) and beat the Boston Red Sox in the post season. I will admit that I only saw a few bits and pieces of this series, but what I saw was how dominant the Angels pitching was. Jered Weaver and John Lackey were. Both pitchers combined for a total of 14.2 innings of 6 hit ball, allowing only one, that’s right, ONE earned run, 11 strike outs and 3 walks. The Angels won because Lackey and Weaver outpitched Jon Lester and a great post season pitcher in Josh Beckett. Now, they will meet the Yankees for the ALCS starting on Friday.
Which brings me now to the aforementioned New York Yankees. Their series against the Twins was for the most part even except when they took advantage of the Twins mental errors. In two games, the Twins ran themselves out of potential big innings, and to make things worse, everytime the Twins got the lead in this series, they gave it away in the following inning or innings. In game one, Twins get an early 2-0 lead only to see it go away after a Derek Jeter two run homer. In game two, Twins get a one nothing lead, only to see it disappear. After taking the lead again, Nathan, their all star closer (and one of my important relievers of my fantasy baseball campaign) failed to shut down the Yankees, allowing a 2 run game tying homer to A-Rod. And tonight, Pavano–who put on a pitching clinic–failed to hold the Yankees after he inherited a 1 run lead. The Yankees had to comeback and beat the Twins in the final two games. The bullpen came up big each time and more importantly, A-Rod and the rest of the team got it done in the clutch.
The Yankees victory over the Twins tonight sets up what should be an interesting ALCS. As a Yankee fan I will not make any predictions. However, if the two teams have a series the way they did in late September, I will literally run out of nails to bite!
Important Games tonight.
Heading into tonight’s action around the majors, the important games are all in the American League. Red Sox/Royals, Yankees/Angels in the east and in the central, Tigers/Indians(which is underway as I write this) and Twins/White Sox. In the east what more can be said? If the Red Sox win tonight, and if the Yankees drop yet another game in LA, the Yanks AL east lead will be only 4 games. This will set the table for a weekend match up in the Bronx that could be very entertaining showcase of American League baseball. And as I said before, if the Red Sox manage to cut the lead, the Red Sox/Yankees series this weekend will be a war that will take the city of New York by storm. In the central, likewise, if the Twins keep winning and if the Indians split the series against the Tigers, the Twins/Tigers series beginning next Tuesday will have added meaning. This are fun times to be a baseball fan, two late and developing pennant races in the middle of September in the AL East and AL Central. What more could baseball fans ask for?
David Veloz
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