If the regular season ended today, the Yankees and Twins would meet in the Division Series for the second year in a row and fourth time in the last eight years. This week’s three game set in Minneapolis, the Yankees’ first visit to the new Target Field, will conclude the season series between the two teams, but there’s a very good chance that they will meet again come October.
The Yankees took two of three from the Twins in the Bronx the weekend before last, but have gone 2-5 against the Red Sox, Rays, and Mets since. The Twins have gone 3-4, splitting a two-game set with the Blue Jays, dropping two games in Boston, then returning home to take two of three from the Brewers. The Twins scored 31 runs in the three wins, but just nine runs in the four losses.
Target Field has been a happy home for the Twinks thus far as they are 14-7 (.667) at home against just 12-11 on the road. Here are the runs-scored splits for the Twins and their opponents at and away from Target Field:
@MIN: Twins 5.43 R/G; Opp 3.67 R/G; total: 9.10 R/G
Road: Twins 4.60 R/G; Opp 4.39 R/G; total: 8.99 R/G
Baseball-Reference’s park factors list Target Field as a slight hitter’s park (103/102). The total runs per game numbers above, which lack any adjustment for strength of opposition or road park factors, seem to agree with that.
The only change the Twins have made since the Yankees last saw them is that they called up Trevor Plouffe and installed him at shortstop. Plouffe was the Twins’ first round pick in 2004, but he isn’t a great defender and has hit just .259/.321/.391 in the minors. He’s simply a place-holder for the injured J.J. Hardy (wrist), who could return during this series.
Tonight A.J. Burnett, who has pitched poorly in two of his last three starts, the exception being a quality start against the Twins in which he walked four and got a no-decision, goes up against Scott Baker. Baker was the losing pitcher in that game against Burnett despite striking out nine Yankees in six innings against just one walk.
Baker actually left that game with a 4-3 lead in the seventh, but he bequeathed a couple of runners to his bullpen, both of whom scored on Alex Rodriguez’s grand slam off Matt Guerrier later that inning. That game, with those two runners added to Baker’s tally, was the only one of his four starts in May in which he allowed more than three runs. On the month, he has averaged more than 6 2/3 innings per starts and has struck out 27 men in 27 innings against just four walks.
With Baker starting tonight, Francisco Liriano starting Wednesday, and Javy Vazquez testing out his bruised finger on Thursday, all in a ballpark that has been very friendly to its new tenants, the Yankees will be hard pressed to pull out of their current skid this week.
Minnesota Twins
2010 Record: 26-18 (.591)
2010 Pythagorean Record: 26-18 (.591)
Manager: Ron Gardenhire
General Manager: Bill Smith
Home Ballpark: Target Field
Baseball-Reference Park Factors: 103/102
Who Has Replaced Whom:
- Trevor Plouffe (minors) has replaced Matt Tolbert (minors) on the roster and Brendan Harris at shortstop
25-man Roster:
1B – Justin Morneau (L)
2B – Orlando Hudson (S)
SS – Trevor Plouffe (R)
3B – Nick Punto (S)
C – Joe Mauer (L)
RF – Michael Cuddyer (R)
CF – Denard Span (L)
LF – Delmon Young (R)
DH – Jason Kubel (L)
Bench:
L – Jim Thome (OF)
S – Alexi Casilla (IF)
R – Brendan Harris (IF)
R – Drew Butera (C)
Rotation:
L – Francisco Liriano
R – Scott Baker
R – Nick Blackburn
R – Kevin Slowey
R – Carl Pavano
Bullpen:
R – Jon Rauch
R – Matt Guerrier
L – Jose Mijares
R – Jesse Crain
L – Ron Mahay
L – Brian Deunsing
R – Alex Burnett
15-day DL:
SS – J.J. Hardy (wrist contusion)
C – Jose Morales (wrist surgery)
RHP – Pat Neshek (right middle finger inflammation)
RHP – Clay Condrey (elbow strain)
60-day DL:
RHP – Joe Nathan (Tommy John surgery)
Typical Lineup:
L – Denard Span (CF)
S – Orlando Hudson (2B)
L – Joe Mauer (C)
L – Justin Morneau (1B)
R – Michael Cuddyer (RF)
L – Jim Thome (DH)
R – Delmon Young (LF)
R – Trevor Plouffe (SS)
S – Nick Punto (3B)
best news is that gene monohan is feeling good and is with the team.
congrats, geno!!! : )
[1] Hear, hear!
There's the Brett I know and love!
Fuck, 0-16!
Atta boy, Brett, just like that.
Yay Brett! End of a slump?
Boo Tex ... continuation of a slump!
ark, on the other hand, still mired.
Sigh.
Please get it together, Teix.
Time to ask Teix for some money back.
[5] Heh.
[6] Ark the erald angels sing.
That's two hard hit balls.
[10]
ark the former angel swings (and misses)?
Oy. Everything's an ordeal these days.
Diane, is Trevor Plouffe a LOVER OF PET FUR? Is he FOREVER POTFUL, or UP FOR LEFTOVER?
[14]
ROFL!!!!
Poor A-Rod, looks like it won't be easy to collect his 25,000,000 from the Rangers. Bankruptcy?
[14] all good - but my vote is lover of pet fur.
blah on the double plays.
ARGH.
Two hits in two innings, and yet Baker has faced the minimum.
[12] :)
Very nice.
(Meanwhile, at least my kid's team is undefeated (with one tie)!)
[20] Probably because of fundamentals, not trying to do too much, and, um, fundamentals.
Havn't seen WalMart Field yet..how is it looking?
And where is Nick Punto? Gardyhire going with the anti-gritty/spunky lineup today?
Kay's voice gives me a headache
[22] Funny and funny.
AHHHH. He walked Brendan Harris.
He walked Harris.
[24] No really, never seen "Target" Field on tv (never been inside a real Target, WalMart or BestBuy either but don't imagien am missing much..)
[21] :)
[26] Nah, just America.
Wow, quite a blow-up in St. Pete.
The home plate umpire has been terrible, and Carl Crawford argued the first pitch of his at bat. Vociferously. And the tip of his helmet brim touched the ump, and Carl is gone. And so is Joe Madden. But man, they were going at it. I'm pretty sure the ump called Madden a "fucking ass".
The Yankees are still pretending that Johnson is coming back?
[28] Hah..in that case, am truly not missing much then :) (except Jerry's pizza on East 14th & Ave J in Brooklyn..)
[29] Diktat from from Selig to get the Sox back in the race?
[29]
was the ump Joe West?
[26] First time for me tonight as well. I won't get started on the mega-store. I liked your Nick Punto barb.
May Baseball:
Jeter: .224 .290 .276 .566
Brett: .273 .354 .364 .718
Teix: .275 .353 .484 .837
ARod: .333 .415 .531 .946
Cano: .273 .333 .386 .719
Just by eyeball, it looks like these 5 average out to an OPS in the .750 neighborhood.
So yeah, our pitching has been flawed, but Cliff, I'm not sure how we can beat the teams we played in May with that king of offensive production.
I don't have numbers for just the last 15 games, but I know Teix was much better the first week of May then the above numbers.
Where are they now:
Matsui: .229 .302 .373 .675
Damon: .290 .393 .439 .832
AJax: .337 .393 .451 .844
Melky: .213 .299 .270 .570 (close to out of baseball?)
Tabata: .328 .385 .437 .821 (21 at AAA)
[32] Ah, no. Bob Davidson.
Hm, if Bob Davidson called a game with Dave Robertson pitching, that would be confusing.
I was hoping Gardner would have been back toward the end of the lineup tonight. I don't get the logic behind the move. Not only has Gardner's struggles left the Yankees with three low OBPs atop the lineup, but batting in front of Tex and Arod has pretty much negated Gardner's base stealing ability.
Gardner has had so many bad ABs in big spots (lowest WPA on the team during the 5-10 stretch), that it's possible that lineup decision alone has cost the Yankees a game or two.
Michael Kay busts Leiter with a particular meanness.
[33] :)
[34] Not re-sgining Damon & Matsui still hurts..Melky could be on his way to Japan..
Yay! End of Jeter slump?
STEAL 2nd! No more GIDPs!
(hey everyone)
[34] The numbers are even more stark during the current 5-10 stretch. Only Arod has really been productive.
Who is Dave Eiland, btw?
I knew who Mel Stottlemeyer was and I knew who Ron Guidry was.
But who is this Eiland guy, really?
close the roof! whoops.
Looks like the Twins have the same behind the plate issue as the Yankees (fans in a fancy restaurant instead of their seats). I wonder if they've been criticized for it too?
Yeah, spend the big bucks for prime seats, then go inside to watch the game. Pansies. Get the weather report ahead of time & bring rain gear.
Christ.
Meekly on one pitch.
Fuck. You. Teixeira.
Just awful, FUCKING awful.
Anemic comes to mind when I think of Teix.
Why does everyone keep lumping Arod in with the others. Arod HAS stepped it up over the past 15 games.
Rally squirrel!
I knew who Mel Stottlemeyer was and I knew who Ron Guidry was.
But who is this Eiland guy, really?
Is this a joke?
There's something very Monty Python about watching a squirrel frolic about the playing field.
Was that Homer Bushytail?
Gameday "on-field delay"...what happend?
[51] No, it's actually not. Where'd he come from?
[54] drunk squirrel running around on field. Cops tasered it. No biggie.
[54] Squirrel on field.
If only Moose were pitching! Then I could say, "Boris, what are we going to do about Moose and squirrel?"
[58] Hehheh. If only.
Our "hitters" suck.
Unacceptable.
[56] Shit. PETA boycotting outside the sradium.
[58] Go to your room and don't come back until you are ready to apologize for that...
How many blown scoring opportunties does Girardi have to see before he actually tries something?
What's Frosty hitting with RISP this year?
Christ. This feels so much like May 2008.
[64] Like what? Pinch-hitting himself for Teix?
[65] .304. Slugging .543.
Frankly, watching the squirrel is better TV then watching the Yankee ABs.
[55] Us.
[67] Like hit and run with Jeter and Gardner in the first or third inning. Maybe have Jeter and Gardner try a double steal? In past games, squeeze with batters like Winn. Something to get a run or two on the board and relieve some of the pressure. That's the job of a manager.
Errr... who is Frosty?
ARod's 2010 RISP is .381 .473 .690 1.163
[72] Frosty is Cano.
[5]] Wasn't Eiland the pitching coach at Scranton Wilkes-Barre? He was brought in to coddle the tres amigos back in the day.
[73] And he is Frosty because?
Well.... at least it ain't snowing in the 'Dome'.
[68] Really? That's nice. Below his average but nice enough. He must have racked that up when he was hitting .404 'cause he doesn't seem to be any more consistent than last year. But maybe my lying eyes have been lying.
[74] Yes, he's also an ex-Yankee and ex-Yankees prospect. Limited MLB career; pitchability over stuff kinda fellow.
[73] Why is Cano called Frosty?
I'm so sick of these LOB numbers. I mean, if ya win, then so what. But in the last 10 games, here's the Yankee LOB numbers: 9,13,8, 5, 11, 12, 6, 9, 7, 6 (bold = win). That's f'n horrible!
[78] He's only been our pitching coach since Guidry left with Torre. "Who" seems an question rather late (and clueless) to the game ...
[75] First game of the ALCS, I think? When it was like 34 degrees in the Bronx and he played wearing an arctic-grade ski mask. Ms. O. (I believe it was) dubbed him Frosty.
I really like Span
Pop quiz: What do Al Leiter and Sarah Palin have in common?
I remember that game with the ski mask.
Brains pulling a pitch that should have gone the other way?
[84] They both have an "A" in their first name, and an "I" in their last name.
[84] they both do a lot of animal-based charity work?
[84] A penis? (Can Leiter see Russia from his front door?)
[84] Is it serious, or a joke?
As far as corporate names go, Target Field isn't so bad
[79] Refuse any "nickname" that doesn't suit you.
"Frosty"?!?!?! Fuck no, Robbie is either "Ripper"(when he's HOT) or "Rotten Robbie" (when he's COLD) to me ...
"Ace"?!?!?? Christ, how reCOCKulously dull and unimaginative! Aceves is "The Vulture" to me (let's all agree to leave "The Mexican Gangsta" in the ditch where it should be) ...
"Swish"?!?!?!? Again, what remarkably impressive creativity! Bugger that! Nick's earned the right to be called "The Stick" by me ...
Wow. The decks look like they are in a different zipcode then the field.
This game needs Randy Winn!!
Does Leiter wear Manolos?
[91] The best is Cinncinnati's: The Great American Ballpark.
Corporate, but also noncorporate at the same time.
[87-90] Hehehheh.
The both say "also too".
" Nick’s earned the right to be called “The Stick” by me "
You know who was 'Stick' in the late 60's/early 70's?
Lovely bunt! Gritner should be taking notes!
Does anyone here know anyway to make the toolbar icons on Firefox any bigger?
[96] That is a good one. Citi Field isn't so bad either. Safeco might be the worst.
[96] I tell ya what.. Great American Ballpark is an awesome ballpark, too. Beautiful! Only weird thing about it is that your view is of the Kentucky hills instead of the city skyline. (but plate, sunset, shadows, etc.)
[98] Technically, Gene Michael was just known as "Stick", the nickname being a reference to his skinny frame ... which frankly, is fine, being several orders of magnitude more interesting than almost ANY nickname being offered up today ...
Bank One Ballpark has to be the worst name...
Hiroshima Carp's Mazda ZOOM-ZOOM Stadium is my fave over here..
[100] You may have to try a different theme. That's about all I can think of.
Good AJ tonight, we can't waste this.
[101] Minute Maid
[101] AT&T...you can't even fool yourself into thinking thats a natural name
Gah. Fuck. Bollocks!
Now you put the tarp down?!?!?!?
[108] I know.
And I have to be up early. I can't have this.
[97] So.... does Sarah Palin have a penis or not?
Man pleads guilty to vomiting on fans
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=5218267
The vomiter was a 19 year old kid.
The vomitee was an off-duty Easton police captain...
and his 2 daughters.
How the guy didn't beat that asshole to a pulp is beyond me.
[103] Andres Galarraga = El Gato Grande. hehe.. that's a cool nickname.
[107] Azteca in Mexico City is one of the coolest names. I forget but there's another soccer stadium in Sud American called "The Chocolate Box"..maybe in Buenos Aries?
Crud.
Robertson to relieve?
[106] I dunno. I think Minute Maid Park is funny. They call it the juice box.
[97] Also too. Huh. I can't remember Leiter saying that.
But isn't he from NY? Or Jersey??
[113] he'll prolly bring in Robertson or CHP the RHP.
IT'S NOT EVEN RAINING NOW!
[115] Jersey, yeah. He says it all the time.
[116] nvm
Meanwhile, the Sox are up 2-0 over TB in the 9th.
Lester with a 1 hitters and Big Poopi up to .261 .331 .555.
NOOOOO not Salzberg!!
I watched Fargo 2 nights ago for the first time. Minneapolis! Yeah? Yeaah... Yeah? Yer dern tootin'!
Again.. Russ Saltzberg = Chris Russo in a fat suit.
[121] Fargo 2!?!?!?!? I ain't seen that before!
[123] uhhhh...
[121] William Macy was beyond awesome in Fargo..should have walked away with all the acting awards. Greatest loser in American film history? Along with Rupert Pupkin (my favorite)?
[121] aww jeez
screw this I'm putting on The Hills...go ahead, judge me.
[121] Heheh. Love that film. Everyone's perfect: Buscemi, McDormand, Macy...
Such a delicious film.
[125] He really was. Pitch perfect.
Meanwhile, anyone seen "Big Fan?" Something just reminded me of it twenty minutes ago and I went to neflix on the off chance it's available to watch instantly and lo and behold!
[122] I take back what I said about Kay.
This man's voice gives me a migraine
[129] Big Fan + instant view = WIN!
[131] :)
[129] yeah I watched it instantly when I was home sick one day, good movie.
so does anyone watch Treme?
[129] Good movie
[133] For sure. Missed the most recent due to travel. Liked all the others. Great music.
[129] sweet! I'll watch it soon.
[133] Looooove Treme. I'm a musician... there's some really great cats on that show!
I'd never heard Bob mocking the screamers.
That was awesome
[136] you referring to the "Judas!" incident?
[126] The Hills? Oh, you will be judged.
But I still enjoy reruns of Sabrina the Teenaged Witch. So yeah, we all have our guilty pleasures.
G'night all.
[138] I like to tease my wife that she looks like "Clarissa Tells All." It drives her nuts. : )
Red Sox no longer stink..Yanks had better be careful..
someone please shout when the game is back on. We're watching some DVR catchups.
I've got a Neil Peart DVD ready to view ...
No, Michael Kay, I will not enjoy an edition of the Wendy Williams Show
ARE WE THERE YET?!?!?!?!?
well, i thank the yanks for pausing the game - waiting for me to get home from pracketing, so i can follow the 2nd half.
looks like we had good AJ going there. too bad he won't be able to continue, but it might be a blessing in disguise as we obviously couldn't get anything going against baker.
[142] which one?
[143] Wendy O. Williams would be a lot more enjoyable! ; )
Game's been suspended.
game suspended.
Fucking Fucking Fuck.
Fuck.
[148] whadda you tryin' to say, man? spit it out! ; )
[i agree, btw...]
[145]
A Work in Progress