Goodbye Johan Santana

Bill Smith, this doesn't exactly inspire confidence.

Stick a fork in the Twins

They're done, I'm afraid.

After being swept by the Indians, the Twins are 8.5 GB with 29 games remaining. My guess is that they'd pretty much need to go undefeated to have a chance. Obviously that's not happening.

Maybe next year.

You can bet on it at the best online casino

Johan Santana is pretty good

Johan Santana's line: 8 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 17 K

PLEASE Terry Ryan, resign him ASAP!

One Step Forward, One Step Back

With the Indians and [especially] the Tigers struggling lately, the past couple of weeks would have been a perfect time for the Twins to make a big run towards the front of the division. Instead, they've just sort of been staying place, which is frustrating, especially losing 2 of 3 to the Royals.

Once again, Matt Garza had an outstanding performance, only to get no run support. That means that in 4 of the last 5 games the Twins have scored 1 run or less. On Thursday it was the always unbeatable Kyle Davies that shut them down.

And this lack of offensive punch certainly can't be blamed on the fact that Luis Castillo is no longer with the club. His replacement, Alexi Casilla, was the only Twins to have more than one hit.

Even so, the Twins right now are only 5 games behind Detroit, and 6 games behind Cleveland pending their game later Thursday. The pitching appears to be really coming together, as the starters have put together a lot of nice performances lately. Now they just need the hitters to start carrying their weight.

1-run losses are the worst

Not a great way to start this hugely important series with the Tigers... going in, the Twins has to be thinking that winning 2 of 3 at home would be enough to get them within 5 games of the Tigers. Now, they just need to focus on salvaging 1 game of the series.

Thanks to the lack of timely hitting, the Twins have managed to score 2 runs in 2 games... still had their chances to win both.

You can't fault the pitching efforts of either Matt Garza or Johan Santana, who were superb. Garza gave up just 1 unearned run (and had a really nice array of offspeed stuff), and Santana gave up just a manageable 3 runs.

The offense certainly had chances. On Wednesday's game the Twins left 14 runners stranded, including 4 runners left at third base. It was the Twins best hitters that did most of the damage, as Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau were a combined 1/9 with 1 BB, and they left 11 runners on base. It's tough to win like that.

Following Wednesday's game the Twins stand 8 games behind the division-leading Tigers and 6 games behind the Wildcard-leading Indians. The series finale will feature Scott Baker for the Twins going against Jeremy Bonderman. There's still a long way to go in this season, but the Twins can ill afford a sweep.

Vote for Pat Neshek!

Just a reminder to go vote for Pat Neshek to make it onto the All-Star game!

With a 1.37 ERA, a fantastic K/BB ratio, and being very stingy about giving up hits, Neshek is the best middle reliever in the MLB!

VOTE FOR NESHEK

This bullpen is fantastic

I don't really know that this needs to be said, but I love the Twins bullpen. Sure, sometimes they'll screw up and Juan Rincon will have a stretch like he had recently, but then they do something like they did tonight, and I'm right back in.

5 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 6 K, 1 W

That's beautiful. And excellent managing of the bullpen as well. They used Reyes for one out, then went with the best guys. Neshek pitched 1.2 innings of good work (even though he did allow a sac fly), Joe Nathan was then brought in for 2 shutout innings, and then Juan Rincon pitched a scoreless inning. Great management of the pen, great pitching by the pen, and a nice win.

And a round of applause for Scott Baker. In my last post way back when, I wondered if it could be Baker's last chance. Well, he has come back and had 2 straight solid starts, including a really good win on Tuesday. 7+ innings, 4 H, 1 ER, 9 K. I'll take that.

Also, another brilliant managing move bringing in Jeff Cirillo in the 12th to pinch hit. This isn't even hindsight bias, as I thought it was an excellent move at the time. Cirillo is a very solid hitter against lefties, and it just made perfect sense to bring him in there. Sometimes managers don't do what seems to make perfect sense, but the Twins did here and it worked out, with Cirillo delivering the game-winning single.

Twins now stand at 39-36, 5.5 games back of the Indians and Tigers... but for some reason, I just have a really good feeling about these guys.

Comeback Wins are the Best

After getting shut down for 8 innings, the Twins came through in the 9th on Thursday, getting Johan Santana off the hook for another home loss.

Johan pitched very well, allowing 2 runs and striking out 9 in 7 innings, but the Twins just could not get to Tim Hudson or Rafael Soriano, who combined for shutout innings. But against old nemesis Bob Wickman in the 9th, the floodgates opened.

Castillo singled, and following a Mauer groundout, he scored on a triple by Michael Cuddyer. After a grounder by Morneau that was misplayed by the first baseman, there were runners on 1st and 3rd for Hunter. His AB wasn't pretty, but ultimately a weak grounder that eventually led to an error on 3B Yunel Escobar tied the game, and then the Twins won on a base hit to left by Mike Redmond.

So it doesn't matter how you do it... it doesn't matter that the Braves pitching staff dominated this game for 8 innings, all that matters is that the Twins have now won 4 straight and remain just 5.5 back of the Indians, and only 4 back of the Tigers.

On Friday Scott Baker gets the call against the Brewers, and you have to think this might be one of Baker's final chances. He has a great track record, but the Twins have a lot of other good pitching prospects and Baker is struggling once again. He's had a couple straight mediocre starts, and I'm not sure how much more the Twins will give him.

Kevin Slowey picks up first Major League Win

It wasn't quite an awe-inspiring performance, but it's good to see Kevin Slowey get his first Major League win in his second MLB start. Slowey only went 5 innings, giving up 10 hits, 5 runs, and 4 ER, but thanks to good work from the offense and from the bullpen it was good enough for the win.

The bullpen pitched 4 hitless and scoreless innings to preserve the lead, showing their strength. Look at the ERAs of the guys that pitched:

Matt Guerrier: 1.72 (in 36.2 IP)
Carmen Cali: 0.00 (in 4.2 IP)
Pat Neshek: 1.26 (in 28.2 IP)
Joe Nathan: 2.05 (in 26.1 IP)

If I was doing any online sports betting, I would say this is the best bullpen in the MLB once again.

Also, it becomes more and more clear (at least to me) that Pat Neshek is the best middle reliever in the MLB. In the 28.2 IP he has struck out 34 batters, walked only 10, and allowed only 12 hits. That puts his WHIP at 0.77, his OBA at .217, and SLG against at only .200. Those are unbelievable numbers.

Offensively, the Twins got their power from Michael Cuddyer (3/4, 1 HR, 3 RBI), and a couple of other unlikely sources, as both Nick Punto and Jason Bartlett hit their first homers of the year.

All in all, a nice day and a nice job to come from behind to salvage one game of the 3-game set, as we head into another round of interleague play. 3 games at home against a mediocre Washington Nationals team sounds like a recipe for success.

Ortiz to the Pen

The Twins offense is starting to hit their stride (even with Joe Mauer still out of the lineup for a little while longer), so no complaints there. Likewise, Carlos Silva was very good, so nothing but praise for him on this Memorial Day Weekend.

But the best news, long-term, for the Twins was that Ramon Ortiz was moved to the bullpen. He was putting them in a hole everytime he started, and while his early season starts were very encouraging, something needed to happen, and that did when the Twins announced Ramon Ortiz would be moving to the pen.

Though I disagree with the statement on the Twins site that the Twins bullpen got stronger with the move, I think it's very good overall for the Twins. This will likely cause them to call up Kevin Slowey, one of the top prospects in the organization.

This will help them win now and later, as I think Slowey will be an immediate upgrade and gain valuable experience for the future. So all in all, a good weekend for the Twins, even with the heartbreaking loss on Saturday.

Goodbye Bat-Girl

As you have probably heard if you are a Twins blog reader (which you probably are if you're reading this site), Bat-Girl is ending her blog, and the time constraints of having a baby were, understandably, a bit overwhelming.

As a Twins blogger, it was and is sometimes hard to produce content that is different from the other blogs and will be able to provide value for readers... Bat-Girl, I don't think, ever had that problem. Her blog was always unique, which is what made it so great to read.

Good bye and good luck Bat-Girl... you'll be missed in the Twins blogging community.

I like when good pitchers start

After another Sabean Special today, one thing has become clear to me... when we have good pitchers start, that usually goes better than having bad pitchers start.

Groundbreaking, I know. But then again, we are still starting Carlos Silva and Ramon Ortiz for 40% of the games, so this message isn't quite getting through to somebody.

Obviously it's a lot more complicated than this, but since May 12 the Twins are 5-1 when either Johan Santana, Boof Bonser, or Scott Baker starts. Over that same time span they're 0-6 when the games are started by Ramon Ortiz, Carlos Silva, and the recently departed Sidney Ponson.

Already 6.5 games back, we can't really afford to trot out Ortiz and Silva much anymore, can we? I know this is kinda like a broken record, but these guys are just not good starters. That's not even an opinion, that's a fact. Why not give Matt Garza and Kevin Slowey a chance?

I know the Twins are very reluctant to use more service time than necessary, but I really think the change to bring the young starters up has to be made soon. Last year these types of moves propelled the Twins from a .500 team to the division title. Replacing 3/5 of your rotation (already done with 1 part of that in Baker) can have that same type of effect.

The end for Ramon Ortiz? (PLEASE)

The Ramon Ortiz Story was great for a few starts... however, the time has come to pull the plug. Most of us knew this would happen sooner or later, and it's become increasingly apparent that the real Ramon Ortiz is back.

He was good for 5 starts or so, but that was probably more of an abberation than anything. He wasn't striking guys out, and basically they were just hitting it where the Twins were. Over the past 4 starts that has begun to even out, and his ERA is showing it.

Here's his last 4 starts:

5/03 - 4 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 3 K, 0 BB
5/09 - 6 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 K, 3 BB
5/15 - 1 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 0 K, 1 BB
5/20 - 4.1 IP, 10 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 K, 0 BB

Almost needless to say, the Twins have lost all 4 starts. It's time to end the Ramon Ortiz Experiment.

A Win AND Sidney Ponson gets DFA!

With 4 straight losses coming into the game, it had been a long weekend for the Twins.

But on Sunday, good things happened on and off the field. On the field, the bats finally exploded. Hampered greatly ever since Mauer went to the DL, the Twins erupted for 16 runs and 4 HR, something sorely lacking for the offense this year.

Torii Hunter led the way, with 2 HR and a career high 7 RBI. He had lots of help, as the Twins eventually had 16 runs and 22 hits. Luis Castillo had 3 hits. Mike Redmond hit a HR. Mike Cuddyer had 3 hits (including a HR) and 4 RBI. Justin Morneau had 3 hits. Jason Kubel had 3 hits. And on and on.

Bottom line, it was a great hitting performance for the Twins, and something that they sorely needed.

Off the field, after another poor start for Sidney Ponson, the Twins finally have seen enough, as they designated him for assignment. Later this week the Twins will recall a pitcher to start on Saturday, leaving Glen Perkins in the pen. They didn't say who, but my guess would be Scott Baker, who has some experience, is pitching great in AAA, and I believe is already on the 40-man roster. That would make the most sense to me.

Either way, I'm at least happy to see the Twins recognized that Ponson just wasn't working out.

Finals Week

Sorry for the extreme lack of updates over the weekend... finals week is this week, which means I've been studying a ton. But one more week until it's officially summer for me!

An old-fashioned beatdown

The hitting was good, Sidney Ponson was very good (really), and that was a pretty good combination for the Twins en route to a 9-1 beatdown of the DRays.

Ponson turned in easily his best performance of the year in a start in which he probably had to do well to keep his spot in the rotation. He threw 7 innings, allowing only 5 hits and 2 BB while striking out 5, allowing 1 run. Sure, that only lowers the ERA to 6.67, but this had to be really encouraging. If he can make a few more starts like this, they can delay starting the clock for some of those young guys even longer.

On the hitting side, there were lots of positives. Joe Mauer continued his hot streak with 3 more hits to boost the average .378. Torii Hunter only had 1 hit, but it was yet another double, his 14th of the year. Jason Tyner had 3 hits. Luis Castillo had 3 hits in his return to the lineup. There were lots of hitting starts for the Twins.

On Wednesday, Boof will get the start for the Twins, hoping Tampa has the same effect for him that it did for Sidney. He'll take on Jae Seo, he of a 9.51 ERA this year.

2 out of 3 ain't bad

Coming into the series, the Twins were really struggling, and that was with those games coming at home. So to go to Detroit and take 2 of 3 (and be in the 3rd game), well, gotta like that.

Torii Hunter continued his great hitting, showing no ill effects from the ball in the face via Zack Greinke. After hitting his 5th HR Sunday (to go along with the 13 doubles), he is now slugging over .650. That's really, really good.

Also a great series for Jason Kubel, who is playing everyday and starting to be more consistent in showing some of that great potential. He's batting .333 over the last 6 games with 3 doubles, and had a really big hit Friday. More ABs for Jason Kubel and less for Jason Tyner is something I can support.

But it wasn't all good... once again, Jesse Crain struggled, giving up the walkoff HR Sunday. Crain's ERA is now at 6.30, and he only has 5 strikeouts through 10 innings. It's early obviously, but does anyone have any confidence when he enters a game? I know that I just do not at this point.

Twins take on the Devil Rays Tuesday... could it be Sidney Ponson's last start? If he struggles again, I don't see how they can justify keeping him up.

Interview with a Tigers Blogger

With the Twins and Tigers series coming up this weekend, Ian from Bless You Boys and Sweaty Men Endeavors and I had a little cross-blog interview. I asked him questions about the Tigers, and he asked me questions about the Twins. We did this year, and due to popular demand (at least that's what we tell ourselves) have brought it back. I'll post Ian's responses here, and mine will be over at Bless You Boys.

(1) I think it's safe to say that Gary Sheffield has struggled thus far since coming to Detroit. What seems to be his problems? Can they compete for a division title if he is only average?

Ian: From what I've seen, I think Sheffield's just trying too hard. He came to a World Series team and got a big contract extension, and I think he's putting some pressure on himself. And it's only gotten worse as he continues to slump. He's swinging at bad pitches and seems to be pulling most every pitch. He just looks uncomfortable; even his stance looks different from what I remember.

And no, I don't think the Tigers can compete if Sheffield doesn't figure it out. They have a decent record right now, thanks to their pitching, but I don't think that can last throughout the season. Eventually, they need Sheffield to provide the run production expected of him. There's no other player on the roster (well, maybe Magglio Ordonez) who can put up those kinds of numbers by himself.

(2) To be blunt, Sean Casey has been pretty atrocious thus far. Do they have any other options to turn to if he keeps struggling like this?

Ian: Definitely. Marcus Thames has already been starting against left-handed pitchers, so I don't think it's too much of a stretch to think he could play that position every day, if necessary. Or Chris Shelton, who was the first baseman most of last season, could be called up from AAA Toledo. Either move would probably strengthen the lineup. However, the defense at first base would suffer, and that's not an unimportant consideration to Jim Leyland. Casey's already saved several throwing errors with his glove. But if neither option is to the Tigers' liking, they'll try hard to trade for another first baseman.

(3) Justin Verlander and Jeremy Bonderman have both followed up successful seasons last year with great starts to this season. If you had one game to win, which guy would you rather have on the mound?

Ian: I'd choose Bonderman, and not just because of his experience. Before the season, I thought Tigers fans were laying it on a little thick, saying he could be a Cy Young Award candidate, but so far, he's pitched to that level. Two of his last three starts have been phenomenal, and he'd bring that talent and determination to a must-win game. For whatever reason, Bonderman can still struggle in the first inning, but if a team doesn't get to him then, something clicks and he locks in. He could absolutely go nine innings in a Game 7, and I don't think you can say the same thing about Verlander.

(4) I must admit, it usually gives me hope as a Twins fan to see Todd Jones coming out to pitch the 9th... but then he usually gets the job done (even with the measly K rates). What makes him so effective?

Ian: I think a lot of Detroit fans often ask the same question. But it seems like Jones succeeds largely through stubbornness and conviction. He knows what kind of pitcher he is, so he pitches to contact and lets his defense make the plays. If Jones tried to blow fastballs by everyone, he'd get hammered out there. But as long as he keeps his ball moving, so the batters can't square it up, he'll be effective. He'll allow at least one baserunner per save situation, but then induce a double-play grounder to close out the game. A few times a season, he'll have a meltdown and blow a three-run lead. Yet he comes right back the next day, just as all the good relievers do.

(5) Where do you see the Tigers finishing up this season? Who do you think are their main competitors in the Central?

Ian: It probably looks like a hometown pick, but I really do think the Tigers are the best team in the AL Central and will eventually finish on top. With Kenny Rogers' injury, they no longer have the best starting rotation in the division, but I'd still like their top four over anyone else's. What I'm most encouraged by - and what should worry the other teams in the Central - is that they've been competitive despite disappointing production from their lineup and inconsistent pitching from the bullpen. Sheffield should eventually start hitting, and if Casey doesn't, the Tigers will somehow upgrade the position. And the starting rotation will be bolstered either by Rogers' return, or a call-up from the minors, such as Virgil Vasquez or Andrew Miller. So ultimately, this team is in good shape.


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Once again much thanks to Ian from Bless You Boys and Sweaty Men Endeavors. Ian does great work on the Tigers, Detroit in general, and really all of sports. So be sure to check him out!

Officially a losing streak

After the Twins 4th straight loss, I think this is officially the first real losing streak of the year. This one hurts too, just because of who it has been against and where it's been played. 2 of the 4 losses have come against the Royals, and 3 of the 4 have come have the friendly Metrodome.

The early blame went to Sidney Ponson, who gave up 4 runs in 6 innings of work, though that actually lowered his ERA to 8.44. The Ponson Experiment has just got to stop. The Twins cannot afford to stop throwing him out there every 5 games.

Unfortunately, the Twins didn't really get any type of run support or any offensive effort except from Torii Hunter. Torii was 2/4, including a continuation of his barrage of doubles as he hit his 13th of the year. He also hit another HR, to give him 4 so far. Meanwhile the 3-4-5 hitters went 3/5 with 2 BB (from Mauer). That's not going to get it done.

The Twins will try to avoid the 2-game sweep by sending Boof Bonser to the mound. Bonser has disappointed so far this year, but hopefully the home start against KC will be just what the doctor ordered. He'll take on Zack Greinke.

4-2 ain't bad

It's never good to lose 2 of 3 to Kansas City, but overall, a 4-2 roadtrip isn't too shabby. After sweeping the Mariners, the Twins were hoping for more of the same in Kansas City, but it didn't quite work out.

Now a 4-game homestand begins, with 2 against the Indians and 2 against the Royals.

The Indians will send Jeremy Sowers to the mound to take on Carlos Silva. Silva has been a nice surprise so far this year, giving up only 0.50 HR/9 innings so far, which would be great if it could continue.