Just Shy of Embarassing

Tuesday: Twins 2 - Mariners 3
Wednesday: Twins 6 - Mariners 5

Well, at least we didn't get swept. That's something. Of course, we all expected better, but I guess we'll have to take what we can get. Oh, and we're back to one game back, so that's something too (thanks Orioles).

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How much do we love D-Span and Red Dog today? If not for that strong, accurate throw, and the block, catch, and tag, things may have been very different. And did you see their faces after that play? They were both so happy, it was adorable. However, I'm a tad disappointed that Eddie got everyone in that situation to begin with. I'll just leave it at that.

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I was so into being crabby the last couple days, I totally forgot to say "so long" to Mike Lamb. He had been pushed so far down to the end of the bench, I kept kinda forgetting about him. In fact, I kinda figured it would've been Boof or Everett let go because Lamb never occurred to me. Well, I do hope he hooks on somewhere.

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Hey, what do you think of my new computer? Well, it's not really new; it's new to me. I gave up my 10 year old laptop for a 5 year old laptop. It is a lot faster, which makes me happy. Doesn't it make my blogging look better? Too bad it can't make me a better writer.

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So the A's are next. I'm not going to make any predictions or demands. The Twins already know what I want. So guys, get to it and battle your tails off.

Buzzkill

Twins 2 - Mariners 4 (11)

Gag! I was so happy that the Twins got Eddie back. I was even happier that he pitched. I was thrilled that he pitched a tidy inning for a hold. Then...

Then Nathan gave up that double, but I was still ok. Then...

Then Punto booted that ball. Ugh! Nicky, keep you eye on the damn ball! The runner was going to third anyways, so you didn't need to be looking over at third base. You needed to field that ball and get the out!

Everyone's going to say that the bullpen blew the game. I don't buy it. The defense blew the game -- AGAIN! Their first two runs were the result of errors. If not for those, the Twins wouldn't have needed to go to Crain in the eleventh; the game would have been over with Nathan in the ninth.

And the offense didn't help much either. They were up there flailing at pitches like they were completely over matched.

Come on guys! You have to play like you actually want to win. Especially now. I didn't see any of that tonight.

And another thing: I'm getting really tired of hearing about how long this road trip is. (Well, to be fair, it's really the reporters complaining about the road trip.) If you think about it, it's only longer than a "normal" road trip by one series. So, as of today, it hasn't been a long road trip yet. Stop playing like you're exhausted; you're not.

Ok, sorry if this was a little harsh. But I'm more than a little crabby about the whole thing.

Ed-die, Ed-die, Ed-die -- He's Back!

I'm writing this at work, so I have to keep it brief, but I can't contain my excitement.

Twins bring back Guardado to help bullpen. I ♥loved♥ Eddie. I missed Eddie. I am tickled pink that he's back. He always seemed like a great guy to out and have a beer with. And I always loved how he would make me really, really nervous whenever he pitched, but he always managed to get the job done.

Welcome back, Eddie.

More on my excitement later. It'll be interesting to see who gets sent down to make room.

Hey, I'm Back

I've returned from my business trip to San Francisco. Fortunately, the meetings scheduled for Friday were canceled. My colleagues scattered to do their own things, which afforded me the opportunity to go to a Giants game. I had a great time, and AT&T Park is a beautiful ballpark. I was especially excited because Tim Lincecum pitched. And the Giants won 5-0.

Some things I learned about AT&T Park:

• Tickets are very expensive. The lower level seats range from $75 to $85. I'll take a $26 upper level seat, thank you very much.
• No one comes to the game early. I got there about an hour and half before first pitch, and I had the concourse all to myself. I pretty much had my section to myself until about 15 minutes before first pitch. It finally dawned on me why after I had been sitting there about 45 minutes. It's cold there.
• When the fog rolls in off the bay, and the wind whips up (which I think it does every night), it gets pretty bone-chilling in there. Luckily I brought a sweatshirt, so even though I was a little chilly, I wasn't terribly uncomfortable.
• All the staff members I talked to were very friendly and helpful. More so than I'm used to.
• The hot chocolate and coffee vendors outnumber the beer vendors.
• The churros vendor has a beautiful baritone voice. He should sing opera.
• The fans adore Tim Lincecum. And he was brilliant -- 8 innings, 4 hits, 0 runs, 3 walks, 8 Ks.
• Bengie Molina and Pablo Sandoval are so big and slow that when they reached, the Padres didn't even bother to hold them on first.

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What Did I Miss While I Was Gone?
So the Twins took care of the A's on Wednesday, so that was good. And they took the first two from the Angels to re-take the lead in the division. Too bad that they just gave it back as I write this.

I said before the Angels series that I would be satisfied with a split. However, I'm less than satisfied that the bullpen coughed up the lead in today's game. Come on!

We need to sweep the Mariners, and we need the Orioles to beat the White Sox multiple times. Let's get that division lead back, and keep it!

A's is for ...

Monday: Twins 2 - Oakland 3
Tuesday: in progress (final: Twins 13 - Oakland 2)

Yesterday, I really wanted to give Nick Blackburn a hug (ok, I can't really think of a time when I don't want to give Nick Blackburn a hug, but even more so yesterday). It kind of sucked that his first pitch was smacked for a homerun. I can imagine that put him in a bad mood from the get go. I know it put me in a bad mood from the get go. But he wound up pitching pretty well, and went eight innings. A little more run support would've been nice.

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I have to keep reminding myself that yesterday's loss wasn't the end of the world. For some reason, some losses are harder to take than others; I don't know why that one was. Was it because the A's are so awful that we really should win? Was it because I disagreed with the umpire for about three-quarters of the game? Was it because the Twins looked so blah? Was it because the White Sox were playing, and beating, the Mariners to take the lead in the division? Was it because I think I can play left-field better than Delmon Young? Was it because Brendan Harris really needed to take the stinking bat off his shoulder?

Yeah, pretty much all that.

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Well, crappola. Here we go again with giving up a lead-off homerun again. STOP IT!

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Speaking of disagreeing with umpires, I have some things to say...

Last night: How do you call Joe Mauer out on strikes? Don't you know who he is? He's Joe Freaking Mauer! He doesn't take strike three. He knows the strike zone better than you do, moron.

Tonight: Wow! I respectfully request that you give my pitcher that call. I mean, if Justin Morneau can't reach it, and you're calling it a strike, I bet Kevin Slowey would appreciate that same advantage.

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So the Twins' preferred hand specialist must be enjoying the job security afforded him by the boys. Poor Adam "Adam" Everett got plunked in the hand by a foul ball while he was sitting innocently in the dugout. I'm telling you... Oven Mitts for everyone.

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Botton 2nd: Nice jack, BuschMan! And nice RBI triple, D-Span!
Top 3rd: And sweeeet play, Li'l Nicky!

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Will someone please cast a hex/jinx/spell/curse on the White Sox? I mean seriously, they aren't really this good, are they?

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Bottom 3rd: Run Randy, run! Good job, Randy. Now go get some oxygen.

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Bottom 5th: Ha! Go-Go hit a Ho-Ho!

(I hope that didn't come across too creepy. I meant it in the most innocent way possible. Really.)

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Mid 7th: So with all the hitting, and the running, and the scoring and everything, the superhero of the game is K-Slo. Twelve Ks in seven innings. Nice job, honey. And nice game, guys.

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Blog Update: I'm going on a business trip for the rest of the week. I'll be back Sunday. Dear Twins, please please please, take care of the California teams, 'k?

Way Too Difficult

Saturday: Twins 7 - Mariners 6
Sunday: Twins 11 - Mariners 8

Yikes. I'm glad we swept the Mariners and all, but sheesh, did it have to so gut-wrenching? I guess the lesson here is that the games are pretty exciting when both teams keep trying and no one takes anything for granted.

I can probably take responsibility for Saturday's near-choke. We were invited to our friends' house to go out on the pontoon and hang out. I watched the game before we left, and listened in the car on the way there. The Twins were leading 5 - 0 when we arrived, and hubby said, "they've got this game well in hand." After we said our hellos to everyone, I fixed a plate of appetizers, then promptly spilled barbecue sauce on my white Twins shirt. Ugh. As my friend was helping me clean it up, I joked, "I hope I didn't just jinx the Twins by staining my shirt." When we done getting the stain out, we walked back into the family room and looked at the score. NO! The Mariners had taken the lead. I guess I did jinx them with my BBQ wienie mishap. Fortunately, the Twins hitters decided that a stain on white shirt was not a good enough reason to lose the game, and came back to win in exciting fashion.

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Today's game seemed even more difficult than yesterday's. I guess I don't like it when the pitcher makes things so interesting. And it took forever to get through the last three innings. I had a bunch of errands to run (gotta love back-to-school shopping - not!), so I left after the sixth, with the Twins leading 10 - 4, thinking, "well, they have this well in hand." (Third time in the last two weeks I've made that mistake regarding the Mariners. You'd think I'd learn.) So while I was driving about, I was screaming at the radio.

I got to Dick's Sporting Goods in time to watch the ninth inning on their big screen. I was standing there watching the game while mini-bro was trying on football cleats. The sales guys were telling each other "this is why I hate the Twins; they always do this." I asked them why they said that and they told me that the Twins always give up the lead and wind up losing. I asked them if they've seen their record and their standing the division lately. They didn't say anything. Fair weather fans. I have a feeling that even when the Twins win, it isn't good enough for those guys.

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Ok, I can't go on any longer without talking about the Olympics. I am officially impressed by Michael Phelps. I watched the relay that won him his eighth gold medal, and I made my kids watch too. And I'm glad I did. The whole thing is very cool.

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Take That, Carlos Silva

Twins 9 - Seattle 2

Hey Carlos! We've got your homecoming right here! Whaddya think of that?

Actually, when Carlos Silva was a Twin, I didn't really mind him too much. I never really liked him, but I didn't mind him either. He just trotted out for his turn in the rotation, and I didn't really care. Well, I cared if he lost, but otherwise, meh.

Now, I really don't like him at all. It's not because he left and signed with Seattle for an outrageous amount of money. (Hey, if someone were to offer me twice what I'm worth to do something I only do only reasonably well, I'd take them up on it.) And it's not because he's losing, although I'd bet the Seattle fans aren't real happy about it. It's because he's losing AND sniping to his teammates about playing poorly. Not really classy there, pal. I'm guessing all your teammates want to take a look in the mirror before you shoot your mouth off again.

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I'm pleased with Liriano's improvement so far since his return. Keep up the good work, honey. Oh, and nice tater Kubes to get the Twins rolling again. I liked it.

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A big hat-tip to the Oakland A's for rallying and beating the White Sox. Please keep it up.

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Totally not baseball related, but definitely worth passing on...

I stumbled across this blog the other day, and it had me laughing my head off. I literally had a sore gut and tears running down my face when I was reading the archives.

http://cakewrecks.blogspot.com/

If you've ever ordered a cake that didn't quite come out as you expected, you can relate to this blog. And, not only are the photos hilarious, but the commentaries are deliciously snarky -- both by the blog author and her readers. If you need a giggle, I recommend this.