chippy's Minnesota Twins franchise

[chippy]

Okay guys, I started a Minnesota Twins franchise on MLB 2005. I have been replaying the 2005 season first, then will head straight into the current year. I manage only... to see what kind of manager I would actually make. I play one or two games a day and will post them starting now. My next post will be an overview of the first 40 games I've played thus far, so you will have an idea of where I'm at with this thing.

It won't be pretty like some of the other reports (I'm not that good with a computer), but I hope you enjoy it anyway!!

[chippy]

The Good...

I've won 6 straight games and lead the division now by 0.5 a game. So far, our record is 21-19. The hitting has been the key, with us coming from behind in several games with late rallies. Lew Ford has been red hot... he's hitting over .380. Rookies Jeff Kubel and Jason Bartlett are both hitting over .300 as well. Pitching wise, Johan Santana has been... well... Johan Santana... pretty much untouchable. Brad Radke is 5-2 and fits in nicely behind Santana as our #2 pitcher. Closer Joe Nathan has an ERA under 2 and has 8 saves.

The Bad...

Middle relief has been HORRIBLE, with a collective ERA over 7. After Santana and Radke, Carlos Silva has been hot-and-cold, and at the back end of our rotation, Kyle Lohse and Joe Mays have been awful... both getting lit up like a couple of Christmas trees. Jacque Jones has been awful as well, hitting .164 and being benched in favor of rookie Kubel and Matt Lecroy in a platoon. Jones is on the trading block... maybe I can get a broken bat for him.

THOUGHTS...

We've got to get more consistent with the pitching... the bullpen has to hold leads and Lohse and Mays have to at least give us a chance when they pitch. Our offense can't keep bailing them out like they have been. There are no free agents to speak of, so any help we get in another month or so will have to come from a trade. I wouldn't mind picking up another bat, but it's the pitching that needs help the most. Luckily, nobody in our division has been able to take off just yet... hence our 21-19, first place record. Whoever makes the biggest move will end up gaining a huge edge over the rest of the division.

[Herbie]

http://www.governor.state.mn.us/kids/minnesota%20twins.gif

Welcome to the Metrodome!
http://www.casabrian.com/images/medium/2003/twins-metrodome/255-5567_IMG_med.JPG

[chippy]

Why can I not post my replies? THREE times I have tried to post my stats and every time it says I am not logged in, when that's the first thing I do??

What is going on?

[chippy]

The Milwaukee Brewers won their fourth straight game and also snapped the Twins' own six-game streak, as they pummeled Minnesota, 9-6, in a game that wasn't that close.

Ace Johan Santana was shelled, giving up 12 hits in 5 innings. The Brew Crew totaled 17 hits on the night, along with four doubles and three home runs. Carlos Lee led the way with a 3-5 night, with a double, homer, and 4 rbi.

"Johan's our ace, but tonight he just didn't have it, and the Brewers made him pay..." manager Chip Myers said after the game. Santana agreed, "Everything I threw... they pounded..." he said, shaking his head, "It was just one of those nights..."

Shannon Stewart hit two solo home runs as he continued his hot pace. Rookie Jason Bartlett had two hits and another home run, and little 2nd baseman Luis Rivas kept his surprising hitting going, with 2 hits, a double and 2 rbi.

Santana's record is now 4-3 on the season...

[chippy]

Brad Radke (6-1) gave the beleagured Twins bullpen the night off, going all the way and scattering 8 hits, as the Twins blanked the Brewers 7-0.

Radke was in complete command, striking out 5 batters with only 1 walk, as Minnesota returned the favor in ending the Brewer's modest 4-game winning streak, just as Milwaukee snapped their 6-game rip last night. "I felt good out there," Radke said afterward, "Everything was flowing nice and easy. It didn't hurt any that I had a nice lead to work with early."

Justin Morneau led the Twins with 3 hits and an rbi, while 2nd baseman Luis Rivas... who has caught everyone by surprise this season with his hot hitting (.306, 3rd highest among the regulars)... belted a homer and had 2 rbi with his 2 hits. "I'm just trying to do my job and take what's given to me. I'm not going to lead this team in either home runs OR hitting... but it feels great to be able to contribute a little bit of both tonight."

Manager Chip Myers smiled, "Scoring runs hasn't been the problem... for the most part. We've just got to find a way to keep the other team off the scoreboard. The rest of the pitching staff should take notes on what Brad did tonight..." he joked, "A game like this makes managing look easy."

[chippy]

Carlos Silva's up-and-down season spiked upward again last night, and the Twins took the rubber game against the Brewers, pulling away late, 7-2.

Silva improved to 4-2 on the season with a solid 8 innings, allowing both runs on just 4 hits. "Hopefully this will give him the boost he needed," Chip Myers said after the game, "We need him to pitch well out of the #3 slot in our rotation, and so far he hasn't been as consistent as we'd like."

Offensively, reserve Juan Castro led the way with a 3-3 night, with a double and 4 rbi, as Myers gave Luis Rivas the night off at second base. "The bench guys need some at-bats to stay sharp, and the regulars need a day off every now and then for the same thing..." Myers said, "This worked out great for both Luis and Juan." Jason Bartlett also pitched in with 2 hits and 2 rbi in 4 at-bats.

[chippy]

Kyle Lohse got hammered again, allowing 6 runs in 5 innings, as the Cleveland Indians beat the Minnesota Twins, 7-5 at the Metrodome.

The rejuvenated Juan Gonzalez led the Tribe attack, going 3-4 with 2 doubles, a home run, 3 rbi and 2 runs scored. For the Twins, Shannon Stewart went 2-3 with an rbi, Juan Castro went 2-4 with 2 rbi while playing for Jason Bartlett at shortstop, and Torii Hunter went 2-2 and scored a run.

For Lohse, it was the same old song and dance as he saw his record fall to 1-5, and afterward his frustration was evident. "It doesn't matter what I try... nothing is working right now..." he said, "I don't blame the fans for booing. If I was watching me, I'd boo, too."

Manager Chip Myers was bewildered as well, "Nobody feels worse about it than Kyle does, that's for sure. He's a talented youngster with a world of potential... I just don't know what else we can do to help him realize it..." he said with a sigh, "We've tried about everything..."

[chippy]

The Minnesota Twins gave their starting rotation a shot in the arm today, trading young-but-struggling Kyle Lohse to the San Fransico Giants for left-hander Kirk Rueter.

Lohse had struggled this season with the Twins, going 1-5 with a 5.94 ERA in 9 starts. Rueter, also in 9 starts, is 3-2 with a 4.86 ERA.

"Kyle Lohse is a very talented young man who I think will benefit greatly with a change of scenery..." manager Chip Myers said about the trade, "I believe this deal helps both the Giants and us. They get a young guy who I think will put it together and be a big winner for them. On our end, we got a proven big-league winner (131-87 lifetime with a 4.20 ERA) who fits in our #4 slot perfectly."

Lohse had no hard feelings toward the Twins, "I'm thankful they gave me an opportunity to pitch in the major-leagues, and I'm looking forward to helping the Giants win."

For Rueter, it was a change that brought him closer to his Nashville, Ill. home, but he remained atop the standings. "From one first-place team to another..." he said with a laugh, "You can't ask for a better deal than that."

[chippy]

I had a MARATHON weekend of playing, managing, and simming games... trying to get through the 2005 season so I can get to the current campaign.

After 110 games, the Minnesota Twins stand at 58-52, good for 2nd place... 6 games behind the division leading Chicago White Sox. We are also currently 7.5 games behind the Yankees in the wild-card standings.

So, a post-season berth is not looking good... but that's okay. My purpose with this is to try and keep everything as realistic as possible as I try and improve on the Twins and turn them into something really special.

We were only about 45 games or so into the season with my last post, so I'll try and get everyone up to speed on what has transpired since...

Pt. 2 coming up!!

[chippy]

After we traded for Kirk Rueter, we continued to slog along at just about .500 or a couple of games over. We finished the month of May with an overall record of 27-24, going 16-11 for that month, which put us over .500.

We continued our hot play in June, compiling a 16-10 record for the month, which included a stretch where we won 10 of 11 games, with the bulk of that being 8 straight. We only allowed 32 runs during that 11-game streak. We also traded Jacque Jones to Pittsburgh for Craig Wilson. He's not as fast as Jones... but he can hit, play several positions, and comes a lot cheaper... plus he's younger by a couple of years. I think we came out all right on that one.

We hit our high-water mark for the year with a 50-37 overall record as we went 7-3 in the early part of July... but that's when we stopped hitting... completely stopped hitting. In the last 17 games of the month, we scored just 56 runs total... with 11 of those coming in one game. We ended up 5-12 in those last 17, which left us at 12-15 for the month and 55-49 overall.

Now... back to the marathon... and when I get done with the season... I'll post all my thoughts and transactions as I try to get the Twins ready for 2006!!

[chippy]

FINALLY!! I don't think I've ever played this much over such a short period of time!!

After 110 games we were 58-52, and in 2nd place. From there... we kept on NOT hitting... and saw our record actually slip under .500 at 60-61 at one point. I wasn't sure what to do to fix our hitting woes. Nothing I tried worked... and I tried tweaking the lineup several different ways. I finally fixed it like I wanted and said we'd sink or swim with that... it was the best we had. We entered September with a 69-64 record, as out hitting picked back up a bit, but we were now in 3rd place behind Detroit, who stood in 2nd place. The White Sox had all but sewed up the division by then, so all we had to shoot for was 2nd place.

We went up-and-down for the first half of September, going 8-9 to start... and I thought we were about done. We stayed just 2-3 games behind the Tigers during this time, but we couldn't make any headway against them. As luck would have it, we closed the season with 3 games against Detroit at home. I just hoped we would be within range by then.

Then... true to baseball fashion... we got hot. And heading into the last series of the year, Detroit and Minnesota were both TIED for 2nd place in the AL Central with 84-75 records. It was a best 2-of-3 series for 2nd place...

The poor Tigers never stood a chance... as the suddenly red-hot Twins broke out the broom and SWEPT the Tigers 3 straight... taking 2nd place with a final record of 87-75... a very nice way to end it. Plus, the final game was Brad Radke's 20th win of the season... icing on the cake!!

I'll post our final stats and offer my thoughts on each player and what we need to do during the off-season in my next post... then I'll get started on the 2006 season and hopefully get caught up with the real-life season before too long...

[chippy]

Our month-by-month records:

April 11-13
May 16-11 (27-24 overall)
June 16-10 (43-34 overall)
** won 8 straight and 10 of 11 during one stretch, allowing only 32 runs during that span**
July 12-15 (55-49 overall)
** started the month 7-3, finished 5-12, scoring only 56 runs during that span, 11 in one game**
Aug 14-15 (69-64 overall)
** scored just 38 runs in our 15 losses, scored 98 in our 14 wins, including 17 in one game**
Sept/Oct 18-11 (87-75 overall)
** won 10 of 12 to end the season, including a 3-game sweep of Detroit that clinched 2nd place**

Batting and pitching stats to follow...

[chippy]

(The batting stats are read as follows: AB-R-H-2B-3B-HR-RBI-AVG-SB-CS)

Jason Bartlett 598-73-182-34-10-9-63-.304-16-10
Shannon Stewart 593-99-175-30-4-29-92-.295-11-3
Lew Ford 586-93-179-34-6-16-57-.305-17-8
Torii Hunter 539- 74-147-23-5-18-60-.273-11-3
Justin Morneau 485-52-129-17-0-30-77-.266-0-0
Luis Rivas 464-68-125-22-2-12-55-.269-15-4
Joe Mauer 444-62-122-31-0-18-47-.275-2-2
Jason Kubel 405-42-130-18-3-6-39-.321-0-1
Craig Wilson 388-36-115-30-0-11-44-.296-0-0
Michael Cuddyer 302-34-78-12-3-5-44-.258-0-1
Matt LeCroy 262-31-80-15-0-12-45-.305-0-0
Juan Castro 155-22-46-9-0-1-16-.297-0-1
Mike Redmond 111-10-27-7-1-2-13-.243-0-0
Jacque Jones 96-7-18-3-0-2-9-.187-0-1
(Pitchers) 15-3-5-2-0-0-1-.333-0-0

TOTALS 5443-706-1558-287-34-171-662-.286-72-34

Pitching stats to follow...

[chippy]

(I only keep up with wins, losses, saves, blown saves, and ERA. The stats can be read in that order)

ST- Johan Santana 16-11 3.08
ST- Brad Radke 20-6 2.79
ST- Carlos Silva 11-8 4.40
ST- Kyle Lohse 1-5 5.94
ST- Kirk Rueter 7-8 4.84
ST- Joe Mays 9-11 4.60
RP- Terry Mulholland 4-3-0-0 4.90
RP- J.C. Romero 8-4-1-0 4.20
RP- Juan Rincon 5-6-0-0 4.83
RP- Joe Nathan 1-3-35-2 1.94
RP- J.D. Durbin 0-2-1-0 4.95
RP- Jesse Crain 1-2-1-0 3.35
RP- Grant Balfour 4-3-1-0 2.75
RP- Carlos Pulido 0-1-0-0 11.12
RP- Brent Grabowski 0-2-0-0 11.12

I'll have my thoughts on each player... his age, contract status, and our hottest prospects next... then we'll get into off-season moves and get our roster finalized... before starting the current, 2006 season...

[chippy]

Johan Santana... 26 years old... signed for 3 years at 6.10M a year.

He was 16-11 with a 3.08 ERA. He is undoubtedly the ace of our staff, and at 26... should get better over the next few years.

Brad Radke... 32 years old... signed for 4 years at 9.00M a year.

Won the AL Cy Young with a 20-6 record and a 2.79 ERA. Brad is a proven veteran who should have a couple of productive years left. We can slide him down in our rotation as he ages if we have to.

Carlos Silva... 26 years old... signed for 3 years at 2.70M a year

Finished 11-8 with a 4.40 ERA. Another young guy who should just get better over the next few years. Should have won a couple more than he did.

Kirk Rueter... 34 years old... signed for 4 years at 5.20M a year.

Went 7-8 with a 4.84 ERA after we acquired him. The ERA is a little high, but I think he can make the adjustments he needs to to pitch in our ballpark and our league. I'm not happy about 4 years on his contract... but he gives us a chance to win when he pitches.

Joe Mays... 29 years old... signed for 2 years at 5.00M a year

Pitched better in the 2nd half, started 0-4... ended 9-11 with a 4.60 ERA. That gives me hope he'll pitch better next season.

Relief pitching next post...

[chippy]

Grant Balfour... 27 years old... 3 years at 800K a year

Young, good, and inexpensive... he should be a quality piece of our bullpen for the next several years. Finished 4-3 with 1 save and a 2.75 ERA

Jesse Crain... 24 years old... 2 years at 400K a year

Top 100 prospect had a solid year, 1-2 with 1 save and a 3.35 ERA. He'll assume more responsibility as he matures

J.D. Durbin... 23 years old... 3 years at 800K a year

Another Top 100 prospect. Had an up-and-down year in '05. Finished 0-2 with a save and a 4.95 ERA. He'll have a lot more ups than downs the next few years

Joe Nathan... 30 years old... 3 years at 2.70M a year

Had a fantastic year... 1-3 with a 1.94 ERA and 35 saves out of 37 chances. Just entering his prime. I have no worries about the end of games.

Juan Rincon... 26 years old... 3 years at 1.80M a year

Had an off-year, going 5-6 with a 4.83 ERA. A strong bounce-back season is both expected and likely. Usually a top set-up man

J.C. Romero... 29 years old... 3 years at 2.10M a year

Finished strong the last month, 8-4 with a save and a 4.20 ERA. Another top set-up guy entering his prime.

Terry Mulholland... 42 years old... retired

Had a rough year, finishing with a 4-3 record and a 4.90 ERA. At 42, we weren't going to resign him anyway.

Catching next post...

[chippy]

Joe Mauer... 22 years old... 3 years at 1.40M a year

Had a very solid year, hitting .275 with 31 doubles and 18 home runs. He's the face of the Twins for the next 10+ years

Mike Redmond... 34 years old... 2 years at 900K a year

Does fine for a backup catcher, but I wouldn't want to face an extended period of time with him starting. Hit .243 with 2 home runs and 13 rbi. Getting a little long in the tooth, need to start thinking about other options there


Infield next post...

[chippy]

Matt LeCroy... 29 years old... 2 years at 400K a year

In 262 at-bats, hit .305 with 15 2B, 12 HR and 45 RBI, mainly against left-handed pitching. Can play 1st, 3rd, or either corner outfield post.

Justin Morneau... 24 years old... 3 years at 600K a year

Led Twins with 30 HR while hitting .266. At 24, his average should get better with his power at least holding where it is, if not improving also.

Craig Wilson... 28 years old... 3 years at 1.20M a year

Hit .296 in 388 AB after we traded for him, with 30 2B and 11 HR, along with 44 RBI. Will be switched to 3rd base this coming year.

Luis Rivas... 26 years old... 3 years at 1.50M a year

Outstanding defensive 2nd baseman who surprised with his bat, hitting .269 with 22 2B, 12 HR and 55 RBI from the 9 hole in our order.

Michael Cuddyer... 26 years old... 2 years at 400K a year

Lost 3rd base job in 2nd half. Hit just .258 with 5 HR and 44 RBI. Needs to step it up.

Jason Bartlett... 25 years old... 3 years at 300K a year

All-Rookie Team selection who led team in AB (598), H (182), tied for team lead in 2B (34), and led in 3B (10). Hit .304, knocked in 63 runs and stole 16 bases. Set up for a long run as Minnesota fan-favorite.

Juan Castro... 33 years old... 2 years at 1.00M a year

Had a career year with the bat (.297) while providing steady defense at all the infield positions.

Outfield next...

[chippy]

Torii Hunter... 30 years old... 3 years at 8.00M a year

Gold Glove outfielder who had a solid year with the bat. Hit .273 18 HR and 60RBI. Stole 11 bases in 14 tries, and also hit 23 2B and 5 3B. Just entering his prime years.

Lew Ford... 29 years old... 3 years at 700K a year

Speedy outfielder Twins fans love. Hit .305 and scored 93 runs (2nd on the team) while hitting 16 HR and driving in 57. Came up late in his career, but has been solid since his debut.

Shannon Stewart... 31 years old... 3 years at 6.00M a year

Quiet, underrated star. Led Twins with 99 runs and 92 RBI. Hit .295 with 30 doubles and 29 HR. Stole 11 bases in 14 attempts as well.

Jason Kubel... 23 years old... 3 years at 600K a year

Top 100 Prospect who was All-Rookie selection with Jason Bartlett. Hit .321 which was highest on the team among the regulars, with 18 2B, 6 HR and 39 RBI. Played mostly against right-handed pitching. As he matures, he should see more left-handers as well.

Final thoughts on team next...

[chippy]

The starting pitching is very good with our first 2 starters (Santana and Radke), and Silva can be a solid #3 if he stays consistent. Rueter at #4 should give us a chance to win, and Mays at #5 CAN do the same. He pitched MUCH better in the 2nd half, hopefully he can carry that over into 2006.

The bullpen should be rock-solid, with Romero, Balfour, and Crain. Nathan is a lights-out closer, and if Rincon can bounce back after an off-year, and Durbin can improve (which he should), we should have no problem shutting people down. We signed Ryan Dempster as a free-agent, our ONLY big-league sign, to take Mulholland's place. All he can do is help what should be a GREAT bullpen.

Joe Mauer is one of the better young catchers in the game, and he should get nothing but better if he stays healthy. We may want to look at another back-up option, as Mike Redmond is 34 and won't be around that much longer.

Justin Morneau is, like Mauer, one of the bright stars just beginning to shine. He should be an offensive anchor for the team for several years to come at first base.

Luis Rivas and Jason Bartlett are one of the most exciting double-play combos in the American League who, at 26 and 25 respectively, should be around for a long time to come.

3rd base is somewhat of a problem that I hope can be answered by Craig Wilson. We'll put him there this season mainly because of his bat. Michael Cuddyer's chances are starting to run out, but he's still young enough at 26 to kick it in gear.

Matt LeCroy is a valuable bench player who provides power against left-handed pitching, and Juan Castro has a slick glove at any of the infield spots, particularly in the middle.

Our outfield is in good shape as well, with Stewart the oldest at 31. They are all entering what should be their prime years, and Jason Kubel is just 23 and hasn't approached his prime yet. Hunter and Ford are fan-favorites who spark the team with their hustle and energy.

The budget isn't what most other teams have, but we get the most out of what we've got. At 87-75, we had a solid winning season, and finished strong. The team is young, and most of them are locked up for the next 2-3 years at affordable salaries. If we stay healthy, we should compete for the AL Central in 2006.

Farm system update next...

[chippy]

Just want to make sure I'm logged in...

[chippy]

On my 2nd look through our farm system, I was pleasantly surprised to find that we do indeed have quite a few young prospects that we need to watch and track this upcoming season. Most are position players. That tells me we need to start looking at young pitching to shore up the depth at that position and make it an area of strength. Most of our younger guys will be starting at AA, with a couple even starting at AAA. We'll track their progress and adjust their classification accordingly...

AAA Prospects

SP Randy Sanders (Top 100)- 20 years old Throws-R
RP Terry Coleman (Top 100)- 22 years old Throws L
SS (3B) Matt Sharp (Top 100)- 19 years old Bats-R Throws-R
2B Chris Landry- 23 years old Bats-L Throws-R
3B (SS/2B) Juan Guerrero- 21 years old Bats-R Throws-R
RF (LF) Tim Krutcher- 21 years old Bats-R Throws-R
CF (1B) Mike Perez- 19 years old Bats-R Throws-R (2005 Draft Choice)
C (LF) Andy Lyon- 21 years old Bats-L Throws-R

AA Prospects

SP Odin Fernandez- 18 years old Throws-L (2005 Draft Choice)
RP Pablo Zambrano-21 years old Throws-L
RP Johnny Byars- 21 years old Throws-R
SS (2B) Trevor Fowler- 19 years old Bats-R Throws-R (2005 Draft Choice)
LF (OF) Alan Andrews- 20 years old Bats-L Throws-R (2005 Draft Choice)
1B (RF) Jack Miller- 19 years old Bats-R Throws-R
1B Eddie Halliwell- 19 years old Bats-R Throws-L (2005 Draft Choice)
2B (OF) Dane Suggs- 20 years old Bats-R Throws-R
SS Rick Rumfield- 21 years old Bats-R Throws-R

A Prospects

1B Alex DeHaan- 19 years old Bats-S Throws-L
3B (LF) Davey Williams-18 years old Bats-R Throws-R
LF (OF) Mike Vincent- 20 years old Bats-R Throws-L
C Mike Kinsey- 20 years old Bats-S Throws-R
C Andy Grant- 21 years old Bats-R Throws-R
LF (OF) Johnny Hughes- 19 years old Bats-S Throws-L

[chippy]

I want to make sure my stuff goes through BEFORE I put it in *LOL*

[chippy]

The Minnesota Twins finished with a 17-5 Grapefruit league record. The final stats are as follows:

PITCHING- (The stats are read as W-L-ERA-S-BS)

Johan Santana 3-1 2.92
Brad Radke 4-1 1.63
Carlos Silva 3-1 2.59
Kirk Rueter 2-1 2.63
Joe Mays 3-0 0.92

Jesse Crain 0-0 0.00 (9.2 IP)
Grant Balfour 0-0 9.00
Ryan Dempster 0-1 9.53
Juan Rincon 0-0 3.38 2-0
J.C. Romero 2-0 5.91
Joe Nathan 0-0 0.00 6-0

HITTING- (The stats are read as AB-R-H-2B-3B-HR-RBI-AVG-SB-CS)

Lew Ford 89-18-32-2-2-4-24-.360
Justin Morneau 87-11-20-2-0-6-15-.230
Shannon Stewart 82-13-21-2-0-2-8-.256-1-1
Torii Hunter 82-16-21-7-0-3-14-.256-3-1
Craig Wilson 81-16-29-5-1-4-11-.358
Luis Rivas 70-14-29-10-2-1-16-.414-1-0
Joe Mauer 67-11-20-2-0-2-7-.299-1-0
Jason Bartlett 67-10-19-1-0-2-9-.284-2-0
Jason Kubel 53-7-19-4-0-2-7-.358
Juan Castro 28-4-7-2-1-1-8-.250
Matt LeCroy 17-3-5-0-0-1-1-.294
Michael Cuddyer 11-4-1-0-0-0-1-.091
Mike Redmond 3-1-2-1-0-0-0-.667
Pitchers 20-0-2-0-0-0-2-.100

I don't think the spring could have gone any better. We scored 128 runs in 22 games, an average of 5.8 per game. We allowed just 67 runs per game, an average of 3.0 per game (Remember, I don't actually PLAY a single inning, all I do is manage the team, so the fact that they are doing it without any help from me is even more impressive). We're young... we're good... and for the most part... we're getting better.

The player progression went about like I figured it would. Our older guys, like Hunter, Stewart, Rueter, Mays, and a couple of others are starting to fade just a bit. Our younger guys are all getting better, with minor dropoffs in a couple of categories. But even our older guys aren't TOO old just yet... they didn't drop off substantially. I foresee a banner year for the Twins in 2006... barring any injuries, of course...

Season gets underway next, as I try and catch up to the current RL season...

[chippy]

Am I on? *LOL*

[chippy]

I am totally fried!! I have NEVER worked so @#$$# hard at doing nothing (playing video baseball) in my life!! *LOL* I'm seeing things, I'm so tired!!

Anyway, I am now caught up with today's date and the current MLB 2006 season. My Twins are currently in first place in the AL Central...

TWINS 28-25 ----
W.Sox 27-26 1
Tigers 24-28 3.5
Royals 20-32 7.5
Indians 20-33 8

Batting stats are as follows (AB-R-H-2B-3B-HR-RBI-AVG-SB-CS)

Lew Ford 201-31-63-11-1-10-34-.313-5-0
Justin Morneau 190-26-55-8-0-9-27-.289
Craig Wilson 189-19-47-9-1-9-26-.249
Shannon Stewart 189-32-53-9-2-7-22-.280-2-1
Jason Bartlett 184-23-53-9-1-5-13-.288-3-3
Luis Rivas 173-17-47-7-1-4-20-.272-2-1
Torii Hunter 158-19-40-5-2-7-25-.253-2-0
Joe Mauer 140-23-48-8-0-11-23-.343-0-2
Jason Kubel 137-9-30-6-0-1-10-.219
Jose Offerman 68-9-19-1-1-1-5-.279
Matt LeCroy 54-9-15-1-0-2-3-.278
Juan Castro 42-6-10-2-0-2-4-.238
Mike Redmond 33-3-7-2-1-1-5-.212
Michael Cuddyer 12-3-4-0-0-1-2-.333

TOTAL 1770-229-491-78-10-70-219-.277-14-7

Pitching stats (W-L-ERA-SV-BS)

Johan Santana 6-3 2.43
Brad Radke 5-4 3.52
Carlos Silva 3-5 4.28
Kirk Rueter 5-2 2.54
Joe Mays 2-3 6.35
J.C. Romero 1-1 3.72 1-0
Juan Rincon 0-1 2.10
Joe Nathan 0-1 3.45 11-1
J.D. Durbin 0-0 0.00
Ryan Dempster 2-3 3.49 1-0
Grant Balfour 2-2 6.75
Jesse Crain 2-0 7.94

We got off to an absolutely AWFUL start. We finished April 11-15, which was actually outstanding considering we scored only 73 runs for the whole month... an AVERAGE of 2.8 per game. Nobody was hitting anything at all, and I had nobody else to turn to. Our pitching was pretty decent, as we allowed 107 runs for the month, an average of 4.1 per game... not great... but decent. I thought about the hitting, and just decided to let it ride... I didn't really have a lot of options available.

We started hitting in May, and finished the month 17-10. We went from 2.8 runs per game in April to 5.8 a game in May... including a 3-game run where we scored 39 runs. Our pitching actually got a little better in May, allowing 105 runs overall... 3.9 per game.

What's killing us really is our defense. Justin Morneau has already committed 8 errors at 1st base... he needs to get better over there... and fast. Plus... *sighs* our experiment with Craig Wilson at 3rd base has been an absolute flop. He's also committed 8 errors, and I think it's got into his head at the plate, too... he's hitting just .249 so far... though it's early still. Once again, I don't have many options with our shoestring budget. While we have a couple of promising youngsters... I don't think they're ready just yet.

That's it so far... I still have to play today's game, and I'll do a game-by-game thing the rest of the way...

I'm just wondering... is anyone reading my stuff? I know it's nowhere NEAR as good as some of the other guys' dynasties... but does anyone enjoy it at all?

[chippy]

Torii Hunter drilled a bases-loaded, bases-clearing double in the top of the 8th inning to propel the Twins to a 4-1 win over the Toronto Blue Jays at the Skydome.

Kirk Rueter (6-2) picked up the win, pitching 7 solid innings. He allowed 6 hits and 1 unearned run. Joe Nathan pitched a scoreless ninth for his 12th save.

The Jays scored first, on Vernon Wells' rbi double in the bottom of the 3rd, scoring James Evans, who had singled. The Twins tied it in the top of the 6th, as Shannon Stewart doubled home Luis Rivas.

Rivas grounded out to start the 8th. Then Jason Bartlett, Stewart, and Lew Ford singled, with Bartlett being thrown out at the plate for the 2nd out of the inning. After Joe Mauer was walked intentionally to load the bases, Hunter drove a Billy Koch offering into the right-centerfield gap.

Kock (1-5) was the loser, giving up 3 hits and 3 runs in just 1/3 of an inning.


NAME AB R H RBI AVG
Bartlett 4 0 2 0 .293
Stewart 5 1 2 1 .284
Ford 2 1 1 0 .315
Mauer 3 1 0 0 .336
Hunter 4 0 2 3 .259
Morneau 3 0 0 0 .285
LeCroy 4 0 1 0 .276
Wilson 4 0 1 0 .249
Rivas 4 1 1 0 .271

2B- Stewart (10), Ford (12), Hunter (6),

RBI- Stewart (23), Hunter 3 (28),


NAME IP H R ER BB K ERA
Rueter (W 6-2) 7.0 6 1 0 3 2 2.27
Romero 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 3.54
Nathan (S 12) 1.0 1 0 0 0 1 3.24

[chippy]

DeAngelo Jimenez homered leading off the bottom of the 7th inning last night, breaking a 1-1 tie and leading the Reds to an eventual 5-2 win over the Twins. Willy Mo Pena also homered off of Juan Rincon (0-2), who took the loss.

Joe Mays pitched 5 solid innings for Minnesota, allowing just 1 run on 8 hits, but the offense never could get untracked against starter Adam Harang. Danny Graves pitched the ninth for his 17th save of the season. All the Twins could muster on offense was Jason Bartlett's RBI single in the top of the 5th, and Justin Morneau's 10th home run of the season, in the top of the 8th.

After the game the Twins received bad news when it was learned that Joe Mauer suffered a concussion and will have to be placed on the 15-day DL. "That's a hard shot to take," Morneau said of Mauer, who is hitting .342, "Joey was really ripping the ball, and we need his bat as much as his glove."

The Twins called up 21-year old Andy Grant to take Mauer's roster spot. Mike Redmond will assume the bulk of the catching duties until Mauer comes back.

[chippy]

123 456 789 R H E
MIN 000 010 010 2 11 1
CIN 010 000 310 5 16 0

NAME AB R H RBI AVG
Bartlett 5 0 2 1 .295
Stewart 5 0 0 0 .276
Ford 4 0 1 0 .314
Morneau 4 1 2 1 .289
Mauer 3 0 2 0 .342
Hunter 4 0 0 0 .253
Wilson 4 0 2 0 .254
Rivas 3 1 1 0 .272
Mays 0 0 0 0 .000
Offerman 1 0 0 0 .275
Cuddyer 1 0 1 0 .385
Kubel 1 0 0 0 .217

HR- Morneau (10),
RBI- Bartlett (14), Morneau (28)

NAME IP H R ER BB K
Mays 5.0 8 1 1 1 2
Durbin 1.0 3 0 0 0 1
Rincon (L 0-2) 2.0 5 4 4 0 1

[chippy]

The Minnesota Twins rode Johan Santana's 6 solid innings, and Lew Ford's 2 homers to a 7-3 win over the Cincinnati Reds last night at the Great American Ballpark.

Neither team got a base hit until Willy Mo Pena's 2-out single in the bottom of the 3rd inning. The Twins first hit was a single by Shannon Stewart in the top of the 4th... an inning in which the Twins left the bases loaded. Pena hit a 2-run homer in the 5th, scoring Reds starter Eric Milton, who had singled off Santana.

After Jason Bartlett grounded out to begin the top of the 6th, Shannon Stewart singled sharply to left... one of his 3 hits. Ford then tied the score with a 2-run blast. After Torii Hunter popped up, Justin Morneau singled, and Craig Wilson put Minnesota ahead, 4-2, with his 10th home run of the year.

After the Reds got one run back on an Adam Dunn sacrifice fly in the 7th, the Twins put the game away in the 8th on Ford's second homer, a solo shot, an RBI single from Luis Rivas, and a bases-loaded walk to pinch-hitter Jose Offerman.

J.C. Romero pitched one inning, allowing 1 run on 3 hits, and Joe Nathan followed with 2 scoreless innings.



MIN- 000 004 030- 7 12 0
CIN- 000 020 100- 3 10 0


Bartlett 5000 .288
Stewart 4130 .286
Ford 5233 .321
Hunter 5010 .251
Morneau 4220 .294
Wilson 3112 .255
Rivas 4011 .272
Redmond 3000 .194
Santana 2000 .000
Cuddyer 1000 .357
Castro 1110 .256
Offerman 0001 .275

2B- Stewart (11), Rivas (8),
HR- Ford 2 (12), Wilson (10),
RBI- Ford 3 (37), Wilson 2 (28), Rivas (21), Offerman (6),
CS- Stewart (2),

IP H R ER BB K ERA
Santana (W 7-3) 6.0 6 2 2 2 3 2.46
Romero 1.0 3 1 1 0 1 3.80
Nathan 2.0 1 0 0 0 1 2.89

[chippy]

My little boy advanced it before I could get the box score copied down. But I do know Adam Dunn had 3 doubles and 2 RBI, DeAngelo Jimenez homered (again), while all we could get was a 2-run homer by Justin Morneau. Brad Radke (5-5) got the loss, while Bronson Arroyo (6-2) got the win.

[chippy]

Carlos Silva couldn't hold a 6-3 lead, and Brad Ausmus capped a 5-run 4th inning for the Houston Astros, as they held off the Minnesota Twins, 9-8 at Minute Maid Park last night in Houston.

Silva (3-6) was hit hard in 4.1 innings, allowing 11 hits and all 9 runs. "The guys got me a lead... I just couldn't hold it." he said dejectedly, "There's no excuse for allowing that slam by Ausmus, even if this park is a bandbox. I've just got to make better pitches."

Luis Rivas hit a 2-run homer for the Twins, while Justin Morneau and Juan castro added their 12th and 3rd of the year. Morneau has now homered in 3 consecutive games, as the Twins hit Roger Clemens hard as well, but Clemens (7-2) did just enough to pick up the win.


Rivas 4112 .270
Stewart 5220 .287
Ford 5000 .314
Morneau 5121 .295
Hunter 4110 .257
Wilson 4021 .260
Castro 3111 .280
Redmond 3100 .190
Silva 2110 .500
Offerman 1000 .271
Cuddyer 1000 .333

2B- Stewart (12), Morneau (9), Wilson 2 (11)
HR- Rivas (5), Morneau (12), Castro (3),
RBI- Rivas 2 (23), Morneau (31), Wilson (29), Castro (5),

Silva (L 3-6) 4.1 11 9 9 1 1 5.24
Durbin 0.2 0 0 0 0 0 2.80
Dempster 2.0 2 0 0 0 0 3.49
Romero 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 3.22

[chippy]

Luis Rivas' 3-run homer catapulted the Twind into the lead, and Matt LeCroy's 2-run pinch-hit double iced the Twins' 7-2 victory over the Houston Astros.

Kirk Rueter came within one out of a complete game for Minnesota, scattering 10 hits over 8.2 innings. Craig Wilson went 4-5 for the Twins and scored 2 runs. Rookie Andy Lyon made his big-league debut at catcher for the Twins, going 0-2 before being replaced in the 7th inning my Mike Redmond. Carlos Hernandez (3-1) took the loss for the Astros.

MIN- 000 312 001 7 12 0
HOU- 000 010 100 2 10 1

Bartlett 5 1 0 0 .282
Stewart 5 1 2 0 .290
Ford 5 0 2 0 .316
Hunter 3 1 0 0 .253
Morneau 4 0 1 0 .294
Wilson 5 2 4 1 .272
Rivas 3 2 2 3 .276
Lyon 2 0 0 0 .000
Rueter 4 0 0 0 .000
LeCroy 1 0 1 2 .288
Redmond 1 0 0 0 .186

2B- Wilson 2 (13), LeCroy (2),
HR- Rivas (6),
RBI- Wilson (30), Rivas 3 (26), LeCroy 2 (5),

Rueter (W 7-2) 8.2 10 2 2 0 2 2.25
Nathan 0.1 0 0 0 0 0 2.84

[chippy]

Rookie right-hander Mike Ascensio dominated the Twins, allowing just 2 hits over 7 innings, as the Astros thumped Minnesota, 6-1.

A single by Lew Ford and a triple by Mike Cuddyer, who scored the Twins' only run, was all that Ascensio (5-3) gave up. Jeff Bagwell hit his 9th home run of the year, a 3-run shot in the 3rd inning to break a 1-1 tie, and Lance Berkman's 2-run blast, his 12th, came in the 7th as insurance.

"This is getting frustrating with our offensive inconsistency," Ron Gardenhire said, "We score 5-7 runs one game and 1-3 the next. We have got to get more consistent with our offense... that's not exactly a news flash, either."

The irritation is apparent. The Twins still lead the AL Central by 0.5 a game over the Chicage White Sox, who have won 3 straight, and the pitching has been decent overall. But while the Twins have recovered from their early season hitting woes, they are still up-and-down from game to game. If they are to compete for the division title... improvement is a must.

MIN- 010 000 000- 1 2 0
HOU- 013 000 20x- 6 11 0

Bartlett 4 0 0 0 .276
Offerman 4 0 0 0 .257
Ford 3 0 1 0 .316
Stewart 3 0 0 0 .286
Cuddyer 3 1 1 0 .333
Rivas 2 0 0 1 .273
Kubel 3 0 0 0 .207
Lyon 3 0 0 0 .000
Mays 1 0 0 0 .000
Castro 1 0 0 0 .275
LeCroy 1 0 0 0 .283

3B- Cuddyer (1),
RBI- Rivas (27),

Mays (L 2-4) 5.0 6 4 4 1 2 6.02
Balfour 1.0 2 1 1 0 1 6.26
Durbin 2.0 3 1 1 0 2 2.46

[chippy]

I'm back... I had to go out of town for a week. Before I did, though... I got my Twins dynasty up to 70 games played. As I'm running MY season along with the RL one, mine will get back on track Tuesday, June 20. So... without any further adieu...

My Twins continue to be very streaky. The standings in the AL Central are:

White Sox..... 37-33
Twins..... 36-34
Tigers..... 32-35
Royals..... 30-38
Indians..... 29-40

We are currently 8-9 in June... and just got through being swept 3 straight by Seattle, so we've lost 3 in a row... not exactly the hottest team in the league. We have scored 307 runs, an average of 4.3 per game, the most in the division. We have given up 285 runs, an average of 4.0 per game... which is the 3rd fewest in the division. Our team batting average is .276, and our team ERA is 3.89... both solid numbers.

So what's the deal? Why can't we be more consistent? Lack of clutch hitting for one. Out of our 645 hits as a team, we have 212 extra-base hits, an average of .329. Almost ONE THIRD of our hits this season have gone for extra bases, yet we average just over 4 runs a game. Lousy in the clutch... there isn't any way to sugarcoat it.

Another reason is lack of defense... and that comes from basically 2 guys. We have tried to turn Craig Wilson into a 3rd baseman... that has been an absolute flop. He has committed 11 errors already, that leads the team. Across the way, Justin Morneau has committed 8 errors. They have combined for 19 out of our 35 as a team, and it seems like every one has led to unearned runs that have killed us.

We have suffered 2 major injuries along the way as well. Joe Mauer suffered a concussion, and has been out for 23 days. He is listed as out 5 more days with his injury, and 12 more on the DL. Johan Santana was hit on the foot with a line drive and got a fractured toe. He is out 10 more days and listed with 4 more on the DL.

Mike Redmond assumed the bulk of the catching duties, and only just recently got his average up to .200 for the year. We called up a rookie, Andy Lyon, for his first taste of major-league action. He has 3 hits in 12 at-bats. As far as Santana's injury, we called up Jason Stewart to take his roster spot, but then I decided to go to a 4-man rotation and just keep Stewart for long relief. I had been thinking about dropping Joe Mays from the rotation anyway, and that may be what I do when Santana comes back. That way, we have our 4 best starters going for us (as long as their energy levels build back up to full capacity without that extra day off! *LOL*)

I wouldn't mind making a few moves, but I've got all of 100K in our budget, and my hands are tied unless somebody makes me an offer.

Another move we made was sending Jason Kubel down to AAA Rochester, the guy was just not hitting. His rookie season last year, he hit .321... this year, he was hitting .201... yet another victim of the dreaded sophomore jinx. We called up Greg Forrest to take his place. Greg is a good-sized guy at 6'2 and 200 lbs, with very good speed. He's 25 years old, and this is his first shot at the majors. In limited action so far, he has 3 hits in 17 at-bats, with a double, a run scored, and 3 RBI.

We need his speed. This year we have stolen just 17 bases, and been thrown out 10 times... a stolen-base percentage of .630, not very good... at all.

That's pretty much where it stands right now. I was going to type up all our individual statistics, but with the boxscores I try and type out, you guys can tell who's doing what from game-to-game.

Speaking of my boxscores, I hope everyone can read them okay. I try and keep them all lined up just like the ones in the paper... but when I send my post in, they aren't configured the way I want. I don't have the programs to make them look pretty like some of the other guys. If I can do anything to spruce them up and make them easier to read and understand... PLEASE let me know.

Oh, the front office has been on my butt also. I have had several emails from them saying how disappointed they are with my performance. I can't hit, catch, or throw for them... (Well, I COULD... but I aint gonna!! *LOL* I manage only!!) but the way they seem to think... we are the favorites every year.

Oh well, if things don't work out with the Twins, I'm sure I can get a job with a LOUSY team... I've already shown just how mediocre the Twins are!! *LOL*

Okay... next games will be up Tuesday... hope you guys are halfway enjoying everything I'm trying to run. Once I get my NCAA and NFL dynasties caught up to the upcoming seasons, everything will just blend in good... I hope!!

[chippy]

The Minnesota Twins broke their 3-game losing streak in a big way, dumping the Texas Rangers 8-2 last night at Ameriquest Field in Arlington.

Rookie Jason Stewart went 3 innings in his major-league debut, allowing both runs, and J.D. Durbin allowed just one hit in the next 3 innings for the win. Juan Rincon got credit for the save, allowing 3 hits and no runs in the last 3 innings.

"I like the way we bounced back," manager Ron Gardenhire said, "Those 3 games in Seattle weren't easy to take. Jason pitched pretty well, I thought. I took him out after 3 because I thought he might be getting a little tired, especially after that long first inning. We have GOT to play better defense."

The Twins committed 3 errors in the game... 2 in the first inning... and all 3 were by Justin Morneau (2), and Craig Wilson... who between the both of them have 22 of the 38 errors the team have committed this year.

Morneau helped atone for his 2 errors with his 18th home run of the season, and drove in 3 runs, while Wilson homered also, his 14th. "We've got the hitting part down," Morneau joked, "Now if we can just get the leather issues resolved, you might call us baseball players then."

Stewart, who started in place of Brad Radke, who had an upset stomach (and 82/90 stamina), said, "I felt okay out there, but I don't blame Skip for pulling me. His job is to win games... not pacify a rookie in his first start."

Radke should be able to go for the Twins tonight in their next game against the Rangers. The Chicago White Sox lost, whish allowed the Twins to pull into a first-place tie with the SouthSiders at 37-34.

MIN- 010 014 200- 8 12 3
TEX- 020 000 000- 2 8 0

Bartlett- 5 0 0 0 .272
Rivas- 5 2 2 0 .272
Ford- 5 2 2 2 .304
Morneau- 4 1 2 3 .304
Stewart- 4 0 0 0 .282
Wilson- 3 2 1 1 .276
Hunter- 3 1 2 0 .266
Forrest- 4 0 1 1 .190
Redmond- 4 0 2 1 .217

2B- Rivas (11), Forrest (2),
3B- Ford (3),
HR- Morneau (18), Wilson (14),
RBI- Ford 2 (42), Morneau 3 (45), Wilson (37), Forrest (4), Redmond (9),

E- Morneau 2 (10), Wilson (12),


Stewart- 3.0 4 2 2 0 0 6.00
Durbin (W 2-1)- 3.0 1 0 0 0 1 2.25
Rincon (S-1)- 3.0 3 0 0 0 0 2.42

[chippy]

The Minnesota Twins banged out 20 hits... including 16 singles... as they cruised to a 7-1 victory over the Texas Rangers last night at Ameriquest Field, moving into first place in the AL Central after the Chicago White Sox lost, 4-2, to the Oakland A's.

Jason Bartlett and Shannon Stewart each had 3 hits apiece, as did Torii Hunter and rookie Greg Forrest, while Brad Radke scattered 9 hits over 7 innings. Ryan Dempster worked the last two without giving up a hit.

The only miscues were two more errors, by Craig Wilson and Jason Bartlett, and Radke pitched around both of them. Justin Morneau left the game in the sixth inning after fouling a ball off his foot. Juan Castro finished the game at first base, and x-rays after the game showed nothing.

Now 38-34, the Twins look for the sweep tomorrow behind Carlos Silva.


MIN- 000 005 101- 7 20 2
TEX- 000 000 100- 1 9 0

Bartlett..... 5 0 3 2 .278
Rivas..... 6 1 2 1 .273
Ford..... 4 1 1 1 .303
Morneau..... 3 0 2 0 .308
Stewart..... 5 0 3 2 .288
Wilson..... 5 0 2 0 .278
Hunter..... 5 2 3 0 .274
Forrest..... 4 1 3 1 .280
Redmond.... 4 1 1 0 .219
Castro..... 1 1 0 0 .270

2B- Stewart (15), Hunter (9), Redmond (5),
3B- Rivas (2),
RBI- Bartlett 2 (17), Rivas (31), Ford (43), Stewart 2 (31), Forrest (5),

E- Wilson (13), Bartlett (4),

Radke (W 6-7)..... 7.0 9 1 1 2 3 4.15
Dempster..... 2.0 0 0 0 0 0 3.61

[chippy]

Carlos Silva went 6 strong innings, and Matt LeCroy's 2-run homer in the 7th inning broke a 1-1 tie and propelled the Twins to a 5-1 win and a sweep of the Texas Rangers in Arlington.

Silva evened his record at 6-6 on the year, allowing just 4 hits and an earned run. J.D. Durbin, J.C. Romero, and Joe Nathan all worked one inning apiece to close the game, while the Twins added 2 ninth inning runs to ice it. "Carlos pitched a great game tonight, and the bullpen has been rock solid for the most part all year." Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said, "We gave Matt a start against the left-hander, and he came through with a big hit."

The Twins go to Anahiem to take on the Angels in a 4-game series that starts tomorrow night.

MIN- 010 000 202- 5 10 0
TEX- 001 000 000- 1 6 0

Bartlett 5 0 1 1 .277
Rivas 5 0 0 0 .267
Ford 3 0 1 0 .303
Wilson 3 1 1 0 .279
LeCroy 3 1 1 2 .260
Morneau 4 1 2 1 .311
Stewart 4 1 1 0 .288
Redmond 4 0 2 0 .234
Hunter 4 0 1 1 .273
Cuddyer 1 0 0 0 .364
Forrest 0 1 0 0 .280
Lyon 0 0 0 0 .250

2B- Wilson (15),
HR- LeCroy (3), Morneau (19),
RBI- Bartlett (18), LeCroy 2 (8), Morneau (46), Hunter (33),

Silva (W 6-6) 6.0 4 1 1 1 1 3.96
Durbin 1.0 1 0 0 1 2 2.16
Romero 1.0 1 0 0 0 0 2.79
Nathan 1.0 0 0 0 1 0 2.66

[chippy]

The Twins won their 4th straight game, as Torii Hunter belted a grand slam in the top of the 6th inning last night to bust open a 1-0 game and give the Twins a 5-1 win over the Angels.

Kirk Rueter kept Minnesota's recent trend of great pitching going, as he allowed just 3 hits in 7 innings, with only Garret Anderson's opposite-field homer doing the slightest bit of damage. He walked 2 and struck out 3 as he ran his record to 8-3.

Leading 1-0 going into the 6th, Lew Ford and Justin Morneau led off with singles. Manager Ron Gardenhire had Shannon Stewart sacrifice the runners to 2nd and 3rd. With one out, the Angels walked Craig Wilson intentionally, bringing up Hunter, who drilled a 3-2 pitch from Bartolo Colon deep into the left field stands. "I knew he didn't want to get beat with anything less than his best," Hunter said, "so I geared up for the fastball... got it... and hit it."

The Twins have outscored their opponents 25-6 during their 4-game tear. "When you only give up 6 runs in 4 games, it's hard NOT to win," Gardenhire joked, then grew serious, "We have played great ball over this past week, and we'll ride it as long as we can."


MIN- 000 104 000- 5 13 0
ANA- 000 001 000- 1 3 0


Bartlett 5 0 1 0 .275
Rivas 4 0 4 0 .279
Ford 4 1 1 0 .302
Morneau 4 2 2 1 .314
Stewart 3 0 1 0 .288
Wilson 3 1 0 0 .276
Hunter 4 1 2 4 .277
Forrest 4 0 1 0 .276
Lyon 0 0 0 0 .250

2B- Hunter (10),
HR- Morneau (20), Hunter (9),
RBI- Morneau (47), Hunter 4 (37),

CS- Rivas 2 (3),

Rueter (W 8-3) 7.0 3 1 1 2 3 2.27
Balfour 2.0 0 0 0 0 1 5.54

NOTES- After the game the Twins activated SP Johan Santana from the DL and sent SP Jason Stewart (0-0, 6.00) back to AAA Rochester. Santana still has 6 days before he is scheduled to resume his spot in the Twins' rotation. Justin Morneau hit his 20th home run of the season last night, he has homered in 6 of the past 7 games.

[chippy]

Juan Rincon gave up 3 straight hits with 2 outs in the bottom of the 10th inning, and the Anaheim Angels snapped the Twins 4-game winning streak, 7-6 last night in Anaheim.

"I'm still not sure what happened," he said, "I got the first 2 easy... then it all fell apart. That 3rd out is always the hardest to get."

After falling behind, 1-0 on a Bengie Molina home run in the 2nd, the Twins took a 4-1 lead in the top of the 4th on a 2-run double by Craig Wilson and a 2-run home run by Matt LeCroy, his 4th of the season. Brad Radke couldn't hold the lead, however, as he gave up 12 hits and 6 runs in 5.2 innings. Luis Rivas tied it in the top of the 7th with a 2-run, pinch-hit home run, his 9th on the year. J.D. Durbin and J.C. Romero combined for 3.1 innings of 1 hit, scoreless relief.

"This was a tough one," manager Ron Gardenhire said in a solemn locker room afterwards, "We had a 3 run lead, and the reigning AL Cy Young winner on the mound. We had it all set up to run this thing to 5 games... and we just couldn't hang on to it."

The Twins received a bit of bad news after the game when they found out that shortstop Jason Bartlett, who went 4-4 in the game, strained his right ribcage and will be placed on the 15-day DL, joining ace Johan Santana and .342 hitting catcher Joe Mauer as starters who have spent time on the injured list this season. The Twins announced they will bring up Chris Landry to take his roster spot. Landry, who was hitting .291 for Rochester, is 23 years old and is listed as one of the Top 100 Prospects in Major League Baseball. "Chris has earned this opportunity," Gardenhire stated, "We hate to lose Jason of course, but we want to see what Landry can do against big-league pitchers."


Minnesota will try again tomorrow night, with Carlos Silva taking the hill for the Twins.


MIN- 000 400 200 0- 6 9 0
ANA- 010 122 000 1- 7 16 0

Bartlett 4 1 4 0 .286
Stewart 4 0 0 0 .284
Ford 4 1 1 0 .302
Wilson 4 1 1 2 .275
LeCroy 3 1 1 2 .262
Morneau 4 0 0 0 .309
Hunter 4 0 0 0 .272
Redmond 2 0 0 0 .228
Castro 2 0 0 0 .262
Forrest 0 1 0 0 .276
Rivas 2 1 2 2 .285
Cuddyer 1 0 0 0 .348
Lyon 1 0 0 0 .235

2B- Bartlett (11), Ford (14), Wilson (16),
HR- LeCroy (4), Rivas (9),
RBI- Wilson 2 (39), LeCroy 2 (10), Rivas 2 (33),

CS- Rivas (4),

Radke 5.2 12 6 6 1 2 4.44
Durbin 1.1 0 0 0 0 1 2.05
Romero 2.0 1 0 0 2 1 2.61
Rincon (L 0-3) 0.2 3 1 1 1 0 2.56

[chippy]

The Minnesota Twins suffered another tough loss tonight, with Juan Rincon once again giving up the winning runs, as rookie Sidney Hazlett's 2-run homer in the bottom of the 7th gave the Anaheim Angels a 5-4 victory.

"We just can't seem to sustain any momentum," Ron Gardenhire said, the frustration clearly evident, "We get swept 3 straight by Seattle, then win 4 in a row, and now we lose the last two late after having leads in both games. It's one step forward, two steps back."

Once again, the Twins, as has been the case all season long, failed to come up with the clutch hit. They scored 4 runs on 13 hits, with the runs coming off of 3 home runs. "We just can NOT seem to get the big hit with guys on base... the only way we score is to hit a home run," Gardenhire lamented, "and I'd be willing to bet we lead the league in SOLO home runs."

Justin Morneau hit his 21st of the season in the 3rd, giving the Twins a 1-0 lead, which was erased by the Angels in the bottom half. Rookie Greg Forrest connected with his first big-league home run in the 4th, but the Angels retook the lead at 3-2 in the bottom of the 5th. Craig Wilson gave the Twins a 4-3 lead with a 2-run blast in the top of the 6th. But then Hazlett drilled one off of Rincon, giving him the loss for the 2nd consecutive game. Carlos Silva pitched 6 solid innings for the Twins, giving up 3 runs on 8 hits.

Now 40-36, the Twins find themselves tied with the Chicago White Sox atop the AL Central division. "One of us is going to go on a streak and take control of this division," Gardenhire predicted, "We've got the talent here to do it... we just have to DO it."


MIN- 001 102 000- 4 13 0
ANA- 001 020 20x- 5 10 0

Landry 4 0 0 0 .000
Stewart 5 0 1 0 .283
Ford 5 0 2 0 .303
Morneau 4 2 2 1 .312
Wilson 4 1 2 2 .279
Hunter 4 0 0 0 .268
Cuddyer 4 0 3 0 .407
Forrest 4 1 2 1 .303
Redmond 3 0 0 0 .220
Offerman 1 0 1 0 .268
Rivas 0 0 0 0 .285

2B- Forrest (3),
HR- Morneau (21), Wilson (15), Forrest (1),
RBI- Morneau (48), Wilson 2 (41), Forrest (6),

CS- Rivas (5),

Silva 6.0 8 3 3 1 0 3.99
Rincon (L 0-4) 2.0 2 2 2 0 2 2.80

[chippy]

Kirk Rueter scattered 5 hits over 7 innings, and Michael Cuddyer and rookie Greg Forrest had 2 RBI apiece, to lead the Minnesota Twins past the Anaheim Angels, 5-0, last night in Anaheim.

Rueter won his 9th game of the year, and lowered his ERA to 2.11, as the Twins salvaged a split of the 4-game series. "Kirk has been tremendous for us all year, "Ron Gardenhire said, "without him, we wouldn't be anywhere close to first place."

As it stands now, the Twins have a 0.5 a game lead on the White Sox, who they start a crucial 3-game series with tomorrow in Chicago. The Twins then go to Cleveland for 3 games, come home for a 4-game set with the Red Sox, then close out the first half of the season by heading to Pittsburgh for a 3-game interleague series with the Pirates. "We've got a chance to end the first half with some momentum," Gardenhire said, "Plus, we're getting Joe Mauer and Johan Santana back in the next couple of days, and Jason Bartlett will be back not long after that. We can forseeably start the second half at full strength, and be right in the thick of it through September."

The Twins took a 1-0 lead in the top of the 5th inning on Cuddyer's RBI single, scoring Torii Hunter, who had doubled. They made it 3-0 in the 7th on Forrest's 2-run single, and scored 2 more in the 9th on Cuddyer's sac fly and Justin Morneau's 22nd homer of the year. He is currently tied for 2nd in the AL in that category. "Justin has really put his game together this season," Hunter said, "He hit 30 jacks for us last year, and that wasn't bad to start with. Now we're not even to the halfway point and he's got 22 already... if he can stay healthy... that's some serious numbers he's gonna put up for us, man."


MIN- 000 010 202- 5 12 0
ANA- 000 000 000- 0 6 0


Rivas 4 0 2 0 .289
Stwrt 4 0 2 0 .286
Ford 4 0 1 0 .303
Mrnau 4 2 2 1 .315
Wilson 3 1 1 0 .279
Hunter 3 2 1 0 .269
Cddyr 3 0 1 2 .400
Frrest 4 0 1 2 .297
Rdmnd 3 0 1 0 .224

2B- Wilson (17), Hunter (11),
HR- Morneau (22),
RBI- Morneau (49), Cuddyer 2 (8), Forrest 2 (8),


Rueter (W 9-3) 7.0 5 0 0 0 1 2.11
Dmpstr 0.2 0 0 0 0 0 3.56
Romero (S,2) 1.1 1 0 0 0 1 2.51

[chippy]

Am I on?

[chippy]

Torii Hunter and Craig Wilson hit 2 solo homeruns apiece to back 6 shutout innings from Brad Radke, and the Twins took the first game of a 3-game series with the Chicago White Sox, 4-0, last night at U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago.

Radke was in command the whole way as he evened his record at 7-7. "We all know Brad has it in him to do things like this, he's just been a bit inconsistent this season..." manager Ron Gardenhire said, "We couldn't realistically expect him to win 20 games again and another Cy Young like last year, but he's on pace for a solid 14-16 wins for us... and we'll take that any time."

As for the Twins one-dimensional offense, Gardenhire laughed, "We're right up there with the homerun total... but I'll guarantee you we LEAD the league in solo shots. It seems like that's the only time we hit them, is when there's nobody on base."

The Twins have won 6 of their last 8 games, and were just a couple of pitches away from winning the 2 they lost in Anaheim. This recent surge has catapulted them into a 1.5 game lead on the White Sox in the AL Central, with the first half of the season rapidly coming to a close. This shutout was the Twins 2nd straight win while allowing no runs. "If we can stay steady in the pitching department, I think we'll be right there in September," team captain Hunter said.


MIN- 100 101 010- 4 10 0
CHI- 000 000 000- 0 7 0


Rivas 4 0 1 0 .288
Hnter 4 2 2 2 .272
Ford 4 0 0 0 .299
Mrnau 4 0 1 0 .314
Wilsn 4 2 4 2 .290
Cddyr 4 0 1 0 .382
Frrest 4 0 0 0 .268
Offrmn 3 0 1 0 .271
Rdmnd 2 0 0 0 .218

2B- Wilson 2 (19),
HR- Hunter 2 (11), Wilson 2 (17),
RBI- Hunter 2 (39), Wilson 2 (43),


Radke (W 7-7) 6.0 5 0 0 1 3 4.20
Durbin 1.0 2 0 0 0 0 1.98
Romero 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 2.43
Nathan 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 2.55

[chippy]

Morning!!

[chippy]

Morning!!

[chippy]

Morning!!

[chippy]

Carlos Silva pitched 6 strong innings, and the Minnesota Twins' suddenly air-tight bullpen made it hold up for a 2-1 win over the Chicago White Sox last night in Chicago. The win was the Twins' 7th out of their last 9... their 5th straight this year over the Sox... and it opened up a 2.5 game lead over the 2nd place Southsiders. Luis Rivas gave the Twins a 2-0 lead in the 3rd inning with his 10th homer of the year, and Silvas and company held it the rest of the game.

MIN- 002 000 000- 2 9 0
CHI- 001 000 000- 1 9 0


Stwrt 4 1 1 0 .285
Rivas 4 1 2 2 .291
Ford 3 0 1 0 .299
LeCroy 4 0 2 0 .274
Cddyr 4 0 0 0 .342
Landry 4 0 0 0 .000
Mrnau 3 0 2 0 .318
Lyon 3 0 0 0 .200
Frrst 4 0 1 0 .267

2B- Morneau (11),
HR- Rivas (10),
RBI- Rivas 2 (35),

CS- Forrest (1),


Silva (W, 7-6) 6.0 5 1 1 0 2 3.84
Rincon 1.0 2 0 0 0 1 2.75
Romero 1.0 1 0 0 0 1 2.36
Nathan (S,14) 1.0 1 0 0 0 1 2.46

[Hawkfan]

Why can I not post my replies? THREE times I have tried to post my stats and every time it says I am not logged in, when that's the first thing I do??

What is going on?

I thought I would chime in on this since I saw no one else had yet...I think there is a time-out on the site that basically logs you off if you have a certain number of minutes of inactivity (say, 15 minutes or so). When I type up long posts, I try to preview my post periodically just so the site knows that I'm still active. If you try to make a big long post, you'll be signed in when you start typing, but by the time you are finished, you've reached your time-out limit and as a result, get automatically logged out. Evidently, typing your post isn't considered 'activity.'

I don't know how accurate this is, but I know it happened to me once, but since I started previewing my posts every 5 minutes or so, I haven't had it happen yet.

Hopefully that'll allow to not have to make your test posts to see if you're logged in...

[chippy]

One bad pitch was all Kirk Rueter threw...

One bad pitch was all the Chicago White Sox needed, as a 3-run homer by rookie Cody Bale in the 2nd inning lifted the Sox to their first win over the Twins this year, 3-2 last night in Chicago. "That's the way it goes," Rueter (9-4) said, "I made a mistake and the rookie clobbered it. He wouldn't be in the major leagues if he couldn't hit mistakes. The guys have bailed me out with the offense before... so I can't blame 'em if they struggle once in a while. Besides, when their guy is hot... nobody can hit him much."

Mark Bueherle, who had been struggling this year, was dominant throughout, allowing 4 hits and 2 runs in 8 innings, coming on back-to-back homeruns by Craig Wilson and Torii Hunter in the 7th inning. Bueherle righted the ship, however, and the Sox won their first game in 6 tries against the Twins this year.

"What a difference a year makes," Twins outfielder Lew Ford said, "Last year these guys owned us (10-2 against the Twins)... that was the reason they won the division. This year... so far, at least... it's our year to beat them."

The Twins now head to Cleveland for a 3-game set against the Indians. Johan Santana... fresh off the DL, will make his first start since fracturing his toe 3 weeks ago in game one against Kevin Millwood.

MIN- 000 000 200- 2 4 0
CHI- 030 000 000- 3 7 0

Rivas 4 0 0 0 .287
Stwrt 4 0 0 0 .281
Ford 4 0 0 0 .295
Wilson 3 1 1 1 .290
Hnter 3 1 2 1 .277
LeCroy 3 0 0 0 .264
Castro 2 0 0 0 .254
Frrest 3 0 1 0 .271
Rdmnd 2 0 0 0 .213
Cddyr 1 0 0 0 .333
Mrnau 1 0 0 0 .317

2B- Hunter (12),
HR- Wilson (18), Hunter (12),
RBI- Wilson (44), Hunter (40),

CS- Forrest (2),


Rueter (L, 9-4) 6.2 7 3 3 1 1 2.23
Dempster 1.1 0 0 0 1 1 3.47

[chippy]

Johan Santana pitched a complete game in his first appearance since his injury, and rookie Greg Forrest went 5-5 and scored 5 runs to lead the Twins past the Indians, 10-1 at Jacobs Field.

"Unbelievable, I don't know what else to say," Forrest said after his career night, "This is what every little kid dreams about... and tonight was definately a dream come true."

His night included a double and his 2nd career homerun, to lead a 17-hit attack, which was considerably less that what Santana needed. He gave up 13 hits, but was aided by 4 Twins double plays by the vastly improved defense. "I struggled some tonight, but the defense played well behind me, and the offense was lights-out. I'll get to throw some on the side and get a little more comfortable before my next start."

MIN- 120 140 101- 10 17 0
CLE- 001 000 000- 1 13 2


Rivas 6 1 2 0 .288
Stwrt 5 0 1 2 .280
Ford 5 0 2 0 .297
Mrnau 4 1 2 1 .319
Wilson 4 1 2 0 .293
Huntr 4 1 1 0 .277
Cddyr 4 1 1 1 .326
Frrst 5 5 5 2 .340
Rdmd 3 0 1 2 .217

2B- Rivas (12), Forrest (4),
HR- Forrest (2),
RBI- Stewart 2 (33), Morneau (50), Cuddyer (9), Forrest 2 (10),
Redmond 2 (11),


Santana (W, 8-3) 9.0 13 1 1 1 3 2.36

[chippy]

Brad Radke pitched a 5-hitter for the Twins 2nd straight complete game, striking out 12, and Jose Offerman's 2-run single in the 8th inning led red-hot Minnesota to a 6-1 win over the Cleveland Indians at Jacobs Field.

"Unbelievable... outstanding pitching." Ron Gardenhire was quoted as saying, "The last two nights it just doesn't get any better than that.

Radke pushed his record over .500 to 8-7, while lowering his ERA to 3.96. He has struggled at times this year coming off a surprise Cy Young award last season, in which he finished at 20-6 and was the only 20-game winner in the big leagues. "Last year was a career year... no doubt." Radke said, "I never expected to duplicate those numbers... if I can just approach them again this year I'll be happy."

After the game the Twins got a huge boost as they activated catcher Joe Mauer off the disabled list, where he had been for the past 3 weeks with a concussion. To make room for his roster spot, the Twins sent young catcher Andy Lyon back down to AAA Rochester. Lyon hit .200 in his brief stay in the big leagues. "Andy did a fine job for us when he got in there," Gardenhire said, "He listened, learned, and I think it will only serve to make him a better ballplayer in the future. But, we are all ecstatic to see Joey back with us... we missed him big-time."

Mauer said, "I am chomping at the bit to get back in here and help us win. No more talking about it... let's get it rolling." Other highlights for the Twins included Lew Ford breaking out of a slump with a 4-4 night, and rookie Chris Landry got the first major-league hit of his career with a single in the 5th inning.

MIN- 000 000 024- 6 14 0
CLE- 100 000 000- 1 5 0

Offmn 5 1 2 2 .278
Stwrt 4 2 2 0 .283
Ford 4 1 4 1 .306
Mrnau 3 0 1 2 .319
Wilson 4 0 2 1 .296
Hunter 5 0 0 0 .271
Cddyr 4 0 1 0 .319
Lndry 3 1 1 0 .091
Rdmnd 3 0 0 0 .211
LeCroy 1 0 1 0 .273
Castro 0 1 0 0 .254


Radke (W, 8-7) 9.0 5 1 1 2 12 3.96

[chippy]

The Cleveland Indians' torn and tattered pitching staff completely shut down the Minnesota Twins, holding them hitless the last 7 innings, and Travis Hafner's RBI single off of Joe Nathan gave the Indians a 3-2 win over the Twins in 14 innings.

"They may not have the greatest record," Shannon Stewart said of the Indians, "but they are still a major-league team with major-league players. They shut us down all night." The Twins gathered only 4 hits in the game, 2 by Lew Ford, and 2 unearned runs. They did not have a baserunner after the 6th inning. Carlos Silva and the bullpen continued the Twins pitching brilliance of late, but after a leadoff triple by rookie Tony Ryan in the bottom of the 14th off of Nathan, two intentional walks loaded the bases with nobody out, and Hafner dribbled one up the middle for the game-winner. "We took 2 of 3 here," Ron Gardenhire said, "Anytime you can take 2-3 on the road, you're happy with it."

The Twins come home now for a 4-game series with the Boston Red Sox, before closing out the first half of the 2006 season on the road with 3 games against the Pirates in Pittsburgh.

MIN- 000 020 000 000 00- 2 4 0
CLE- 000 002 000 000 01- 3 11 1

Rivas 6 0 1 0 .285
Stwrt 5 0 0 0 .278
Ford 6 1 2 0 .306
Mrnau 4 0 0 0 .315
Wilson 5 0 0 0 .291
Mauer 4 1 0 0 .333
Hnter 5 0 0 0 .266
Frrst 5 0 1 0 .328
Cddyr 4 0 0 0 .294

2B- Ford (15),

Silva 7.0 7 2 2 1 4 3.76
Durbin 1.2 1 0 0 1 2 1.86
Balfour 0.1 0 0 0 1 0 5.47
Dmpstr 1.0 1 0 0 1 0 3.40
Romero 2.1 1 0 0 2 4 2.21
Nathan (L, 1-2) 1.1 1 1 1 4 0 2.67

[ZeekLTK]

Another thing you could do is simply type up your long posts and then highlight it and copy it. Then if you try to post it and get logged out, you can just log back in, paste what you had typed, and have it posted.

[chippy]

Well, here lately I haven't had any problems with the posts going through... HOPEFULLY that trend will continue...

[chippy]

Edgar Renteria drilled a 2-run double, and Manny Ramirez followed with a 3-run homer, capping a 6-run 7th inning, as the Boston Red Sox rallied for a 9-6 win over the Minnesota Twins at the Metrodome.

Kirk Rueter pitched 6 solid innings, but tired in the 7th with a 6-2 lead. Juan Rincon came on with the bases loaded and surrendered the hits that erased the Red Sox' deficit. "Boston has a bunch of guys that grind out at-bats," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said, "There are no easy outs anywhere in that lineup."

Luis Rivas went 2-5 and drove in 4 runs for the Twins, who were hit with yet another injury when rookie Greg Forrest strained his left forearm while trying to break up a double play in the 4th inning and will be out for 11 days. He joins Jason Bartlett, Johan Santana, and Joe Mauer as Twins who have missed significant time in the first half of the season due to injury. "Injuries are a part of it... " Shannon Stewart said, "Nobody's going to feel sorry for us, that's for sure. We just have to keep fighting... that's all we can do."

BOS- 000 020 601- 9 19 0
MIN- 000 204 000- 6 12 0

Rivas 5 1 2 4 .287
Frrst 1 0 0 0 .322
Ford 5 0 2 1 .308
Mrnau 5 0 1 0 .313
Wilson 4 0 1 0 .291
Mauer 4 1 1 0 .331
Hnter 4 1 2 0 .270
Offrmn 3 2 1 0 .280
Landry 3 0 1 0 .143
Cddyr 3 1 1 1 .296

2B- Rivas (13), Hunter (13), Cuddyer (2),
RBI- Rivas 4 (39), Ford (45), Cuddyer (10),


Rueter 6.1 11 6 6 1 1 2.58
Rincon (L, 0-5) 1.2 5 2 2 0 1 2.98
Balfour 1.0 3 1 1 0 0 5.60

[chippy]

The Red Sox battered Johan Santana and Juan Rincon for 16 hits, as the Twins dropped their 3rd straight game, and the 2nd in a row to the Red Sox. "They have just hammered us the past couple of games, " Joe Mauer was quoted saying, "It seems like everyone they send up has turned into Babe Ruth against us." The Red Sox have 35 hits in the first 2 games of this series, and looked none too perplexed against Santana, who saw his record fall to 8-4. "I made some lousy pitches, and I made some good pitches... they treated them all the same... whatever I threw... they liked." The Twins collected 14 hits themselves. However, 13 of those were singles, as David Wells wiggled off the hook all night long.

With 3 straight losses, the Twins have seen their lead in the AL Central shrink to 0.5 a game over the Chicago White Sox, who have won 3 straight themselves.

BOS- 100 205 000- 8 16 0
MIN- 000 200 020- 4 14 1

Rivas 5 0 1 0 .286
Stwrt 4 2 2 0 .281
Ford 3 1 1 0 .308
Wlsn 4 1 2 2 .293
LeCry 4 0 2 0 .283
Mrnau 4 0 2 1 .316
Mauer 4 0 2 1 .335
Cddyr 4 0 1 0 .293
Hnter 4 0 1 0 .269

2B- Morneau (12),
RBI- Wilson 2 (47), Morneau (53), Mauer (24),

E- Wilson (14),

Santana (L, 8-4) 5.2 11 8 8 1 1 2.90
Rincon 3.1 5 0 0 1 1 2.82

[chippy]

It was the Twins' turn last night, as they collected 22 hits, a season high, and snapped their 3-game losing streak in a big way, 15-3 over the Boston Red Sox, beating them for the first time this season.

"I know they have had our number this year, like the White Sox did last year," first baseman Justin Morneau said, "but not tonight."

Minnesota scored in all but 2 innings, and Brad Radke pitched 5 innings of 4-hit ball. "I got Rad out of there after 5 because we had made him work a little bit too hard," manager Ron Gardenhire said, referring to 3 errors made by the Twins. Justin Morneau and Craig Wilson, who lead the team in gaffes, each committed one apiece, and Shannon Stewart dropped a fly ball for his first error of the season. "I just lost it in the ceiling," Stewart said, "I feel bad... I told Rad I owed him one." J.D. Durbin came on to pitch the final 4 innings, lowering his ERA to a miniscule 1.64. "Amazing," Gardenhire said, "he has been our most consistent reliever this year by far... just an outstanding job."

As for the errors, he shrugged grudgingly, "It helps when you hit like they did tonight to make up for them." The three combined to go 7-14 with 5 runs scored and 4 RBI. "I don't want them to think they're off the hook, though. We'll have a little 'talk' about it before tomorrow's game."

Rookie Chris Landry also had a memorable night, hitting his first major-league homerun in the bottom of the 8th inning, and collecting his first two RBI, "I was happy for him," Gardenhire said, "It's something he'll never forget. And, he has a decent chance of doing that quite a bit more before he's done playing, I believe."

Tomorrow will see the final game with Boston, then the Twins close out the first half with a 3-game set in Pittsburgh against the Pirates.

BOS- 000 120 000- 3 8 1
MIN- 131 014 05x- 15 22 3

Offrmn 6 2 3 1 .293
Stwrt 6 2 3 2 .285
Ford 6 1 3 2 .311
Mrnau 4 1 2 1 .318
Wilson 4 2 2 1 .296
Mauer 5 2 2 4 .337
Hnter 5 2 3 1 .275
Lndry 5 2 2 2 .211
Cstro 5 1 2 0 .264

2B- Offerman (2), Ford 2 (17), Wilson (21), Mauer (9), Hunter 2 (15),
HR- Mauer (12), Landry (1),
RBI- Offerman (9), Stewart 2 (35), Ford 2 (47), Morneau (54), Wilson (48), Mauer 4 (28), Hunter (41), Landry 2 (2),

E- Morneau (11), Wilson (15), Stewart (1),



Radke (W, 9-7) 5.0(IP) 4(H) 3(R) 2(ER) 0(BB) 0(K) 3.95(ERA)
Durbin (S, 1) 4.o(IP) 4(H) 0(R) 0(ER) 0(BB) 0(K) 1.64(ERA)

[chippy]

Michael Cuddyer hit a grand slam to break open a close game, and drove in 5 runs to lead the Twins to an 8-4 win over the Red Sox, and a split of their 4-game series in Minnesota. "I'm proud of these guys," manager Ron Gardenhire said, "It would have been easy to let down after losing the first 2 like we did. But we battled back and broke even with them... I'll take that any day."

Boston scored first with 2 runs off of Carlos Silva in the 2nd inning on an RBI double by Jason Varitek and a sac fly by Trot Nixon. The Twins got a run back in the bottom of the 2nd on an RBI single by Cuddyer, then tied it in the 3rd on Lew Ford's 13th homerun of the season. The Red Sox regained the lead with a run in the 5th where, with 2 outs, 1st baseman Matt LeCroy dropped a throw from Cuddyer, allowing Bill Mueller to score. The Twins took the lead in the bottom of the inning on RBI hits by Shannon Stewart and Torii Hunter, then busted it open the next inning with Cuddyer's grand slam.

Silva (8-6) was the winner, while Wade Miller (7-7) took the loss for Boston.

BOS- 020 010 001- 4 9 1
MIN- 011 024 00x- 8 10 1

Rivas 4 1 1 0 .285
Stwrt 4 0 1 1 .285
Ford 4 2 2 1 .314
Hnter 3 0 1 1 .276
LeCry 3 0 1 0 .284
Cstro 3 1 1 0 .267
Lndry 4 1 1 0 .217
Rdmnd 2 1 0 0 .206
Cddyr 4 1 2 5 .306
Offrmn 1 1 0 0 .290

2B- Hunter (16), LeCroy (5), Landry (1),
HR- Ford (13), Cuddyer (3),
RBI- Stewart (36), Ford (48), Hunter (42), Cuddyer 5 (15),

E- LeCroy (2),

SB- Rivas (4), Stewart (4),


Silva (W, 8-6) 7.0 (IP) 6 (H) 3 (R) 2 (ER) 0 (BB) 2 (K) 3.77 (ERA)
Dempster 1.1 (IP) 1 (H) 1 (R) 1 (ER) 0 (BB) 0 (K) 3.48 (ERA)
Nathan 0.2 (IP) 2 (H) 0 (R) 0 (ER) 0 (BB) 1 (K) 2.60 (ERA)

[chippy]

Jason Bay hit 2 homeruns and drove in 4 to lead the Pittsburgh Pirates past the Minnesota Twins in the opener of a 3-game series. Kip Wells (5-7) pitched strong into the 8th inning, when the Twins finally broke through with a 2-run double by Shannon Stewart, "He pitched tough... he sure didn't look like a guy that had an ERA of plus-5," Stewart, who had 3 hits, said, "He got us out when he had to... give him credit." The Twins added 2 more in the ninth before they ran out of outs. The Pirates picked up an unearned run in the first on errors by Craig Wilson, his 16th... and Michael Cuddyer. They added another run in the 5th on Wells' RBI single, and then with 2 outs, Bay unloaded his 12th homerun of the season with 2 aboard. He added his 13th in the 8th. "We'll just have to come back tomorrow and try and even it up," Ron Gardenhire said, "They were the better team tonight."

MIN- 000 000 022- 4 12 2
PIT- 100 040 01x- 6 8 0

Rivas 5 0 0 0 .280
Stwrt 5 2 3 0 .290
Ford 5 1 3 3 .318
Mrnau 5 0 2 0 .319
Wilson 4 0 0 0 .292
Mauer 5 0 1 1 .333
Hnter 3 0 2 0 .280
Cddyr 2 0 1 0 .312
P 1 0 0 0
Offmn 1 0 0 0 .287
LeCry 1 0 0 0 .281
Lndry 0 1 0 0 .217

2B- Stewart 2 (17), Ford (18), Mauer (10), Hunter (17),
RBI- Ford 3 (51), Mauer (29),

E- Cuddyer (1), Wilson (16),

SB- Stewart (5),


Rueter (L, 9-5) 5.0 (IP) 6 (H) 5 (R) 4 (ER) 0 (BB) 2 (K) 2.77 (ERA)
Balfour 1.0 (IP) 0 (H) 0 (R) 0 (ER) 1 (BB) 0 (K) 5.40 (ERA)
Durbin 2.0 (IP) 2 (H) 1 (R) 1 (ER) 0 (BB) 1 (K) 1.80 (ERA)

[chippy]

Jason Bay's 3-run homer off of Twins closer Joe Nathan, his 3rd in the series, stunned the Twins in the 9th inning, 7-6, last night in Pittsburgh. "I had nothing tonight," Nathan said disgustedly, "absolutely nothing. Bay is a quality hitter... and he did what quality hitters do with the (expletive) I was throwing." Twins manager Ron Gardenhire's confidence has not wavered in Nathan, however. "Nobody's perfect. Yeah, it feels like we got kicked in the gut right now... we had that one in the bag. But Joe has been around the block before... he'll bounce back."

The Twins broke a 2-2 tie in the 6th inning on Matt LeCroy's pinch-hit, 3-run homer. Luis Rivas followed with his 11th of the season for a 6-2 lead. But the Pirates inched closer with 2 runs off Juan Rincon in the bottom of the inning, then it stayed that way until Bay's heroics in the ninth.

The Twins suffered a major injury when Shannon Stewart fractured his arm and will be placed on the 60-day DL. At the same time, Jason Bartlett was activated from the 15-day DL and will be back in the starting lineup. "That's a tough injury, Shannon was really playing well," Gardenhire lamented, "We'll miss him... but we'll just have to make do."

MIN- 110 004 000- 6 10 0
PIT- 000 112 003- 7 15 0

Rivas 5 2 3 1 .286
Stwrt 0 0 0 0 .290
Ford 5 0 0 0 .313
Wilsn 5 0 1 0 .291
Mrnau 3 0 1 1 .319
Hnter 3 1 1 0 .281
Mauer 4 1 1 0 .331
Cddyr 3 1 1 1 .313
P 2 0 0 0 .000
LeCry 1 1 1 3 .289
Rdmnd 1 0 0 0 .204
Cstro 2 0 0 0 .260
Offrmn 2 0 1 0 .291

2B- Morneau (13), Mauer (11),
HR- Rivas (11), LeCroy (5),
RBI- Rivas (40), Morneau (55), Cuddyer (16), LeCroy 3 (13),

SB- Rivas (5), Hunter (4),
CS- Cuddyer (1),

Santana 5.0 (IP) 8 (H) 2 (R) 2 (ER) 1 (BB) 6 (K) 2.93 (ERA)
Rincon 0.2 (IP) 3 (H) 2 (R) 2 (ER) 0 (BB) 1 (K) 3.08 (ERA)
Dempster 1.1 (IP) 1 (H) 0 (R) 0 (ER) 0 (BB) 1 (K) 3.40 (ERA)
Romero 1.0 (IP) 0 (H) 0 (R) 0 (ER) 0 (BB) 0 (K) 2.15 (ERA)
Nathan 0.1 (IP) 3 (H) 3 (R) 3 (ER) 0 (BB) 0 (K) 3.54 (ERA)
(L, 1-3)

[chippy]

This time, it was Joe Nathan's turn, as he struck out Jason Bay to end the game with the tying run at 2nd base, and the Twins closed out the first half of the 2006 season with a 3-2 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates, salvaging the last game of the series.

"That's why Joe Nathan is our closer," Ron Gardenhire said, "last night, he got beat. Tonight, he came right back and took the ball and saved the game... against the same guy that beat him the night before. This way, we end the first half on an up note."

The Twins had just 3 hits for the game, and one of them was by starting pitcher Brad Radke. But the big one was by Justin Morneau, who hit a 3-run homer that just barely cleared the fence in left-center in the 4th inning, scoring Luis Rivas, who had singled, and Lew Ford, who had walked.

Radke struggled through 4.2 innings, giving up 8 hits and both Pirates' runs, one of which was another homerun by Bay, who had 4 in the 3 games. "Rad was battling hard, but I had to get him out of there," Gardenhire said. J.D. Durbin came on to get the last out of the 5th, then pitched 2 more innings to get the win. J.C. Romero pitched a scoreless 8th, and Nathan came on for the ninth, allowing a hit and a sacrifice to move the runner to 2nd. After a popup, he faced Bay, who homered off Nathan night before last to win the game for the Pirates. On a 2-2 pitch, Nathan made sure there would be a different outcome this time around, "Sometimes they get you, sometimes you get them," the closer mused, "Bay is a quality hitter, he proved that this whole series. The other night was his time... tonight was mine."


MIN- 000 300 000- 3 3 1
PIT- 100 100 000- 2 11 0

Brtltt 4 0 0 0 .282
Rivas 4 1 1 0 .285
Ford 2 1 0 0 .311
Wlsn 4 0 0 0 .287
Mnau 4 1 1 3 .319
Hntr 3 0 0 0 .278
Maur 3 0 0 0 .326
Cddyr 3 0 0 0 .300
P 2 0 1 0
Offrmn 1 0 0 0 .288

HR- Morneau (23),
RBI- Morneau 3 (58),

E- Wilson (17),

SB- Rivas (6),

Radke 4.2 (IP) 8 (H) 2 (R) 2 (ER) 1 (BB) 4 (K) 3.95 (ERA)
Durbin 2.1 (IP) 2 (H) 0 (R) 0 (ER) 1 (BB) 1 (K) 1.69 (ERA) (W,3-1)
Romero 1.0 (IP) 0 (H) 0 (R) 0 (ER) 0 (BB) 1 (K) 2.10 (ERA)
Nathan 1.0 (IP) 1 (H) 0 (R) 0 (ER) 0 (BB) 1 (K) 3.41 (ERA) (S, 15)

[chippy]

AL EAST

Red Sox- 53-35
Orioles- 52-37- 1.5
Yankees- 48-37- 3.5
Devil Rays- 45-41- 7.0
Blue Jays- 40-49- 13.5

AL CENTRAL

Twins- 48-42
White Sox- 45-43- 2.0
Tigers- 42-44- 4.0
Royals- 37-49- 9.0
Indians- 36-52- 11.0

AL WEST

Athletics- 49-38
Mariners- 44-43- 5.0
Angels- 42-46- 7.5
Rangers- 39-48- 10.0

NL EAST

Phillies- 52-36
Braves- 49-39- 3.0
Marlins- 47-41- 5.0
Mets- 45-42- 6.5
Nationals- 32-54- 19.0

NL CENTRAL

Astros- 50-37
Cardinals- 47-41- 3.5
Pirates- 42-45- 8.0
Cubs- 39-48- 11.0
Reds- 38-50- 12.5
Brewers- 37-51- 13.5

NL WEST

Giants- 49-37
Padres- 43-44- 6.5
Dbacks- 43-47- 8.0
Rockies- 42-46- 8.0
Dodgers- 37-50- 12.5

[chippy]

BATTING- (AB-R-H-2B-3B-HR-RBI-AVG-SB-CS)

Ford- 350-53-109-18-3-13-51-.311-5-0
Stwrt- 321-52-93-17-2-10-36-.290-5-3
Wlsn- 317-42-91-21-1-18-48-.287-0-1
Mrnau- 317-50-101-13-0-23-58-.319-0-0
Rivas- 305-40-87-13-2-11-40-.285-6-5
Hnter- 288-38-80-17-2-12-42-.278-4-0
Brtltt- 273-29-77-11-1-5-18-.282-3-3
Mauer- 175-29-57-11-0-12-29-.326-0-2
Kubel- 149-9-30-6-0-1-10-.201-0-0
Offrmn- 104-16-30-2-1-1-9-.288-0-0
Rdmnd- 98-8-20-5-1-2-11-.204-0-0
LeCroy- 97-14-28-5-0-5-13-.289-0-0
Castro- 77-13-20-2-0-3-7-.260-0-0
Cddyr- 70-10-21-2-1-3-16-.300-0-1
Frrest- 59-10-19-4-0-2-10-.322-0-2
Landry- 23-5-5-1-0-1-2-.217-0-0
Lyon- 20-0-4-0-0-0-0-.200-0-0
Pitchers- 16-1-3-0-0-0-0-.188-0-0


PITCHING- (W-L-ERA-SV)

Santana- 8-4- 2.93
Radke- 9-7-3.95
Silva- 8-6-3.77
Rueter- 9-5-2.77
Mays- 3-5-6.54

Romero- 1-1-2.10-1
Rincon- 0-5-3.08-1
Nathan- 1-3-3.41-15
Durbin- 3-1-1.69-1
Dempster- 2-3-3.40-1
Balfour- 2-2-5.40-0
Crain- 2-0-7.94-0
Stewart- 0-0-6.00-0

[chippy]

Well, I thought we'd be a decent team, and we're in 1st place at the break. Justin Morneau is having a monster year. Last year he hit 30 homers, knocked in 77, and hit .266. This year, he has 23 homeruns and 58 RBI at the break, and he's hitting .319. Awesome. Craig Wilson has come back from a slow start to hit well. The pitching has been good. I think I'm going to go with a 4-man roataion the rest of the season. Santana, Radke, Silva, and Rueter are all doing fine, and Joe Mays just isn't getting the job done. I'll use him in blowout games the rest of the way.

The main things that I see that have held us down (besides my managerial moves) have been defense and injuries. We have had 48 errors so far, and 28 of them have come from 2 people... Craig Wilson at 3rd base and Justin Morneau at 1st base. Unfortuneately, they're 2 of the best hitters I've got, so I'll just have to live with their defense (think Moneyball philosophy... sacrifice a little defense for the offense *LOL*). The injuries have hit us pretty hard. Johan Santana, Joe Mauer, Luis Rivas, Jason Bartlett, and now Shannon Stewart have all spent considerable time on the DL, with rookie Greg Forrest also there now as well. He's due to come off soon, and with Stewart out for most of the 2nd half (that's going to hurt us), I'll give him the full-time job when he comes back. We'll see what he can do with it, and I may call Jason Kubel back up and see if he can help. He's tearing it up at AAA right now, so maybe he got himself straightened out. He hit just .201 for us before I shipped him out.

If the pitching can hold up, and we get healthy, and catch the ball, I really think we'll be right there in September.

[chippy]

The Minnesota Twins opened the 2nd half of the 2006 season with an offensive explosion, drilling the Chicago Cubs, 11-6 at the Metrodome.

The Twins had 18 hits, including 9 for extra bases. Jose Offerman, veteran utility player, went 3-3 with 2 doubles and a homerun. Craig Wilson, Joe Mauer, and Torii Hunter also homered, with Mauer going deep twice and Wilson going 4-5 with 4 RBI overall.

The game was tied 1-1 going into the bottom of the 6th. The Twins took an early lead on 3 straight 2-out singles in the 1st inning by Lew Ford, Justin Morneau, and Wilson. The Cubs tied it in the top of the 3rd on a 2-out RBI single by Corey Patterson. Then, in the bottom of the 7th, the Twins racked up 7 runs... all after 2 were out. Back-to-back homeruns by Mauer and Hunter were followed by a walk to Michael Cuddyer, then Offerman drilled a 2-run shot to make it 5-1.

With an 8-1 lead, starter Johan Santana got a little sloppy and Patterson tagged him again for a 3-run homer to make it 8-4, "I got careless," Santana said after the game, "with a big lead like that, I should have finished it and that way we could save our bullpen."

Not to worry, as J.C. Romero pitched the last 2 innings and was credited with a save, his 3rd.

"It's a nice way to start the 2nd half," Ron Gardenhire said, "It was nice to see the bats bust loose like that... hopefully it's a good sign of things to come for us."

The Twins were bitten once again by the injury bug, as 2nd baseman Luis Rivas suffered an inflamed right elbow when sliding head-first into second base. He will be lost for 11 days. At the same time, the team welcomed back Greg Forrest, who had been sidelined for 15 days with a strained oblique muscle. "We're glad to have Greg back, but we hate to lose Luis," Gardenhire said, "he's our version of Edgar Renteria, and he's vital to us both offensively and defensively. We'll put Chris Landry in at 2nd base and see what he can do with the job full-time. We have other options there if he doesn't work out."

CHC- 001 000 410- 6 12 0
MIN- 100 007 03x- 11 18 0

Brtltt 5 0 0 0 .277
Rivas 1 0 1 0 .288
Ford 4 3 2 0 .314
Mrnau 5 1 3 2 .323
Wlsn 5 1 4 4 .295
Maur 5 2 3 2 .333
Hntr 5 1 1 1 .276
Cddyr 4 1 0 0 .284
Offrmn 3 1 3 2 .308
Lndry 3 1 1 0 .231

2B- Ford (19), Morneau (14), Offerman 2 (4),
HR- Wilson (19), Mauer 2 (14), Hunter (15), Offerman (2),
RBI- Morneau 2 (60), Wilson 4 (52), Mauer 2 (31), Hunter (43),
Offerman 2 (11)

CS- Rivas (6),


Santana (W,9-4) 7.0 (IP) 9 (H) 5 (R) 5 (ER) 2 (BB) 2 (K) 3.13 (ERA)
Romero (S,3) 2.0 (IP) 3 (H) 1 (R) 1 (ER) 0 (BB) 1 (K) 2.21 (ERA)

[chippy]

Derek Lee homered and drove in 5 runs to lead the Chicago Cubs past the Minnesota Twins, 6-2 last night at the Metrodome. Brad Radke took the loss, as he allowed 2 runs on 7 hits in 5 innings. J.D. Durbin went the last 4 innings, getting touched for 4 runs (3 earned), including Lee's home run, a 3-run blast in the 9th that broke open a tight, 3-2 game.

"Brad was struggling, so I got him out of there, and I probably let J.D. stay in a couple batters too many," Ron Gardenhire said, "but then again, when you only score 2 runs, you don't leave yourself much margin for error... we just got beat tonight."

Jose Offerman and Justin Morneau both went 2-4 and knocked in a run apiece for the Twins, who will try and clinch the series tomorrow.

CHC- 101 000 103- 6 14 0
MIN- 000 001 100- 2 10 2

Brtltt 5 0 0 0 .284
Frrst 4 1 1 0 .317
Ford 4 0 1 0 .313
Mrnau 4 0 2 1 .325
Wlsn 4 0 1 0 .294
Mauer 4 0 2 0 .337
Hnter 3 0 0 0 .274
Lndry 3 1 1 0 .241
Offrmn 4 0 2 1 .315
Rdmnd 1 0 0 0 .202
Cddyr 0 0 0 0 .284

2B- Morneau (15), Landry (2),
RBI- Morneau (61), Offerman (12),

E- Cuddyer (2), Hunter (2),
SB- Offerman (1),


Radke 5.0 (IP) 7 (H) 2 (R) 2 (ER) 1 (BB) 1 (K) 3.93 (ERA) (L,9-8)
Durbin 4.0 (IP) 7 (H) 4 (R) 3 (ER) 1 (BB) 0 (K) 2.18 (ERA)

[chippy]

Jason Bartlett had been back for 3 games in the leadoff spot for the Minnesota Twins. Three games in which he went 0-14. That streak reached 0-16, before he came through in a big-time way, lining a 2-out, 2-run single in the bottom of the 6th inning that proved to be the difference, as the Twins edged the Chicago Cubs, 4-3 last night at the Metrodome.

"Man, it had been forever since I hit one hard," Bartlett grinned after the game, "I think when I finally got back, I was pressing so hard to get a hit and get back in the flow of things, I was killing myself by being too anxious. I came up in a good spot and came through... it feels good."

The Twins tied the game in the 2nd inning on Justin Morneau's 24th homer of the year, then took a 2-1 lead in the 3rd on Jose Offerman's 3rd homerun, "If Jose keeps hitting like this, they're gonna check him for steroids," Morneau joked. The Cubs scored to tie it in the top of the 4th on an RBI single by Todd Walker, which set the stage for Bartlett's heroics 2 innings later.

Ron Gardenhire had dropped Bartlett from 1st to 9th in the order, elevating rookie Greg Forrest to the leadoff spot, "I wanted to take some of the pressure off Jason," the manager said, "It was obvious he was pressing, so we dropped him down and tonight he came through huge. Hopefully that will get him going." Gardenhire also stated that Bartlett will stay in the #9 hole... at least for now. "We'll keep things like this for a little bit... see how it goes. He has good speed, and he's better than a .270 hitter, so he'll be one of the better 9 hole hitters around."

Carlos Silva pitched 7 strong innings for the Twins, Ryan Dempster and J.C. Romero combined to pitch the 8th, and Joe Nathan finished for his 16th save, allowing a monster-blast homerun to Derek Lee, "Nobody on, with a 2-run lead, I figured I'd challenge him," Nathan explained, "I'll have to try something else next time."


CHC- 010 100 001- 3 11 0
MIN- 011 002 00x- 4 12 1

Frrst 4 0 1 0 .313
Offmn 4 1 1 1 .313
Ford 4 0 1 0 .312
Mrnau 4 1 1 1 .324
Wlsn 4 0 0 0 .291
Mauer 4 1 2 0 .340
Huntr 2 1 2 0 .279
Lndry 4 0 3 0 .303
Brtltt 3 0 1 2 .273

2B- Forrest (5), Mauer (12),
HR- Offerman (3), Morneau (24),
RBI- Offerman (13), Morneau (62), Bartlett 2 (20),

E- Bartlett (5)

CS- Hunter (1), Forrest (5),


Silva 7.0 (IP) 9 (H) 2 (R) 2 (ER) 0 (BB) 1 (K) 3.70 (ERA) (W,9-6)
Dempster 0.2 (IP) 0 (H) 0 (R) 0 (ER) 0 (BB) 0 (K) 3.35 (ERA)
Romero 0.1 (IP) 0 (H) 0 (R) 0 (ER) 0 (BB) 0 (K) 2.20 (ERA)
Nathan 1.0 (IP) 2 (H) 1 (R) 1 (ER) 0 (BB) 0 (K) 3.60 (ERA) (S,16)

[chippy]

The Minnesota Twins, in an attempt to shore up their sometimes leaky infield defense for the 2nd half of the season, announced they have traded AAA pitching prospect Terry Coleman to the Milwaukee Brewers for 3rd baseman Luis A. Gonzalez.

Not to be confused with the slugging outfielder for the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Luis Gonzalez is expected to step in at 3rd base for the Twins, with Craig Wilson moving to DH.

"This trade allows us to get a couple of years younger at 3rd base, a lot faster, and provides better defense... which we sorely need... especially in the stretch run," GM Chip Myers said, "Luis is hitting .305 this season, with 30 doubles, 8 triples, and 7 stolen bases. He's also driven in 48 runs, which isn't far off from Craig Wilson's total of 52. This also lets us move Craig to DH and bring Jose Offerman back to the bench, where he can be better utilized."

The Twins also announced the signing of 25-year old 1st baseman Nick McClendon, "Nick will be used strictly for defensive purposes late in ball games," Myers said, "His fielding and range are excellent, and will allow us to breathe easier while we're trying to protect a lead late in the game. I'm just trying to give Ron Gardenhire all the options he needs to win. We're the Minnesota Twins, not the New York Yankees... we have to hit the bargain racks and look under rocks for the pieces we need... but that's just fine... as long as the pieces fit for us."

Utility infielder Juan Castro was sent down to AAA Rochester, and pitcher Joe Mays was given his release in conjunction with the trade for Gonzalez and the signing of McClendon to free up roster spots.

[chippy]

The St. Louis Cardinals rocked Kirk Rueterfor 10 hits and 8 runs in 3.2 innings, and catcher Charles Johnson hit 2 grand slams and drove in 8 runs as the Cardinals routed the Twins, 13-4 at the Metrodome.

"I had absolutely nothing tonight, and the Cardinals proved it right from the start," a disgusted Rueter said, "I should have stayed home tonight."

"One thing about it... when you get beat like that, all you can do is get ready for the next one," manager Ron Gardenhire said, "As a matter of fact, I'd rather get beat like that than 4-3 or 3-2. When it's 13-4, nothing you might do is going to make a difference... I won't worry about this one... we just got our rear ends kicked."

Johnson, who came into the game hitting just .227 with 1 homerun, connected off of Rueter in the 4th inning to make it 7-1, then blasted another grand slam off of Grant Balfour in the 8th inning for a 13-1 Cardinals lead. The only Twins highlights were homeruns by Luis Gonzalez in his first at-bat as a Twin, and Mike Redmond. Gonzalez went 2-4 with 2 RBI. "I'm happy to get off to a good start with my new team," he said, "I'd be a lot happier if we had won the game, though."

STL- 300 501 040- 13 20 1
MIN- 100 000 012- 4 10 0

Gnzlz 4 1 2 2 .500 (1st game with Twins)
Frrst 4 0 1 0 .310
Ford 4 1 1 0 .311
Mrnau 4 0 1 0 .323
Wlsn 4 0 1 0 .290
Mauer 2 0 1 0 .342
Hnter 4 0 1 0 .278
Lndry 3 1 1 0 .306
Brtltt 2 0 0 0 .271
Rdmnd 2 1 1 1 .208
Cddyr 1 0 0 0 .280
Offmn 1 0 0 0 .310

2B- Wilson (22), Landry (3),
HR- Gonzalez (7,1), Redmond (3),
RBI- Gonzalez 2 (50,2), Redmond (12),


Rueter 3.2 (IP) 10 (H) 8 (R) 8 (ER) 1 (BB) 1 (K) 3.27 (ERA) (L,9-6)
Durbin 3.1 (IP) 2 (H) 1 (R) 1 (ER) 0 (BB) 1 (K) 2.22 (ERA)
Balfour 2.0 (IP) 8 (H) 4 (R) 4 (ER) 0 (BB) 1 (K) 6.23 (ERA)

[chippy]

It was the Twins' turn to ride the grand slam merry-go-round, courtesy of Torii Hunter, as Minnesota defeated the St. Louis Cardinals, 9-2 at the Metrodome.

The Twins jumped on Jason Marquis for 6 runs in the 1st inning, highlighted by Hunter's 14th homerun of the year, and gave Johan Santana all the cushion he needed. Santana won his 10th game of the year, scattering 7 hits over 7 innings. J.C. Romero and Joe Nathan closed out the 8th and 9th innings, respectively, to seal the win. "After getting beat so bad last night, we needed to come back strong tonight, and we did just that." Ron Gardenhire said, "Johan pitched a great game, and Torii picked everybody up with his shot in the first inning. That really gave us a shot in the arm."

"You could tell Marquis was struggling out there, he had already given up a couple of runs and everything we hit was right on the nose," Hunter said, "I knew he wanted to get ahead of me... especially with the bases loaded. I got the fat part of the bat on it, and I knew as soon as I hit it..."


STL- 001 100 000- 2 9 0
MIN- 600 000 03x- 9 13 0

Gnzlz 4 1 0 0 .250 (2-8)
Frrst 4 1 1 1 .307
Ford 4 0 1 0 .311
Mrnau 4 1 2 1 .325
Wlsn 4 1 1 1 .290
Mauer 4 1 1 0 .340
Hnter 4 2 3 4 .284
Cddyr 3 1 2 0 .295
Brtltt 4 1 2 2 .274
MCldn 1 0 0 0 .000

2B- Cuddyer (3),
HR- Hunter (14),
RBI- Forrest (11), Morneau (63), Wilson (53), Hunter 4 (47), Bartlett 2 (22)


Santana 7.0 (IP) 7 (H) 2 (R) 2 (ER) 1 (BB) 2 (K) 3.10 (ERA) (W,10-4)
Romero 1.0 (IP) 2 (H) 0 (R) 0 (ER) 0 (BB) 1 (K) 2.14 (ERA)
Nathan 1.0 (IP) 0 (H) 0 (R) 0 (ER) 0 (BB) 0 (K) 3.48 (ERA)

[chippy]

Craig Wilson homered and drove in 4 runs as the Minnesota Twins rallied from an early 5-1 deficit and spanked the St. Louis Cardinals, 12-5 to wrap up their 3-game series at the Metrodome.

J.D. Durbin got the win in relief of starter Brad Radke, who was rocked for 7 hits and 5 runs in 1.1 innings. Durbin, Juan Rincon, and Joe Nathan combined for 7.2 innings of 3-hit, shutout baseball.

The Twins had 19 hits, including 5 homeruns. Luis Gonzalez hit 2, giving him 3 in 3 games with the Twins, and endearing himself even further to the Minnesota faithful. Justin Morneau and Torii Hunter also went deep.

The Twins await the 2nd place Chicago White Sox to come into town for a brief, 2-game series. The Sox trail the Twins by 2 games in the AL Central, and have lost 5 of 6 to them this year.


STL- 050 000 000- 5 10 1
MIN- 141 203 10x- 12 19 0


Gnzlz 5 2 2 2 .308 (4-13)
Frrst 5 2 2 1 .312
Ford 5 1 3 1 .315
Mrnau 4 2 3 2 .330
Wlsn 5 1 2 4 .292
Mauer 5 1 3 0 .347
Hnter 5 2 2 1 .286
Lndry 5 1 1 1 .293
Brtltt 4 0 1 0 .274

2B- Mauer (13),
HR- Gonzalez 2 (9,3), Morneau (25), Wilson (20), Hunter (15),
RBI- Gonzalez 2 (52,4), Forrest (12), Ford (52), Morneau 2 (65),
Wilson 4 (57), Hunter (48), Landry (3),

SB- Mauer (1),


Radke 1.1 (IP) 7 (H) 5 (R) 5 (ER) 1 (BB) 0 (K) 4.23 (ERA)
Durbin 3.2 (IP) 2 (H) 0 (R) 0 (ER) 0 (BB) 3 (K) 2.05 (ERA) (W,4-1)
Rincon 3.0 (IP) 0 (H) 0 (R) 0 (ER) 0 (BB) 2 (K) 2.94 (ERA)
Nathan 1.0 (IP) 1 (H) 0 (R) 0 (ER) 0 (BB) 0 (K) 3.38 (ERA)

[chippy]

The Minnesota Twins continued their offensive explosion of late, as Greg Forrest had 4 hits and drove in 3 runs to lead the Twins past the Chicago White Sox, 11-4, in the first of a brief, 2-game series at the Metrodome.

"There's no use in trying to explain it... you just ride it for as long as it lasts," Forrest said, "Baseball is so weird, because for one stretch you hit everything, and the next little bit, you can't hit water falling out of a boat..."

Carlos Silva joined Johan Santana as 10-game winners for the Twins, going 6.2 innings and allowing all 4 runs, including 2 solo homeruns to Bobby Crosby. Justin Morneau hit his 26th of the season for the Twins, and knocked in 3 runs.

The win gives Minnesota a 3-game lead over Chicago in the AL Central, and also gives them 6 wins in 7 tries against the Sox, who dominated them last season in route to winning the division title.

CHW- 010 101 100- 4 11 1
MIN- 040 601 00x- 11 16 0

Gnzlz 5 1 2 1 .333 (6-18)
Frrst 5 1 4 3 .341
Ford 3 1 0 0 .312
Mrnau 5 2 2 3 .331
Wlsn 5 2 3 1 .296
Mauer 4 1 1 0 .345
Hnter 4 1 2 1 .289
Lndry 4 1 1 2 .289
Brtltt 4 1 1 0 .273

2B- Gonzalez (31,1), Forrest (6), Morneau (16), Wilson (23), Mauer (14),
HR- Morneau (26),
RBI- Gonzalez (53,5), Forrest 3 (15), Morneau 3 (68), Wilson (58), Hunter (49), Landry 2 (5),


Silva 6.2 (IP) 11 (H) 4 (R) 4 (ER) 0 (BB) 3 (K) 3.79 (ERA) (W,10-6)
Dempster 2.1 (IP) 0 (H) 0 (R) 0 (ER) 0 (BB) 1 (K) 3.21 (ERA)

[chippy]

It was the Freddy Garcia show last night, as he scattered 6 hits over 8 innings, and the White Sox beat the Twins, 6-2 at the Metrodome and earning a split of their 2-game series.

"He completely handcuffed us tonight," Ron Gardenhire said of Garcia, who improved to 10-5 on the season, "It was a dominating performance... that's all you can say."

Kirk Rueter struggled once again while in search of his 10th victory. He was tagged for 11 hits and 3 runs in 5 innings, and J.D. Durbin gave up 6 hits and 3 more runs in 4 innings. "Neither Kirk or J.D. pitched as well as we're accustomed to seeing," Gardenhire said, "When you add that to Garcia's pitching... there's no wonder why we lost."

Still maintaining a 2-game lead in their division, the Twins welcome the Cleveland Indians to the Metrodome for a 4-game set.

CHW- 100 021 011- 6 17 1
MIN- 000 000 020- 2 8 0

Frrst 4 1 0 0 .326
Lndry 4 0 1 1 .286
Ford 4 0 1 0 .312
Mrnau 4 0 1 0 .330
Wlsn 4 0 1 0 .295
Hntr 4 0 0 0 .285
Cddyr 4 0 1 0 .293
Rdmnd 3 1 1 0 .212
Offrmn 2 0 1 0 .314
Gnzlz 2 0 0 0 .300 (6-20)
Mauer 1 0 1 0 .348

2B- Landry (4), Ford (20), Redmond (6), Offerman (5),
RBI- Landry (6),


Rueter 5.0 (IP) 11 (H) 3 (R) 3 (ER) 1 (BB) 0 (K) 3.35 (ERA) (L,9-7)
Durbin 4.0 (IP) 6 (H) 3 (R) 3 (ER) 2 (BB) 3 (K) 2.41

[chippy]

Craig Wilson's 2-run homer in the bottom of the 8th inning broke a 5-5 tie and gave the Twins a win over the Cleveland Indians.

Johan Santana went 6 innings for Minnesota, being hit for 4 runs and 9 hits, including 3 in the 2nd inning that gave Cleveland a quick lead. Lew Ford got the Twins a little closer with a 2-run double off of Vincente Padilla in the bottom of the 3rd, but then Jose Hernandez blasted a solo homerun off of Santana with 2 outs in the 4th. "I have to start bearing down harder with 2 outs," Santana said after the game, "Hernandez can hit a little, but there's no excuse for me giving him that pitch... especially with 2 outs."

Trailing 4-2, the Twins shot ahead on rookie Chris Landry's 2nd big-league homer, a 3-run shot deep over the centerfield wall in their half of the 4th. "I just wanted to be patient up there and get a strike to hit," Landry explained, "I knew I hit it well, but I don't expect to hit too many over that centerfield fence... that's a ways out there."

Leading now, 5-4, it looked as though Santana was in line for another victory. He went through the 6th, and Ryan Dempster pitched a hitless 7th. J.C. Romero gave up a 2-out single to Indians rookie Seth Anderson, which scored Juan Gonzalez, who had doubled. "I owe Johan a steak dinner for that one," Romero said, "I get credit for the win, but that was his... I took it away from him with one lousy pitch to Anderson."

Santana laughed when he heard of Romero's offer, "I don't get the win... but I get a steak out of it... and we still win the game. I'll take that every time."

Tied at 5 in the bottom of the 8th, Ford grounded out to start the inning, then Nick McClendon, in at 1st base for defense in the late innings, grounded a single past 3rd for his first big-league hit. "I'm glad to get my 1st hit," McClendon admitted, "It shows that... even if it's just for tonight... I belong here." He was replaced by pinch-runner Greg Forrest, but his extra speed wasn't needed, as Wilson belted a Padilla offering well into the leftfield seats, and then Joe Nathan pitched a perfect 9th for his 17th save of the season.

"This team seems to be picking up some steam," Ron Gardenhire said, "And everybody is contributing... including our rookies. All this does is really strengthen our ballclub... and it's going to make us that much tougher come September, I believe."


CLE- 030 100 010- 5 11 0
MIN- 002 300 02x- 7 11 0

Gnzlz 4 1 1 0 .292 (7-24)
Offmn 4 0 0 0 .303
Ford 4 0 1 2 .311
Mrnau 3 0 1 0 .331
Wlsn 4 1 3 2 .301
Mauer 4 1 1 0 .346
Hnter 4 1 1 0 .285
Lndry 3 1 1 3 .288
Brtltt 3 1 1 0 .274
MClndn 1 0 1 0 .500
Frrst 0 1 0 0 .326

2B- Ford (21), Hunter (18),
HR- Wilson (21), Landry (2),
RBI- Ford 2 (54), Wilson 2 (60), Landry 3 (9),

SB- Gonzalez (8,1)


Santana 6.0 (IP) 9 (H) 4 (R) 4 (ER) 0 (BB) 2 (K) 3.23 (ERA)
Dempster 1.0 (IP) 0 (H) 0 (R) 0 (ER) 0 (BB) 0 (K) 3.16 (ERA)
Romero 1.0 (IP) 2 (H) 1 (R) 1 (ER) 0 (BB) 1 (K) .230 (ERA) (W,2-1)
Nathan 1.0 (IP) 0 (H) 0 (R) 0 (ER) 0 (BB) 0 (K) 3.27 (ERA) (S, 17)

[chippy]

The Cleveland Indians blasted 9 home runs, and the Minnesota Twins as well, 12-3 last night at the Metrodome.

Brad Radke was rocked once more as he tried for his 10th win of the season, lasting just 3.2 innings and giving up 6 runs... and 3 homeruns... on 9 hits. Grant Balfour, who was sent down to AAA Rochester after the game, g