The Yanks are in Minnie for four games. Cliff’s got the preview:
A popular pre-season pick to repeat as AL Central champions, the Twins have had nothing short of a disastrous season. On June 1, the Tigers completed a sweep of the Twins at home, dropping Minnesota to 17-37 (.315) and 16.5 games back in last place. The Twins perked up a bit from there, going 33-22 (.600) in June and July and cutting their deficit in the division to five games on July 20, but they were playing over their heads during those two months as they allowed as many runs as they scored during that span and never got above fourth place. They have since returned to their early-season level, playing .286 ball in August and falling 10.5 games back in the Central, which seems closer to their actual level. According to third-order wins, only the Astros have been worse this season, and a quick look at the Twins roster shows little reason to expect them to pull out of their current slump.
To begin with, the Twins had Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau in the lineup at the same time in just eight of their first 117 games. They went 2-6 in those games, two of them coming against the Yankees in early April, both losses. With Morneau being activated from the disabled list on Friday, the Twins have now had Mauer and Morneau in the lineup in each of the last five games, but have won just two of them, scoring a total of four runs in the other three. It’s too early to know what to expect from Morneau, who hit .226/.281/.338 through early June before hitting the disabled list with a herniated disc in his neck that required surgery later that month. Mauer, who missed two months early in the season with bilateral weakness in his legs, a neurological condition effecting the strength of his leg muscles, has hit just .289/.356/.353 since his return in mid-June and has started behind the plate on four consecutive days just once since then and three consecutive days on just two other occasions.
Tonight, Ol’ Reliable, C.C. Sabathia aims to regain his form.
Derek Jeter SS
Curtis Granderson CF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Robinson Cano 2B
Nick Swisher DH
Andruw Jones RF
Eduardo Nunez 3B
Francisco Cervelli C
Brett Gardner LF
Let’s Go Yank-ees!
This from the boys over at RAB:
I know, classic.
Jesus... this new reincarnation of Jeter looks nothing like that 1st half guy. This team is much better when he contributes.
Duensing looks a little bit like Ted Lilly ...
Yeah, I like this Jeter guy.
A little rest, a little health, a little less pressure - amazing what that can do.
Not to pick a seemingly arbitrary endpoint, but CC has been utter shiite since he came back after that 2nd rain delay against Seattle ...
Case in point.
On the other hand, I am not so thrilled with this new version of CC. This team is so much better when he contributes.
Right call or not, if I am a Twins fan I am pretty pissed...it must be frustrating when the Yanks come to town.
Hey, you beady-eyed fuck ... sit the fuck down.
Well, that was better than leaving the inning down 2-0 ...
Why is Kay so incredulous about Gardenhire arguing? Obviously he got himself run on purpose. Is this so unusual? Has Kay watched baseball before?
What happend, said 2-0 now 0-0 on Gameday. Call reveresed??!
[13] Flux in space-time continuum.
[13] Why are you so incredulous about Kay saying something completely ridiculous? Is this so unusual?? Have you watched a Yankees TV broadcast before???
=)
Damn, Mr. Jones hit that ball A TON.
deep drive...
well, ok, that was sorta deep.
Man, I didn't think Duensing threw this hard, I thought he was another one the Twins' slop throwers ...
As an minor detour from the game chatter, have you guys seen the David Wright play yesterday?
http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=18151355&topic_id=&c_id=mlb&tcid=vpp_copy_18151355&v=3
[17] Only about 400 feet or so ...
[15] Kay mnages to impress me with new levels of stoopid and annoying each and every time I watch.
Hmmm ... has Brains gone away from the Great Gazoo batting helmet?
One!
One player on the bench ... ahaha!
[20] Unfortunately he hit to the part of the park that is sort of like what Death Valley used to be like at the real Yankee Stadium about 25 years ago.
Brains!
[24] True, but it was a "deep drive" ...
Driven!
[22] Maybe he decided that it not only makes him look silly, but it contributes to his suckiness. Aha, see there: no big helmet and a seeing-eye basehit. Coincidence? You make the call.
driven!!!
[27] Function follows form!
[25] Yeah, I noted is was hit...er, driven...deep. Of course, it was fairly obvious from the CF's path that it had too much air under it.
OK, it's super late here...off to bed to fall asleep with the dulcet tones of Michael Kay in the background.
Man, Jim Thome is going to be one HELL of a beer-league softball player when he retires ...
[0] Hey, is that George Bluth in the photo?
Driven!
(and Granderson has to make a sliding trap coming IN on the ball)
Granderson seemed to get a slow jump on the ball. It seems to be happening a lot this year where he starts in one direction and then has to correct his path. I wonder if that is why he has a lower defensive rating this year.
Odd game so far.
33) Nope. It's one of the Rabbi's from "A Serious Man." (Get it, Minnie) Also once played Fletch's lawyer.
Mark!
Robbie Cadillac beats the throw!
33) Here ya go: http://imdb.to/cDbtyM
[24] I think YSI Death Valley (pre-renovation) was 457' (or was it 467'?)
Grandy could possibly lead the league in both Triples and HRs. Has that ever been done before?
[39] Great! Still havn't seen that film. KC tied up Boston now!
Driven deep!!!
(caught 15 feet in front of the warning track)
42) People are divided about it. I never got that Barton Fink feeling. Really disliked that movie and saw it a few times. I "get it" but it didn't move me. "A Serious Man" could be a movie that would be irritating as hell, just tortuous to watch. But for some reason I really liked it, even though it was cold in some ways. I don't think it's just a Jewish thing, but I simply fond it very droll, inventive and weird. In some ways it's the ultimate Coen's movie, it's the Coen's-concentrated, which is why it's not for everyone.
43) Kay did work with Sterling for many years, after all.
[44] I like most of the Coen Bros films (except that awful one with Clooney and Catherine Zeta Jones). I remember huge film-geek argyments abotu Barton Fink in college..people get passionate about that film one way or the other.
[44] Huh. Barton Fink isn't my "favorite" Coen Brothers' film, that would be The Big Lebowski, but I'm not at all hesitant in calling it the one I think is their best. Probably Top 10 all time for me, easily Top 20.
Nice, C.C.
I can never believe Turturro as a Jew. It's like Olympia Dukkakis as an Italian.
LOL
The thing about Coen Brothers' films that I learned over the years, from seeing them all and talking about them with people is that because they are so damn idiosyncratic and affected that most of them really come down personal taste and how you react to what it is they're trying to assimilate and recreate.
A lot of people really didn't like Intolerable Cruelty, but I really enjoyed it, even though I'd never call it anything other than slight. Some people really liked Burn After Reading, whereas for me, only the existence of The Ladykillers keeps that completely laughless debacle from being their worst.
WOW ... WAS THAT A 3RD DECKER?!?!?!?
CC starting to look comfortable.
[51] Gah. Bah.
Threatening to give Girardi a second bullpen lefty is a surefire way to make me want to keep Banuelos in the minors
Yay!
[53] Cashman's already said it's "unlikely" Banuelos is coming up, even after Sept 1st ...
Big out there.
[55] Though I'm sure some left-handed humanoid will make the trek up from SWB in September, if only to keep Coffee Joe and his Magic Binder busy the last month of the season ...
I kind of liked Intolerable Cruelty, but that wasn't an original screenplay for them, ditto Ladykillers which isn't nearly as good as the original. Still love me some Raising Arizona.
Mijares is a Mexican restaurant a couple of blocks down the street from my apartment. Jose looks like he takes a lot of his meals at Mijares ...
"A Serious Man" was painful to watch but hard to forgot. The performances were pretty special, that guy (can't remember his name and too lazy to look it up) who played Uncle Arthur was something.
"No Country For Old Men" is my favorite recent Coen Bros. film.
And this game so far is my favorite recent CC performance. Is Target Field is too big for the long ball? Not for the mighty Yankees. Andruw Jones smashed one.
Hey, Alex Belth is here. The famous Alex Belth. Good evening.
[57] I'm not sure what about Joe Girardi's tenure as Yankee manager makes people think two lefties is anything but a recipe for over managed shit
[59] I'd love some Mexican for lunch but it's pouring rain here..nice break from the heat at least.
Does Granderson have any MVP chances? You hear a lot a bout Ellsbury and Joey Bats..
[63] I think he'll get some votes, but he has no real chance to win it.
I heard Mike Lupica on the radio the other day saying he thought Curtis had a chance. Lupica is an idiot, but he has a vote.
Mijares' mujures must be bueno in la cocina.
If Granderson finishes the year leading the AL in HR, R and (yes) RBI, I'm not sure how you can say he has no chance
[60] I thought their remake of True Grit was really very good, though maybe not quite excellent.
I really enjoyed the first 2/3rds of NCFOM; it's a flat out fantastic monster movie.
The trainwreck of a final 1/3rd?
Not so much.
[64] A rich, influential idiot with vast access.
[64] Lupica on the radio?? That must be insufferable..I can truly say I am happy to never be exposed to sports tlak radio over here. Tried ESPN on the web once, couldn't get past 10mins of Mike&Mike or Colon Cowherd, just unlistenable trash.
Speaking of trash, the bottom of the Twins lineup is just...bad.
[68] Yes, that's the worst kind of idiot.
[69] It was. He was just a guest, you understand, being interviewed.
We have one local station that's pretty good. The morning crew has a great weekly segment: "Ask a Pink Hat". They find a Sox fan coming out of Fenway after a game wearing a pink Red Sox hat and ask them questions. Well, ask her questions, it's always a woman. It's very funny.
[70] That sounds pretty funny. Do they ask her questions about the team and the game she just "saw"?
[67] Agree about the final third of NCFOM. But you will never forget Bardem's performance for the rest of your life.
[71] That would be much too hard. Okay, from memory, yesterday they had one who said her favorite player is Pedroia.
1. What position does Dustin Pedroia play?
A: Um, pitcher, right?
2. What team is Clay Buchholz on?
A: Yankees?
3. What do you call the object that the fielders where on their non-glove hand?
A: Catcher.
4. Name one player in the Hall of Fame.
A: Ortiz.
5. What is the main difference between the National League and the American League?
A: Oh... overseas.
She wasn't drunk.
Yeah, it's a little misogynistic. Still funny.
[70] Lupica actually has a regular slot on the NY ESPN station, just before Michael Kay's slot. Talk about a cavalcade of migraine inducement. If you think Kay is annoying doing play by play, on his show he is a huge bag of noxious gas stinking up the NY metro.
72) Funny thing about the last part is that it is completely true to the book. I wasn't really spooked by Bardem's performance. It was written to be memorable and he did a good job for sure but it wasn't extra creepy to me. The haircut was really good though.
Uh oh.
I want D-Rob.
[75] I liked the ending of NCFOM..why do people dislike it?
Bardem was insane, SUPER creepy. Total Terminator.
I want to read McCarthy's "Blood Meridien", heard it's an epic portrait of the real wild west.
CC needs to hit the showers now, methinks.
E, Fucking Nunez.
The Magnificent Nuñe5.
NOOOONEZ!
78) I've heard BLOOD MERIDIEN is excellent. I don't have the stomach to read it. LOL
Nuñez really is the Anti-Cano. He's not good at anything.
I guess he's fast.
[83] The anti-Cano would be fast.
Whadda ya know!
See, Eduardo, that's how you fucking do it.
Fucking Rob.
Exactly. The anti-Nuñez.
[84] Oh, right! Doh!
[75] Indeed. I didn't like it in the book, either, though I think the book does a better job of setting up the Sheriff's character as something other than a superfluous 3rd wheel.
In general, I've found that I really like McCarthy's way with words, but not his way with thoughts and what passes for his world view would embarrass most freshman philosophy majors ...
Nice. Now Jeter's on base for Granderson's homer.
Captian Hustle
Oh, chess.
3?!?!? LHP in the pen???
Coffee Joe's head would explode with the possibilities!
Glen Perkins? Seems I have never heard of half the Twins roster..
[90] Oh good, now two men on for Teix's second homer.
[94] Yes. His nickname is "Pinetop". Or it might be "Pinetar".
[96] I was wondering if he was a distant descendant of the Glen Campell, Carl Perkins line of guitar-pickers..
Dan Bard on the hill for the eighth. So no doubt he will attempt to get the Royales with cheese!
Hammered, into left field...
The Alabama Hamma, Mike. It's Hamma Time!
You know, if Nunez is a halfway competent fielder CC doesn't give up two runs in the 7th
[94] Wasn't he on Mutual Of Omaha's "Wild Kingdom"?
Rene Tosoni, thank you for playing... but you are the nail.
BAM.
[100] One though, right? That one scored before the error.
One two three. All in a day's work for the Alabama Hamma.
Uhh....
Jeez, Andruw isn't getting cheated tonight.
I wonder why Cervelli is batting. Not Posada? Martin? Chavez? Hughes?
Oh, that's why!
Frankie C! Wunnerful, wunnerful. Nice baserunning by Nunie too.
Papelbon executes the save.
He's in a contract year, and he's pitching his ass off.
Cervelli!
http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/american-girl-italy-60-years-later-221005987.html
He looks like he just walked out of the photograph.
Thanks be to Mo.
Damn, I was all set to type "Thanks be to Cory", and my fingers ran away from me!
I'm digging this Yankee bullpen. Nice win.
Nunez finds redemption. I'm sure he was determined to make up for that error and run.