Hey all,
I am really sorry that I don’t have a new posting today. Just to give the excuse, it is my cable connection yet again. Last night, I lost the connection at about 9:00, and as of 7:30 this morning, it still was not working. I am incredibly frustrated at this point with it, and will start looking at alternatives now. Maybe I should have a “Help Seth Pay for a New Internet Connection” fund set up or something. Just kidding!
Anyway, the Twins had an off day yesterday, so it isn’t like you missed a whole lot. The highlight of the Twins minor league night was another very strong start by Kyle Waldrop for Beloit as they won a 2-1 decision. Also, Alexander Smit came in and struck out five in two perfect innings. He still has so much potential. The Red Wings played two and despite nine different players getting a hit, they fell by a score of 4-3. Chris Heintz was the only player with two hits. Jason Bartlett went 1-2, but he also walked twice. New Britain did not have a scheduled game.
Ft. Myers was rained out of its game in Clearwater last night. Obviously with the storm going through there the last couple of days, we wish the best for the people in Florida. Hopefully hurricane season will be gentle this year after a couple of real bad years. However, meteorologists are predicting another season full of storms.
The Twins start their three game home series against the Boston Red Sox tonight when Johan Santana and Curt Schilling hook up. Santana has been terrific the last six weeks. He is 6-4 with a 3.16 ERA. Schilling has been very strong all season. He is 9-2 with a 3.81 ERA. Like I said yesterday, I am hoping to make it to the Wednesday night game, but I am not sure yet. I know that it is also on ESPN for those able to get that.
Joe Mauer won the AL Player of the Week honor for last week, and deservedly so. And here is another great article on Mauer .
Anyway, I really do apologize for my lack of quality technology right now. I can’t explain it, and I’m getting little help from the company. So, time to look elsewhere, right? I do appreciate you stopping by the site again today. Please feel free to e-mail me or leave some Comments below.
Have a great day!
Monday, June 12, 2006
Weekend Recap
Good morning everybody! I hope everyone had a really great weekend. Mine was very good. I drove to my parent's place and got there in time to call and see Justin Morneau's game-winning home run on Friday night. Of course, my 'calling' skills were also in play early in the evening when, on the drive home, Torii Hunter came to bat with runners on 1st and 3rd with one out. I said, "Four---Six---Three." And, of course, on the first pitch, Hunter grounded to second base for a tailor-made double play.
Other than my soothsaying abilities, I didn't do much. Did you know that the NBA playoffs are still going? Apparently the Heat and Mavs played Game 2 last night with the Mavs taking a 2-0 lead in the series. How did Shaq play a game last night and only score five points?!
Oh, the NHL playoffs are still going too. Nothing like hockey in the summer in Carolina, eh?
Chris Coste got his first start of his big league career on Saturday. He batted eighth and went 0-3. The Phillies put Mike Lieberthal back on the Disabled List. Manager Charley Manuel has said that he feels very comfortable with Sal Fasano as his regular catcher and Coste backing him up. Coste is now 0-8 with a hit by pitch for his career. Hopefully he can get a few more starts and get that first big league hit!
But for today, I want to touch on some Twins topics and get you caught up on the minor league action from the weekend that included another great start by Kevin Slowey. Have yourself a great week. Please feel free to e-mail me or leave Comments below.
Twins won two out of three against the Baltimore Orioles. They won games started by Brad Radke and Francisco Liriano and dropped the game started by Carlos Silva. Here are some thoughts from the series:
Joe Mauer went 1-4 on Sunday and his batting average dropped to .386! Friday night, he went 3-5 with a walk. Saturday night he was 2-4 with two walks. On Sunday, he was 1-4 which brought to an end a very impressive streak. Mauer had reached base at least four times in five consecutive games. Babe Ruth never did that. Barry Bonds has never done that. I am sure that research would tell us that it has never been done before. If it has, or hasn't, it is a remarkable streak. That and much more is discussed by Aaron Gleeman in his Joe Mauer Show!
Justin Morneau had quite the series too! In the three games, he went 7-12 with a double, three homers, two walks and nine RBI. His batting average went from .235 to .255 in three games. Equally impressive, of his three homes, two came against left-handed pitching!
Brad Radke is apparently not a control pitcher anymore. On Friday night, he walked three hitters in 5.2 innings. He has walked at least two hitters in each of his last seven starts (four times he walked three). That is very un-Radke-like. Of course, many of us have been saying that he has given in to hitters far too much over the years, particularly with two strikes. I personally don't that that all his walks are a good thing, but if it works, go for it, I guess.
I was watching one of the Fargo TV station's sports on Saturday night. To paraphrase the sports director, "Carlos Silva and Kyle Lohse have combined to kill the Twins chances of winning several times this season. Tonight, they combined their efforts and the Twins lost to the Orioles." I laughed. I thought it was blunt, but rather accurate! Silva's 'issues' just really were not resolved at all. Lohse gave up three runs before recording an out. Just not a good game for either. Worse, it certainly does not help the trade value of either.
Francisco Liriano is amazing! The dazzling lefty improved to 5-1 with seven one-hit shutout innings on Sunday. He had just six strikeouts to go with two walks. Since being put in the rotation, he has made five starts. He has gone 4-1 with a 1.33 ERA. He has a 0.93 WHIP. In 29 innings, he has given up 12 walks and 15 hits while striking out 24. The K-Rate is certainly down, but that does make some sense. The man's future ceiling is just so high! The Twins may want to sign him long-term after this season too, along with Morneau and Mauer!
Michael Cuddyer knocked his second grand slam in four days on Saturday night. Good for him!
Jason Kubel had a good series too. He went 5-9 with a double. In his last seven games, he is 12-32 (.375). And, more importantly, he just looks so much comfortable at the plate. He got Sunday off which was a good decision against a tough lefty in Erik Bedard. But it is good to see him in the lineup on a consistent basis!
Juan Rincon - 2.2 innings, two strikeouts, zero runs.
Joe Nathan - 3 innings, four strikeouts, no runs. I like those numbers!
Ron Gardenhire got ejected from the game on Sunday. I think he was right in arguing, but he really needs to get over himself and stop getting ejected. Of course, maybe the team does better when Scott Ullger is at the helm.
Third Base is a big question mark. I would prefer to watch Terry Tiffee get the majority of the at bats over Tony Batista. However, Tiffee is what he is. He is a decent bat who also refuses to walk. He doesn't have quite the power that Batista is believed to have. Also, Tiffee is not quick. Sure, he has more range than Batista, but that is not necessarily a compliment either. And, he does not have a real strong glove. But again, I would prefer to watch Tiffee.
My acceptance of Nick Punto as the Twins' starting shortstop is not an admittance that he is good. I will say that he is as good, or better, than Castro defensively. Certainly. Offensively, he is better than Castro, but again, that is not really saying a lot. He is doing well of late, but again, I am in no way saying that there is not a better option at Rochester!
Stick & Ball Guy continues to produce some great stuff. Is Torii Hunter still the face of the franchise? The most recent look through the Twins rotation in 360 Degrees. And most interesting, discussion of increased friction between our favorite manager and GM! That is, of course, debate over bringing up Kyle Lohse or Pat Neshek. Apparently Gardy wanted Neshek up, but Mr. Ryan had $3.95 million reasons to bring up Lohse.
The Twins have a day off tomorrow before opening a three game home series against the Red Sox. I am hoping to get to the Wednesday night game, but we will see. Any other thoughts on the Twins? E-mail me, or leave some Comments below.
ROGER'S MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Throughout the year, our friend
"Roger" will be keeping tabs of the Twins minor leaguers again. This
year, he is coming up with a minor league hitter and pitcher each
week. Feel free to comment! And don't forget to check out
his
weekly minor league update at Twinkie Town.
Player of the Week - Brock Peterson, Ft. Myers Miracle
Brock Peterson is a first baseman who has played more as a DH in 2006. This past week, Peterson was 12 for 30 with 3 doubles, a triple, 4 rbi and 4 runs scored. He also walked twice and also struck out two times. Peterson's batting average is now .304 with a .355OBP/.458SLG.
Runner up is Doug Deeds. Deeds was New Britain's top hitter in 2005 and began this season back at New Britain for a second year. Disappointed to not make to move up to AAA, he started the season in an extended slump. He recently began hitting more like last year, going 8 for 17 this week with a double and 1 run scored. Deeds average went up .024 this week and is now hitting .262 with a .364OBP.
Pitcher of the Week -
Peter Munro, Rochester Red Wings
Pete is with the Twins organization for the second time as he was in camp a few years ago before returning to the Astros where he saw considerable time with the major league club in 2004. Muno made one start this week, pitching a 9 inning complete game shutout during which he allowed 8 hits with 3K/0BB. Munro is a veteran pitcher who could provide the Twins with some depth, if needed later this summer.
The runner up is Ft. Myers lefty reliever Jose Mijares. Mijares, who is on the 40-man roster, started several games earlier in the season and did not do well as evidenced by his 6.75era as of June 2nd. He recently returned to the bullpen, pitching in two games this week. For the week, he pitched 7.1 innings allowing 2 hits, 0 runs with 11K/0BB.
Friday SethSpeaks Player of the Day - Brock Peterson, Ft. Myers Miracle
Saturday SethSpeaks Player of the Day - Garrett Jones, Rochester Red Wings
Sunday SethSpeaks Player of the Day - Jason Tyner, Rochester Red Wings
Friday SethSpeaks Pitcher of the Day - Bobby Korecky, Rochester Red Wings
Saturday SethSpeaks Pitcher of the Day - Jose Lugo, Beloit Snappers
Sunday SethSpeaks Pitcher of the Day - Kevin Slowey, Ft. Myers Miracle
For the first time, fans can help pick the AAA All-Stars. Be sure to go here and vote for the Rochester players to help them make it! We know that Pat Neshek leads all vote getters!
Here are the weekend updates. If you have any thoughts on the Twins system, please e-mail me.
ROCHESTER REPORT
Friday - Red Wings 1, Scranton/Wilkes Barre 2 - JD Durbin didn't pitch real bad, but still took the loss. The righty went 5.1 innings and gave up two runs on five hits. Unfortunately, he walked four and hit two more. Bobby Korecky went the final 2.2 innings and didn't allow a thing. The Red Wings managed just three singles on the game. Kevin West drove in the lone run.
Saturday - Red Wings 4, Scranton/Wilkes Barre 1 – Three ninth inning runs made all the difference in this one. The big blow was from Garrett Jones who had a two run double in the inning. On the day, Jones went 2-4 with his 13th double, 10th homer and three RBI. Scott Baker started and went seven innings. He allowed just one run on five hits. He struck out five, but he walked four. Ricky Barrett improved to 5-1 with two shutout innings.
Sunday - Red Wings 4, Scranton/Wilkes Barre 2 (15) - Garrett Jones again was the hero for another RBI double in the game's final frame. It was his only hit in six at bats. Jason Tyner went 4-5 with two walks. Luis Maza and Gil Velazquez were both 3-5. Shawn Wooten and Andres Torres were each 2-7. Mike Smith started and gave up two runs (1 earned) on seven hits and three walks in seven innings. Pat Neshek threw two perfect innings in relief, with three strikeouts. Bobby Korecky then threw three shutout innings, the same number that Beau Kemp did for three innings to record the win.
NEW BRITAIN NEWS
Friday - Rockcats 0, Harrisburg 8 – Matt Garza didn't pitch poorly, but he picked up his first AA loss. The righty gave up three unearned runs in six innings. He allowed six hits and walked one while striking out nine. John Thomas came in and in two innings, he gave up five runs on three hits and five walks. The Rockcats managed just five hits. Alex Romero went 2-3 with his 11th double.
Saturday - Rockcats 3, Harrisburg 10 – Glen Perkins had probably his worst start of the season to fall to 2-6. In just four innings, he gave up eight runs (7 earned) on 11 hits and a walk. He struck out five. Justin Olson gave up a run in his two inning stint. Jay Sawatski threw a scoreless from before Levale Speigner gave up a run in his inning. Jose Morales and Trent Oeltjen each had two hits, one being a double. Matt Moses was 1-3 with a walk and his ninth home run.
Sunday - Rockcats 1, Harrisburg 4 – Harrisburg finished off the sweep with another strong pitching performance. New Britain was limited to just three hits. The highlight was Alex Romero who went 0-1 with two walks, an RBI and his 13th stolen base. Nick Blackburn falls to 4-7. He went six innings and gave up four runs on eight hits and two walks. Tristan Crawford and Julio DePaula each threw one scoreless inning.
FT MYERS MEMOS
Friday - Miracle 2, Lakeland 4 – Brian Duensing made his Miracle debut and didn't do poorly. The lefty gave up four runs on six hits and a walk over seven innings. He struck out seven. Colby Miller pitched a scoreless inning in relief. Tarrence Patterson went 2-3 with his fifth double, third triple, a walk and an RBI. Alexi Casilla was 1-3 with a walk and three stolen bases. He now has 21 on the year.
Saturday - Miracle 4, Lakeland 5 (10) – Anthony Swarzak's start was a short one. The righty went just four innings and gave up four runs on five hits and two walks. He struck our four. Chris Schutt and Tim Lahey each threw two shutout innings. JP Martinez threw one shutout inning but gave up an unearned run in the 10th to take the loss. Matt Tolbert, Deacon Burns and Brock Peterson were each 2-5. Peterson hit his sixth double and sixth home run.
Sunday - Miracle 4, Clearwater 0 – Kevin Slowey was again the story, and this time he got another Win to show for it. Slowey went six shutout innings. He gave up three hits and walked two hitters (really... he did!). He struck out five. Slowey improves to 4-1 while dropping his ERA to 1.10. He has thrown two consecutive scoreless innings. Ryan Callahan recorded his first save with three shutout innings. He struck out four. Matt Tolbert went 3-5 with an RBI. Alexi Casilla went 2-4 with a walk and his 22nd steal.
BELOIT BITS
Friday - Snappers 3, Clinton 4 (11) – Ryan Mullins pitched well but gets nothing to show for it. The lefty went 6.2 innings and gave up two runs (1 earned) on five hits and two walks. He struck out four. Yohan Pino gave up a run on two hits in his 2.1 innings. Frank Mata took the loss with a run on three hits and a walk. Tarrence Patterson went 2-4 with his 18th steal. Paul Kelly and Drew Thompson each went 2-5 with a double. It was Kelly's 15th and Thompson's 5th. Allan de San Miguel went 1-4 with a two run double.
Saturday - Snappers 5, South Bend 6 – Eduardo Morlan started for the Snappers and gave up three runs (2 earned) on five hits and three walks in 5.2 innings. He struck out five. Jose Lugo then threw 2.1 shutout innings with four K's. Jose Cordero gave up three runs on two hits and a walk and only recorded one out. David Shinskie got the final two outs. Tarrence Patterson went 4-5. Drew Thompson was 3-5 with his sixth double. Henry Sanchez had two doubles (to give him 11 on the year) in four at bats.
Sunday - Snappers 7, South Bend 0 – Oswaldo Sosa gave the team exactly what it needed. Sosa went seven shutout innings. He gave up four hits and walked two while striking out seven. Drew Thompson continued his hot weekend by going 3-5 with his seventh double and fifth triple. Eli Tintor went 3-4 with two RBI. Tarrence Patterson was 2-4 with a walk. Erik Lis and Allan de San Miguel each had two hits.
Thanks again for stopping by this site. If you have any questions, comments or ideas for future postings, please e-mail me.
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