Game 163 '09: Twins vs Tigers

5:07 pm ET Tuesday. So when do the Yankees get to choose their LDS schedule, after this game? or have they?

they already have

i forgot where i heard that tho

i don't think it's fair that Jay Mohr gets an extra day of stats to pad his MVP candidacy. doesn't sound fair, and it's certainly not Jeterian in the least.

they're definitely going to pick the series that starts Wednesday, but the official choice isn't until after the Tuesday game. they've already sent Joba (their 4th starter) to the pen, where he pitched a scoreless inning today.

so who's pitching this game?

Baker v Porcello

edge: tigers

Are the Twins the first team to be involved in a playoff two years in a row? (I think they are.)

Brooklyn? wasn't there one w/ Phillies in '50?

no. my bad.

OK, here's the list:

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/history/postseason/mlb_tiebreakers.jsp

This is the third straight year in which there's been a playoff -- another first.

I'm not sure I see a pitching edge, TT -- Baker has a slightly higher VORP than Porcello, who is slightly overrated due to his ROY buzz and tender age.

Baker's just been so inconstant this season. while he is capable of giving the twins a win - i'm not sure i like the odds of it.

With the exception of the most recent game a few days ago, the Tigers have hit Baker really well this year. Porcello, IIRC, has pitched well against the Twins but hasn't fared as well in the Metrodome.

Not expecting the Tigers to win.

i predict porcello goes scoreless into the fifth, starts to get shaky coughs up a run or three, then tigers relief really shits the bed on twins rallies.

you're thinking Brandon Lyon, right? twins def have the advantage in the 8-9th

Lyon has been pretty good this year, though probably not quite as effective as Guerrier or Mijares.

I don't think Nathan has ever blown a save against the Tigers.

http://img18.imageshack.us/img18/4985/kubel.png

he looks a little like elmo

I realize Neyer has to cough up a lot of content -- and I WOULD bet on the better team with the major home-dome advantage -- but...

"The Twins are pitching their ace, Scott Baker. He might not seem that impressive to you, but he's flat-solid and he's right-handed; most of the Tigers' good hitters are right-handed."

The Tigers' right-handed hitters have a lot to do with the team hitting .333/.379/.460 against Baker in 20 IP this year, and this is why their lineup today will likely be RH-dominated.

"The Tigers are pitching their No. 2 starter, rookie Rick Porcello. He enjoyed a fine season and would seem to have a lovely career ahead of him. But he's only 20, he's never been in a situation remotely like this, and (most germanely) he seems to be tiring a bit down the stretch, having struck out only 10 hitters in his last 33 innings. The Twins rely on hits, especially singles, and Porcello gives up a lot of singles."

You could just as easily mention that Porcello's ERA since August 1 is a shade above three. Besides, his K/9 for the season is 4.4. It's not like he has been a different pitcher.

"Twins outfielder Denard Span called the Tigers chokers. He told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune after Sunday's games: 'I don't want to say they've choked, but, yeah, they have choked. They've choked a little bit. But they have the opportunity to not choke, I guess.'"

Give your team some credit. The Tigers, a .531 team, played .531 baseball during September and October. Your team played .645 during the same time.

"De nard span is the distance between a man's testicles"

ha haha haha

They didn't choke if you're looking at the past two months of the season, but they were up by three with four games to play, and completely controlled their own destiny -- starting with a chance to finish off the Twins at home.

But whatever, old ballsac over there shouldn't be saying that shit the day before a do-or-die game. Those are the kinds of quotes that end up on the opposing team's bulletin board before the game.

They didn't choke if you're looking at the past two months of the season, but they were up by three with four games to play, and completely controlled their own destiny -- starting with a chance to finish off the Twins at home.

Yes, that is true.

Perhaps the Mets have shifted my perception of "choke."

it could end up being nothing in the end, i remember when the white sox were "choking" in the last week of '05, cleveland was hot on their tail, and every single local sportswriter was calling for the heads of ozzie guillen and kenny williams.

The Mets: Chokers You Can Count On

beckjason
Span's remarks on #tigers choking posted in clubhouse, with highlighter.

yooo

guess someone wasn't drinking last night!

is this on tv?

tbs

cabrera is takin care of business

Porcello is dealing it tonight.

that second strike to kubel was disgusting

Porcello trying too hard to fit in with that October throwing error.

Keppel warming up for Twins; Miner was up in Tiger pen. Not a May game, managers.

Chip Fucking Caray

if we here him spout off about how much fun brett favre is having it might be something in the air there

hear*

WOOOO WE GOT GERALD LAIRD TO HIT INTO A DOUBLE PLAY WOOOOOOOOO WAVE THE TOWEL

This is exactly the game I was expecting.

Strike (looking), Strike (swinging), Strike (swinging), J Morales struck out swinging
Strike (swinging), Strike (swinging), Strike (swinging), J Morales struck out swinging

I like how Caray described a ball fouled straight to the backstop as "ripped."

Porcello just made the MVP look like a doofus. He looked lost chasing after that high fastball.

And then promptly served a taco to Kubel.

Zach Miner, huh?

Well, hey, now there is a potential force at two bases.

SEE THE BILLOWED SHIRT

two master tacticians alright

oh man master tactitians

TWO MASTER TACTICIANS WORKING OVERTIME TONIGHT

CHERISH THIS MOMENT

SOME PEOPLE WAIT A LIFETIME, FOR A MOMENT LIKE THIS

if the twins get out of this. . .

^^^ lol

THEN THEY WILL BE VERY FORTUNATE?

start teh merry go round

There's no defense for a walk. No. Defense.

lol @ gerald laird

i'm gonna make soup.

haha

"it's gonna be a long night...i'd better make coffee"

i'm gettin too old for this shit

"i don't mind stayin up late for a game like this, ernie"

it's 840

in minnesota

lol the idea that the yankees are staying up "late" watching this game

formulating their gameplan on how to make sure that gerald laird comes up anytime there is a RISP

nb i own a homer hanky

A-Rod is having his usual 9:40 mug of cocoa.

THIS IS GONNA DO IT! It's my lucky minestrone.

does your minestrone predict the twins will win

maybe it does ;)

I see it in the broth

maybe it's not really minestrone ; )

MINESTRONE

dope imo

FINALLY

CONGRATULATIONS THE MINNESOTA MINESTRONES ARE GOIN TO NEW YORK

we all laughed at gardenhire when he put gomez in but no

i feel for the tigers, beaten by a bowl of soup

how did he let rodney pitch that long

dude acting like he was playing ps3

morbz would say this is pretty thin gruel if he were here

http://www.stefanipremiumfoods.com/images/items/giardiniera_both.jpg

I also see Johnny Damon losing a fly in the 'Dome roof ...in my minestrone.

"the twins won this game w/the help of 54,088 screaming fans!*"

*(and fernando rodney throwing 48 pitches)

Orlando Cabrera has never seen or played a more unbelievable game? ALCS 2004?

quite a game

both closers burned, my extra inning wish come true

this must be what watching christians eaten alive by lions feels like

sanskrit taking in a game from Steinbrenner's box:

http://pro.corbis.com/images/BE035707.jpg?size=67&uid=3CBC8F1C-AAD7-4D07-A60D-C174738CAE1D

nice ending btw, i'm happy for the twins fans obv

How funny that today I watched Patrick Swayze in Road House for the first time, then sat through the baseball equivalent!

and the tigers died

classic thread...

i couldn't watch the game sadface.gif

To Inge, phantom HBP a critical non-call

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20091007&content_id=7376820

Oh well.

Andy are those guys chatting or twittering?

― A Patch on Blazing Saddles (Dr Morbius), Tuesday, October 6, 2009 8:26 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark

Missed this, Morbs -- sorry. Those just happened to be three consecutive tweets in my feed.

if you're reduced to complaining about a pitch that grazed your SHIRT you are no gamer sir

the dude on los tigres who slid headfrst into first to avoid the tag (in the 8th, I think...) was clearly tagged on the sleeve so fair trade, I guess.