SB Nation - Matt Guerrier

Fantasy Baseball: Early AL Closer Watch.

Ian, yo — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 03:04:26 -0000

More photos » by Kathy Willens - AP

8 months ago: New York Yankees closer Mariano Rivera delivers to a member of the Phillies AAA club during a spring training baseball game at the Yankees minor league complex in Tampa, Fla., Tuesday, March 31, 2009. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

Browse more photos »

We've seen a lot of trade rumors and trade analysis as of late and there really hasn't been any mention of the many teams with closer situations. We will check back in after a few months and see if anything has changed, but this is how things are looking as of now.

AL East

Yankees- I think we all know this answer. Mo' should be one of the top closers in the game again. One day, he may fall apart, but for a player of his caliber, he may retire before than happens. Next in line: Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain, Mark Melancon.
Red Sox- Jonathan Papelbon. In 2009, Papelbon posted a 1.85 ERA, which would lead you to believe he had a successful season. If you look at the peripheral stats, you'd see that Papelbon had an FIP of 3.05 and while he kept his K/9 above 10, he posted a BB/9 over 3 for the first time since his rookie season where he threw only 34 big league innings. I wouldn't be surprised to see Papelbon traded with the closer in waiting in Daniel Bard likely getting more work in the later innings. Next in line: Daniel Bard, Hideki Okajima, Manny Delcarmen.
Orioles- Mike Gonzalez. The Orioles signed Gonzalez to be their closer and I can't really see anyone challenging him for the job this year. Next in line: Jim Johnson, Kam Mikolio.
Blue Jays- Jason Frasor. While there is nothing concrete in Toronto, I think Frasor will be the guy in 2010. Frasor saved 11 games in 2009 and ended the season with an FIP of 2.99 and a K/BB of 3.50. I think if the season were to begin today, Frasor would be the man, but he could lose it fairly easily. Next in line: Scott Downs, Jeremy Accardo.
Rays- Rafael Soriano. The Rays either didn't seem confident or have other plans for J.P Howell in 2010. After trading prospect Jesse Chavez to Atlanta, the Rays are set at closer with Soriano. If he were to get hurt (which he does somewhat often) I would think Wheeler is the next on the list with Howell being the late inning lefty. Next in line: Dan Wheeler, J.P. Howell and Grant Balfour.

AL Central

Twins- Joe Nathan. See Mariano Rivera. Next in line: Jon Rauch, Pat Neshek, Matt Guerrier, Jose Mijares.
Tigers- Joel Zumaya. Currently the Tigers depth chart lists Zumaya as the closer. He's always been thought of as the closer of the future, but the Tigers have never really given him an extended look due to durability concerns. If made a closer, Zumaya could be a top level closer but he'll have to get his walks under control for that to happen. Next in line: Ryan Perry, Daniel Schlereth, Casey Fien, Phil Coke.
White Sox- Bobby Jenks. As we speak, Jenks seems to be the closer and is listed as such on the depth chart. Matt Thornton is the better pitcher, but experience could be key here. I still think Thornton ends up with the job at some point. Next in line: Matt Thornton, J.J. Putz.
Indians- Kerry Wood. Wood struggled in and there are a few more guys in waiting that could make this one of the more interesting (aka: avoidable) closer situations in 2010. Next in line: Chris Perez, Rafael Perez.
Royals- Joakim Soria. One of the more talented relievers in the game. He was hampered by injuries a bit in 2009 and still saved 30 games with a 2.21 ERA. I don't see him going anywhere. Next in line: Juan Cruz, Kyle Farnsworth.

AL West

Angels- Brian Fuentes. Didn't have the greatest season, but the Angels paid him to close, so I don't see him doing anything else. Next in line: Fernando Rodney, Kevin Jepsen.
Rangers- Frank Francisco. Francisco spent time on and off the DL in 2009 and the Rangers bolstered their bullpen by adding Chris Ray and Darren Oliver, making the closer role available to C.J. Wilson, Chris Ray, Francisco or fireballer Neftali Feliz. If the Rangers decide not to prepare Feliz to start, he could very easily become an elite closer. Next in line: Chris Ray, C.J. Wilson, Neftali Feliz.
Mariners- David Aardsma. The Mariners seem to be pushing for a playoff berth in 2010 by trading away Brandon Morrow for Brandon League and prospect Johermyn Chavez. League brings a big time GB% (which fits in with Seattle's league leading defense.) While I do think Aardsma will be the closer and will be successful, I wouldn't totally rule out a trade of one of the young, power arms in Seattle's pen. Next in line: Mark Lowe, Brandon League, Shawn Kelley, Joshua Fields.
Athletics- Andrew Bailey. The reigning AL Rookie of the Year is likely to be the closer for the A's in 2010, but that's what we thought about Brad Zeigler in 2009. I still see Bailey as the closer, however. Next in line: Brad Ziegler, Joey Devine, Michael Wuertz, John Meloan.

Twins Non-Tender Candidates

Jesse — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 02:15:37 -0000

Are there really any surprises? We'll throw in some other candidates who, while not technically non-tender candates, are still players whose rosters spots are in doubt.

	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	K	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
2009 - Brendan Harris	123	414	44	108	22	1	6	37	29	78	0	2	.261	.310	.362

Brendan's offensive projections coming into 2009 weren't unreasonable. In fact, five of the more popular oracles all had his OPS coming in between .715 and .750, and those all seemed about right considering the last couple of years he's had. Instead he turned in a .672 performance, his lowest since his rookie season in 2004. In general he walked less, hit fewer line drives and his plate discipline fell off as well. In the field, his ability to play multiple positions aside, there's no advantage to be found.

All of Minnesota's middle infielders struggled this season, but with Harris A) not under contract for 2010, B) due a significant raise in aribitration and C) with less expensive options available to fill his shoes, Brendan's future with the Twins isn't guaranteed.

	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	K	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
2009 - Brian Buscher	61	136	14	32	3	1	2	12	24	35	0	0	.235	.360	.316

Buscher's fate could be tied to any number of things, but largely his future with the Twins will boil down to what the organization wants to do with other players. If the Twins feel Luke Hughes or Daniel Valencia are ready to step in it will depend on whether they'll be happy with an inexperienced but familiar backup who can hit right-handers. In spite of the fact that he'll be due less money than Harris in 2010, their fates could be tied to each other if Minnesota brings in a veteran third baseman.

The only way both of these players return, and feel free to point out how wrong I am if I'm missing something, is if the Twins believe that a Harris/Buscher platoon at the hot corner is their best option going forward. But between the trade market for third baseman, the free agent market for third basemen and a pair of decent third base prospects due to break into the majors at any time, I have to believe their days in Minnesota are numbered.

Boof Bonser

#26 / Pitcher / Minnesota Twins

Height: 6-4

Weight: 245

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: Oct 14, 1981

He still has the best name on the roster, and personally I'd be surprised if he wasn't tendered a contract this winter, but you can certainly make a case that his status could be in doubt.

Bonser will be due arbitration in 2010.
Put that extra money on top of disappointing '07 and '08 campaigns, and a completely missed '09, and you could argue that the money going to Bonser would constitute an uneccessary risk.
The Twins have a lot of young, pre-arbitration starters available.

A lot of how you view this decision depends on your faith in Bonser's abilities going forward. He did pitch better than his numbers might indicate in '07 and especially '08, but can he consistently use his fastball/curveball combination effectively for a full season as a starter?

	W-L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	BS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP
2009 - Philip Humber	0-0	8	0	0	0	0	0	9.0	17	8	8	1	9	9	8.00	2.89

Unless this organization is seeing something I'm not seeing, I don't see a reason to hang onto Humber at this point. The fact that he's not currently on the 40-man roster works to his advantage, because it does mean that if the Twins want to keep him in Rochester next season as a little insurance they can without using up a roster spot. But for a guy who will be 27 next season, who is essentially a two-pitch pitcher and who's really struggled with his command as a general rule in the majors, I wouldn't be surprised to see him get the axe.

	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	K	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
2009 - Delmon Young	108	395	50	112	16	2	12	60	12	92	2	5	.284	.308	.425

No, no, no, no, no. A thousand times, no. I know he hasn't panned out so far but he'll still be just 24 in 2010, and maybe the Twins need to get inside his head a bit. Every morning tell him it's September. I don't know, but especially with nobody to push him next season coming up through the system there's is absolutely zero reason to even consider this.

	W-L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	BS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP
2009 - Jesse Crain	7-4	56	0	0	0	0	0	51.2	48	28	27	3	27	43	4.70	1.45

A solid end to the season hasn't stopped speculation from some that, due to the kind of money he'll get through arbitration this year, he should be considered a non-tender candidate. The bullpen is already considered to be a position of strength for the Twins in '10, with Matt Guerrier, Jon Rauch and Jose Mijares all performing well this season, Pat Neshek due to be back and ready to pitch and, of course, Joe Nathan at the end of it all.

Is $2,000,000+ too much to pay for a relief pitcher who isn't a closer? You could argue it's too much to pay a closer. But with Nathan, Guerrier and Rauch all making millions in the 'pen, is it a wise decision for this organization to spend so much in an area typically manned by less expensive players? There are options, internally as well as externally.

Personally I'm optimistic about the relief corps next season, but I still think Crain needs to stick around. If he's part of a trade, okay, I get it, but with the troubles this team had with the 'pen for most of the season I'm not above thinking that depth isn't a bad thing to had. Especially considering how Jesse pitched down the stretch. If we want the bullpen to really be a strength for the Twins in 2010, Crain should be a part of it.

	W-L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	BS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP
2009 - Glen Perkins	6-7	18	17	0	0	0	0	96.1	120	64	63	13	23	45	5.89	1.48

There's been a lot of publicized stress between Perkins and the organization over the last few months. No matter who you think is right, if anyone really is, there is strain on the relationship. If both sides decide to work through it, good for them, but I'm not sure that can happen.

Around the site it's been discussed that Perk could be part of a trade package. I think that's more likely than a non-tender, but you never know. This one is a tricky call, and a lot of it depends more on whether the two sides can kiss and make up, rather than anything financial or roster space related.

Drew Butera

#71 / Catcher / Minnesota Twins

Height: 6-1

Weight: 210

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: Aug 09, 1983

This is a reality, although it may surprise some. There are a lot of good catchers in this system, with Joe Mauer and Jose Morales sitting right at the top. Wilson Ramos is already on the 40-man roster. With Drew there's a real possibility of the Twins being able to slip him through waivers and re-sign him off the 40-man, but if the organization wants a little flexibility with their roster (which they do need) Butera might be one of the odd men out.

Jason Pridie

#11 / Center Field / Minnesota Twins

Height: 6-1

Weight: 205

Bats: L

Throws: R

Born: Oct 09, 1983

I think that facial hair is reason enough, but realistically there isn't much more you can expect from Pridie going forward. It's looking more and more like his triple-A campaign for the Rays in 2007 was indeed a fluke, as he continues to strike out without walking or really making good, consistent contact. And with younger, better performing outfielders like Rene Tosoni on their way up and deserving playing time, it would surprise me to see Pridie back in Rochester in 2010.

	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	K	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
2009 - Justin Huber	1	2	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.500	.500	.500

Justin had a fine season in Rochester, and while he's getting on a bit in age it's interesting that both Randy Ruiz and Garrett Jones (players of a similar makeup) went on to have career years with the Blue Jays and Pirates respectively. Huber is capable of that kind of production if we're looking at his minor league numbers. But it's unlikely a player of his limited defensive skills would be able to find regular playing time with the Twins, and no doubt a guy like Erik Lis is due a promotion to Rochester.

There is space in the majors for players like Huber, but it has to be with the right club who can afford him a roster spot. He's not a bad insurance policy, the kind of guy you can look at and say "okay, maybe", but I'm not sure this is the right organization for him.

What are your thoughts?

The Bottom Line: Twins Struggle to Hold Leads VS Yankees

Jesse — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 03:04:47 -0000

More photos » by Charlie Neibergall - AP

2 months ago: Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Carl Pavano throws during the first inning of Game 3 of the American League division baseball series against the New York Yankees on Sunday, Oct. 11, 2009, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

Browse more photos »

Twins 1, Yankees 4

Every game of this series saw the Twins take a lead. In game one it was 2-0. In game two it was 1-0...and then 3-1. Tonight it was 1-0, again. And with the exception of game one, which was all Yankees all the time after the top of the third inning, games two and three could have been won by the Twins if only they could lock it down.

Nick Blackburn pitched very well in game two. And back home, Carl Pavano pitched an absolute gem in game three. Pavano struck out nine Yankee hitters in seven innings, walked nobody and allowed just five hits. Sadly, two of those hits came in the top of the seventh, when Alex Rodriguez and Jorge Posada each went deep.

Ron Mahay, Jon Rauch and Jose Mijares each walked a batter in the ninth, loading the bases for Joe Nathan with just one out. Nick Punto ignored a stop sign and was thrown out as he tried to dive back to third base. Jason Kubel upped his strikeout total to nine in the series. It's hard not to be a little bitter right now, to not have a sour taste in your mouth, but if you're looking to point a finger for the outcome of this series it can only be pointed at the team we love. And somehow, that makes it even worse.

It was a spectacular season. And that's all I'm going to say for tonight. No analysis, no name-calling, no wallowing in misery. The Minnesota Twins are the AL Central Division champions, and they played their tails off to earn that title. But the fact that I feel like I do only goes to show me how much this team means to me, and I already know that by tomorrow morning I'll be looking forward to the off-season, with the hope that next year...next year...might be the season we finally bring home the World Series trophy.

Congratulations to the New York Yankees, who advance to the ALCS. They made the plays they needed to make, and they took advantage of every single mistake the Twins made in this series. Which is exactly what you expect a championship-caliber team to do, big market or small markeet. Or mid-market, in Minnesota's case.

Thanks for a great season, everybody. I'll see you tomorrow.

Stars of the Game
Joe Mauer: Playing the role of MVP, Joe picked up the Twins' lone RBI of the night.
Denard Span: Two hits for the leadoff guy, along with a stolen base. Solid night.
Michael Cuddyer: A pair of hits for Cuddles, who also had a strong night.
Matt Guerrier: A big scoreless eighth inning.
Carl Pavano: Seven innings of fantastic ball, it was the best I've seen him all year. I definitely would like to see him back next season.

Tears
Nick Punto: After starting a rally with a leadoff double in the eighth, he ran through a stop sign from Scott Ulger on Span's chopper up the middle. It killed a rally the team desperately needed.
Brendan Harris: Hitless in big spots tonight.
Jose Morales: Looked overmatched at times; still looking forward to seeing him as Joe's backup next season.
Jason Kubel: Overmatched at all times. Nine strikeouts in the series with three more tonight. Extremely disappointing, sorry Patches.
Ron Mahay, Jon Rauch, Jose Mijares: Walking the bases loaded, with the team on the ropes. It doesn't get any worse than that, it really doesn't.

Respect
Alex Rodrigez: I hate the fact that you're such a great ballplayer. I liked him before he came to New York. Like a lot of players.
Andy Pettitte: Pitched a great game. One of the all-time great post-season pitchers.
Mariano Rivera: Continues to amaze, even at this point of his career. His buzz-saw of Mauer to end the Minnesota threat in the eighth was sick.

Poll

Where does your allegience lie for the ALCS?

New York Yankees

139 votes

Los Angeles Angels

274 votes

Actually, a team from the NL

92 votes

505 votes | Poll has closed

Twins Have Won 10 of 11: Who's Hot?

Jesse — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 14:06:38 -0000

More photos » by Jim Mone - AP

Browse more photos »

Let's run it down.

Michael Cuddyer, of course: .391/.404/.848 (no, that's not his OPS, that's his slugging percentage) with six homers and 18 RBI. 18, I hear you ask? 18.
Delmon Young's been playing regularly, and has collected multi-hit days six times over these 11 games. He's batting .349/.370/.558. He's even walked twice!
Denard Span has missed a couple games, but returned last night and picked up a pair of hits and an intentional base-on-balls. His OBP in this span is .375, which is actually below his season line but still just find for a leadoff hitter.
Nick Punto continues to hit well with an average of .294 and an OBP of .429. With a season OBP of .332, he currently is on base at a higher rate than any other middle infielder on the team. By a significant margin.
Orlando Cabrera has started hitting again, picking up a pair of big home runs. He's hitting .295/.347/.523.
In spite of going hitless last night, Jose Morales continues to look good at the plate and has appeared in seven games, with a .300/.400/.400 triple slash.
Am I forgetting anyone? Any hitters? Any hitters who are about to win their third batting title in four year? Oh yeah, Joe Mauer and his .457/.596/.686 line! Joe's picked up 16 hits, including a pair of doubles and a pair of homers, as well as 12 (TWELVE) walks. Add to that four intentional base-on-balls. And one strikeout.
Nick Blackburn has contributed 13.1 innings of two-run ball.
Carl Pavano hasn't been great, but has been good enough over three starts: 19 IP, 4.26 ERA. Not great, but the Twins have still won all three contests.
The Twins have also won all three of Brian Duensing's starts. Two shutout starts where the opposition couldn't score over 13.1 innings, and then a third that wasn't nearly as impressive.
Jesse Crain has strung together six consecutive scoreless appearances (although it's now been over a month since Crain has been charged with a run).
Just one run against Jose Mijares in seven appearances.
Five innings and six appearances under Matt Guerrier's belt have garnered opponents just one run.
How about the big man, Jon Rauch? Five scoreless appearances.
Joe Nathan has retired nine on strikes over 6.2 innings, giving up one run.

Lots of contributors over the last string of days, and it's been mucho exciting. Tonight we get to see the boys do it all over again.

Minnesota Twins 2010 Roster & Payroll (Part II)

Jesse — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 22:48:55 -0000

Thanks for some fantastic coversation on Tuesday! Milt on Tilt, Eric In Madison, Seth Speaks, clutterheart, Fetch9, ajmargarine and everyone else who contributed made for a great discussion, helped clarify some things while running some good back-and-forth over dollars and stats.

We'll start where we left off, which was discussing how internal options would help flesh out the depth chart. All players who aren't either under contract or arbitration-eligible (serfs) will be in italics. Serfs, simply because of how much they're being paid, their options and their experience, are the easiest players to theoretically replace with free agents. Some players will be listed on the depth chart at more than one position, but we should see pretty quickly which positions have talent and depth, and which positions have flexibility but not necessarily reliability.

Catcher: Joe Mauer, Jose Morales
First Base: Justin Morneau, Michael Cuddyer
Second Base: Nick Punto, Brendan Harris, Alexi Casilla, Matt Tolbert, Steven Tolleson
Third Base: Brian Buscher, Brendan Harris, Matt Tolbert, Nick Punto, Daniel Valencia, Luke Hughes
Shortstop: Nick Punto, Brendan Harris, Matt Tolbert, Trevor Plouffe
Left Field: Denard Span, Delmon Young, Jason Kubel
Center Field: Carlos Gomez, Denard Span
Right Field: Michael Cuddyer, Denard Span, Jason Kubel
Designated Hitter: Jason Kubel

Starting Pitcher: Scott Baker, Kevin Slowey, Nick Blackburn, Brian Duensing, Francisco Liriano, Glen Perkins, Anthony Swarzak, Boof Bonser
Relief Pitcher: Joe Nathan, Matt Guerrier, Jose Mijares, Jon Rauch, Jesse Crain, Pat Neshek, Brian Duensing, Glen Perkins, Boof Bonser, Francisco Liriano

You can make an argument for another player or two being on this list somewhere, but realistically if the Twins went into next season without picking up a single free agent, this would be the essential core of players. From this group you'd need to choose 25 players.

Before we get our estimated payroll figure for those 25, we have to update our estimates for what our nine arbitration-eligible players could be worth next year. 117 comments from Tuesday's post, and using a healthy cross-section of responses as guidelines we'll alter our estimates to the following.

Player	Original Estimate	Updated Estimate
Boof Bonser	$500,000	$900,000
Carlos Gomez	$600,000	$1,000,000
Brendan Harris	$600,000	$1,100,000
Francisco Liriano	$550,000	$1,500,000
Pat Neshek	$500,000	$700,000
Glen Perkins	$550,000	$900,000
Delmon Young	$1,750,000	$1,750,000
Jesse Crain	$2,300,000	$2,300,000
Matt Guerrier	$2,100,000	$2,600,000
Totals	$9,450,000	$12,750,000

We've added $3.3 million dollars in arbitration raises. Add this new total to the committed $62,267,000 and your contractual and arbitration players are making an estimated $75,017,000. Add another eight players at the major league minimum plus a little change, and right now I have to believe that without adding a single free agent the Twins will go to Opening Day with a minimum of $78.5 million dollars. We'll call it an even $80, just in case I've been too conservative in any estimates.

That would constitute a $15 million dollar bump from Opening Day 2009, and it's far and away a franchise record. But what will the front office's limit be for spending this off-season? Will they be allowed to add another $5 million? $10 million? Some on this site have speculated the organization could go so far as to raise payroll to $100,000, even before the team has played a game in its new stadium. I tend to this that's pretty high. I also think this team will be hesitant to reach to $90 million, if only because it's so far removed from any ceiling this club has ever seen.

For now, today, until we hear something different we'll just throw out the number of $87,000,000. Some will think that's too high and a lot will think it's too low, but it's a fair number.

One look at the above depth chart and it's pretty easy to point a finger, run it across a few names and say Okay, So This Is Where We Should Start. Those places, in no particular order, should be starting pitching, shortstop, third base and second base. Check here for a current list of potential free agents, but here's a list of players who could potentially cost $7 million or less per season.

Starting Pitchers: Erik Bedard, Daniel Cabrera, Doug Davis, Josh Fogg, Jason Marquis, Brett Myers, Vincente Padilla, Carl Pavano, Brad Penny, Mark Prior, Jarrod Washburn, Randy Wolf

I purposely left a few names off this list, but this is still fairly exhaustive. Which one of these guys, if any, would constitute enough value for the Twins to shell out millions of dollars with the hope that their additional wins would be worth the value over in-house, cheaper, more familiar options? If you only have $7 million to spend, are you willing to blow it all on one veteran starter? Or maybe the gambling type, and would bring in Prior on a one-year, incentive laden deal? Hell, he'll only be 28.

Third Base: Adrian Beltre, Joe Crede, Bobby Crosby, Mark DeRosa, Nomar Garciaparra, Troy Glaus, Miguel Tejada, Juan Uribe

See anyone you like here? Crede likes it in Minneapolis, would he take another incentive-laden deal based on plate appearances or games played? Or does your gamber's mentality take you to Glaus?

Second Base: Ronnie Belliard, Jamey Carroll, Mark DeRosa, Jerry Hairston Jr, Adam Kennedy, Placido Polanco

Carroll is having a good season for a bad ballclub. Belliard is awful. Do you like DeRosa's versatility enough to pay your entire $7 million stipend? Because he'll come at a cost. Polanco's got a big head, so that's fun.

Shortstop: Orlando Cabrera, Alex Cora, Bobby Crosby, Adam Everett, Khalil Greene, Marco Scutaro, Miguel Tejada, Omar Vizquel

The reality is that no matter where you look in these four positional categories, a vast majority of what you see are either retreads trying to make a comeback, older guys hanging on, younger(ish) players who really aren't very good or other warts-ridden profiles. Keep in mind that this is a list of guys who could make $7 million or less per season, but even those who could make more than that aren't all that great. The few diamonds in the rough will be snatched up, quickly, and will likely be overpaid due to simple economics. So long, Jamey Carroll.

It's not a good free agent class, but in some ways this organization doesn't have a choice going into next season. Not signing a free agent will seem, to the masses (ignorant or not), like just another "stingy" move by a "stingy" front office, although there's been nothing stingy about this organization for years. It's a new stadium being filled with a handful of star players, and the public will expect the Twins to make a splash. Right or wrong.

How would you handle it? It's a complicated decision, and for a team that has more than its share of needs there won't be endless millions to throw around. Unless, of course, you want to make trades or cuts...but that's another story for another day.

I'll leave you to ponder for the time being, on the final off-day for the Twins as we head into the season's final trio of series. Let's enjoy some fall baseball tonight, cheer on the Indians, and I'll see you tomorrow.

Twins Get to Justin Verlander In the 8th, Continue to Close Gap

Jesse — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 23:47:00 -0000

More photos » by Ann Heisenfelt - AP

Dear Brandon Lyon, BOOM! Love, Cuddles

Browse more photos »

Twins 6, Tigers 2

I was at a friend's birthday party most of tonight's game. Of course that didn't stop me from checking my phone every 20 minutes, which might make me sad if you weren't to understand exactly how pivotal this series is.

BOT 1, 2 OUT - Joe Mauer homers to right field (1-1)

WOO HOO! I turn to my (very British) friends: "Joe Mauer just homered. He's unbelieveable!"

I get blank stares in return. Which is pretty much how it went every other time I went to my phone. (Just saw the replay, by the way, and did he just TURN on that sucker or what? Upper deck! It's nice to see Joe display this kind of power when he has to turn on an inside fastball, instead of "simply" going the other way and muscling it over the left field fence.)

So when I walked in the door tonight and turned the game on in the bottom of the eighth, still expecting the Twins to be down 2-1, you can imagine my surprise when out of nowhere we were up 3-2. I'd missed Denard Span's single and Orlando Cabrera's run-scoring double, and I'd also missed Jason Kubel's RBI single.

I didn't miss Michael Cuddyer's three-run homer. My neighbors may always wonder what the crazy American was screaming about at 11:40pm on a Saturday night.

That five-run eighth inning was like the proverbial sucker punch to the Tigers' gut, and it knocked the wind out of them. Placido Polanco would manage a double with two out in the top of the ninth, but there was nothing threatening about it. As far as anyone was concerned, this game was over.

Justin Verlander pitched well after giving up a solo shot to Mauer in the first inning, holding the Twins scoreless as he pitched into the eighth. While he only managed a single 1-2-3 inning this afternoon, a delicate mix of strikeouts, caught stealings and some reliable defense kept the Twins from capitalizing on what can only be described as ample run-scoring opportunities. Minnesota had managed at least one base runner in every inning bar the fourth, but nothing came across. Until the bottom of the eighth.

Verlander struck out Nick Punto to lead off the inning, bringing his pitch count to 111. His fastball had been averaging about 97 mph on the night, ranging in speeds from 93 to 99. He was locked in.

Then he threw one down the pipe to Span, who lined it into left for a single. After fighting off numerous 98 and 99 mph fastballs, Orlando Cabrera took the ninth consecutive fastball he saw and drove it to left for a double (apparently some thanks due here to the Dome), moving Span up to third. Mauer? IBB.

With his back against the wall and with 125 pitches under his belt, Verlander reared back and proceeded to throw the three hardest fastballs he'd thrown all night: 100 mph, 100 mph, 101 mph. Kubel watched the first flail wide of its mark, fouled off the second pitch that could have been ball two and then got just enough of number three to get it to fall in for a hit. Two runs scored to give Minnesota their first lead of the night.

Brandon Lyon came on in relief of Verlander, who was victimized by the one big inning again, and proceeded to put the nail in Detroit's coffin. Cuddyer was dealt a pair of sliders high in the zone before Lyon tried to tempt him with a high fastball, and Cuddles got it all. BOOM. And the crowd goes wild...

Cuddyer's 28th ties him for second place on the team with Mauer, and the three-run blast brought the game to its final score. Jesse Crain's eighth was perfect, and Jose Mijares and Matt Guerrier shut the door in the ninth.

Minnesota has shown some big balls these last two games, and are now the proud owners of a season-long six-game winning streak. Carl Pavano was terrific, again, putting together his sixth consecutive quality start. He got a lot of help, especially with a big double play to end the bases-loaded threat in the fifth, but he's the one who induced the ground ball. This is fun baseball right now, and if indeed the Twins are peaking they could not have picked a better time.

Heroes
#5: Denard Span: Another multi-hit day, in spite of being caught on the bases, gets you a star; timing is everything.
#4: Joe Mauer: Batting title number three is already addressed and ready for shipment.
#3: Michael Cuddyer: How much better can a guy be when you need him to be?
#2: Jason Kubel: The two-run single off of Verlander's hardest fastballs of the night? The winner. Priceless.
#1: Carl Pavano: The Twins needed a chance, and he gave it to them. Seven strong innings, just a pair of runs off 11 hits and no walks.
And of course, thanks to the Dome, without whom silly things will not happen so often in the future.

Twins Sweep Indians, Cuddyer Shows Off

Jesse — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 22:23:04 -0000

More photos » by Ann Heisenfelt - AP

Minnesota Twins' Joe Mauer pwns Cleveland Indians pitcher Aaron Laffey during the fourth inning of a baseball game in Minneapolis, on Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2009. (AP Photo/Ann Heisenfelt)

Browse more photos »

Twins 7, Indians 3

For most of the game, this wasn't even a close contest. What the Twins were't hitting hard, the Indians couldn't field, and for anyone that reached base off Nick Blackburn, well, Nick had the answer. He blanked Cleveland for six innings before getting into a bit of trouble in the seventh.

He'd only thrown 80 pitches as he climbed the mound for the top of the seventh, but it didn't take long for the Indians to climb back into what had looked like a done deal. Travis Hafner's leadoff double was followed by a first-pitch homer by Matt LaPorta, cutting the score to 5-2. A hard-hit flyball preceeded another Indians hit, and Blackburn was pulled. Jose Mijares put out the fire like he has countless times this season, and Cleveland would never get any closer.

Delmon Young was the only Minnesota starter to not reach base today, with a number of guys picking up multi-hit days. Matt Tolbert laid down a beautiful bunt single in the second inning before adding a double in the fifth. Jose Morales continues to look great at the dish, laying some wood on a pair of doubles off Aaron Laffey. Denard Span picked up a pair of singles, Joe Mauer continues to pull away for the AL biting title thanks in no small part to a bases-loaded single, and Michael Cuddyer? Well, Cuddyer continues to be Minnesota's leader. On and off the field.

Cuddles picked up a trio of hits today, including an RBI single to lead off the day's scoring, a solo homer in the fifth and a run-scoring double in the seventh that helped erase the two runs Cleveland scored in the top half of the inning. Now hitting .274/.337/.511 on the season, this is the kind of offense the Twins will find even more invaluable now that they're Morneau-less the rest of the way this year.

It was interesting in the final third of the game. After Cleveland brought the score to 5-2 only to be turned away in the bottom of the inning by the Minnesota offense, they didn't go quietly. Jesse Crain allowed a run in the top of the eighth after Mijares tasted trouble, before Matt Guerrier put out another fire. The following inning he got into trouble himself, unable to put Cleveland away with a big lead. He allowed a pair of singles and a ground out before Joe Nathan was called upon for the fourth consecutive game.

Shin-Soo Choo and Jhonny Peralta struck out to end the game quickly, with Peralta looking particularly horrible. Blackburn was good before Mijares bailed him out. Mijares was good before Crain...well...before Guerrier bailed them both out. And Guerrier was good before Nathan bailed him out for his 41st save. So that was fun.

The Twins won again, for the fourth consecutive time. It momentarily pulls the them within four games of the Tigers, but that will again chance by the time the calendar turns. With any luck Minnesota could be 3.5 games down tomorrow, which is an off day for the Twins. If the Royals are extremely generous and win on Thursday, it could be three.

Or it could be five. We'll see.

This was a big series for a team that seems eternally on the brink. Beating teams you're supposed to beat is always a good thing.

Stars
#3: Nick Blackburn (6.1 IP, 2 R, 3 K, 0 BB, 8 H, .199 WPA)
#2: Joe Mauer (2-for-3, BB, 2 RBI, R, .137 WPA)
#1: Michael Cuddyer (3-for-4, HR, 2B, 3 RBI, 2 R, .109 WPA)

Twins 5, Indians 4

cmathewson — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 06:34:22 -0000

More photos » by Paul Battaglia - AP

3 months ago: Minnesota Twins' Orlando Cabrera swings on a solo home run off Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Fausto Carmona during the fifth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2009, in Minneapolis. AP Photo/Paul Battaglia)

Browse more photos »

From Section 127, row 8 (four rows from the screen behind the right handed batters box).

The Minnesota Twins rallied to beat the Cleveland Indians with the unlikely help of middle infielders Nick Punto and Orlando Cabrera Tuesday night at the Metrodome.

The Twins have struggled offensively up the middle most of this season. So it came as some surprise that Cabrera and Punto were in the middle of much of the offense on this night. Punto was 3-4 with a double and two RBI. Cabrera was 2-4 with a homer. Joe Mauer added an RBI single to a two-hit night that saw his league leading average climb to .373--a commanding 19-point lead over Ichiro Suzuki with 17 games to play.

Mauer opened the scoring in the first with a single that knocked in Denard Span. But Fausto Carmona kept the Twins from scoring while allowing them to reach base 12 times in 5 and 1/3 messy innings of work. Perhaps a better way of putting it is that the Twins failed to eat the RBI steaks set in front of them on the grill. Denard Span, Jason Kubel and Michael Cuddyer each left four runners on base, while Brian Buscher left three.

Scott Baker started and pitched brilliantly until the fourth, when he had his typical one bad inning of the night: A three-run affair in which the hard-hit balls that were otherwise caught throughout the evening found holes. The lone exception was Travis Haffner's booming double over the head of Kubel in right, which could not have been caught by any right fielder shorter than 10 feet tall and slower than a 4.3 40. Still, Baker fell into the familiar trap of coming in with hittable strikes when ahead in the count, and, as Bert likes to say, "they did not miss them". Fortunately for the Twins, it was the only inning in which he struggled, finishing with 5 1/3 quality innings and giving the Twins a chance to come back.

Cabrera started the come back in the fifth with a no-doubt homer into the bleachers in left. Nick Punto drove in the eventual winning run in the sixth after a Delmon Young double and a, Brian Buscher single.

The Twins bullpen did just enough to preserve the victory. Ron Mahay relieved Baker with one on and one out in the sixth and promptly got ahead of Hafner 0-2 before Pronk leaned into a slider to get nicked on the elbow, earning first base the Ernie Pantusso way. Gardy brought in Jon Rauch, who induced a double-play grounder to end the threat.

Jose Mijares and Matt Guerrier we most impressive. But once again, Joe Nathan had the old timers in my section reaching for their nitro after surrendering a homer to Matt LaPorta homered and Trevor Crowe walked. But Nathan induced Michael Brantley on a deep fly to Young in left to preserve the victory.

It was a memorable end to my Twins baseball watching at the Dome. What struck me about our seats was how many guys got the fat part of the bat on the ball and how many of those liners turned into outs.

Studs

Orlando Cabrera: His homer really woke up the Twins. Plus he made a nice catch on a Texas leaguer in the ninth to ultimately preserve the victory.

Nick Punto: I've never seen Punto on so many balls. He seems hot right now. Good thing he didn't slide into first on a grounder to third late in the game. The throw forced Andy Marte to leap for the ball and he would have landed on some vital body part of Punto's had Nicky Poo decided to do his patented belly flop. He also made a nice defensive play in the eight to keep the double play in order.

Joe Mauer: 2-3 with another BB. His only non-hit was a smash that second baseman Jamie Carrol made a nice play on to rob him of his 18th 3-hit game of the season. I guess he'll have to get that tomorrow. Update: Mauer is good.

Jose Mijares: One batter. Three pitches. One K. Brantley had no chance.

Matt Guerrier: Not a spotless eighth, but he held serve. I was most impressed when he man handled Hafner for the third out with two runners on and Francisco Liriano warming up in the pen.

Duds

Jason Kubel: With Justin Morneau and Joe Crede out for the year, somebody needs to step up in the middle of the order.

Michael Cuddyer: See the last note. He did make some nice plays at first though.

Twins 6, Blue Jays 3: Smallball, bullpen help Minnesota upend Toronto

Jon Marthaler — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 20:06:40 -0000

by Darren Calabrese - AP

Get it? "Upend"?

View full size photo »

This season, the Twins have been much more dependent on the home run. For much of the middle of the season, it seemed that if nobody in the batting order hit a three-run homer, the team couldn't score.

Monday afternoon in Toronto, though, Minnesota returned - at least for one inning - to its small-ball ways. Denard Span walked to lead off the game, and that pass was followed by five consecutive hits. Joe Mauer drove in two runs with a single, following Nick Punto's heads-up play to take second after a single sent the outfield throw to third to try to nab Span. Justin Morneau followed with an RBI single to drive home Mauer (killing an 0-19 stretch), Jason Kubel whacked a double to put two runners on, and Michael Cuddyer ended an 0-16 slump with a single that drove in Morneau.

When the dust had cleared (and Delmon Young had driven home Kubel with a groundout), the Twins led 5-0 before Toronto ever came to the plate.

Jeff Manship, given the big lead, struggled to mow through the Jays' hitters. The rookie had to throw 104 pitches just to get into the fifth inning, and after he'd given up a homer, a double, and a single, his day finished short of the five innings required to get the win. Minnesota's bullpen, however, ensured that while Manship would go winless, the team would not.

Bobby Keppel allowed an infield hit to the first batter he faced, but that was all the Jays would get. Keppel (two outs), Ron Mahay (two outs), Jesse Crain (four outs, including three strikeouts) and Matt Guerrier (three outs on just seven pitches) combined to retire the next 11 Jays batters and hand the game over to Joe Nathan, who closed out the save in 1-2-3 fashion. That's fourteen straight batters retired to finish the game. Nice work, bullpen.

The Twins' three stars for Labor Day:

3. Jesse Crain
Retired four consecutive batters, three of them on strikeouts, to bridge the gap between middle relief and the Twins endgame.

2. Joe Mauer
3-5 on the day, increasing his league-leading batting average to .369 and driving in two runs.

1. Jason Kubel
Laced a pair of doubles, the first of which drove in a run.

Twins vs Blue Jays coverage

Joe Nathan Blows the Sweep

Jesse — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 20:14:07 -0000

More photos » by Ann Heisenfelt - AP

3 months ago: Minnesota Twins relief pitcher Joe Nathan sits in the dugout after he was replaced by Matt Guerrier during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox in Minneapolis, Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2009. Nathan gave up back-to-back home runs with two outs in the ninth inning in the Twins 4-2 loss. (AP Photo/Ann Heisenfelt)

Browse more photos »

Two outs, two strikes. Twice.

Somehow, knowing that the Twins won the series doesn't make me feel any better. In fact, I feel sick. I was ready to write headlines like "Twins Eliminate Sox" or "Punto Wins Game With Head-First Slide Into First Base" or "Twins Say Goodbye To Sox In Style". But NO.

For seven innings Brian Duensing was brilliant. He retired seven on stikes and allowed just ~~four~~ five hits, walking two. Nobody scored. The double plays came at the right time, the strikeouts were huge, and as good as Mark Buehrle was, Duensing was just better. Even when Michael Cuddyer made a catch against the baggy and the umpires played Make Believe, pretending to have seen the ball hit the wall, Brian was able to cowboy up, settle in and retire the White Sox without surrendering a run in a four-out inning.

Buehrle cruised for a while, blowing through five innings and picking up steam before the Twins got to him in the sixth. Jason Kubel picked up a pair of hits off Buehrle tonight, the biggest coming with two outs and the bases loaded in said frame to score Denard Span and Joe Mauer and give the Twins their 2-0 lead. And for a short time, it looked like that would be it.

Fast-forward through a third double play turned against the Sox and Jason Kubel throwing Carlos Quentin out as he tried to stretch a single into a double, through Jon Rauch and another double play, through Joe Mauer (did he stare down Randy "Oops that fastball got away from me" Williams?) getting plunked, through Mark Kotsay and Scott Podsednik (wow did he suck tonight, is anyone surprised?) in the ninth inning.

With two outs, Nathan worked ahead of Gordon friggin' Beckham 0-2 before throwing three consecutive balls and then watching an inside fastball somehow end up in the home run porch. Paul Konerko also saw a two-strike count as Nathan was clearly struggling, and on pitch number seven of the at-bat Nathan's slider ended up about two feet higher than Span could jump in left field. Tie game.

Fast-forward through Jermaine Dye and Quentin walking and Nathan getting pulled. Fast-forward through Alexei Ramirez and his single, through Span's good throw and Mike Redmond being unable to A) block the plate and B) hold onto the ball, through a wild pitch (passed ball?) that got by Redmond. 4-2 Sox, all runs coming with two out, the first three runs coming with two strikes.

I take no joy in the fact that the Sox are still dead in the water, and it's of little comfort that the Twins took two of three. It was the last time the Twins and White Sox would face off in the Dome, the sweep was ours for the taking, and it was blown by the guy who is arguably the best closer in the game.

Here's hoping the Indians can do us a solid and take out the Tigers tonight. After today's game, we could use a favor. Well, another favor.

Stars of the Game
#3: Denard Span (3-for-4, R, .040 WPA)
#2: Jason Kubel (2-for-3, 2 RBI, .257 WPA)
#1: Brian Duensing (7 IP, 4 5 H, 7 K, 2 BB, 0 R, .436 WPA)

Teeth Gnashig and Shredding of Clothes
#1: Joe Nathan (0.2 IP, 2 H, 2 HR, 2 BB, 4 R, 1 K, -.396 WPA)
#2: Matt Guerrier (0.1 IP, 1 H, -.429 WPA)
#3: Mike Redmond (0-for-3, ~~passed ball~~, dropped ball on play at the plate)