Minnesota 8, Kansas City 1
Boof Bonser (7-5, 4.15 ERA) pitched 6.2 outstanding innings, earning his 7th win of the year and giving the Twins their 93rd and more importantly, a play off berth. Boof hurled that nasty curveball with the confidence we have seen a lot of lately from the young starter, allowing only 1 run on 2 hits, walking two batters and striking out five. It was nine up, nine down to start the game for Bonser. With a walk in the fourth and a double in the fifth, Kansas City remained scoreless until Angel Berroa homered in the sixth.
The Twins gave Boof an early lead in the first after Luis Castillo (0 for 3, 2 BB) walked, Nick Punto (3 for 5, RBI) singled and Joe Mauer (2 for 3, RBI, 2 BB) lined a base hit to left that brought the speedy Castillo home.
In the fourth, Torii Hunter (2 for 4, 2 RBI) doubled then stole third with Phil Nevin (0 for 3, BB) at the plate, who drew a walk. Then, Jason Tyner (2 for 4, RBI) stepped in and scorched a liner to left that scored Hunter.
Jorge De La Rosa (L 5-6, 6.69 ERA) was replaced in the fifth by Zack Greinke (8.10 ERA) after giving up 2 runs on 5 hits, walking six batters and striking out five. Greinke gave up a run in the sixth off a Punto single with two down after a Tyner lead-off base hit. Justin Morneau (2 for 4, 3 RBI) started the seventh inning with a line drive single to right before Torii crushed his 30th homerun of the year, a new career high. Hunter became the second Twin this year to reach the elusive 30 home run mark after a nineteen-year drought between Harmon Killebrew and Morneau. Congrats Torii! Did anyone see the girl that caught the home run ball? Man, she was pumped!
Dennys Reyes (0.91 ERA) got Shane Costa to pop out on one pitch to finish the seventh and Pat Neshek (2.31 ERA) pitched a perfect eighth before the Twins added three more in the bottom half off Jimmy Gobble Gobble (5.29 ERA) to polish off the scoring. With two outs, Mauer hit an infield single to beat out the throw to Gobble at first, before Michael Cuddyer (1 for 5) grounded to center bringing Joe to third and advancing to second on a throwing error by center fielder Joey Gathright. The Canadian Crusher then belted his 34th bomb of the year, bringing the score to 8-1 Minnesota and pretty much securing the win, clinching a much-anticipated playoff berth. With Automatic Joe on the hill for a 1-2-3 ninth, they put it in writing and our boys were off to the clubhouse to celebrate.
The Twins gave Boof an early lead in the first after Luis Castillo (0 for 3, 2 BB) walked, Nick Punto (3 for 5, RBI) singled and Joe Mauer (2 for 3, RBI, 2 BB) lined a base hit to left that brought the speedy Castillo home.
In the fourth, Torii Hunter (2 for 4, 2 RBI) doubled then stole third with Phil Nevin (0 for 3, BB) at the plate, who drew a walk. Then, Jason Tyner (2 for 4, RBI) stepped in and scorched a liner to left that scored Hunter.Jorge De La Rosa (L 5-6, 6.69 ERA) was replaced in the fifth by Zack Greinke (8.10 ERA) after giving up 2 runs on 5 hits, walking six batters and striking out five. Greinke gave up a run in the sixth off a Punto single with two down after a Tyner lead-off base hit. Justin Morneau (2 for 4, 3 RBI) started the seventh inning with a line drive single to right before Torii crushed his 30th homerun of the year, a new career high. Hunter became the second Twin this year to reach the elusive 30 home run mark after a nineteen-year drought between Harmon Killebrew and Morneau. Congrats Torii! Did anyone see the girl that caught the home run ball? Man, she was pumped!
Dennys Reyes (0.91 ERA) got Shane Costa to pop out on one pitch to finish the seventh and Pat Neshek (2.31 ERA) pitched a perfect eighth before the Twins added three more in the bottom half off Jimmy Gobble Gobble (5.29 ERA) to polish off the scoring. With two outs, Mauer hit an infield single to beat out the throw to Gobble at first, before Michael Cuddyer (1 for 5) grounded to center bringing Joe to third and advancing to second on a throwing error by center fielder Joey Gathright. The Canadian Crusher then belted his 34th bomb of the year, bringing the score to 8-1 Minnesota and pretty much securing the win, clinching a much-anticipated playoff berth. With Automatic Joe on the hill for a 1-2-3 ninth, they put it in writing and our boys were off to the clubhouse to celebrate.
VS. 
Johan Santana (18-6, 2.79 ERA) will take the hill Tuesday for the Twins, looking for his 19th win facing Odalis Perez (6-8, 6.06) and the Royals in the second of this four game series at the Dome. Johan has had a difficult time getting his 19th W, just not quite pitching like the normal post-All-Star-break powerhouse he has been in the past for the ball club.
Twins clinch 2006 playoff berth
The Twins indeed have their eyes on only the Division now, trailing the Tigers by one game. Detroit will begin a three game series against Toronto on Tuesday before a set with Kansas City to end the season. Meanwhile, Minnesota will finish the KC Series and welcome the (no-longer defending) former World Series Champs of South Side Chicago into the Metrodome for the last time this year.
Batting Title Race: Hometown boy Joe Mauer widened the gap between him and two star Yankee players going 2 for 3 with 2 walks and raising his batting average to .349 for the season on Monday night. Robinson Cano (who is only a couple more at bats away of qualifying for the batting race) went 2 for 4, hitting .341 during the Yankee's 16-1 pounding of the Devil Rays, while Derek Jeter also had a 2 for 4 night, batting .339 on the year.
Batting Title Race: Hometown boy Joe Mauer widened the gap between him and two star Yankee players going 2 for 3 with 2 walks and raising his batting average to .349 for the season on Monday night. Robinson Cano (who is only a couple more at bats away of qualifying for the batting race) went 2 for 4, hitting .341 during the Yankee's 16-1 pounding of the Devil Rays, while Derek Jeter also had a 2 for 4 night, batting .339 on the year.
MVP Action for Monday, September 25th...
Justin Morneau: 2 for 4 | .323 avg | 129 RBI | 34 HR
Johan Santana: 18-6 | 2.79 ERA | 240 K | 225.2 IP
Derek Jeter: 2 for 4 | .339 avg | 96 RBI | 14 HR
That's right Big Papi and Jermaine Dye. You're off my list. Welcome to Babes That Love Baseball's MVP Race, Johan K. Santana. You've made the list mainly because there's no one you haven't struck out, you're without a doubt winning the Cy Young Award this year and you've been a leader with dominant pitching, giving the Twins a chance to win everytime you step foot on the mound. Anyone actually know why Derek Jeter is being considered? I understood Ortiz's numbers were the factor for him, but that can't possibly be the case for #2. The only possible explanation I can come up with is that every writer with an MVP vote has a man crush on him.[Go Twins.]
5 comments:
I'll be honest. I was so excited last night that homework wasn't even an option. I spent my night chatting in ALL CAPS. So proud of our team, so happy for our team. UNBELIEVABLE. No other way to put it. (Oh and in one picture I saw of them celebrating, the back of a shirt had Little Pirahnas on it. It was way cool!)
And as for the MVP race... hearing the Twins players gather around Morneau and chant "M-V-P M-V-P" makes me smile beyond belief. This group is so tight and so close and so full of passion.
And I heard this somewhere:
Ortiz has the power, Jeter has the average, and Morneau has both. But oh, I don't disagree one bit about Johan Santana deserving it. He was our team. Therefor, I could live with Santana and Morneau as co-MVPs. :)
Dear Megan,
For the Twins to have two options at MVP, a potential batting champ and a Cy Young Award winner during one season is more than fans could have hoped for. I'm psyched.
Dear Anonymous,
Way to remain unknown so I don't find out what a retard you are in real life, Mr. Man Crush.
Love,
Suzy (who wouldn't "make love" to #2 with a stolen box)
p.s. aren't the twins .500 against the 'yanks' this season? yeah, thought so. there was no "owning" of any losers.
Nice blog.
Do you go to WSU?
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