JN

[ziggy]

Santana pitched good, Rincon and Nathan were solid.  It was great they were able to limit him to 7 innings.  No doubt he can pitch again in game 4, for sure game 5.  

Tori Hunter just like you said, Defense!!!

Guzman on D was huge, which is really his big contribution.

Jones hitting a dinger was nice for him.

I think Radke will do OK.  I think he is better than Lieber.  If they go up 2 and head home stick a fork in the Yanks.

[ziggy]

Jacque, Jacque, Jacque, what kind of a throw was that.  The game is on the line dude, you have to get set for the throw, and gas it out.  Having that throw cutoff will never work.
Tough loss, I really thought they had the game won.  Keeping Nathan in was the right call, especially with 4 straight righties.  To bad he couldn't hold it.  

[Reality]

zig do not concur at all.  Walking both the tying and go ahead run is unreal.  Like the Skunkies need more gifts.  Shades of Bob Brenley leaving Brung Young Kim in to wilt after all year long he had been a successful one inning closer dude.  When a team has Skunkie-Laker down they need to finish.  I may let Joe Nathan start the 12th but he is replaced after the 1st walk.  If Skunkie wins after that i tip my hat.  53 pitches total for Nathan.  Got to believe thats triple his average.  Not the time to be experimenting.

ESPN:  "But Joe Nathan was running out of gas, too. The Twins closer had made 43 straight appearances without going more than one inning, but manager Ron Gardenhire sent him out for a season-high third inning in hopes of finishing it."

I will say this.  Did the leftfielder misplay the 1 out flyball that made it 6-6?  The replay sucked bad, camera wasn't even close to the play.  Camera was jumping up and down also.  I guess the camerman spilled his Coke or Starbucks.  As the ball was initially hit and continuing into midflight air the LF was merely jogging.  Then at the last second he tries to speed up as the ball flys over his head.  Looked entirely catchable had he played it off the bat correctly.  I know those lights can fake you out, it appears thats what happened.

Concur with you on the 7th run.  Look Jacque if you don't hork it home the game is over.  If you do hork it home you give your team a chance for the play at the plate.  Hitting cuttoff man amounts to white flag.  Another brain fart by a Skunk opponent.  **Just saw the replay.  What a pathetic effort.  He made no attempt to catch the ball on the run.  None whatsoever.

[ziggy]

zig do not concur at all.  Walking both the tying and go ahead run is unreal.  Like the Skunkies need more gifts.  Shades of Bob Brenley leaving Brung Young Kim in to wilt after all year long he had been a successful one inning closer dude.  When a team has Skunkie-Laker down they need to finish.  I may let Joe Nathan start the 12th but he is replaced after the 1st walk.  If Skunkie wins after that i tip my hat.  53 pitches total for Nathan.  Got to believe thats triple his average.  Not the time to be experimenting.

ESPN:  "But Joe Nathan was running out of gas, too. The Twins closer had made 43 straight appearances without going more than one inning, but manager Ron Gardenhire sent him out for a season-high third inning in hopes of finishing it."

I will say this.  Did the leftfielder misplay the 1 out flyball that made it 6-6?  The replay sucked bad, camera wasn't even close to the play.  Camera was jumping up and down also.  I guess the camerman spilled his Coke or Starbucks.  As the ball was initially hit and continuing into midflight air the LF was merely jogging.  Then at the last second he tries to speed up as the ball flys over his head.  Looked entirely catchable had he played it off the bat correctly.  I know those lights can fake you out, it appears thats what happened.

Concur with you on the 7th run.  Look Jacque if you don't hork it home the game is over.  If you do hork it home you give your team a chance for the play at the plate.  Hitting cuttoff man amounts to white flag.  Another brain fart by a Skunk opponent.  **Just saw the replay.  What a pathetic effort.  He made no attempt to catch the ball on the run.  None whatsoever.

Only saw the 12th inning, the 13 year old had a football game.  I agree that Gardenhire should have brought Nathan in the 12th, and I would have pitched to Jeter after Cairo walked, but once it was ARod, you have to go with JC.  You have a gassed closer going against the best player in baseball (better than Barry "Bulbous Head" Bonds, cause he doesn't cheat).  Romero did what he had to do with a weak fly ball.  Any kind of throw and Jeter is out at home.

[jn]

Yes it was a great opening game.  Even on a night when Santana wasn't at his best he found a way to SHUT OUT a team loaded with big hitters.  Torii Hunter just looks like one of those guys who would be good at any sport he tried.

Last night was tough but I think the only concern is will Nathan be able to bounce back %100 after pitching three?

It's always a tough call when you used a closer like that.  With hingsight it seems like they should have brought someone else in, but on the other hand Gardy knows, oh, 10,000 times more about baseball than I do.

 

[Reality]

With hingsight it seems like they should have brought someone else in, but on the other hand Gardy knows, oh, 10,000 times more about baseball than I do.

I thought you said Grady.    :lol:    

[Wolverine]

It looks like Gardenhire gets this year's "Grady Little Award."

Seriously, what a horrible decision to leave Nathan in to pitch to Jeter.  Nathan hadn't gone more than two innings all year and Romero was still available in the pen.  I might have sent Nathan out for a third inning, but once he walks Cairo on four strait pitches after getting ahead 0-1, you pull him.  You don't leave him in to pitch to Jeter.  That's rediculous.

Oh well ... looks like another Sox-Yanks ALCS.

[Lurker]

Oh well ... looks like another Sox-Yanks ALCS.

It's only fitting....they did have the 2nd & 3rd best records in MLB.  The only downer is Boston's inability to beat the Yankees in the post season....