Over the past 10 years, since 2001, the Twins have won just under 55% of their games.  But really, how have they fared against the east and west coasts, and how does that compare to teams in the middle of the country?  Well, I decided to take a look.  For the purposes of this study, lets say that The Diamondbacks, Rockies, Angels, Dodgers, Athletics, Padres, Giants and Mariners all count as west coast teams.  The Braves, Orioles, Red Sox, Marlins, Mets, Yankees, Pirates, Rays, Blue Jays, and Nationals count as east coast teams.  That leaves the Cubs, White Sox, Reds, Indians, Tigers, Astros, Royals, Brewers, Rangers, and Cardinals in what is more or less, the central part of the MLB.  (more…)

I’m gonna make this brief, since I am studying for an accounting final. Yeah, the strikezone was a bit inconsistent, but let’s face it, Clay Buchholz was on. Scott Baker pitched pretty well too, but in the end, it just wasn’t enough. Oh well, these things happen, we’ll get ‘em tomorrow.

Best hitter:

Denard Span: .102 WPA. DSPAN2 went 2-4 with a pair of runs scored. He was pretty much the lone bright spot in the lineup.

Best pitcher:

Clay Buchholz: .358 WPA. 8 IP, 2 runs, 1 BB, 7 Ks, just 5 hits. Give it up, people.

Tuesday 4/21
Game postponed until Wednesday due to weather.

Wednesday 4/22 (Game 1)
Matchup: Tim Wakefield vs. Scott Baker
Baker was again brutal.  He gave up 10 hits, 6 runs, 3 home runs, 1 walk and struck out 2.  He has now given up 7 HR in 8.2 innings pitched this season.  The bullpen gave up 4 hits, 4 runs and 3 walks in their 2.2 innings of work.  Most of the damage was done against Juan Morillo.  In his 2nd appearance as a member of the Twins, Morillo gave up only 1 hit, but he also walked 3 and allowed 4 runs to score.  The offense managed only 5 hits and 1 walk against Wakefield.  Mercifully the game was called due to weather after only 7 innings.

Wednesday 4/22 (Game 2)
Matchup: Brad Penny vs. Francisco Liriano
Liriano fared little better than Baker.  In 4.0 IP he allowed 4 H, 7 R, 4 BB and 6 SO.  The bullpen was excellent going 4.0 innings while giving up just 1 hit but the damage was already done.  Span and Morneau had multi-hit games, but as a team the Twins managed only 6 hits.  This was a day to forget for Twins fans everywhere.

Series Impression:
The starting rotation threw 8.2 innings with a 13.94 ERA, 2.19 WHIP and 8 SO.

In 6.2 innings of work the bullpen posted a 5.40 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 4 SO.

For the series the Twins hit .190 (11/58) while drawing 2 walks and striking out 7 times.  They left 11 men on base while scoring only 4 runs.  In the series they hit 6 2B, 0 3B, and 1 HR.  They only hit .067 (1/15) with runners in scoring position.

Talk about taking a step back.  The team was completely outclassed by the Red Sox in every phase of the game.  Good news is that the Twins will not visit Fenway Park again during the 2009 regular season.

Upcoming Series:
The Twins have another off day tomorrow before beginning a three games series against the Indians in Cleveland.  It’s time for the Twins to get back on track against a dreadful Cleveland team.  To make things even better the Twins won’t have to face Cliff Lee who is the only legitimate ML starter the Indians have.  Minnesota has to take at least 2 out of 3 in the series, but a sweep might give them a shot to be tied for first place.
4/24 Fausto Carmona (1-2, 7.88) vs. Nick Blackburn (0-1, 5.71)
4/25 Carl Pavano (0-2, 9.69) vs. Kevin Slowey (2-0, 5.89)
4/26 Aaron Laffey (1-0, 2.19) vs. Glen Perkins (1-1, 1.50)