The daily digest of Twin Cities culture | Secrets of the City

Pregame

Welcome to the last live blog of the 2008 regular season. I very much hope to be joined by Brad Zellar, who filled in so admirably for me last Thursday night. Both of us are game to share the space; it's just that our combined computer savvy has as much chance of shutting down the Eastern seaboard as it does working out a system where we both get to have our say over the next nine innings. If both of us suddenly go silent, you'll know that the gremlins have snatched our mojo and that we repaired to some big screen bar to nurse our ignorance and keep watching the game.

Meanwhile, here are the things that are uppermost in my mind 30 minutes before the opening pitch.

* Will Morneau snap out of his slump?

Well the odds are certainly in his favor. This qualifies as one of his longest slumps of the season thus far, so he's certainly due. Plus, he absolutely owns tonight's White Sox starter John Danks, getting 7 hits in 16 official at-bats, plus four walks. Among those 7 hits are three homers, propelling Morneau to a 1.125 slugging percentage and a 1.675 OPS versus Danks this year. Oh, and Joe Mauer was 8 for 12 against Danks this season. So the M+M boys figure to get to the 23 year old kid pitching on 3 days rest.

* Can Guillen get inside Blackburn's head?

Let's stipulate up front that Ozzie can be an asshole. Fortunately for Chicago, he's decided to bait the Twins' starter tonight, Nick Blackburn, rather than his own hurler, such as Javy Vazquez, who he's obviously dinged mentally over the past two starts. I think Blackburn will be shaky; Ozzie was right, he didn't look sharp in his start last week against the Twins. Then again, the Twins won the game. With a day off yesterday and at least another one tomorrow (if not the next six months), Gardy is going to have a very short leash here, and it wouldn't surprise me if Blackburn gets hooked in favor of Bonser and Breslow and the rest (just please not Guerrier) if he starts piling up the baserunners, as is his wont.

To play devil's advocate for a minute, though, Blackburn has had good success with Chicago's two currently hot hitters, with Kornerko just 1 for 12 and Dye 3 for 14. Yes, Chicago is hitting .333 against Blackburn in 5 starts overall this season, but Minnesota is hitting .363 against Danks, who is three years younger, is pitching on one less day of rest, and has already compiled 187 innings this year, same as Blackburn. Bottom line, this could easily be a high-scoring game.

Intangibles?

The biggest is that coin flip that gave Chicago home field advantage. It is no secret that both teams are much much better in their own ballparks.

Otherwise, Minnesota does have the fresh memory of last week's sweep, including two one-run games, the latter one coming back from five runs down.

Minnesota has a lot better team spirit than Chicago. They have less talent and thus have overachieved more than their opponents tonight. I think that togetherness matters when it is close and late, especially on a windy October night when the fans are yelling for blood.

Last but not least, my X-factor for this game is Carlos Gomez, the overly excitable Twin capable of tremendous and horrible things. Go-Go came up big against these ChiSox last week. If he can do it again and the Twins plays capable piranha-ball in front of big knockers Mauer, Morneau, Kubel and Young, Minnesota can overtake this club.

Zellar

I'm in, but this is a tenuous situation. I won't go into it now, but I can't guarantee that the circumstances in which I'm trying to pull this off won't become a howling subtext. Fair warning.

I have no idea what to expect from Blackburn tonight (first pitch is maybe ten minutes away). The guy has looked like he's running on fumes for the last month, and he's never approached the sort of workload he's shouldered this year.

The (possible) good news: Danks is at least as much of a question mark as Blackburn. The kid is 23 years old, got rocked in his last start against Cleveland, and is pitching on three days rest. In four starts against the Twins this year, Danks is 1-1 with a 7.91 ERA.

We'll see.

First Inning

Robson

Cuddyer for Kubel in the starting lineup is the first second-guess possibility. Wasn't it just last week that Gardy was sneering to reporters that "Kubel is my DH"? I know Cuddy is 7 for 12 against Danks, but the lefty-righty splits on Danks are negligible and Kubel is the only other legit power threat on this team.

Span walks but gets doubled off first when Casilla stings a liner to Uribe at third on a running situation. Danks doesn't look sharp to me, even with Mauer fanning. Okay, let's see if Blackburn can return serve with his own goose-egg.

By the way, judging from the comments of Eckersley, Ripken, et al, before the game, everyone thinks the White Sox are going to win. I like it that way.

Bottom of First

Zellar

There we go. Slow, double-play grounder off the bat of Wise. Tit-for-tat.

It looks like a relatively liberal strike zone, which Blackburn's gonna need if he's going to pound that sinker and get the Sox to swing at his out pitch.

And just like that Dye swats a routine grounder to Punto for the third out.

Should we be more than just modestly encouraged by the two ground ball outs in the first?

Second Inning

Morneau is jumping at pitches, and he really does look just like he did back in the first week of the season. It's weird; you know these guys watch a lot of tape, but I can see what he's doing wrong. His front foot is ahead of the rest of his body, and he's not getting his legs into the swing. That strikeout gave me a Jacque Jones flashback.

A couple feeble at bats from Cuddyer and Young, and the Twins are letting Danks off the hook. Weren't these guys paying attention during Span's at bat?

Robson

Great play by Casilla on that double play. Knowing that if he waited for Cabrera there was no chance of a DP, he chased him back to first and then fired to get Wise, then Morneau pegged it to second to double Cabrera. Gardy would call that "Twins baseball."

Boo on Harold Reynolds for second guessing Guillen decision not to bunt only after the double play. For what it's worth, I couldn't believe Guillen had Wise bunting on the first pitch. Given the starters and the expected slugfest, why play small ball in the first inning?

Blackburn is still a little shaky--Konerko just missed a homer with a towering shot to the warning track and Griffey ripped a liner into the right field seats foul--but he's getting no help from the ump. That 2-2 pitch to Thome was right on the corner and the ump didn't thumb him out, leading to a walk.

Meanwhile (and I know I'm hopping around but this switching-off calls for rapid fire typing), Morneau looked awful, in a shambles mentally, as he struck out against Danks in the top of the second. Cuddyer didn't look much better, getting fastballs blown past him before grounding to first.

Chicago just left two men on base (walks to Thome and Ramirez) in the second, leaving the game scoreless. I still think both pitchers are prone to a big inning, but the fact remains that aside from that horrible hanging 0-2 slider Blackburn threw to the leadoff hitter, nobody has hit safely against either hurler. On to the top of the third!

Third Inning

Zellar

Clipping along. Harris worked the count before grounding out, and Punto battles Danks--working the count full and fouling off some two-strike pitches-- for a walk.

After which, of course, Carlos Gomez comes up and hacks at the first pitch. And then pops up to the shortstop.

Forget what I said about the strike zone. It's all over the place. That first pitch to Span sure looked like it was right down the middle.

Three up, three down.

The offense is looking mighty uninspired.

Questions: Why the hell is the site of the tie-breaker decided by a freaking coin flip? Why is this game on TBS? And who's the first guy out of the bullpen for the Sox and Twins if either pitcher falters early?

Bottom of Third

Blackburn looks like he's settling in. When he's in a groove, with that nice-and-easy delivery, he's fun to watch. Another 1-2-3 inning, and time for the Twins to start teeing off on Danks.

What a pain in the ass to have to familiarize myself with a whole new series of commercials.

Fourth Inning

My God. More tit-for-tat. A couple of half-assed at bats from Mauer and Morneau. I'm pretty sure I could count on one hand the number of times I've seen Mauer swing at a pitch that far out of the strike zone.

I'm struggling with a balky signal here. Back to you, Britt, for the heart of the Chicago order.

Bottom of the 4th

Robson

Did I say both pitchers looked shaky? Well, the goose-eggs say otherwise. As to your question, I think it will be either Bonser or Breslow for Blackburn. Chicago? I dunno, maybe Thornton is first up.

Dye rips a single that the much maligned Delmon Young cuts off, preventing extra bases. BTW, how does Casilla, Mauer and Morneau allow Danks a 9-pitch inning? Man the Twins are nervous.

Konerko now, with a terrible history vs. Blackburn but he very nearly lifted one out last time up. He just grounds to Harris who turns for two but Casilla seemed unnerved about getting bowled over by Dye and threw it so Morneau had to leap off the bag. And they apparently didn't give him an error, when it obviously was--that was a textbook double-play ball and cobweb-footed Paul Konerko coming down the line.

You would think Griffey, who feasts on low pitches with that classic swing of his, would terrorize the sinker-oriented Blackburn, but no, he lifts a harmless foul pop that Harris turns himself into a pretzel catching in the wind. Four innings, two total hits. Yeah, real shakey pitchers.

Top of the 5th

Danks has a no-hitter through four. The ump is squeezing the strike zone and it finally comes back to haunt a pitcher, as Danks serves up a meatball on 3-1 when it should have been at least 2-2. Cuddy rips it for a double that looked a lot like Dye's single. The difference, as Reynolds astutely pointed out, is Wise didn't play the hit as capably as Young the previous inning. Young skies a medium-deep fly to center and Griffey doesn't come close to having the arm to get Cuddy at third.

One out, runner at third, and Danks throws a pea to Harris for strike one then a nasty cutter on the inside corner for strike two. AJ Pierzynsky just made the "fake passed ball" play and fooled only Dick Stockton, the John McCain of television announcers. Harris pops out.

Okay, tepid fly to center, and after Griffey's wounded duck throw to third, I don't blame Scottie Ulger a bit for sending Cuddyer, bum wheel and all. But Griffey's peg home was much better, arriving in near-perfect position on the hop and Cuddyer tried to bowl over AJ but got mostly arm.

Bottom of the 5th

Ramirez grounds weakly to Blackburn, who gathers himself and doesn't lose his cool. I'm really beginning to take a shine to Blackburn--about time, eh?

Okay Brad, take it away.

Zellar

Wow, terrific game to live blog.

Another nice, quick inning for Blackburn. Not, however, a whole lot to dissect.

I do have to say this, though: My God, when you've got a chance to really lay out A.J. Pierzynski, you have got to bury the prick. It also galled me to hear these TBS announcers going on and on about that throw from Griffey. The Twins had to take that chance, but, come on, there isn't a center fielder in the major leagues who doesn't make that play. Shannon Stewart would have had Cuddyer by ten feet.

What the hell are the Twins hitters thinking? Two more quick outs, and leave it to the rookie Denard Span to once again draw a walk and show the other guys how to approach Danks.

I honestly didn't think either of the starters would still be out there in the sixth, and the longer Blackburn goes, the more I think it's advantage Twins.

Casilla's battling, and Danks' --remember, he's pitching on three days rest-- pitch count is mounting. But Casilla strikes out swinging and we go to the bottom of the sixth.

.....

Great snag by Morneau on a shot by Cabrera in the first base hole. One of the things people who don't see Morneau every day don't recognize is how really good he is in the field. This year in particular, with all the erratic throws from the left side of the infield, he's been almost Hrbek-like.

Damn. Blackburn. Another 1-2-3 inning. The guy is really showing me something.

Seventh Inning

What the hell is Joe Mauer doing bunting? Riddle me that, Britt.

Robson

Yeah, that's the confident move, a bunt by your batting champion catcher! Mauer-Morneau-Cuddy give Danks a 7-pitch 7th inning. I mean, how the hell does anyone give Morneau the MVP this season after the past two weeks? The guy is clearly bedeviled mentally, and this on a guy he clearly owned coming into the game. (although most of the numbers I quoted above are career stats, not this season as I wrote).

If Jim Thome doesn't scare the hell out of you at the plate--and Jesus, even as I write this, no kidding, he lifts one into the center field seats. I'm going to post it right now so people don't think I'm making this up.

Zellar

Isn't there a figure skating competition somewhere that Dick Stockton should be covering?

First apparent glitch of the night: Britt apparently lost a big chunk of his post on the bottom of the seventh, so I'll try to fill in the blanks.

How surprising --and how wonderful-- was it that the first guy out of the bullpen for the Twins was a kid who started the season in Double A and has only been with the big club for a few weeks? Mijares has been a much-needed revelation for the pen down the stretch.

You sure as hell can't fault Blackburn for much of anything tonight, but in a game with this much at stake I wonder if maybe Gardenhire should have gone with the lefty in the bottom of the 7th. I don't think there was anybody who wouldn't have been happy with six shutout innings from Blackburn, and you're rolling the dice to send him out there for another crack at the meat of the Chicago order.

Eighth Inning

Another disheartening series of at bats for the Twins. I mean, seriously, that was a whale of a performance from Danks, just gutsy as hell. This from a guy who gave up seven runs to the Indians four days ago. What can you do but tip your hat?

And after Mijares gets a couple more quick outs in the bottom of the eighth, Gardenhire goes to Joe Nathan, and I'll kick it back to you, Britt.

Robson

Yeah, I think I tried to get back into the site too soon after I fast-forwarded my post that included the Thome homer. Ah well, I put the stuff I could remember writing down in the comments section, for those who want to look.

Nice second guess on putting Mijares in to begin the 7th. In retrospect, it would have been a shrewd move. But if Mijares hadn't been up to the task, Gardy would have been crucified. Instead he played it safe.

As little as the announcers knew about Mijares, they are fitting Nathan for Jesus's crown of thorns, just letting it gush on how great Nathan is. Once again, they haven't been watching this club the past month or so, as Nathan has been ordinary. Sure enough, Dye rips a single. But he does get the scary Thome on a sky high fly to center. Last inning and you know it will be Bobby Jenks. Shades of Thursday night: Gomez is coming up, followed by Span. We could use another single-triple parlay, don't you think?

9th Inning

Gomez probably has a heart rate of about 210 beats per minute right now. Oh wait--Gardy pinch hits Kubel! Seems like a terrible move tome, the absolutely wrong way to end Go-Go's season if the Twins can't come back. Yeah, Gomez swings at a lot of bad pitches, but do you really want Kubel leading off the inning? Guess not as he just fanned. Bad move Gardy.

Now we have Span and then Casilla. Will Mauer and Morneau get a chance to redeem themselves? I've got to say, I'd rather have Span up in this situation than anyone else right now. Except that he just bounced out weakly to first. Anderson makes a diving catch in center to retire Casilla to wrap it up.

Joe Mauer's last at-bat of the season: a failed bunt for a hit.

Morneau: hitless.

Okay, enough with the bitter. This Twins team overachieved more than any other ballclub I've witnessed since 1987, two years after I moved to Minnesota. They gave their fans six legitimate months of contention. Gardy deserves co-manager of the year with Joe Madden and this team is well set up for next year.

Brad, bring it on home, buddy. And thanks for your part in this.

Zellar

The game hurts me. It really does. You live and die with a team through 162 games, and for even the best and worst teams there are so many days and nights that you can look back on as missed opportunities. For a team that has to play 163 games to decide the division, those missed opportunities are obviously magnified. I try very hard not to keep score that way any more, but it's a hard habit to break. Any of us who've been there since the beginning can point to dozens of squandered games, any one of which might have made tonight's disappointment unnecessary.

Make your own list. I've no doubt it'll be at least as long as mine.

I despise pretty much everything about this White Sox team, but Jim Thome's one of my favorite active players, a throwback character who's as decent a guy as you'll ever meet on a ballfield. Thome's like the love child of Harmon Killebrew and mid-to-late career Shelly Winters. I still remember showing up at the Dome for the last game of the season back in 2002. Thome's team at the time, Cleveland, was in third place and playing out the string. But there was Thome, all alone on the field three hours before the game, sweating and hitting balls off a tee. The guy's a warrior, and he's one of the few current major leaguers that you could imagine playing in any decade and doing exactly what he did tonight.

So, congratulations Jim Thome. I wish your club a swift and ugly exit.

As for all of us Twins fans, we got a consistently enthralling season we had no reason to expect back in April, and I'll take that over rooting for the Red Sox or Tigers or Cubs any day of the week.

Still: Ah shit. Six shutout innings from Nick Blackburn in the 163rd game of the year and you lose 1-0? That really smarts. And it's gonna smart for a good long time.