This is an experiment brought to you by an empty house and Windsor Canadian.
I'm inclined to think the performance of "The Star Spangled Banner" before sporting events is a tradition that should have been retired when my dad was in junior high, but that was outstanding.
Bob Costas and John Smoltz: the A-team. I had thought about muting the volume and tuning in WCCO radio, though in the past the difference in the delay has rendered this trick useless. Not even worth trying, however.
First inning. Polanco goes deep, Twins lead, 1-0. Berrios doesn't look sharp, as I'd feared, but that is really a wonderful play by Sano to get us out of the inning. Traditionalists who hate the replay reviews: get out of the way of progress!
Second inning. The Yankees drop an infield pop and then turn a double play on Arraez. Not making them pay seems like an ill omen. Berrios walks his second batter of the game in the second inning but gets through it without a run scoring.
Third inning. Garver strikes out again. I hope Polanco does the same thing he did in his first at-bat, too. Nope, nice catch by Judge. Cruz homers just over the fence in right to make it 2-0. Rosario looks sick, striking out for the second time. Too many strike outs. Ugly, ugly, ugly in the home half. Pop fly single that Arraez should have caught. Another walk, the third in as many innings. A double play grounder that results in two runs scoring when Cron doesn't catch the relay throw. Yankees take the lead, 3-2. Ish.
Fourth inning. Twins down in order. Berrios retires the Yankees in order, too. He's one of those pitchers who seems less effective than he ought to be, given his stuff. Yeah, his breaking ball breaks a lot, but so few of them are in the strike zone that it doesn't help. Who's going to chase it when only one in three is in the zone? Some pitchers, you can't wait to bat, they got nothing, but then they get you out: Berrios is like the opposite of that. Good inning, though. He's been inefficient, a million pitches, but the Yankees have only scored in one inning, and that was because our guys did not catch the ball behind him.
Fifth inning. Polanco drives home Arraez, who doubled, after Garver strikes out for the third time: score tied at 3. With Cruz behind in the count, Polanco steals second base. I think that may be the first stolen base by a Twin not named Buxton since before the all-star break. Cruz eventually walks, filling first base, but Rosario flies out for the third out. Littell on in relief of Berrios in the bottom half of the inning. Walk. Hit by pitch. Here we go again. Nothing good can happen till you throw it over the plate. Duffey can't clean up the mess. Yankees lead, 5-3.
Sixth inning. Sano homers leading off the inning. Third round-tripper of the game, all with no one on base, and we're still behind. Staying in it, though. Stashak, somewhat to my surprise, comes on to start the sixth in a 1-run game. Fly out. Home run. Fly out. Home run. Fly out. Yankees, 7-4.
Seventh inning. With two out and Polanco on second, Rosario lines one to right, Judge races toward the line, dives, catches it just above the ground. The kind of play that wins games. I've been forgetting about my drink, the ice has melted, and the dregs are diluted and warm. Plus, I'm out: rookie mistake, as Kyle Gibson is in, and I'm unable to fortify myself artificially. A walk. How many is that? Another walk. A double steal. Why? You get to move up for free on a walk. Sure enough, another walk, the third of the inning and—I'm looking it up cuz Bob Costas ain't saying—eighth (eighth!) of the game. Plus, a hit batter, too. If we escape from this without a run scoring . . . nope, there it goes, bases-clearing double into the left field corner: 10-4. This is reminding me of the wild card game two years ago. Highlight for Twins was top of the first inning. Can't get them out. Jesus! You're in the major leagues, throw it over the effing plate, it's job 1. Well, leave Gibson in now. Don't use up a good pitcher to keep the deficit at 6.
Eighth inning. After Sano whiffs, Kepler walks and Gonzalez singles. Maybe we can at least make them extend their relief pitchers. No, Cron lifts a short fly to right on the first pitch. Now Schoop bats for Arraez. Costas says Rocco "wants to get him an at-bat," but actually, it's not charity: Schoop is more likely to hit a 3-run homer. Though there's something else he's more likely to do, too. Yup, strike 3, inning over. Graterol on in the bottom half for Twins. Doesn't make sense to me. He's out to mop up, but Stashak and Gibson were pitching when we were still in the game? Graterol overpowers three hitters, with the result that the score is still 10-4.
Ninth inning. Yankees bring in their closer. Why not? He hasn't pitched for at least four days. Garver taps to short, finishing off an 0-for-5 with three strikeouts. You can tell that Polanco's "on," foul balls on aggressive swings and taking close pitches after getting behind in the count. He walks—two hits (one a home run) and two walks in five plate appearances for him tonight. Rosario makes the last out: he was 0-for-5, too. Can't believe I was looking forward to this. Our pitchers threw 193 pitches and we only got them out eight times. A little loose in the field didn't help. Another game tomorrow, however. Forget this one and play better!
I cringed at Bob Costas' exuberance over Yankee hitting versus Twins' hitting, such as his fawning over Judge's loud foul ball while remarking "come on" when Sano's homer cleared the fence. It was hard enough to watch the Twins dismantle themselves and listen to how many times they have lost to the Yankees (with players no longer on the team), but Saturday is another day and the Twins are good at bouncing back. Hopefully, so are the announcers.
Posted by: Steve Fiebiger | October 05, 2019 at 07:47 AM