greg775

It'd be nice to jump on these guys and make them start thinking. We need another nice inning from Javy then get our heads out. Offense not been brewing of late.

Geez, are we gonna get a hit? Just like twins game first time thru the lineup. Nothin.

I agree; no matter what happens and the rays are damn good, at least we held off those f***heads, the Twins.

Thanks for you all telling us what it was like at the game. But what happened after out No. 2? Were people already hugging and kissing knowing out No. 3 was comin? For me watching the game, out No. 2 was huge. It came so fast.

Wise may be useless, but since he's playing we need to hope he either a.) bunts for a hit. b.) walks. or c.) drives a single to right and of course runs the bases well. It's not likely but possible he could contribute.

Glad to see no karma deflating posts blasting the Scrubs. Their series has nothing to do with ours. GO SOX!!

Thanx as always. Think of how many people see your screensavers on our work computers all over the land! Thanx.

Thought you guys would like to read this take on the Twins making excuses. Good stuff, especially considering we won the damn coin toss. Twins had the advantages but didn’t capitalize (PHOTOS) By Patrick Reusse Star Tribune (Minneapolis) (MCT) The New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox of 1978 fielded two very powerful lineups. The Yankees chased down the Red Sox from fourth place and 14 games behind in mid-July, and the teams wound up tied at 99-63 at the top of the American League East. These were seven victories more than Kansas City had posted to win the West, yet only one team could advance to play the Royals in the ALCS. The Yankees had won six of seven from the Red Sox in September to finish with an 8-5 advantage in the season series. No matter. A coin flip in mid-September determined if there was need for a one-game playoff it would be in Fenway Park. Did the Yankees and Bob Lemon, their third manager of the season, complain about this? Did Yankees fans make excuses beforehand because the Red Sox had a home park advantage? Not that anyone can recall. The Yankees knew for a couple of weeks what the result of a first-place tie would be. They went to Fenway and won 5-4, with Bucky Dent’s infamous three-run home run wiping out a 2-0 Boston lead. Thirty years later, this attempt to make it seem as if the Twins were treated unfairly because they were required to play Tuesday night’s sudden-death game in Chicago is nauseating. Roy Smalley and Ron Coomer, the brains and the brawn of FSN North’s postgame show, embraced this angle after Tuesday’s loss. Clearly, this pandering toward the Twins and the viewing public was suggested by a producer, because Smalley and Coomer played and they understand that any ballclub that needs its home field to win a single game doesn’t deserve a postseason chance. This is especially true in the case of the 2008 Twins, a team that won 14 of its last 34 on the regular schedule. A team that plays at a .412 pace over the final five weeks should get on its knees and thank the baseball gods for the chance to play one game any time, any place that would allow it to continue into October. The Twins got that opportunity, and how did they seize it? By getting two hits — two lousy hits — and allowing lefty John Danks and closer Bobby Jenks to face two hitters over the minimum. The Twins and the White Sox were in close competition in the final weeks of the season, even with the Whities missing Carlos Quentin, a newly arrived slugger who would’ve led the league in home runs and probably locked up the MVP award. The White Sox also played the closing weeks without third baseman Joe Crede, more of a loss to them than was Michael Cuddyer’s absence with the Twins. The Twins had every advantage against the White Sox. They had better health and younger legs, and yet they played pathetic baseball against Seattle, Oakland, Toronto, Cleveland and finally Kansas City, and refused to take advantage of Chicago’s mediocrity. The Twins were fortunate to back into a one-game playoff on the wings of .412 baseball, and they responded with two hits, and their TV partners and multitudes of fans want to hand them an excuse? Excuse me while I wretch. When you’re as overmatched as the Twins were by Danks on Tuesday, there’s not an artificial turf in the world with enough cheap hits to allow a lineup to get a run. Danks was outstanding. The Twins were helpless. End of story. To no one’s surprise, the players now have gone from muffled complaints about a coin flip to adopting the excuse. Joe Nathan said Wednesday that he was going to approach the players association about getting rid of coin flips. Guess what? If Nathan, the $12 million closer, had thrown more fastballs rather than getting behind in the count trying to fool hitters, he wouldn’t have had four horrendous blown saves down the stretch and a mid-September coin flip would’ve been meaningless. Playing .412 baseball for five weeks, and then needing two runs and settling for two hits — the Twins wound up with exactly what they deserved, which was a restful October. Do yourselves a favor, media apologists, hardcore fans and now uniformed personnel? Grow up. Stop whining about a coin flip. And don’t start up again next month, when Justin Morneau rightfully finishes behind Boston’s Dustin Pedroia — and maybe others — for the MVP award. ——— © 2008, Star Tribune (Minneapolis) Visit the Star Tribune Web edition on the World Wide Web at http://www.startribune.com Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

I don't see how that would be wise at all. Javy is a well paid big league pitcher who has been in the rotation all year and capable of a good outing. He's not hurt or anything. It's not like Richard is some certain star in the making who deserves the ball. He's just Richard. This makes perfect sense to go with Javy. Hopefully the third time's the charm (since Oz calling him out).

This might be a dumb question by why were they chanting Paulie when Thome homered? Cause he was up next and might go back to back?

Very good points. Another way to look at it is the Cubs and Angels had it wrapped up early and tonight's losses will shock them back into reality and they'll be fine in the long run. We shall see.

The silence in the crowd was eerie. I wonder what it was like to be there. Seems to me after the grand slam it was a morgue there. They'll be OK obviously if they win tomorrow, but if Zambrano is off and grooves a couple early? Yikes.

Javy needs to pitch six supurb innings, preferably seven. Javy to Thornton to Jenks would be ideal. Javy to Linebrink to Thornton to Jenks would be OK as well.

I wasn't at the game but I wish I had a tape of myself of how I looked when that happened. The first two outs happened so quick and it dawned on me after the ground out we were probably going to win. As we all know, sometimes the closer has it and sometimes he doesn't and the ninth can be an adventure. When we had the easy out it was such a highlight. What happened at the park after out two was recorded??? Did people go nuts realizing we were gonna win?

I'm surprised he just didn't throw it on the fly to the plate. That was damn shallow. When it bounced, I thought for sure he'd be safe. AJP had one of the best plays of the season to hang onto that ball. I don't know how he did it.

One of the moderator posters said Stone said Oz wants Wise in left if he plays Griffey in cf cause Wise has more speed. I agree Wise has been an automatic out. But in theory if he gets his head out, he and OC provide some speed at the top. Finally, my opinion is Swish buried himself though the moderator disagreed with me. I think Swish lost Oz with his moping on the bench during the disastrous road trip when Oz benched him. I am not thrilled about Wise playing, if I had to pick Game One I'd probably pick Swish, but nobody should be acting like Swish is some great player getting dissed. Swish has had a horses*** season and nobody can convince me otherwise. Also I defer to Oz who knows more baseball than anybody on this board. Yes get over it if you think you know more than Oz. If any of you think that you are wrong. Oz isn't perfect but he knows baseball.

I'm hoping for the best. Somehow we've got to get to their young starting pitching. They are capable of a Game One game like Hamels is pulling off today. It might be Wise to take some pitches and drill some opposite field hits. Are we capable of that? Go Sox!

That all makes great sense Kalapse. That's it in a nutshell right there. I agree with all of that and backed by Stone's comment it's even more solid as he is the best. I don't know about BA in cf in game two however. What's the last game BA has started?

It's got to be Swish or Wise No. 2 to go with OC at leadoff. Call me crazy but I sense Oz isn't going to stop playing Wise. If he's going to switch back to Swish the time to do it is now, in game one with the move certainly natural based on Wise's hitting of late. I think Wise is being penciled in Oz's lineup right now. I think Wise is Ozzie's leftfielder the rest of the season.

This is a good discussion as to who we want, but let's face facts and my take on the reality of the situation. Remember all this crap about looking in the guys' eyes on the road trip? Obviously Oz (and perhaps KW) looked in Swish's eyes and have given up on Swish. Unfortunately Wise has stopped hitting and appears to be an automatic out. It's obvious Oz loves Griffey in center. So my question to you is: Can we win with Wise, Griffey and Dye because that's gonna be the lineup. Many of the posters on here ripping Wise IMO are VERY knowledgable so Wise's presence concerns me. Yet I can see why Swish earned himself a permanent spot in the doghouse.

How short a leash? Seems to me unless a starter gets rocked for 6 runs in the second, you let him go five minimum. It's up to the players to produce right now. The starters have to ball up and go five, six, seven, including Javy.

I do agree with you. I told a guy I was watching the game with it was like we had 8 guys in the lineup cause he was an automatic out. Now that we're in, if I was Oz I'd go back to Swish and see if we catch the Swish KW thought he was getting. Wise really isn't doing much though he did draw two walks on Monday I believe, or was it Sunday? I see no reason why he wouldn't go back to Swish except for having the "threat" of speed in our order. Swish is another plodder.

That's very classless and dumb and rude. Their media should pick up on it and get the players to blast our fans publicly. No place for that. It's disappointing to hear. Not surprising though. it goes on everywhere.

True, but just them making it really removes a lot of the frustration, hell all of the frustration for me. To tank like they did but come off the carpet and win really means a lot to me and makes me forget that frustration. Sports are about special moments and Mark's performance Sunday followed by Floyd on Monday and the offense gritting out a win over Freddy and tonight's 1-0 masterpiece really makes me proud of this team no matter what happens the rest of the way.

That's sorta what I thought. The way it got caught on camera I kind of expected the guy to hit a shot over our outfield's heads. Crazy game this baseball.