[faithful2thecall]

April 17, 2017

• In a freak accident, Anthony Bemboom (Los Angeles Angels) was hit in the temple by a wild pitch during batting practice. He was taken to a local hospital complaining of blurred vision and a bruised cheekbone. He’ll be held out for a couple of games as a precaution.
• I’m still not certain how Terry Ryan hasn’t been fired for incompetence long before now. He recalled RHP RP Luke Bard, sending SS Jorge Polanco down to AAA. Immediately afterward, he recalled Polanco along with RHP SP Chris Heston, sending RHP SP Tyler Duffey (who was decent in his start) and RF Adam Walker down to AAA. He also designated for assignment RHP SP Ervin Santana. CF Aaron Hicks also finished his recovery from injury and was added to the roster.
• The New York Yankees signed Gerardo Parra to a 1 year, $2.64 million deal.
• We’re 26th in the latest power rankings.

Minnesota 1 at Detroit 7

WP: Alex Torres (1-0), LP: Jose Berrios (0-2)
HR: MN-None, Det-Miguel Cabrera (3), Steven Moya (2)

Cabrera opened the scoring in the 3rd with a 2-out grand slam. Moya followed it up with another homer to blow the game open. Our 1st hit came on a 1-out single in the 4th by Joe Mauer. Mauer came around to score on a RBI triple by Jorge Polanco to get us on the board. My offense never got going, as we managed only 4 hits off of 3 Detroit pitchers.


April 18, 2017

• Byron Buxton is out 2 weeks with a strained abdominal muscle. RF Adam Walker was recalled from AAA to take his place.
• Louis Coleman (Kansas City) is out 7-8 months with a torn labrum.
Off Day
• Gio Gonzalez (Washington) threw a 2-hitter against Tampa Bay.


April 19, 2017

Minnesota 7 at Detroit 2

WP: Phil Hughes (2-0), LP: Johnny Cueto (0-2)
HR: MN-Hector Gomez (1), Aaron Hicks (1), Oswaldo Arcia (2), Det-Anthony Aliotti (1)

Both starting pitchers looked solid in the early innings. Gomez hammered a 2-out, 3-run homer just inside the left field foul pole in the 4th to open the scoring. Aliotti’s 1st MLB homer was a leadoff shot in the 5th to get the Tigers on the board. Hicks responded by crushing a 1-out, 3-run homer 435 feet in the 6th to give us some breathing room. Hughes put in another solid performance scattering 1 run and 6 hits over 8 innings before I brought in Glen Perkins in the 9th to get him some work.


April 20, 2017

• The Chicago White Sox trade 2B Neil Walker, CF Hugo Rodriguez, and $3 million to Tampa Bay in exchange for LHP SP Drew Smyly.

Minnesota 10 at Detroit 11

WP: Kyle Ryan (1-0), LP: Andre Rienzo (0-1), SV: Eric O’Flaherty (1)
HR: MN-Luis Mateo (1), Aaron Hicks (2), Det-J.D. Martinez (2)

The pitching matchup for the series finale wasn’t encouraging, as Buck Farmer (coming off a 5-hitter against Cleveland in his last start) matched up against Rienzo (who hadn’t pitched in MLB since 2014). Detroit exploited the matchup immediately, as Steven Moya opened the scoring on an infield single in the 1st. Martinez rubbed salt in the wound with a 2-out grand slam before the inning was over. Alfredo Marte got us on the board in the 3rd with a 2-out, 2-run triple. A clutch 2-out, 3-run double by Joe Mauer in the 4th tied the game. The game didn’t stay tied long, as Miguel Cabrera grounded a 1-out RBI single to left in the bottom of the inning, which Moya followed with a 2-run double as part of a 6 run inning. Mateo boosted our morale with a 2-out, 3-run shot for his 1st MLB homer in the 5th to bring us within 8-11. A 1-out solo homer by Hicks in the 7th gave us a little hope of a 2nd big comeback as it brought us within 2. Kennys Vargas delivered a 1-out RBI double in the 8th to make it 10-11.


April 21, 2017

Los Angeles Angels at Minnesota—Rained Out


April 22, 2017

• Nick Castellanos (Detroit) is out 6-7 weeks with an oblique strain.
• Chicago White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf passed away after a lengthy illness. His son Jerry Reinsdorf Jr. will take over the team.

Game #1: Los Angeles Angels 1 at Minnesota 2

WP: Chris Heston (1-0), LP: Shae Simmons (0-1), SV: Glen Perkins (2)
HR: LAA-None, MN-None

The Angels got on the board in the 1st on a sacrifice fly by Josh Hamilton. We tied the game in the bottom of the inning when Oswaldo Aricia ripped a 2-out RBI double off the right field wall. Both starters settled down after the 1st and a pitching duel commenced. Neither team had a serious rally until the 8th when back-to-back singles by Jorge Polanco and Joe Mauer (on a hit-and-run) to start the inning had runners on the corners. Alfredo Marte put us in front with a sacrifice fly after Kennys Vargas popped out. Heston threw a gem allowing only the 1st inning run on 5 hits over 8 innings while striking out 7 and walking 1. Meanwhile Drew Rucinski’s hard luck continued for the Angels, as he lowered his ERA to 3.00 but he’s only gotten 1 run of support from his offense in 3 starts this season.


Game #2: Los Angeles Angels 6 at Minnesota 5

WP: Garrett Richards (2-0), LP: Jason Wheeler (0-1), SV: Craig Kimbrel (2)
HR: LAA-None, MN-Eddie Rosario (2)

I got a tough match-up for an attempt at sweeping my 1st double header as Twins manager after several attempts the past 2 seasons, as we went up against Richards fresh off a 3-hitter against Oakland where he struck out 12. The Angels scored without a hit in the 2nd when an error on Luis Mateo at 3rd and a wild pitch by Wheeler allowed a run to score. We tied the game in the bottom of the inning on a 1-out opposite field RBI double by Aaron Hicks. Anthony Bemboom put the Angels back in front in the 3rd with a 2-run double. A RBI triple by Hicks in the 4th brought us within 2-4, and he came in on a RBI groundout by Austin Barnes. Pavel Quesada bounced a 2-out RBI single into right in the 5th to give the Angels some more insurance. Rosario answered by crushing a 2-out solo homer 428 feet in the bottom of the inning to get that run back. Chase Headley was injured (mild calf strain, day-to-day 4 days) on a double leading off the 6th off of reliever Luke Bard. Mike Trout drove in pinch-runner Mike Moustakas with a 1-out RBI single. We squandered a great chance in the 7th when Hicks and pinch-hitter Oswaldo Arcia struck out back-to-back with the bases loaded to end the inning. Jorge Polanco brought us back within 1 in the 8th on a 1-out RBI double on a hit-and-run. Kimbrel struck out the side in the 9th after walking Rosario to secure the win for the Angels.


April 23, 2017

Los Angeles Angels 5 at Minnesota 3

WP: Tyler Skaggs (1-1), LP: Jose Berrios (0-3)
HR: LAA-None, MN-None

Mike Trout opened the scoring in the 4th with a RBI triple. Kole Calhoun doubled the lead in the 5th with a 1-out RBI single, and Jose Berrios came undone after that. We finally got on the board in the bottom of the inning when Jorge Polanco lined a 2-out RBI single in front of a 2-run double by Joe Mauer, but Danny Santana was thrown out at the plate to end the inning.

• Marcell Ozuna (Miami) and Kevin Gausman (Baltimore) were suspended 3 games each for their roles in a benches clearing brawl between their teams.


April 24, 2017

• Michael Wacha (St. Louis) is out 4 months with a torn back muscle.
• We’re ranked 23rd in the latest power rankings.

Detroit 3 at Minnesota 2 (10 innings)

WP: Jose Valdez (1-0), LP: Glen Perkins (0-1), SV: Jordan Walden (1)
HR: Det-J.D. Martinez (3), MN-None

Pitching took control in the early innings. Martinez launched a leadoff homer 419 feet in the 5th to open the scoring. Steven Moya grounded a RBI single to right in the 6th to double the Tigers lead. We finally got on the board when Joe Mauer grounded a 2-out RBI single in the 8th. Then with Kennys Vargas at the plate, reliever Bobby Parnell uncorked a wild pitch that tied the game. Hector Gomez made a great grab with 2 outs and the bases loaded in the 9th to keep the game tied. We then proceeded to load the bases with nobody out in the bottom of the inning, but we squandered the chance on a line out, strike out, and a fly out. Miguel Cabrera was injured (bruised thumb, day-to-day 2 days) running the bases in the 10th. The Tigers took the lead later in the inning on a 2-out error by Jorge Polanco.

• Will Middlebrooks (St. Louis) was suspended 4 games and Jeff Samardzija (Chicago Cubs) was suspended 6 games for their roles in a benches clearing brawl.
• Edwin Escobar (San Diego) threw a 3-hitter against Arizona.


April 25, 2017

Detroit 0 at Minnesota 2

WP: Andre Rienzo (1-1), LP: Buck Farmer (1-1), SV: Glen Perkins (3)
HR: Det-None, MN-None

Offensive fireworks were expected with the same pitching matchup from the wild 11-10 game on April 20th. We got the 1st scoring chance in the 2nd, loading the bases with nobody out for Chris Herrmann. Herrmann delivered with a 2-run single to open the scoring. Outside of that inning, neither team was able to mount a serious scoring threat. Rienzo responded brilliantly scattering 3 hits in 6.2 shutout innings. Detroit didn’t get a scoring threat until the 7th, when Rienzo walked back-to-back hitters with 2 outs as he went over the 100 pitch mark. I responded by holding my breath as I brought in Joel Hanrahan, who brought an ERA of 15.43 into the game but was the freshest reliever I had, who after walking the first hitter he faced coaxed pinch-hitter Anthony Aliotti into grounding out softly to Joe Mauer unassisted to end the inning. Detroit got the go-ahead run to the plate against Perkins in the 9th, but he slammed the door to get us a much needed win.

• Kendall Graveman (Oakland) threw a 1-hitter against Seattle. The Mariners lone hit was a leadoff single in the 2nd by Alex Jackson.


April 26, 2017

• Oakland trades 2B Jose Miguel Fernandez and RHP CL Ryan Burr to Detroit in exchange for RHP SP Johnny Cueto and $3 million.

Detroit 5 at Minnesota 6

WP: Lester Oliveros (1-0), LP: Bobby Parnell (1-2), SV: Glen Perkins (4)
HR: Det-None, MN-Adam Walker (2)

Chris Heston escaped a 2nd and 3rd with 1 out jam in the 2nd by coaxing a pair of comebackers from Jose Miguel Fernandez and Ryan Flaherty to end the inning. Pitching dominated the early innings, as the teams combined for 1 hit in the 1st 3 innings. Fernandez made up for it in his 2nd at bat by lining a 2-run single to center in the 4th to open the scoring, which Flaherty followed up with a 2-run double to blow the game open. We didn’t get a hit until Danny Santana bunted for a 2-out single in the 5th. To add insult to injury, Nick Burdi was injured (hamstring soreness, 5 days) striking out James McCann in the 7th. Lester Oliveros came in to bail out a 2nd and 3rd with 1 out jam that Burdi left without giving up a run. We finally got on the board in the bottom of the inning when I lifted a struggling Santana for pinch-hitter Walker, who rewarded me with a 1-out grand slam to bring us within 4-5. We weren’t done, as we proceeded to load the bases for Kennys Vargas still with 1 out. While Vargas fouled out, Alfredo Marte picked him up with a 2-run single to put us in front. Perkins retired the side in order in the 9th to secure our 1st series win since the season opener.


April 27, 2017

• Tyler Thornburg (Chicago White Sox) is out 3 months with a torn triceps.

Minnesota 3 at Cleveland 7

WP: Jenrry Mejia (1-0), LP: Joel Hanrahan (0-2)
HR: MN-Aaron Hicks (3), Cle-Francisco Lindor (3), Lonnie Chisenhall (1)

The Indians opened the scoring in the 3rd on a 2-out RBI single by Carlos Santana. The lead didn’t last long as Alfredo Marte and Oswaldo Arcia hit back-to-back 1-out doubles in the 4th to tie the game. Later in the inning, Chris Herrmann grounded a 2-out RBI single to left to give us the lead. We threatened to break the game open in the 5th, loading the bases with nobody out for Kennys Vargas, but Vargas struck out looking and Marte grounded into an inning-ending double play to squander the threat. Cleveland made us pay as they tied the game in the bottom of the inning on a RBI groundout by Michael Brantley. With 1 out in the 6th, Hicks hit a flyball into the right field corner and never stopped running until he was on his way back to the dugout with an inside-the-park homer to put us back on top 3-2. Lindor pulled a 1-out solo homer in the 7th to tie the game again. The Indians went back in front in the 8th on a RBI double by Jake Lowery, and then Chisenhall put the game away with a 3-run homer.


April 28, 2017

• Joey Votto (Cincinnati) is out 2 months with a fractured finger.
• Evan Longoria (Tampa Bay) is out for 4 months with a partially torn labrum.

Minnesota 3 at Cleveland 5

WP: Hisashi Iwakuma (2-1), LP: Jose Berrios (0-4), SV: Cody Allen (5)
HR: MN-Jorge Polanco (2), Cle-Jake Lowery (2), Francisco Lindor (4)

Lowery hit a 1-out, 2-run homer in the 2nd to open the scoring. Lindor added insurance with a 1-out solo homer in the 5th. Carlos Santana was injured on a RBI double later in the inning. Polanco lined a frozen rope 390 feet in the 8th for a 3-run homer to get us on the board and bring us within 3-5.


April 29, 2017

• Josh Johnson (Seattle) suffered a setback in his recovery from a sore shoulder that will keep him out an additional 5 days.
• Greg Bird (New York Yankees) is out 4-5 months with a concussion.

Minnesota 3 at Cleveland 5

WP: Kyle Crockett (1-2), LP: Phil Hughes (2-1), SV: Cody Allen (6)
HR: MN-Danny Santana (1), Cle-None

Mistakes by the Indians let us get on the board in the 1st, a 2-out error by Jason Kipnis extended the inning and then Crockett uncorked a wild pitch that brought in Joe Mauer with the game’s 1st run. The lead didn’t last long as Francisco Lindor and Kipnis hit back-to-back doubles leading off the bottom of the inning to tie the game. Eric Haase put Cleveland in front in the 2nd with a RBI triple. Matt Holiday added some insurance with a RBI bloop single to center that brought Haase in. Kipnis added a sacrifice fly in the 4th to seemingly put the game out of reach with my offense doing nothing. Santana tried to get us back in the game by hitting a 1-out, 2-run homer in the 8th to cut the deficit in half. We didn’t put a ball in play against Allen in the 9th as he locked down the game.

• Aaron Sanchez (Toronto) threw a 2-hitter against Tampa Bay.


April 30, 2017

Minnesota 8 at Cleveland 5

WP: Andre Rienzo (2-1), LP: Danny Salazar (2-2), SV: Glen Perkins (5)
HR: MN-Aaron Hicks (4), Cle-Michael Brantley (2)

I went into the series finale trying to avoid being swept as we’ve been terrible on the road so far this season. Salazar got himself into trouble in the 1st by hitting Alfredo Marte and walking Oswaldo Arcia with 2 outs to load the bases. Hicks made him pay by grounding a 2-run single between 1st and 2nd to open the scoring. The Indians got a run back in the bottom of the inning on a sacrifice fly by Brantley. We got that run back in the 2nd on a 1-out RBI single by Kennys Vargas. Later in the inning Hicks got another chance with the bases loaded and still only 1 out, but this time he pulled a 96 MPH fastball 383 feet into the right field seats for a grand slam that made it 8-1 and sent Salazar to an early shower. Rienzo didn’t have his best stuff for us, giving up 5 runs in 5 innings before I lifted him. Cleveland squandered a chance to tighten the game in the 8th by failing to score after a leadoff triple by Tyler Naquin. A 70 minute rain delay in the top of the 9th only delayed the inevitable.


AL Player of the Month: Victor Martinez (New York Yankees) .583 BA, 2 HR, 12 RBI, 12 R, .621 OBP
NL Player of the Month: Troy Tulowitzki (Colorado) .457 BA, 6 HR, 21 RBI, 12 R
AL Pitcher of the Month: Chris Sale (Chicago White Sox) 4-0, 4 GS, 1.80 ERA, 30 IP, 26 K
NL Pitcher of the Month: T. J. House (Milwaukee) 4-0, 4 GS, 1.74 ERA, 31 IP, 18 K
AL Rookie of the Month: Kellin Deglan (Texas) .339 BA, 5 HR, 12 RBI, 7 R
NL Rookie of the Month: Orlando Calixte (Arizona) .306 BA, 0 HR, 6 RBI, 6 R

7-12, .368, 5 GB (4th AL Central), 3.5 GB (10th AL Wild Card)

It was a strange month of contrasts which I’m not sure what to make of. We’re a pathetic 2-8 on the road, but a respectable 5-4 at home. Traditionally one of my April problems has been the lack of run production, but we’re 8th in the AL this year and 4th in homers (Joe Mauer and Austin Barnes are the only position players not on the DL currently to have failed to homer this month). We strike out too much at the plate however (15th in the AL), though we have made strides in striking out more opposing hitters (8th in the AL). Speaking of my pitching staff, at a 1.99 ERA we have the best bullpen in the AL (where did that come from?), but our starters are at a 6.06 ERA which is 14th. When opponents do put the ball in play, they’re hitting .334 against us. So even the relievers have work to do at keeping opposing runners off the bases. We keep flirting with disaster with my pitching staff. I don’t understand why Terry Ryan hasn’t sent some of my struggling young starters back to the minors in exchange for more proven starters.