June 1, 2018
• Michael Tonkin is out 4 months with bone chips in his elbow, RHP SP Yorman Landa was called up to take his place. SS Hector Gomez was also placed on waivers, with 3B Amaurys Minier called up to take his place.
• Ian Kennedy (Boston) is out 4-5 months with shoulder inflammation.
• Jay Bruce (Toronto) suffered a setback in his recovery from ankle soreness that will keep him out an additional 1-2 weeks.
• Milwaukee trades LF Michael Saunders to the Chicago Cubs for 2B Arismendy Alcantara
Minnesota 6 at Oakland 3
WP: Trevor May (4-2), LP: Bobby Wahl (0-3), SV: Nick Burdi (2)
HR: MN-None, Oak-None
Josh Whitaker blooped a 2-out RBI single to left in the 4th to open the scoring. A passed ball on Rob Brantly in the 5th allowed us to tie the game, with Chris Herrmann scoring from 3rd on the play. Byron Buxton grounded the next pitch into left field to put us in front, as Amaurys Minier (who had walked in his 1st 2 MLB plate appearances at this point) trotted home from 3rd. Hicks doubled our lead by lining a 2-out RBI single to center later in the inning. Trevor May was throwing a lot of pitches, so I lifted him after 5 innings and 94 pitches and brought in Yorman Landa to make his MLB debut. Kennys Vargas provided some further insurance with a 2-out RBI single in the 7th to make it 4-1. Danny Santana then blew the game open by grounding a 2-run single to left 3 batters later with the bases loaded. With the win we take over as the team with the best record in the AL for the moment.
June 2, 2018
• The Chicago White Sox trade CF Engel Beltre and RHP SP Blair Henley (2016 4th Round pick) to the Los Angeles Angels for 3B Chase Simpson.
• St. Louis deals 2B Leury Garcia and RHP SP Tristin English to Washington in exchange for RHP SP Joe Ross.
Minnesota 2 at Oakland 4
WP: Chris Bassitt (1-2), LP: Jake Reed (0-3), SV: Sean Doolittle (10)
HR: MN-None, Oak-None
Herrmann lined a RBI double of the left-centerfield wall after Buxton stole 2nd in the 1st to open the scoring. Vargas promptly followed by lining a RBI double into the right field corner to double our lead. Andy Dirks was injured (fractured finger, 6 weeks) breaking up a double play in the 2nd. Oakland didn’t have a scoring chance until the loaded the bases with nobody out in the 4th, thanks to a pair of walks by Lewis Thorpe to start the inning. Thorpe miraculously escaped by striking out Mark Canha and Whitaker before coaxing a ground out from Cory Spangenberg to end the inning. Jon Jay lined a 2-out RBI single to right in the 7th to get Oakland on the board, after Jake Reed made an errant pickoff throw to 1st base. Reed then walked 3 straight batters to tie the game. Pinch-hitter Rob Brantly then lined a 2-run double down the right field line to put Oakland in front. Reed had been one of my more reliable relievers before this game.
June 3, 2018
Minnesota 3 at Oakland 7
WP: R. J. Alvarez (1-1), LP: Jose Berrios (3-4)
HR: MN-Christian Villanueva (3), Oak-Miguel Sano 2 (5)
Sano crushed a 1-out, 2-run homer 424 feet in the 1st to open the scoring. Villanueva hit a 1-out, 3-run homer in the 6th to get us on the board and take the lead. Sano responded by hammering a 1-out solo homer 404 feet to right-center in the bottom of the inning to tie the game. Berrios uncorked a 2-out wild pitch in the 7th that put Oakland back in front. Brantly lined a 2-out RBI single to center later in the inning for insurance.
June 4, 2018
• SS Hector Gomez cleared waivers and was assigned to AAA.
• We’re 11th in the latest power rankings.
• Colorado traded 3B Nolan Arenado and $3 million to Miami in exchange for C Brendan Illies, RF Luis Alvarado, RF Sleyter Soto, and LF Erwin Almonte.
Off Day
June 5, 2018
• RF Jon Garcia was called up from AAA to replace the injured Andy Dirks.
Los Angeles Angels 3 at Minnesota 0
WP: Drew Rucinski (6-4), LP: Phil Hughes (4-4), SV: Shae Simmons (12)
HR: LAA-Francisco Martinez (6), MN-None
Chris Davis opened the scoring in the 1st with a 2-out infield single when he beat Hughes to the bag. After that another pitching duel between Hughes and Rucinski commenced, with neither offense able to get much going. Martinez added a 1-out solo homer in the 6th that got some help from the wind for some insurance.
June 6, 2018
• Jake Thompson (Texas) is out 6 weeks with a strained triceps.
Los Angeles Angels at Minnesota—Rained Out
June 7, 2018
• The New York Yankees traded 1B Chris McGuiness to the Los Angeles Angels for RHP SP Lance Lynn.
• The Chicago Cubs dealt C Michael Amditis (2016 4th Round pick) to San Diego in exchange for RHP RP Ernesto Montas.
Game #1: Los Angeles Angels 9 at Minnesota 7
WP: Cam Bedrosian (2-1), LP: Nick Burdi (4-1), SV: Shae Simmons (13)
HR: LAA-Peter Van Gansen (3), Chris McGuiness (4), MN-None
Desperate to get some sort of offense going I juggled my batting order before this game. Chris Heston struggled to settle in, loading the bases with nobody out in the 1st. A Kevin Plawecki sacrifice fly opened the scoring, and the Angels added 2 more runs in the inning. Buxton caused a little chaos in the bottom of the inning, drawing a wild throw to 2nd on a stolen base attempt by Plawecki that allowed Buxton to advance to 3rd. He then scored on a RBI ground out by Villanueva. Van Gansen added a 2-out solo homer in the 4th to make it 1-4. Down 2-5 in the 5th, we loaded the bases with 1 out for Villanueva, who was hit by a 1st pitch fastball to force in a run and bring Mauer to the plate. Unfortunately, Mauer struck out and Vargas grounded into a fielder’s choice to end the rally. Mauer redeemed himself in the 7th by lining a 2-out, 2-run double just past the diving Mike Trout to tie the game at 5-5. After a head-scratching decision to intentionally walk the struggling Vargas to get to Hicks, Hicks made them pay by ripping a 2-run double off the top of the wall in straightaway center to put us in front. Burdi made things scary in the bottom of the 9th loading the bases with 1-out for Plawecki, who struck out. However McGuiness then hit a hanging slider 410 feet into the right field seats for a grand slam to put the Angels back in front. We responded valiantly by loading the bases with 1-out in the bottom of the inning for Santana, who struck out. Herrmann then flied out to end the game.
Game #2: Los Angeles Angels 7 at Minnesota 5
WP: Cam Bedrosian (3-1), LP: Simon Castro (2-3)
HR: LAA-None, MN-Byron Buxton (1)
Davis ripped a 1-out, 2-run double off the right-centerfield wall in the 1st to open the scoring. Trout lined a 2-out RBI double down the left field line in the 2nd to extend the Angels’ lead. Jorge Polanco got us on the board in the bottom of the inning when he lined a 1-out RBI single to left. 2 pitches later, Buxton sent a 1-0 sinker 426 feet over the centerfield fence for a 3-run homer to put us in front. Back-to-back 2-out doubles by Kole Calhoun and Jeff Bandy tied the game in the 3rd. A throwing error by May allowed the Angels to load the bases with 1 out in the 4th, but May rallied to strike out Davis and get McGuiness on a fly ball to Buxton to escape the jam. Martinez grounded a 1-out RBI single past Vargas at 1st in the 6th to put the Angels back in front. Villanueva hit a sacrifice fly to center in the bottom of the inning to tie the game. Asdrubal Cabrera lined a 2-out RBI double in the 7th to put the Angels in front again. Van Gansen followed it up by blooping a RBI single to center for some insurance.
June 8, 2018
• Hunter Renfroe (San Diego) is out 6 weeks with a herniated disc.
Minnesota 9 at Cleveland 7
WP: Lewis Thorpe (4-2), LP: Corey Kluber (3-4)
HR: MN-Kennys Vargas (11), Cle-Marcell Ozuna (7)
Cleveland was the last team I want to see right now, as they’ve cut our lead in the division from 4 to 1.5 games during our 5 game losing streak. Having a tired bullpen from yesterday’s double header isn’t going to help matters. Both offenses have struggled this season. Arcia lined a 1-out RBI single up the middle in the 2nd to open the scoring. Hicks blooped a 2-out RBI single to right in the 4th to double our lead. Arcia and Villanueva followed with singles to bring Hicks around and extend our lead. Ozuna hit the 1st pitch of the bottom of the inning 375 feet into the left field seat to put the Indians on the board. Buxton’s speed again created chaos in the 5th as Yan Gomes heaved a ball into center trying to throw out Buxton stealing 2nd, and Santana lined a RBI single into left-center 2 pitches later to get the run back. Santana blew the game open in the 7th lining a 2-run double into the right-centerfield gap to make it 6-1. A Vargas 3-run homer 2 batters later piled on the misery against the Cleveland bullpen. Reed tried to let the Indians back into the game by surrendering 3 runs in the 8th. Oliveros surrendered 2 more runs in the 9th, but finally put the game away with Burdi warming up behind him.
• Roberto Osuna (Toronto) threw a 1-hitter against the Los Angeles Angels. Peter Van Gansen hit a 2-out single in the 6th for the Angels’ only hit.
June 9, 2018
• Shin-Soo Choo (Texas) suffered a setback in his recovery from a sore achilles tendon that will keep him out another 4 days.
Minnesota 3 at Cleveland 9
WP: Hector Noesi (4-4), LP: Jose Berrios (3-5)
HR: MN-Oswaldo Arcia (4), Cle-Jose Ramirez (4), Yan Gomes (10), James Ramsey (1)
We put together a threat in the 1st, loading the bases with 1 out for Hicks, who unfortunately grounded into a 4-6-3 double play to end the threat. Arcia lined a 1-0 fastball 347 feet to right leading off the 2nd, just clearing the wall to open the scoring. Later in the inning Buxton picked up a RBI groundout to extend our lead. Ramirez got some help from the wind to hit a 2-run homer in the 3rd to get the Indians on the board and cut our lead to 3-2. Ozuna lined a 1-out RBI single to left in the 5th to tie the game. Gomes followed with a 3-run homer to put the Indians in front. Ramsey then blew the game open with a 2-run blast.
June 10, 2018
• Dustin Pedroia (Boston) suffered a setback in his recovery from a strained oblique that will keep him out an additional 5 days.
Minnesota 8 at Cleveland 0
WP: Phil Hughes (5-4), LP: Kyle Crocket (5-2)
HR: MN-Kennys Vargas (12), Christian Villanueva (4), Cle-None
The pitching matchup of Hughes against Crocket had all the makings of an epic pitcher’s duel on paper, as they entered the game as the top 2 pitchers in the AL in ERA. Vargas opened the scoring by taking a 3-2 hanging changeup and depositing it 386 feet into the left-centerfield seats for a 2-run homer in the 4th. Villanueva greeted reliever Bryan Price with a 1-out, 3-run homer in the 5th to blow the game open. Hughes had his best stuff going completing a 4-hitter without walking a batter.
June 11, 2018
• Shin-Soo Choo’s (Texas) injury continues to plague him as his recovery time is now 5 days.
• Michael Brantley (Cleveland) pushed himself too hard in his attempts to recover from a partially torn labrum, and it will keep him out another 3-4 weeks.
• Michael Ohlman (Atlanta) suffered a setback in his recovery from a sprained ankle that will keep him out at least 4 days.
• We’re 12th in the latest power rankings.
Off Day
• Brett Oberholtzer (Miami) threw a 3-hitter against Colorado.
June 12, 2018
• Atlanta trades RHP SP Alex Cobb to Seattle for 3B D. J. Peterson.
• The Chicago White Sox dealt RHP SP Tyler Thornburg to Toronto in exchange for CF Brayan Hernandez and 3B Bryan Lizardo.
Milwaukee 1 at Minnesota 2
WP: Simon Castro (3-3), LP: Craig Kimbrel (0-2)
HR: Mil-None, MN-None
Worst in MLB Milwaukee then came to Target Field for a pair of rivalry games. Mauer and Vargas hit back-to-back 2-out doubles in the 3rd to open the scoring. Lots of deep counts meant I had to lift Heston after 6 shutout innings. In the 6th we had a scoring chance with runners on the corners with nobody out for Harrison, who grounded out, but then David Price intentionally walked Villanueva to load the bases and get to Herrmann. Herrmann fouled out on a 3-2 pitch for the 2nd out. Both teams then made a move, as the Brewers brought in Carson Smith and I responded by bringing Arcia off the bench to hit for Polanco. Smith won the battle by striking out Arcia on a 96 MPH fastball on 3-2 to squash our threat. Reed soothed my fears a little by coming in and striking out the side in the 7th. Unfortunately a sacrifice fly by Ryan Braun in the 8th off of Reed tied the game. Kimbrel was brought in to start the 9th and walked Herrmann. Arcia then lined an 0-1 fastball into the right-centerfield gap for a walk-off triple.
June 13, 2018
Milwaukee at Minnesota—Rained Out
• Ardys Portillo (Tampa Bay) threw a 1-hitter against Washington. Bryce Harper singled to lead off the 5th for Washington’s only hit. Portillo’s ERA was 8.23 entering the game in 11 starts on the season.
June 14, 2018
• Tom Windle (Philadelphia) is reportedly older than he’s claimed. His native country is being rather uncooperative because of his illegal emigration (which is rather funny for reasons in the pictures below
).
• Sean Gilmartin (New York Mets) is out 4-5 months with bone chips in his elbow.
Off Day
32-25, .561, 3.5 GA (1st AL Central), 1.5 GA (of the 2nd AL Wild Card)
My offense looks like it’s finding it’s groove again, but my bullpen is in shambles without the injured Michael Tonkin. It wasn’t a great start to June, as we went a mere 4-6, but the rest of the division is struggling as well.