2004 Minnesota Twins Dynasty

[Klew1986]

My goal with the Twins is to take them to the ALCS within the next 3 years. I don't expect to make the World Series the first year, but meet the owners request by not finishing lower than 2nd place.

2004 Minnesota Twins Starting Lineup:
1. LF Shannon Stewart
2. SS Cristian Guzman
3. RF Jacque Jones
4. 3B Corey Koskie
5. CF Torii Hunter
6. 1B Justin Morneau
7. DH Matthew LeCroy
8. C Joe Mauer
9. 2B Luis Rivas


2004 Minnesota Twins Bench:
C Henry Blanco
1B Jose Offerman
2B Nick Punto
OF Michael Cuddyer
OF Michael Ryan

2004 Minnesota Twins Starting Rotation:
1. SP Johan Santana
2. SP Horacio Ramirez
3. SP Brad Radke
4. SP Carlos Silva
5. SP Kyle Lohse

Twins Bullpen:
Mop-Up Reliever: Joe Roa
Middle Reliever: Grant Balfour, Aaron Fultz, Joe Roa
Set-Up Reliever: Juan Rincon, J.C. Romero
Closer: Joe Nathan

I will post the first series results later.

[Klew1986]

Twins Make First Trade of Year

Minneapolis, MN- Today the Minnesota Twins traded 1B Doug Mientkiewicz, SP Boof Bonser and $750,000 to the Atlanta Braves for SP Horacio Ramirez. "I fell that we got an amazing, young pitcher to help strengthen our rotation. Also, with the trading of Doug, we can now bring Justin Morneau up to the big leagues and be the full-time 1B," said Twins GM Kevin Lewis.

Twins call up 1B Justin Morneau and send SP Brad Thomas down to AAA.

[And1pg2]

You should have got an SP with Doug but I like Erasmo he is a good guy to add to any pitching staff. Good Luck!

[Klew1986]

3 Game Series against (4/5-4/7)


Santana Dominates Indians in Season Opener
This game was all about Johan Santana, the Twins new ace. He was on fire today and no one could seem to put him out. He lasted 8 innings and gave up only 3 hits, although one was homerun by Alex Escobar. Johan struck out 10 batters and retiring 8 out of the 1st 9 batters. The offensive support was contributed by OF's Shannon Stewart and Torii Hunter, who each had a homerun and allowed Joe Nathan to come in and pick up a save. On the other hand, up and coming stars Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau both went 0-3 in this contest. Final Score: MIN 4, CLE 1

WP: Johan Santana (1-0)
LP: C.C. Sabathia (0-1)
SV: Joe Nathan (1)
Player of the Game: SP Johan Santana (MIN) 8 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 HR, 10 K's, 101 Pitches, 1.13 ERA


Twins Hold on Just Barely
This game was much more exciting than the opener. The Twins started newly-acquired pitcher Horacio Ramirez and he proved he will provide a great contribution to this ballclub. He lasted 6 1/3 innings and strukout 3, but gave up 2 earned runs. Twins manager Rod Gardinhire was very please with his performance today and he hopes he will continue to play like he did today. On the other side of the field, Cliff Lee of the Indians had a not so good outing. Although he lasted just 1/3 inning less than Ramirez, he gave up 2 early runs in the 1st off of a Cristian Guzman triple and Jacque Jones single. Firstbase prospect, Justin Morneau got his first big league hit today in the 4th inning which drove in Jacque Jones. The dissatisfied Joe Mauer went 0-4 in todays game and is now 0-7 to start the year. Final Score: MIN 4, CLE 3

WP: Horacio Ramirez (1-0)
LP: Cliff Lee (0-1)
SV: Joe Nathan (2)
Player of the Game: SS Cristian Guzman (MIN) 2-3, 1 Run, 1 RBI


Twins Sweep Season Opener Behind Radke
This game was a repeat of the close nail-bitter yesterday. The Twins just barely hold on to beat the Cleveland Indians today, as Brad Radke took the mound for the Twins. Going into the 5th inning the game was tied 1-1, thanks to a Torii Hunter homerun in the bottom of the 4th that tied the game. The Indians struk first in the 5th inning with a Matt Lawton homerun, but then were quickly sat down by Brad [Radke]. The Twins would have an answer though. That answer would be what ended up being the game winning 2-run homerun by Shannon Stewart with one out. After that the Twins just needed to hold on and send Joe Nathan in again to pick up his 3rd save of the year. Final Score: MIN 3, CLE 2

WP: Brad Radke (1-0)
LP: Jeff D'Amico (0-1)
SV: Joe Nathan (3)
Player of the Game: CF Torii Hunter (MIN) 3-4, 1 HR, 1 Run, 1 RBI

Justin Morneau and Joe Mauer Watch:

#7 Joe Mauer
0-10 (.000 AVG), 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 Runs, 0 BB, 0 SB

#27 Justin Morneau
1-11 (.111 AVG), 0 HR, 1 RBI, 0 Runs, 0 BB, 0 SB

Team Leaders:
HR's: Torii Hunter/Shannon Stewart (2)
RBI's: Shannon Stewart (3)
SB: Jacque Jones (2)
WINS: Brad Radke/Johan Santana/Horacio Ramirez (1)
ERA: Joe Nathan (0.00)
SAVES: Joe Nathan (3)
K's: Johan Santana (10)

AL Central Standings:
1. Minnesota 3-0
2. Chicago (A) 2-0 (.5 GB)
3. Kansas City 0-2 (2.5 GB)
4. Cleveland 0-3 (3 GB)
5. Detroit 0-3 (3 GB)

Minnesota Travels to Detroit for a 3 Game Series

[And1pg2]

Joe Nathan is off to a good start, just like in real life. Johan seems like he will hold his own. Good luck to him and the Twins. Hopefully Mauer snaps out of his funk her soon right?

[YankeeFanatic04]

Looks good so far. I will be reading and supporting the Twins.

[GoCubsAndJays]

Originally Posted by And1pg2

You should have got an SP with Doug but I like Erasmo he is a good guy to add to any pitching staff. Good Luck!

He did get a starter, he got Horacio Ramirez, not Erasmo.

[And1pg2]

That's not what was there first. He must have changed lol It did Say Erasmo Ramirez

[Klew1986]

3 Game Series against (4/8, 4/10-4/11)


Silva Picks Up Difficult Win for Twins
This game was the worst game played by the Twins yet this year. Twins starter Carlos Silva lasted only 5 1/3 innings while giving up 5 earned runs on 7 hits. This Twins were lucky that their offense was ruinning on full cylinders today or else they would have been toast. The score was 7-6 going into the Top of the 8th inning at Jacobs Field. This was the most productive inning for the Twins all night and couldn't have come at a better time. Guzman singled to the gap in right-center. Then they walked Jacque Jones, but Koskie would fly out, so the runners stayed at 1st and 2nd. Then up came Torii Hunter, he would eventually get a base clearing triple down the right field line to make the score 9-6. Then, with LeCroy and Hunter on base, Joe Mauer got his first major league hit (about time) and scored Torii Hunter. That was probably the only exciting inning of this game, which proved to be the most important inning after the Tigers made a rally earlier. Final Score: MIN 10, DET 6

WP: Carlos Silva (1-0)
LP: Nate Cornejo (0-1)
Player of the Game: RF Jacque Joes (MIN) 3-5, 1 HR, 2 Runs, 2 RBI, 1 BB


Twins Keep Rolling Against Tigers
Once again this game came down to the 8th inning with the Twins up 4-2. The Twins were kind of worried because Kyle was getting tired and they haven't used their bullpen much this year, so they didn't know who would be good for this situation, so they brought in Juan Rincon to help get through the inning. Shannon Stewart would hit a single down the left-field line to score Luis Rivas, who hit a double to score Matthew LeCroy. the Jacque Jones would hit a single to score Shannon Stewart, which made the score 7-2 Twins. Then Corey Koskie would double to the gap in right-center to score two more runs and put this game out of reach for the Tigers. Final Score: MIN 9, DET 2

WP: Kyle Lohse (1-0)
LP: Jason Johnson (0-1)
Player of the Game: SP Kyle Lohse (MIN) 8 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 0 HR, 5 K's, 115 Pitches (69 strikes), 2.25 ERA


Santana Goes The Distance for Sweep
Johan Santana has done it again. He has tacked another victory onto his young and impressive resume today after beating the Tigers 6-3. Johan went the full nine innings and picked up the complete game, although he gave up 3 runs, he was still satisfied with the win. The excitement came in the 8th inning again, when Joe Mauer surprised everyone and bunted, which resulted in an infield single. Luis Rivas then bunted and moved Morneau and Mauer up a base to 2nd and 3rd. Then came Shannon Stewart, the hottest Twin right now. He would bloop a single to right field which would score Morneau. Mauer thought, "What the heck, I'll go for it". So Mauer got on his horse and scored without a throw at home. Final Score: MIN 3, CLE 2

WP: Johan Santana (2-0)
LP: Jeremy Bonderman (0-2)
Player of the Game: SP Johan Santana (MIN) 9 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 1 HR, 6 K's, 99 Pitches (66 strikes), 2.12 ERA

Justin Morneau and Joe Mauer Watch:

#7 Joe Mauer
2-18 (.111 AVG), 0 HR, 1 RBI, 2 Runs, 4 BB, 5 Strikeouts, 0 SB

#27 Justin Morneau
3-16 (.188 AVG), 1 HR, 3 RBI, 4 Runs, 5 BB, 6 Strikeouts, 0 SB

Team Leaders:
HR's: Torii Hunter (3)
RBI's: Torii Hunter (9)
SB: Jacque Jones (3)
WINS: Johan Santana (2)
ERA: Johan Santana (2.12)
SAVES: Joe Nathan (3)
K's: Johan Santana (16)

AL Central Standings:
1. Minnesota 6-0
2. Chicago (A) 3-3 (3 GB)
3. Kansas City 3-3 (3 GB)
4. Cleveland 1-6 (5.5 GB)
5. Detroit 0-6 (3 GB)

Minnesota Travels to Cleveland for a 3 Game Series

[PrestonKaye]

looks good man. Ill be sure to check in later on.
keep up the good work!

[Klew1986]

3 Game Series against (4/12, 4/14-4/15)


Twins Suffer First Loss in More Than One Way
This was a game the Twins would love to forget about quickly for two reason. Well, number one is obvious, they lost their first game of the season. But the 2nd reason is because they lost SP Horacio Ramirez in the 1st inning due to a sore shoulder. Although it's not serious, he will probably miss his next start if he is still sore. Cleveland had the lead throughout the whole game and they never looked back. The highlight of this game, although there weren't many, was the homerun by Ronnie Belliard who hit a 363 foot homerun with one on in the 5th inning off of Joe Roa. Final Score: CLE 5, MIN 3

WP: Jeff D'Amico (1-1)
LP: Horacio Ramirez (1-1)
SV: David Riske (1)
Player of the Game: 2B Ronnie Belliard (CLE) 2-4, 1 HR, 1 Run, 3 RBI


Twins Get Revenge in Huge Way
I could write a full page report on this game and how it was a blowout. The Twins just completely dominated the Cleveland Indians in this game. Their was no way the Indians were going to come back. After four innings the Twins were up 11-3. That's right, no typo, 11-3!!!! The Twins racked up a season high, 20 hits as a team, but there was one person who wasn't able to connect tonight and that was none other than JOE MAUER!!! This guy has been struggling from the start and GM Kevin Lewis is debating wheter to send him down to AAA for more help. On the other side Justin Morneau went 4-5, with a homerun and 3 RBI and earned the Player of the Game award. Final Score: MIN 16, CLE 3

WP: Brad Radke (2-0)
LP: Jason Davis (0-2)
Player of the Game: 1B Justin Morneau (MIN) 4-5, 1 HR, 2 Runs, 3 RBI


Twins Pull off Ninth Inning Miracle
This game was all about the 9th inning for the Twins and nothing else. The beginning of the game was rough for the Twins as starting pitcher, Carlos Silva walked seven batters and was pulled after only 4 2/3 innings. Then the fun started for the Twins in the 9th inning. With the bases loaded, Michael Ryan pinch-hit for a struggling Shannon Stewart and was told to squeeze bunt to try and score the tying run. The bunt was successful and it scored Justin Morneau to tie the game at 4 a piece. Then came Cristian Guzman, the master of the bunt. He was also told to try and squeeze bunt to bring in the go ahead run. It too was attempted successfully and brought home Joe Mauer. Then came in Joe Nathan to finish it up. Final Score: MIN 5, CLE 4

WP: Aaron Fultz (1-0)
LP: Jose Jimenez (0-2)
Player of the Game: 2B Luis Rivas (MIN) 2-3, 1 HR, 1 Run, 2 RBI, 1 BB

Justin Morneau and Joe Mauer Watch:

#7 Joe Mauer
3-29 (.103 AVG), 0 HR, 1 RBI, 4 Runs, 5 BB, 8 Strikeouts, 1 SB

#27 Justin Morneau
9-27 (.333 AVG), 2 HR, 7 RBI, 8 Runs, 6 BB, 9 Strikeouts, 1 SB

Team Leaders:
HR's: Torii Hunter/Shannon Stewart (3)
RBI's: Torii Hunter (13)
SB: Jacque Jones/Cristian Guzman (4)
WINS: Johan Santana/Brad Radke (2)
ERA: Johan Santana (2.12)
SAVES: Joe Nathan (4)
K's: Johan Santana (16)

AL Central Standings:
1. Minnesota 8-1
2. Chicago (A) 5-4 (3 GB)
3. Kansas City 4-5 (4 GB)
4. Detroit 2-7 (6 GB)
5. Cleveland 2-8 (6.5 GB)

Minnesota Hosts Kansas City in a 3 Game Series

[Klew1986]

3 Game Series against (4/16-4/18)


Twins Add to AL Central Lead
Late inning heroics influence Twins game once again. For most Minnesotans, the late inning rallies are starting to become daily at the Dome. Down 2-0 going into the 5th inning the Twins kicked it into gear and scored 3 runs. All of those three runs came off a Justin Morneau 3-run homerun. Justin Morneau had an outstanding game by setting a career high in RBIs, 5. Michael Ryan did all the scoring in the 7th inning when he hit a 3-run homerun too, to make the score 6-2 Twins. In the 8th inning, Matt Stairs of the Royals hit a 2-run homerun off of Juan Rincon to pull within two. The Twins fans were starting to get worried so they brought in J.C. Romero and he was able to shut them down. Henry Blanco, who pinch-hit for Michael Ryan, hit a 2-run double to put the Twins ahead by 4 yet again. Final Score: MIN 10, KC 4

WP: Kyle Lohse (2-0)
LP: Scott Sullivan (0-2)
Player of the Game: 1B Justin Morneau (MIN) 2-4, 1 HR, 2 Runs, 5 RBI


Twins Comeback Falls Short
I almost fell asleep playing this game. Although, Johan Santana was pitching for the Twins, he didn't have his best game. He gave up three earned runs in 5 2/3 innings, which would end up causing him to lose the game. The Twins' offense just didn't click tonight and look to regain their domintant offensive play tomorrow in the "Rubber Match" between the two teams. Final Score: KC 4, MIN 3

WP:Kevin Appier (1-0)
LP: Johan Santana (2-1)
SV: Curtis Leskanic (1)
Player of the Game: SP Kevin Appier (KC) 6.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 0 HR, 3 K's, 102 Pitches (54 strikes), 0.00 ERA


Twins Win Rubber Match In Shootout
The game was back and forth all night long. The Twins hit a season high 4 homeruns, three of which were solo shots. The first one came from the bat of Shannon Stewart in the first inning. As a matter of fact, it was a lead off homerun. His first leadoff homer of the year. The next one came off the bat of Cristian Guzman in the 2nd inning with no one on base. At that time the score was 5-1 Twins. Joe Mauer would later finally get in on the fun and hit a 2-run homerun in the 7th. That was his first major league homerun and hopefully a sign of good things to come. Jazque Jones would end the homerun fun in the 8th inning when he hit a solo shot to make the score 12-9. Joe Nathan would come in to get the save in the 9th inning. Final Score: MIN 12, KC 9

WP: Aaron Fultz (2-0)
LP: D.J. Carrasco (0-1)
SV: Joe Nathan (5)
Player of the Game: LF Jacque Jones (MIN) 2-3, 1 HR, 4 Runs, 2 RBI, 2 BB

Justin Morneau and Joe Mauer Watch:

#7 Joe Mauer
4-36 (.111 AVG), 1 HR, 3 RBI, 5 Runs, 6 BB, 13 Strikeouts, 2 SB

#27 Justin Morneau
12-37 (.324 AVG), 3 HR, 13 RBI, 10 Runs, 7 BB, 10 Strikeouts, 1 SB

Team Leaders:
AVG: Luis Rivas (.462)
HR's: Shannon Stewart (4)
RBI's: Torii Hunter (14)
SB: Cristian Guzman (7)
WINS: Johan Santana/Brad Radke/Kyle Lohse/Aaron Fultz (2)
ERA: Kyle Lohse (1.80)
SAVES: Joe Nathan (5)
K's: Johan Santana (25)

AL Central Standings:
1. Minnesota 10-2
2. Chicago (A) 8-4 (2 GB)
3. Kansas City 5-7 (5 GB)
4. Cleveland 4-9 (6.5 GB)
5. Detroit 3-9 (7 GB)

Major Injury News:
NYM: Steve Trachsel out 6 weeks (Torn Tricep Muscle)
HOU: Jeff Kent out 8 weeks (Pulled Achilles Tendon, will require surgery)
CLE: C.C. Sabathia out 4-5 weeks (Broken Finger, will require surgery)
PIT: Kip Wells out 5 weeks (Bone Chips Elbow)
TOR: Roy Halladay out 5 weeks (Back Spasms, will require surgery)

Twins Trade!!!
The Twins traded DH Matthew LeCroy and RP Pat Neshek to New York Mets for RP Dan Wheeler. In the process, Michael Restovich and Dan Wheeler were promoted from AAA Rochester to the active roster and Nick Punto was sent down from the active roster to AAA Rochester.

Minnesota Hosts Detroit in a 3 Game Series

[PrestonKaye]

wow Mauer is sucking it up! good work, looking forward to see the Redsox win it all in your dynasty

[Klew1986]

3 Game Series against (4/20-4/22)


Twins Continue To Dominate Detroit
The domination continues for the Twins when they play the Detroit Tigers. It doesn't matter where they play, they just continue to embarass them. Brad Radke can back up that statement as he went 7 2/3 innings giving up only 2 runs which was just enough to get him the win. The Tigers were actually ahead in the game going into the bottom of the 7th 2-1. The 7th inning stretch couldn't have come at a better time for the Twins. Torii Hunter would hit a double that would score Corey Koskie. Then Michael Restovich would be walked, so Torii and Michael were on 1st and 2nd. The rest was up to Joe Mauer. He would eventually hit a 2-run triple to the gap in right-center. The rest was up to the Twins bullpen. Final Score: MIN 4, DET 2

WP: Brad Radke (3-0)
LP: Nate Robertson (0-1)
SV: Joe Nathan (6)
Player of the Game: SP Brad Radke (MIN) 7.2 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 0 HR, 4 K's, 112 Pitches (64 strikes), 2.82 ERA


Twins Tack on Another Victory Against Tigers
This game was over before the 4th inning even started. The Twins were up 9-0 thanks to 4 run scoring doubles in the first 3 innings. In the 3rd inning, the Twins batted around and caused the Tigers to change pitchers just 2 1/3 innings into the game. The Tiger would eventually try to rally in the 7th, 8th, and 9th inning, but the Twins just had to big of a lead. Joe Nathan would eventually pick up his 7th save of the season and continue his scoreless streak (8 innings). Final Score: MIN 9, DET 6

WP:Carlos Silva (2-0)
LP: Jeremy Bonderman (0-3)
SV: Joe Nathan (7)
Player of the Game: 2B Luis Rivas (MIN) 3-4, 0 HR, 2 Runs, 2 RBI, 0 BB


Twins Produce Huge 6th Inning Rally
For a second it looked like the Detroit Tigers would actually be able to win a game this year againt the Twins. Wait just one minute though, the Twins were not just about to let that happen. Jacque Jones hit a single that scored Luis Rivas and advance Guzman and Stewart to 2nd and 3rd, so the bases were loaded. Up came Corey Koskie, who would fly out to centerfield and score Shannon Stewart. Then Torii Hunter would get a single to score Guzman to pull within one run of the Tigers. Michael Restovich would hit a 2-run double down the left field line, which would score Jacque Jones and Torii Hunter. Final Score: MIN 5, DET 4

WP: Kyle Lohse (3-0)
LP: Nate Cornejo (0-3)
SV: Grant Balfour (1)
Player of the Game: RF Michael Restovich (MIN) 1-3, 0 HR, 0 Runs, 2 RBI, 0 BB, game winning 2-run double in 6th inning.

Justin Morneau and Joe Mauer Watch:

#7 Joe Mauer
7-46 (.152 AVG), 1 HR, 5 RBI, 8 Runs, 6 BB, 14 Strikeouts, 2 SB

#27 Justin Morneau
14-46 (.304 AVG), 3 HR, 13 RBI, 11 Runs, 7 BB, 14 Strikeouts, 1 SB

Team Leaders:
AVG: Luis Rivas (.469)
HR's: Shannon Stewart (4)
RBI's: Torii Hunter (17)
Runs Scored: Jacque Jones (16)
SB: Cristian Guzman (7)
WINS: Brad Radke/Kyle Lohse (3)
ERA: Kyle Lohse (2.11)
SAVES: Joe Nathan (7)
K's: Johan Santana (25)

AL Central Standings:
1. Minnesota 13-2
2. Chicago (A) 8-7 (5 GB)
3. Kansas City 7-8 (6 GB)
4. Cleveland 5-12 (9 GB)
5. Detroit 4-12 (9.5 GB)

Major Injury News (updated as of 4/23/04):
PHI: Kevin Millwood out for season (Torn Bicep Muscle)
KC: Juan Gonzalez out 4-5 weeks (Broken Finger, will require surgery)
NYM: Steve Trachsel out 4 weeks (Torn Tricep Muscle)
HOU: Jeff Kent out 6 weeks (Pulled Achilles Tendon, will require surgery)
CLE: C.C. Sabathia out 4-5 weeks (Broken Finger, will require surgery)
PIT: Kip Wells out 5 weeks (Bone Chips Elbow)
TOR: Roy Halladay out 5 weeks (Back Spasms, will require surgery)

Minnesota Will Travel to Kansas City for a 3 Game Series

[Klew1986]

3 Game Series against (4/23-4/25)


Twins Demolish Royals Quick and Early
The only reason people stayed at the game was because they were loyal to their Kansas City fans. It was that type of game for the Royals. They allowed Minnesota to score a club-record 13 runs in the 1st inning. Jacque Jones started the rout with a RBI-single to short left-center, but then advanced to 2nd on the play when they tried to throw Stewart out at home. Corey Koskie then hit a double to the gap in right-center to score Jacque Jones. Torii Hunter then scored Koskie on an RBI-single to right-center. The next scoring play would come off the bat of Luis Rivas when he hit a single down the first-base line scoring Hunter and Morneau, who was walked earlier. The Stewart got a chance to score an RBI and he did when he scored Joe Mauer on a single to center. At that point the score was 6-0 and they weren't done yet. Guzman would then hit a single to right which would score Rivas and Stewart to make it 8-0. Torii Hunter would get more RBI's when he would hit a base clearing double down the left field line. Then to finish off the inning, Michael Restovich would hit a 2-run homerun to deep right-center. Restovich would later hit another homerun that traveled 443 feet, the longest of this career. It was 13-0 after the 1st inning. Now that is a confidence booster to any team. Final Score: MIN 18, KC 8

WP: Aaron Fultz (3-0)
LP: Kevin Appier (1-1)
SV: Joe Roa (1)
Player of the Game, for this game there are going to be two POGs: CF Torii Hunter (MIN) 3-6, 0 HR, 3 Runs, 4 RBI


Royals Get Much Needed Revenge
The Royals were not happy one bit after last night's embarassing loss to the Twins, so they had the motive to come out strong and get revenge. In the 1st inning Carlos Beltran got an RBI-single to shallow left-center. Then Angel Berroa hit a 2-run homerun to make it 3-1 after one inning of play. The Royals never looked back and were eventually able to tie the series a 1 game a piece and head into the rubber match. Final Score: KC 4, MIN 2

WP: Jeremy Affeldt (1-2)
LP: Horacio Ramirez (1-2)
SV: Curtis Leskanic (3)
Player of the Game: SP Jeremy Affeldt (KC) 7.2 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 HR, 8 K's, 102 Pitches (65 strikes), 5.96 ERA


Twins Win Rubber Match In Weird Series
This game was much slower paced then the previous two games. The players were calm and had the previous two games behind them and now had to focus on the series finally. The Twins would strike first with a Corey Koski single which scored 2 runs and put them up 2-0. Then in the 2nd, Joe Mauer would hit an RBI-single to put them up 3-0. Angel Berroa would continue to be red hot against the Twins by hit a solo homerun 387 feet to deep left-center. Then in the bottom of the 7th, Joe Randa would hit an RBI-single to score Carlos Beltran. The score was then 3-2. In the top of the 8th, Luis Rivas would add an insurance run by hitting a solo homerun to make it 4-2. Instead of sending in Joe Nathan to get the save, Brad Radke stayed in to pick up the complete game. Final Score: MIN 4, KC 3

WP: Brad Radke (4-0)
LP: Brian Anderson (3-1)
Player of the Game: SP Brad Radke (MIN) 9 IP,7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 HR, 6 K's, 109 Pitches (61 strikes), 2.59 ERA

Justin Morneau and Joe Mauer Watch:

#7 Joe Mauer
12-57 (.211 AVG), 1 HR, 6 RBI, 11 Runs, 6 BB, 16 Strikeouts, 2 SB

#27 Justin Morneau
15-59 (.254 AVG), 3 HR, 14 RBI, 12 Runs, 8 BB, 17 Strikeouts, 1 SB

Team Leaders:
AVG: Luis Rivas (.443)
HR's: Shannon Stewart (4)
RBI's: Torii Hunter (21)
Runs Scored: Jacque Jones (19)
SB: Cristian Guzman (7)
WINS: Brad Radke (4)
ERA: Kyle Lohse (2.11)
SAVES: Joe Nathan (7)
K's: Johan Santana (28)

AL Central Standings:
1. Minnesota 15-3
2. Chicago (A) 9-9 (6 GB)
3. Kansas City 8-10 (7 GB)
4. Cleveland 7-13 (9 GB)
5. Detroit 5-14 (10.5 GB)

Major Injury News (updated as of 4/26/04):
NYM: Steve Trachsel out 3-4 weeks (Torn Tricep Muscle)
HOU: Jeff Kent out 6 weeks (Pulled Achilles Tendon, will require surgery)
TOR: Roy Halladay out 3-4 weeks (Back Spasms, will require surgery)
KC: Juan Gonzalez out 4-5 weeks (Broken Finger, will require surgery)

Twins Transaction!!
-Twins send Joe Mauer down to AAA and call up RP Jessie Crain from AAA-Rochester.
-Twins release SP Rick Helling because no room on active roster and refuses to be assigned to AAA-Rochester.

Minnesota Hosts Toronto for a 3 Game Series

[Jack4Jack]

sending Mauer down after he finally gets it goin? Interesting tactic.

[Klew1986]

He wasn't really getting it going. The thing with him is that he would have a good game then he would go like 0 for 12 or something over the next 3-4 games. He just needs more work and Crain will be an amazing addition to my bullpen. He is the future of my bullpen. Thanks for reading and replying!!! Any other suggestions or things i should do to help the Twins win more (like they need to anyways, LOL)?

[Klew1986]

3 Game Series against (4/26-4/28)


Twins Fall Short of Victory
The Minnesota Twins just couldn’t pull out the win today in the series opener against the Toronto Blue Jays. The only highlight for the Twins today was when Shannon Stewart hit a solo homerun to deep center to give the Twins their only lead of the game, 1-0. After that homerun the Twins failed to play good baseball for the first time all month. Carlos Silva lasted only 4 2/3 innings giving up 7 hits and 1 earned run, but manager Ron Gardenhire felt that Silva wasn’t playing his best, so he decided to take him out before the Twins were totally out of reach. Orlando Hudson hit the game winning homerun in the 6th inning for the Toronto Blue Jays as they took the series opener. Final Score: TOR 3, MIN 2

WP: Josh Towers (2-0)
LP: Dan Wheeler (0-2)
SV: Terry Adams (3)
Player of the Game: SP Josh Towers (TOR) 8 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 HR, 3 K's, 105 Pitches (65 strikes), 4.15 ERA


Stewart and Company Squeak By Blue Jays
This game is not what it turned out to be at the end. Although the final score was 9-8 Twins, the game was controlled by the Twins until the end. The Blue Jays struck first when Orlando Hudson hit an RBI-single down the left field line to make it 1-0. Then in the following inning, Torii Hunter hit a 2-run double to right field to make it 2-1. The highlight for the Twins was when Jacque Jones hit a 3-run homerun down the left field line to make the score 5-2 at that point. Then in the 6th inning, Shannon Stewart got a piece of the fun when he hit a 3-run homerun that traveled 435 feet to deep center. Then came the Blue Jays rally in the top of the 9th inning with the score 9-4. Before the start of the inning the Twins put in Grant Balfour to end the game, but it sure wasn’t easy for him. With two out and the bases loaded, Vernon Wells hit a grand slam to deep left-center to make the score 9-8. J.C. Romero came in and got the save after that scary moment. Final Score: MIN 9, TOR 8

WP: Kyle Lohse (4-0)
LP: David Bush (0-1)
SV: J.C. Romero (1)
Player of the Game: DH Shannon Stewart (MIN) 3-4, 1 HR, 2 Runs, 4 RBI, 1 BB, set career high for RBI in a game (4)


Twins Have 9th Inning Rally of Their Own
This game was pretty boring until the bottom of the 9th inning with the score tied at 1-1. The Blue Jays weren’t even able to record an out in the 9th inning before the game winning hit. Miguel Batista would stay in to pitch the top of the 9th inning and walk Michael Restovich. Then came Batista’s worst nightmare, Torii Hunter. With a 3-2 count, Torii Hunter just let the bat do the work. He would hit a 2-run game winning homerun to deep right-center to give the Twins the win and increase their lead in the AL Central. Final Score: MIN 3, TOR 1

WP: Joe Nathan (1-0)
LP: Miguel Batista (1-1)
Player of the Game: CF Torii Hunter (MIN) 2-4, 1 HR, 1 Runs, 2 RBI, 0 BB, hit game winning 2-run homer in bottom of 9th inning.

Justin Morneau Watch:

**Joe Mauer is currently in AAA-Rochester improving his skills. No timetable for when he will be called up again.**

#27 Justin Morneau
16-70 (.229 AVG), 3 HR, 15 RBI, 12 Runs, 8 BB, 21 Strikeouts, 1 SB

Team Leaders:
AVG: Luis Rivas (.429)
HR's: Shannon Stewart (6)
RBI's: Torii Hunter (25)
Runs Scored: Jacque Jones (21)
SB: Cristian Guzman/Shannon Stewart (7)
WINS: Brad Radke/Kyle Lohse (4)
ERA: Kyle Lohse (2.59)
SAVES: Joe Nathan (7)
K's: Johan Santana (32)

Bold= American League Leader in that category.
Bold= Major League Leader in that category.

AL Central Standings:
1. Minnesota 17-4
2. Chicago (A) 11-9 (5½ GB)
3. Kansas City 10-10 (6½ GB)
4. Cleveland 7-15 (10½ GB)
5. Detroit 6-14 (11 GB)

Major Injury News (updated as of 4/29/04):
NYM: Steve Trachsel out 3 weeks (Torn Tricep Muscle)
HOU: Jeff Kent out 5 weeks (Pulled Achilles Tendon, will require surgery)
TOR: Roy Halladay out 3 weeks (Back Spasms, will require surgery)
KC: Juan Gonzalez out 3-4 weeks (Broken Finger, will require surgery)


Minnesota Hosts Anaheim for a 3 Game Series

[steveman211]

Twinkies are ripping it up.

[Klew1986]

3 Game Series against (4/30-5/2)


Angels Prove They are Still World Series Caliber
Everyone thought that the Anaheim Angles got lucky when they beat the San Francisco Giants in the 2002 World Series, but today they showed off their offensive skill they used in 2002. Going into the top of the 5th inning, the Twins and Angels were tied at 3 and the Angels were starting to warm up their bats. With Horacio Ramirez still on the mound for the Twins, the Angels were ready to take their toll on him. Brian Buchanan, a former Twin, would strike first by hitting a 2-run homerun to make it 5-3. Then Bengie Molina hit a RBI-single to make the score 6-3 and force the Twins to take Horacio Ramirez out of the game. Brian Buchanan would strike again in the 8th inning when he hit his 2nd homerun of the game, another 2-run shot to deep center. The Twins wouldn’t answer back in the last two innings giving the Angels the 8-3 victory. Final Score: ANA 8, MIN 3

WP: John Lackey (1-4)
LP: Horacio Ramirez (1-3)
Player of the Game: 1B Brian Buchanan (ANA) 3-4, 2 HR, 2 Runs, 5 RBI, 1 BB, set career high for RBI in a game (5)


Twins Pull Out Victory, Radke Doesn’t Last Long
This was a very exciting, fun-filled game that the fans loved. Well, that is not including the 1st inning for the Twins. The top of the 1st was one of the worst starts to a Twins game ever. The Angels scored 5 runs off of Brad Radke and forced him to be yanked after only 2/3 inning. It all started with a Vladimir Guerrero double that scored Adam Kennedy to make it 1-0. Jose Guillen grounded into a fielder’s choice, which scored Vlad. Then Brian Buchanan continued his dominance over the Twins by hitting an RBI-single down the 3rd base line. Then Troy Glaus hit a single to center which scored Tim Salmon to make it 4-0. Then Bengie Molina hit a single which scored Brian Buchanan. That was enough for Brad Radke, who was pulled and replaced by J.C. Romero. The Twins would take a 6-5 lead in the 3rd inning off of a Henry Blanco single to rightfield. The icing on the cake came in the 7th inning when Corey Koskie hit a solo homerun which was later followed by a Luis Rivas 2-run double to pull out the victory for the Twins after a crazy game. Final Score: MIN 10, ANA 6

WP: Juan Rincon (1-0)
LP: Ben Weber (0-1)
Player of the Game: 3B Corey Koskie (MIN) 3-3, 1 HR, 3 Runs, 1 RBI, 1 BB


Twins Close Out Series with a Victory
Like the two previous games, the Angels would strike first. This time it was a 2-run homerun by Garrett Anderson to deep right field. Then in the 2nd inning, Corey Koskie would pick up right where he left off, with a solo homerun to deep center field. Michael Restovich and Justin Morneau would each tack on a run in this inning to make it 3-2 Twins. Then the Angels would pull even thanks to a Vladimir Guerrero homerun in the 3rd inning. When the bottom of the 4th came rolling around Corey Koskie knew that he wasn’t done producing and he backed that statement up with another leadoff, solo homerun to give the Twins a 4-3 lead. Henry Blanco would hit a single which scored Michael Restovich to make it 5-3 Twins. Bengie Molina would hit a single to score Brian Buchanan to make it 5-4 Twins, heading into the bottom of the 7th inning. Guzman would hit a triple that would score Shannon Stewart. Koskie then flied out to rightfield, but Vladimir Guerrero would throw an error and allow Guzman to score. Torii Hunter would hit a single to score Jacque Jones to end all the fun for the day. Final Score: MIN 8, ANA 4

WP: Carlos Silva (3-0)
LP: Bartolo Colon (1-3)
SV: J.C. Romero (2)
Player of the Game: 3B Corey Koskie (MIN) 2-4, 2 HR, 2 Runs, 2 RBI, 0 BB


Justin Morneau Watch:

**Joe Mauer is currently in AAA-Rochester improving his skills. No timetable for when he will be called up again.**

#27 Justin Morneau
20-80 (.250 AVG), 4 HR, 19 RBI, 14 Runs, 8 BB, 26 Strikeouts, 1 SB

Team Leaders:
AVG: Luis Rivas (.415)
HR's: Shannon Stewart (6)
RBI's: Torii Hunter (26)
Runs Scored: Jacque Jones (23)
SB: Cristian Guzman/Shannon Stewart (7)
WINS: Brad Radke/Kyle Lohse (4)
ERA: Kyle Lohse (2.67)
SAVES: Joe Nathan (7)
K's: Johan Santana (32)

Bold= Tied for American League Lead in that category.
Bold= Major League Leader in that category.

AL Central Standings:
1. Minnesota 19-5
2. Chicago (A) 14-11 (5½ GB)
3. Kansas City 10-15 (9½ GB)
4. Cleveland 10-16 (10 GB)
5. Detroit 10-16 (10 GB)

Major Injury News (updated as of 5/4/04):
NYM: Steve Trachsel out 2-3 weeks (Torn Tricep Muscle)
HOU: Jeff Kent out 4-5 weeks (Pulled Achilles Tendon, will require surgery)
TOR: Roy Halladay out 2-3 weeks (Back Spasms, will require surgery)
KC: Juan Gonzalez out 3 weeks (Broken Finger, will require surgery)


Minnesota Travels to Seattle for a 3 Game Series

I will have a Monthly Report with league news (only major stuff), league standings and league leaders later tonight.