With the Minnesota Twins hosting the New York Yankees tonight, it gives me the opportunity to use one of the few jokes I know (mine being a more dry, sardonic sense of humor): What’s the difference between a Yankees fans and a dentist? One roots for the Yanks—the other yanks for the roots. Make sure to tip your server—I’ll be here all night.
Sadly, that was the only humor present in Twins Territory for this misty/rainy/soggy loss to the Manhattan Island minions.
After Twins SP Dean Kremer corralled
Aaron Judge into a T1 inning-ending double play, B1 began promisingly with a Luke Keaschall walk and a Brooks Lee single off NYY bump-er Will Warren. Alas, neither runner advanced ninety feet come inning-close.
Despite striking out the New York side in T2, Kremer hung a curveball to Jose Caballero in T3 and the sphere didn’t stop sinking until it found the LF flowerage. 1-0 NYY.
B5 looked promising to get the bottom of the line score off goose eggs—a (rare) Victor Caratini infield single followed by a clean base knock from Ryan Kreidler. But before one could say “ducks on the pond”, Walker Jenkins whiffed after failing to lay down a sac bunt and Keaschall grounded into a 6-3 Twin(s)-killing.
In B6, yet another potentially rally—runners at the corners, two outs—hinged on a precipice. Well, that is until Emmanuel Rodriguez roped a clean hit to CF scoring Kody Clemens. When NYY CF Spencer Jones squatted to snatch the sphere, it squirted by him, allowing Josh “Gonna Need Some O2 In The Dugout” Bell to chug all the way from first base to a Twins lead! 2-1 MIN.
The Hoff(man) was not hassled in T7, thanks in large part to a nice sliding foul-ball catch from Emma in LF.
The same could not be said for Andrew Morris in T8: 0.1 IP, 3 H, 1 ER (Caballero RBI single). The young fireballing reliever’s end-of-season slide continues. 2-2 tie.
Enter A.J. Minter—exit the lead: a double steal—without a Ryan Jeffers throw—followed by a bloop single by Ben Rice. 4-2 NYY.
Enter Aaron Judge—exit the competitive portion of this ballgame. 7-2 NYY.
A Bell Blast (TM) allowed for some first base side celebrations in B8. 7-3 NYY.
An Austin Wells homer in T9 off Tommy Nance only served to annoy me insomuch as it made me check all the numbers in this recap when I wanted to cash in the chips. 8-3 NYY.
Postponing my late-evening plans further, the Twins staged their obligatory ninth-inning comeback—which of course ended in the obligatory GIDP from Clemens.
Your Final: New York Yankees 8, Minnesota Twins 3.
New York’s American League squad clinches a playoff berth in Minnesota. Same as it ever was.
Zach’s Zealot(s)
- Justin Morneau & Trevor Plouffe in the TV booth: Two of my all-time favorites and their rapport is great even in what has become a lost season.
Zach’s Zombie
- The soggy, wet weather. A light rain/mist was falling for large swaths of this contest, making life miserable for those non-Mallards still motivated to get out to the ballpark for a lost cause.
Egg-cellent Elocution
- artistformerlyknownasGoose reacting to Judge breaking this game open.
Who’s Got Next
- Two more with Judge’s Jury (Tues. night & Wed. afternoon).
