Both Zebulon Matthews and Aaron Civale were not-great, but the sub-.500 team you like was able to out-hit the other one. And Royce had fun! Inning-by-inning notes:
1: I made a Counting boo-boo, listing tonight’s as game 127 instead of 128, and had to change it. Then I veered over to my phone’s newsfeed to see if the boo-boo was on there. Fortunately, no. Unfortunately, I saw a new list of “Fall Movies You Don’t Want To Miss.”
Ones directed by Luca Guadagino and Yorgos Lanthimos; no. Movies starring
Timothy Chevrolet and Glen Powell; no. One directed by Paul Thomas Anderson and starring DiCaprio; YELL no. A Downton Abbey and Zootopia and Avatar sequel? Barf. A Guillermo del Toro version of Frankenstein starring Oscar Isaac? Maybe! There’s also a new Kelly Reichardt that makes the “wild card” list, and one I know’s coming out by Jafar Panahi, who’s not mentioned at all, and those directors each have more talent than all the others put together (except del Toro, he has his moments). Anyways that list sux.
Luke Keaschall gets a two-out single but Matt Wallner strikes out. Atteberry says “he’s been bedeviled by sinkers all year.” So get an exorcist, already! Oh wait, Max von Sydow died. Dennis Haysbert from Major League is still available.
Miguel Vargas takes a walk. No, he’s not related to former Twin Kennys Vargas; Kennys didn’t take walks. Then Zebby walks Kyle Teel, too. He likes Run-DMC, I guess? Me too, but it’s bad for the baseballs. He gives up two hits, but only one scores a Point as there’s a TOOTBLAN. White Sox 1-0
2: Apparently the new ChiSox “City Connect” jerseys resemble Chicago Bulls jerseys, to remind fans that owner Jerry Reinsdorf (who owned the Bulls) is REALLY OLD and will have to retire eventually.
Brooks Lee walks. James Outman doesn’t do anything. I just now realize I labeled him “James In/Outman” in the intro and that name could refer to me. I was thinking more of the Kevin Kline movie, though. The part where Joan Cusack gets FURIOUS is awesome. Maybe she should manage the Twins?
Outman is a good name for a defender, though; he makes a decent catch here. Zebby doesn’t walk anybody.
3: I mention the 1976 ChiSox short-shorts in the thread and nagurskiinnortheast recalls, “Gollee those things were heinous and the only time I could tolerate them is when Rodney Cline Carew went like 5-5 against em and my friends and I were sitting third baseline during the MVP year”
Hmm, Getty. Got any short shorts for me? Yeah!
Buxton single Larnach GIDP nah. Zebby still settling down nicely.
4: Goodness gracious me, a nice thing! Keaschall walk, out, then Brooks Lee single, Outman walk, and Royce Lewis GRAND SALAMI! It’s been awhile! He’s baaaack! (I don’t think he is, but isn’t it pretty to think so?)
So Zebby gives up a double, walk, single, and it’s Twins 4-2
5: Da fuggg… Atteberry on radio telling this long story about the show Mr. Belvedere. It’s about how Harmon Killebrew was in an episode of Mr. Belvedere. (Seriously… it’s listed on IMDb.) I guess in the episode, one of the kids asks for Robert Goulet’s autograph, and Harmon offers the kid HIS autograph, and the kid doesn’t know who he is, so Harmon says “you little twerp!” (Not an actual thing Killebrew would say to a kid.)
I can’t find this moment on YouTube. So, whoever out there has the complete set of Mr. Belvedere on DVD (or VHS!), you know what you need to do. YouTube’s pretty well-known for being snippy about long clips from movies/TV, but a short clip will usually be allowed. Season 6, Episode 1. Have at it!
Zebby throws like a quintillion pitches and eventually one of these becomes a Teel single and another a Colson Montgomery homer, so it’s bye-bye Matthews and Tied 4-4
6: Atteberry going on about Elvis impersonators at the game, so I’m assuming a bunch of people have big glasses and are watching the detectives.
Lefty Brandon Eisert (never heard of ‘im) gives up a Lewis single/steal, then IBBs Buxton with two outs. You always hope the next guy makes the IBB pay (for your side, at least), and Larnach does! Then Mr. Keaschall, who somehow hasn’t been traded for prospects yet, scores Buxton! Easy sailing from here on, what with the Twins having such a great bullpen oh wait “a” bullpen to hold the lead.
It’s Kody Funderburk (hopefully his dad is not Roger Clemens, too), who got the last out last inning after the Zebulon meltdown. He manages to walk two guys after two outs but escapes with all his remaining extremities attached, State With Bigger Great Lake 6-4
7: Some circus baseball time! (I’m sure we’ll see our fair share from the Twins the rest of this year, too.) After a Ryan Jeffers walk, Brooks Lee grounds into what shoulda been a GIDP… but 2B Chase Meidroth airmails the throw and Ryan scores. Eduoard Julien singles and Lee scores. Radio is making fun of LF Andrew Benintendi’s arm. It’s not his fault, his parents gave it to him.
There’s a Renaissance Faire promo, and Glen Perkins on radio (who is From Here) asks “is that the one on Harriet Island?”
Um, no.
But I HAVE seen Elvis on Harriet Island! (Proof here.) It was a free concert — free dates are our favorite kind of dates — but there was a special “paid” section nearest the stage. It was almost entirely empty. Halfway through the show, Elvis said, “you people should come up here to the paid section. I don’t care, and you’ll be able to see the band better.” Being Minnesota Nice people… hardly anybody did. We shoulda, though!
Cole “Alberta Tar” Sands keeps the ChiSox down, so it’s Team With Pierzynski First 8-4
8: Your Twins pitcher now is Génesis Cabrera, who’s on his fourth team this year and I know absolutely nothing about the guy, except that he’s where William Shatner kicked Christopher Lloyd into lava. Oh, per his mlb.com page, I know that his nickname is “Cabby.” Very worthy of the Gardenhire era. Every Gardy nickname was one syllable then “y.”
Cabrera gets the first out, then walk, single, walk. Justin Topa replaces him. Walk, single, single.
Oh, now a CRAZY play. Bases loaded, one out. Montgomery pops one up into foul territory beyond third. Lewis catches it… and Vargas tags, bolts for home! Lewis one-hops the throw home in time! Vargas out at the plate. Wild. Twins don’t have a real closer anymore 8-7
9: G. Taylor pitching for Chicago, so that’s what Wolves owner Glen is doing now. Lee walk, Lewis single, Buxton RBI! Breathing room! Maybe???
Yeah, well, Topa’s still in there, so… Twims wim! (Yes, we spell it wrong.)
Studs: Lewis, duh. Julien/Keaschall/Buxton (2 H + 1 RBI apiece). Duds: YOU for not marrying a Pohlad yet and getting handed control of the team.
COTG go to sandwiches for being annoyed at the Mr. Belvedere story and nagurski for actually knowing which band sang “Walking on Sunshine.” Plus Zach with a facty thing! “Buxton now has 500 R, 150 HR, 100 SB, & 400 RBI as a Twin. The only other Twins to do that: Torii Hunter & Kirbyyyyyyyyy Puckett!” Although he said he saw it on TV, so the winner is this whole interchange of remembering less-than-ideal Twins names from recent decades.
Thanks to everyone who kept the GT busy late in the season on a Friday night!
Tomorrow’s game is at 6:10, and features Chicago starter Davis Martin against our own legendary Man Of Mystery, Twinkie Bada** Master (or TBD).
