Game Sixty-Seven: Indians 12, Twins 2

by Ryan on Jun 13, 2008 12:23 AM EDT in Game Recaps

Highest WPA		Lowest WPA
Aaron Laffey	.180	Ryan Garko	-.076
Kelly Shoppach	.117	Grady Sizemore	-.055
Jhonny Peralta	.109

On the day yet another key player was placed on the DL, what remained of the Indians pounded out 18 hits, blew out the Twins, and in the process kept themselves within reasonable distance of the division leading White Sox.

Aaron Laffey didn't have to do much since the game was essentially over by the 3rd inning, but he pitched well in spite of the large lead. In a year with a lot of bad surprises, the guy who Cliff Lee beat out in Spring Training is now ensconced in the rotation, and not because of the injuries. If both Fausto Carmona and Jake Westbrook were still healthy, Mark Shapiro would be working the phones now trying to get a bat for Paul Byrd.

Livan Hernandez, who the Indians last saw in the 1997 World Series, had no velocity and no control, and was pounded into submission quickly. Four singles and a Choo home run in the third inning gave the Indians five runs and a 6-0 lead. Hernandez stuck around for the forth, ostensibly to eat another inning or two. It didn't work, as Grady Sizemore lead off the inning with a home run, and the next two batters singled.

Of course, it wouldn't be a Twins-Indians game without someone getting thrown at. Edward Mujica hit Alexi Casilla to start the eighth, which was probably intentional, though no words were exchanged after the beaning. In the bottom of the inning, Dennys Reyes hit Andy Marte with his first offering - that was definitely intentional. Everyone stayed put, though Eric Wedge and Ron Gardenhire held a long-distance shouting match from the top steps of their respective dugouts.

What was said?

"I'm not going to comment on that," Wedge said.

Said Gardenhire: "I told him, 'See you in Minnesota.'"

Hey, if things go south, at least we have this to look forward to.

0 recs | Comment 57 comments

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i haven’t watched the game yet, but wedge stuck up for ando? maybe he thought it was blake. can you imagine if they threw at blake?

by Brick. on Jun 13, 2008 12:27 AM EDT 0 recs

I was like the biggest mlbtv proponent in the world but: no more condensed games!

I’m losing my mind over this. I could’ve just bought the stupid package and dvred them.

by afh4 on Jun 13, 2008 12:31 AM EDT up 0 recs

mlb.tv definitely took a major step backwards this season. It was a lot better last year.

now get the hell off my lawn

by mrich on Jun 13, 2008 12:32 AM EDT up 0 recs

which is what i did and how i watched the game last night. highly recommend it for next year.

by Brick. on Jun 13, 2008 10:42 AM EDT up 0 recs

I think it’s pretty obvious who’s who.

by Ryan on Jun 13, 2008 12:34 AM EDT up 0 recs

All those men’s stomachs look like they had septuplets 15 months ago,

by afh4 on Jun 13, 2008 12:36 AM EDT up 0 recs

Back when men were men, and didn’t even let women carry children.

by fleerdon on Jun 13, 2008 12:41 AM EDT up 0 recs

I think those are supposed to be olde tyme muscles.

by Ryan on Jun 13, 2008 12:54 AM EDT up 0 recs

Also!

The guy in the upper right hand corner looks like the Wizard of Oz.

by Ryan on Jun 13, 2008 12:57 AM EDT up 0 recs

“Times being what they were, I accepted the position.”

by fleerdon on Jun 13, 2008 1:29 AM EDT up 0 recs

The first rule of olde tyme Fight Club is:
Ye doth not speak about olde tyme Fight Club.

by KevinV on Jun 13, 2008 9:09 AM EDT up 6 recs

Wedge could so take Gardenhire in a fight. Really I’d take the Indians’ coaching staff vs. just about any other teams—all those ex-catchers.

by fleerdon on Jun 13, 2008 12:37 AM EDT up 0 recs

I’ll baste your turkey, sir.

By the way, Google Imaging “fisticuffs” is really fun.

Steel Nick

by nickjs21 on Jun 13, 2008 10:00 AM EDT up 0 recs

I think this was the fight that caused boxing to institute weight classes.

by Toxicadam on Jun 13, 2008 10:46 AM EDT up 1 recs

Yahoo Sports is crediting Mujica with a save. Wtf?

http://img111.imageshack.us/img111/9766/awesomewahoogp2.jpg

If true, that would be his first evahhh.

by Toxicadam on Jun 13, 2008 12:37 AM EDT 0 recs

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/boxscore?gid=280612105

correct link ^^

by Toxicadam on Jun 13, 2008 12:38 AM EDT up 0 recs

I don’t that’s possible, since Kobayashi actually finished the game. Besides the nine-run lead the Indians had when he entered.

by Ryan on Jun 13, 2008 12:40 AM EDT up 0 recs

*think

by Ryan on Jun 13, 2008 12:40 AM EDT up 0 recs

You have to finish a game to get a save, but it is possible to get one in a blowout. Wes Littleton got a save in that 30-3 game last year.

by SuddenSam on Jun 13, 2008 1:03 AM EDT up 0 recs

Pretty sure that if you pitch three innings, aren’t eligible for the win, and finish the game, you get a save. But you HAVE to finish the game no matter what the other stuff, so Mujica did not get it, though he would have had he pitched the ninth instead of Masa.

Il faut d'abord durer.

by CU Adam on Jun 13, 2008 3:22 AM EDT up 0 recs

Hey, you’re pretty good with rules. Did you ever think about taking the bar exam?

I guess the official scorer would have the call on whether the 3 inning save pitcher pitched “effectively.”

Rule 10.20 in the Official Rule Book states:
Credit a pitcher with a save when he meets all three of the following conditions:
(1) He is the finishing pitcher in a game won by his club; and
(2) He is not the winning pitcher; and
(3) He qualifies under one of the following conditions:
- (a) He enters the game with a lead of no more than three runs and pitches for at least one inning; or
- (b) He enters the game, regardless of the count, with the potential tying run either on base, or at bat, or on deck (that is, the potential tying run is either already on base or is one of the first two batsmen he faces; or
- (c) He pitches effectively for at least three innings. No more than one save may be credited in each game.

"Lotta heart in Cleveland." - Ian Hunter

by Denver Tribe Fan on Jun 13, 2008 10:55 AM EDT up 0 recs

Well, it looks like they retracted the save.

by Toxicadam on Jun 13, 2008 11:12 AM EDT up 0 recs

You know, Ryan, I would never question your writing, but what would the shouting match be if it wasn’t impromptu?

by fleerdon on Jun 13, 2008 12:48 AM EDT 0 recs

Obviously if they had agreed to have a shouting match at a certain time and place, it wouldn’t be impromptu.

But it is probably too wordy.

by Ryan on Jun 13, 2008 12:53 AM EDT up 0 recs

Aw, man, why’d you have to be nice about it? Now I just feel like an ass.

by fleerdon on Jun 13, 2008 1:21 AM EDT up 0 recs

So … you can make people feel bad … by being nice?

(scribbles in notebook)

by Jay on Jun 13, 2008 3:44 AM EDT up 0 recs

OK, whatever, if you word nazis don’t like impromptu, I’ll take it out.

(goes off in a huff)

Feel better?

by Ryan on Jun 13, 2008 9:26 AM EDT up 0 recs

Nickname Possibilities Department: David (Guzzoffina) Huff?

by ken from alexandria on Jun 13, 2008 9:54 AM EDT up 2 recs

don’t give in. i plan to continue to spell ‘lose’ with two o’s forever just to drive these people nuts.

by Brick. on Jun 13, 2008 10:47 AM EDT up 0 recs

My latest one is dominant spelled as dominate — this is real Joe Morgan stuff. In a way, it’s worse than tenet/tenant.

by Jay on Jun 13, 2008 11:43 AM EDT up 0 recs

Honestly, I could care less.

by Toxicadam on Jun 13, 2008 12:11 PM EDT up 0 recs

You COULDN’T care less…..

"Lotta heart in Cleveland." - Ian Hunter

by Denver Tribe Fan on Jun 13, 2008 12:33 PM EDT up 0 recs

You don’t know that

by Roger Dorn on Jun 13, 2008 12:56 PM EDT up 0 recs

::reels in a fish::

by Toxicadam on Jun 13, 2008 1:00 PM EDT up 0 recs

Nice.

by Jay on Jun 13, 2008 1:01 PM EDT up 0 recs

Well played.

"Lotta heart in Cleveland." - Ian Hunter

by Denver Tribe Fan on Jun 13, 2008 2:25 PM EDT up 0 recs

Nothing worse than “rediculous” in my book. It is NOT being diculous again, folks.

Burn on, big river, burn on...

by Turkmenbashi on Jun 13, 2008 3:45 PM EDT up 0 recs

That’s a rediculous complaint.

by gahnki on Jun 13, 2008 4:12 PM EDT up 0 recs

Nothing is worse than someone writing “should of.” Nothing.

Il faut d'abord durer.

by CU Adam on Jun 13, 2008 5:51 PM EDT up 0 recs

finding out irregardles was a word was the saddest day of my life. until i used it. then that was the saddest.

by Brick. on Jun 13, 2008 5:57 PM EDT up 0 recs

I remember having a heated argument with someone about that once and we agreed to look it up in the dictionary. I was really dismayed to see irregardless in there until I read the definition, which was something like “an improper, nonstandard combination of the words regardless and irrespective.”

"Lotta heart in Cleveland." - Ian Hunter

by Denver Tribe Fan on Jun 13, 2008 6:13 PM EDT up 0 recs

I remember being amazed to learn that “gullible” is a made-up word and isn’t in any dictionary.

by SuddenSam on Jun 13, 2008 6:19 PM EDT up 2 recs

There is no word I hate more than that one. Rage.

by KevinV on Jun 13, 2008 6:33 PM EDT up 0 recs

Why is everyone Reining on Ryan’s parade?

by Toxicadam on Jun 13, 2008 2:54 PM EDT up 0 recs

Take that Livan!

by Roger Dorn on Jun 13, 2008 7:34 AM EDT 0 recs

Yeah. That would have been nice 11 years ago.

Il faut d'abord durer.

by CU Adam on Jun 13, 2008 11:17 AM EDT up 0 recs

11 year?!? Wow, it still feels like it was last Sunday.

Yankees and Red Sox - MLB's Axis of Evil
(And ESPN is right in the middle)

by Spidey on Jun 13, 2008 2:50 PM EDT up 0 recs

I’m trying to decipher “I’ll see you in Minnesota”. Is it easier to bean hitters in Minneapolis? Are field dimensions different? Does Gardenhire expect Twins fans to come streaming out of the stands to beat up Indians? Has he instructed the hotel Indians stay at, to short sheet their beds? What can Gardenhire do in Minnesota that he cannot do right then?

by elsandito on Jun 13, 2008 2:56 PM EDT 0 recs

Has he instructed the hotel Indians stay at, to short sheet their beds?

This seems most likely.

Hard truth: Your eyes lie.

by AngG on Jun 13, 2008 3:05 PM EDT up 0 recs

I guess it’s like a boxing match/MMA fight where the fighter has the crowd support. It makes him feel better. It’s going to be like Urijah Faber vs.Jens Pulver all over again.

by gahnki on Jun 13, 2008 3:13 PM EDT up 0 recs

Best fight ever.

by NickFantana on Jun 13, 2008 3:47 PM EDT up 0 recs

I know. I was pulling for Pulver, but Faber is really impressive.

by gahnki on Jun 13, 2008 4:13 PM EDT up 0 recs

Hard not to root for a guy that makes it look so easy. Miguel Torres really opened my eyes that night too. I’ve got both of those fights saved on my DVR.

by NickFantana on Jun 13, 2008 4:14 PM EDT up 0 recs