Atlanta Braves vs. Minnesota Twins – Box Score – June 12, 2010 – ESPN.
Some real NATIONAL LEAGUE BASEBALL being played tonight by the Braves. The Twins tried to play some too, but don’t seem to quite grasp the concept of “if you bunt with the guy in front of Mauer we’re probably just going to walk Mauer”.
The Twins struck first with a run in the second on a double and a two-out single. But the Braves rallied back this time, getting two in the fifth. Melky homered (!) down the right field line, and Prado and Conrad (the latter playing for Zombie Chipper, or if you look at it different for Infante playing for ZC as both are out with owies) hit back-to-back doubles to take the lead.
It held up until the sixth when Mauer doubled over Blanco’s head in center to tie the game; the Braves, however, managed to keep it in hand. Lowe pitched to one out in the eighth, allowing six hits and walking three (two intentional) while striking out four. The game got all LaRussan in that inning, as the Twins used two relief pitchers to get through the top of the inning and Bobby countered with four pitchers in the bottom half, Venters getting a bases-loaded strikeout to end it.
Then came the NATIONAL LEAGUE BASEBALL. After Melky flew out, Blanco worked a walk. Prado followed with a hit-and-run to move him to third, and Conrad laid down a beautiful bunt that the Twins seemed completely shocked by, not only scoring Blanco but reaching on a hit. Unfortunately, Heyward (whose hand is obviously still a big problem) popped up and McCann struck out.
Wagner kept getting behind the hitters in the bottom of the ninth, but the Twins kept letting him off the hook. The leadoff man popped up 3-1, and after a single, Zombie Jim Thome hit a weak grounder to force a pinch-runner at second. Wagner got an even weaker grounder to end it. Venters picked up the win.
In addition to his hitting heroics, Conrad also made two really nice plays at third, plays I doubt either Chipper or Infante makes.
Conrad!
Undoomed for a day. Great game and a hell of a bunt by Conrad, that pitch was no where near the plate.
On the whole soccer thing, being in Europe, I think playing it a lot as a kid and practically growing up with it being the biggest sport around has a lot of influence on how popular it is.
I personally don’t find it all that enjoying to watch since there really is a lot of periods with nothing at all going on (especially with lesser quality teams). I only really watch when it’s the World Cup or the European Championship or an important match for the local team I root for.
Also, that stupendiously annoying noise at the games is not normal. It’s a horn called a vuvuzela that is specific to South Africa (and I sure as hell hope it doesn’t spread) making that sound and it’s hurting my brain enough to watch most of the games on mute.
Maybe Melky will be our magic bullet against AL teams. Nah.
From the last thread:
Last semester I did a baseball project where I listed my ten favorite things about the sport. Guess what was number 1?
http://tiny.cc/0j8fp
Awesome win, It’s great to see this team win in small ways and not just outbursts.
Way to hold our own against an excellent team. I’m getting used to this first place business.
Watching the match today with my son (3) and he asked: “Why aren’t these guys playing baseball?” Funny. He knows what I prefer to watch.
I can’t say that I watch or follow any old soccer match, but I certainly enjoy the World Cup.
Was in Italy for study abroad during one cup. In a residential/everyday commercial area of Rome… after a goal was scored we heard a canon go off. Some kids must have gone chief noc-a-homa on us. It was awesome. It’s lamentable for casual viewers that there are so few goals, but it sure is electric when your team scores. Similar to a walk-off homer.
Several games of great starting pitching especially with Saito out and Moylan close to being out.
Some of you ask exactly who Kagan is.
Well, I’d tell you that Kagan is the inner force that have led us through the road trip of death.
And she’ll lead us tomorrow to take the series…praise be to Kagan.
I didn’t realize Chipper was going to take the day off so he could be England’s goalie.
Conrad has now come up both big and small. Nice bench we’ve got here.
Bobby at his best tonight in the top of the ninth. When was the last time I praise Bobby? I can’t remember. I can tell he has been managing with a sense of urgency this season.
I love Conrad. He reminds me of Leamer…though with different set of skills.
Yup, hit & run, then a squeeze.
Quite a gamble. Credit to Bobby for pulling it off (surprised the hell outta me) & credit to Condrad for getting it down.
If that squeeze turns out bad, this blog’s on fire. It worked and we won, so, ho-hum…
The Shawshank Redemption references will never not be funny to me. BROOKS WAS HERE !!! What a major contributor he’s turned out to be.
Also, everyone may hate Bobby from time to time, but we’re all damn sure gonna miss him when he’s gone.
I’d like to compliment Mac for his wise-cracking on Clemson in the last thread. Well done.
Kagan? The SCOTUS butch?
Let’s not go there.
Looks like TAMU to the SEC is not a done deal… but they’re definitely drawing up the paperwork.
If not for Texas’ reputation for being a diva, I would like to see them and Oklahoma added to the SEC, if only so if I go to UT for grad school I don’t have to make fun of their conference.
Looks like TAMU to the SEC is not a done deal… but they’re definitely drawing up the paperwork.
Why would the SEC want A&M? They already have six teams with absolutely no chance of winning a football conference title, why do they need a seventh?
I hoping the Pac-16 pulls Texas, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Utah. We could just pretend that a Colorado-Utah rivalry exists (the states are adjacent so why not) and have eight well matched sets of rivals.
Nice win tonight. Felt real comfortable with Conrad up in the big spot in the ninth and he didn’t disappoint.
Watching the replay of the 9th here.
I give Chip Caray a lot of (well-deserved) grief, but I really loved his call of the squeeze.
Also, I don’t think Wagner was very wild. I’m watching him get almost no borderline calls.
SEC wants an entrance into the Texas market, and TAMU is traditionally on a level with Auburn/LSU, so could definitely win the division when Alabama’s down for whatever reason. I think TAMU’s hoping that with the money they already have and the more money they’ll get from the SEC, plus getting out of Texas’ shadow (and on ESPN every week) they can get on a more even ground with UT, like they were in the eighties/nineties.
SEC TV wants an entrance into the Houston-Dallas TV market. I think it’s as simple as that. Blow up the Big 12 !!
Even though we lost game one, this has been a great series to watch. These teams really do seem similar. Nice to see Shawshank come through again.
I love that Melky’s hitting now but is anyone else getting fed up with his admiring his long fly balls? Friday he was thrown out at 2nd after watching for a couple of seconds before deciding to run and on the homer he must have stood in the batter’s box for five.
Nice win today. Let’s make it a 6-5 roadtrip tomorrow.
Taking a brief look at the schedule, the Mets will play the last place Indians after their series with the last place Orioles, while we will face the first place Rays after our series with the first place Twins. What a joke!
Oh, and on Tuesday, we’ll run Kawakami and his 0-8 record out there vs. David Price, who is 9-2. Not even God could help us win that game.
The Rays are good, but you have to understand that if you keep Crawford and Zorbist and Upton off the base paths, you can pitch around Longoria and Pena, making their offense pretty mediocre.
@23
isnt that a pretty obvious statement and wouldnt that go for any team? so, if you keep 1/3 of their offense off the basepaths for 9 innings then their 2 power guys cant hurt you as much? so, basically your saying that if you keep their 5 main offensive guys from hurting you, then you’ll be ok?
Hey, Chipper – take another day off. Maybe a week.
We’ve got Conrad.
Seriously, what a pleasant surprise this guy has been.
And isn’t it nice to have someone with speed (Blanco) standing on third? Usually, it takes a gapper to get our guys in.
man, what a year our bench is having:
hinske: .930 ops
ross: .806 ops
conrad:.947 ops
infante: .738 ops
so, basically all of our subs are playing better baseball than our regulars and 2 of the 4 provide much better defense than their counterparts.
2010 mvp: braves bench
melky’s ops is still a disrespectful .629, however his last 20 games have been quite impressive (carried by a high batting average which probably means he’s been fairly lucky):
69pa 65ab 11r 23h 2hr 7rbi .354ba .382obp .905ops
by the way, when infante comes back, we better see a mighty mitch sighting. he deserves a start or 2 in left field against lhp.
Texas A&M fans are die-hard crazy. They think they’re going to win the national championship every year (and then lose to Baylor). Think Georgia fans, but more devoted and more delusional about their team. Definitely will bring in good money to the SEC.
@23
So, if you keep three of their best hitters hitless you can pitch around their two biggest power hitters? I’m pretty sure you can say that about any team in baseball. You’re talking about rendering 5 of the best hitters in baseball irrelevant. Good luck. You clearly don’t watch or follow the Rays.
I, uh, didn’t notice Ryan and I pretty much said the exact same thing. I agree! Chris might actually be John Madden.
Having the best rotation in the game and Soriano in the 9th doesn’t hurt, either.
Does Medlen break out a new hat for every start?
That’s certainly a welcome sight.
i’m really not complaining because i’m thankful for the 4 runs, but can escobar hit fly balls anymore?