The Best Game of the Season!!!
Thus far this season, the Twins have played some exciting games, with 7 walkoff wins. Tonight's game, though, was by far the best, with Johan Santana marginally outpitching Boston's Curt Schilling & with Jason Kubel hitting his first grand slam ever. A walkoff, 12th inning grand slam no less!!! It don't get any better than this.
I've watched Johan when he was his most dominant during his Cy Young-winning season & he didn't look any better than he did tonight, striking out the first 5 hitters of the game, including feeble at-bats for David Ortiz & Manny Ramirez. Johan finished with a statline of 8 innings pitched, 5 hits allowed, no walks & 13 K's, including the 1,000th K of his career.
For his part, Schilling was less dominant but equally effective through his 8 innings, giving up 6 hits & a walk with 5 K's.
Boston got the night's scoring started with a 2 out, 7th inning blast to the leftfield power ally. The Twins' Michael Cuddyer, hitting cleanup the second time in his career, countered with a game-tying blast to straightaway center in the bottom half of the inning.
That's how the game stayed until the top of the 12th, when Boston loaded the bases on Jesse Crain. Boston's Alex Gonzalez bounced a grounder up the middle that everyone in the building thought would get into centerfield. Everyone except Twins' shortstop Nick Punto, who made a sprawling backhanded stab of the ball, who then made a backhanded flip to secondbaseman Luis Castillo for a forceout. Castillo almost turned a double play but Gonzales beat the throw, with Mike Lowell scoring what looked like the game's winning run at the time.
But it wasn't Boston's night. After striking out AL Player of the Week Joe Mauer to open the inning, Boston reliever Julian Tavarez hit Cuddyer with a pitch after getting ahead of him 0-2. Justin Morneau got his third hit of the night, a ground-ruled double over the centerfield fence. Cuddyer would've clearly scored from first if it hadn't bounced over the fence.
The Red Sox chose to intentionally walked Torii Hunter, who'd been in a minislump prior to tonight, to pitch to Jason Kubel, who's been swinging a hot bat lately. Kubel lofted a high fly to right that Trot Nixon played like he would catch the ball & concede the tying run. The only problem was that the ball kept carrying & carrying, finally bouncing off the temporary seating above the baggie for a walkoff grand slam.
It was all over except the celebrating, which might still be going on. After the game, Kubel was being interviewed by FSN's Marney Gellner on the field when she got alerted by Michael Cuddyer & Tony Batista, who dumped a cooler full of Gatorade on Mr. Kubel. To his credit, Jason took it all in stride, not seeming to mind a bit.
Through the lens of hindsight, it was the only finish befitting such a great game. WOW!!!
Posted Tuesday, June 13, 2006 10:52 PM
May 2006 Posts
No comments.
I've watched Johan when he was his most dominant during his Cy Young-winning season & he didn't look any better than he did tonight, striking out the first 5 hitters of the game, including feeble at-bats for David Ortiz & Manny Ramirez. Johan finished with a statline of 8 innings pitched, 5 hits allowed, no walks & 13 K's, including the 1,000th K of his career.
For his part, Schilling was less dominant but equally effective through his 8 innings, giving up 6 hits & a walk with 5 K's.
Boston got the night's scoring started with a 2 out, 7th inning blast to the leftfield power ally. The Twins' Michael Cuddyer, hitting cleanup the second time in his career, countered with a game-tying blast to straightaway center in the bottom half of the inning.
That's how the game stayed until the top of the 12th, when Boston loaded the bases on Jesse Crain. Boston's Alex Gonzalez bounced a grounder up the middle that everyone in the building thought would get into centerfield. Everyone except Twins' shortstop Nick Punto, who made a sprawling backhanded stab of the ball, who then made a backhanded flip to secondbaseman Luis Castillo for a forceout. Castillo almost turned a double play but Gonzales beat the throw, with Mike Lowell scoring what looked like the game's winning run at the time.
But it wasn't Boston's night. After striking out AL Player of the Week Joe Mauer to open the inning, Boston reliever Julian Tavarez hit Cuddyer with a pitch after getting ahead of him 0-2. Justin Morneau got his third hit of the night, a ground-ruled double over the centerfield fence. Cuddyer would've clearly scored from first if it hadn't bounced over the fence.
The Red Sox chose to intentionally walked Torii Hunter, who'd been in a minislump prior to tonight, to pitch to Jason Kubel, who's been swinging a hot bat lately. Kubel lofted a high fly to right that Trot Nixon played like he would catch the ball & concede the tying run. The only problem was that the ball kept carrying & carrying, finally bouncing off the temporary seating above the baggie for a walkoff grand slam.
It was all over except the celebrating, which might still be going on. After the game, Kubel was being interviewed by FSN's Marney Gellner on the field when she got alerted by Michael Cuddyer & Tony Batista, who dumped a cooler full of Gatorade on Mr. Kubel. To his credit, Jason took it all in stride, not seeming to mind a bit.
Through the lens of hindsight, it was the only finish befitting such a great game. WOW!!!
Posted Tuesday, June 13, 2006 10:52 PM
May 2006 Posts
No comments.
