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We here at the WCCO.com Twins Blog are naturally big baseball fans, so we always look forward to the All-Star Game. All the more so this season because the Mid-Summer Classic is being held at Target Field. One of the joys of baseball's annual honor for the best in the game, is that fans get to play a significant role in selecting who gets play in the game.
The elation in the Minnesota dugout after Chris Parmelee broke a scoreless tie on a solo homer in the 10th inning didn't last long. Seemingly on the verge of ending a four-game losing streak, the Twins instead lost their fifth in a row when Boston's David Ortiz and Mike Napoli delivered back-to-back homers off Casey Fien and the Red Sox won it 2-1 Wednesday.
The Boston Red Sox are still looking for a position for Brock Holt. The versatile rookie has made the search difficult by playing well wherever the club has put him. Holt made his first professional start in center field and he appeared perfectly comfortable in his fifth position this season. He made a sensational diving catch to end the third inning and scored both Boston runs in the Red Sox's 2-1 win over the Minnesota Twins 2-1 on Tuesday night.
Rubby De La Rosa matched his first career Fenway Park start with another seven impressive innings and A.J. Pierzynski had a sacrifice fly, lifting the Boston Red Sox to a 1-0 win over the Minnesota Twins Monday night. Mike Napoli helped cut down a runner trying to score with a heads up play in a Red Sox victory that came after a pair of one-run losses. Boston is 9-15 in one-run games.
The last time baseball's All-Star Game was in Minnesota Pete Rose was still playing, the Metrodome was brand new, and it cost $2 to watch the home run derby. A lot has changed in 29 years. This year, the Minneapolis Area Convention and Visitors Bureau projects the four-day All-Star Game events will bring in $75 million, and draw 160,000 visitors.
Despite falling a single short of hitting for the cycle in front of his childhood idol, Eugenio Suarez still had a memorable game. Playing in just his eighth career game, Suarez had a double, triple, homer, two RBIs and scored three runs in Detroit's 12-9 victory Saturday. He grounded into a force out in the eighth inning, ending his bid for the cycle.
Onas Farfan loves baseball. So much so, that his family moved him to the U.S. to play. Farfan spent most of his youth in Venezuela, but at age 16 his mother and father decided to send to hime Minnesota to live with an aunt, and to chase the American dream.
Ron Gardenhire will be in the dugout with the AL All-Stars at his home stadium. The Minnesota manager was chosen along with Cleveland's Terry Francona as coaches to join AL manager John Farrell of Boston in the July 15 All-Star game at Target Field. For the NL, manager Mike Matheny of St. Louis chose Clint Hurdle of Pittsburgh and Fredi Gonzalez of Atlanta as his coaching staff.
The Minnesota Twins have added their latest local player to the organization. Second baseman Pat Kelly, a product of Red Wing High School who played three seasons in college at Nebraska, has decided to skip his senior year and sign with the Twins. The Huskers announced the news on Tuesday.
A Mahtomedi pitcher could well be on his way to pitching professionally as he has the tools, strong, hard throws, and is hoping to lead his Mahtomedi team into the state tournament. Michael Baumann, the Mahtomedi baseball star, loves to pitch. He has had that passion since he started playing the game.
Rookie Danny Santana drove in five runs, Kyle Gibson pitched seven strong innings and the Minnesota Twins beat the Houston Astros 8-0 Saturday. Santana, who hit his first major league home run on Friday night, flied out to lead off the first inning. He then got hits in his next four at-bats, raising his batting average to .373. Santana hit a two-run single in the second, a two-run double in the fourth as the Twins broke it open and an RBI single in the fifth.
Phil Hughes has been a better pitcher this season, freed from homer-friendly Yankee Stadium in his first season with the Minnesota Twins. Hughes looked the way he did in his New York days on Friday night against the Houston Astros in his first turn after beating his former team.
Minnesota Twins right fielder Oswaldo Arcia has a sprained right ankle, forcing him out of the game against Milwaukee. Arcia was hurt Thursday after leading off the sixth inning with a double. When Trevor Plouffe whiffed on his bunt attempt, the Brewers caught Arcia with too big a lead off second base. Arcia rolled his right ankle when he tried to plant his foot and retreat and was picked off as he dived back into the bag.
Matt Garza took a shutout into the seventh inning and Mark Reynolds hit a two-run homer, sending the Milwaukee Brewers to a 6-2 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Monday night. Garza (3-4) scattered six hits over 6 1-3 scoreless innings against the team that brought him to the big leagues in 2006. The right-hander, signed to a $50 million, four-year deal as a free agent in the offseason, struck out eight and walked two for his first win since May 5.
Kevin Correia was in trouble from the start, and that was a tough way to begin against Masahiro Tanaka and the New York Yankees. Yet Correia wiggled out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the first inning and managed to stay even with prized pitcher from Japan. The Minnesota bullpen didn't do nearly as well, and Twins slipped 3-1 Saturday for their seventh loss in nine games.
Masahiro Tanaka shut down Joe Mauer and the other Minnesota hitters while lowering his AL-leading ERA to 2.08, and Brian McCann lined a go-ahead double in the eighth inning Saturday that sent the New York Yankees over the Twins 3-1. Tanaka (8-1) permitted only an unearned run in eight innings. The heralded rookie from Japan gave up four singles, just two leaving the infield.
Joe Mauer and the Minnesota Twins have yet to reap any rewards from his switch to first base. Mauer reluctantly gave up his job as the catcher to better protect himself from another concussion.
As the All-Star Game gets closer, Minneapolis' twin city, St. Paul, is getting into the action. Surrounded by school children, the Minnesota Twins unveiled new All-Star lineup of jersey-wearing Peanuts characters suited up for the midsummer classic. St. Paul's native M&M boys, Paul Molitor and Joe Mauer - both All-Star Ambassadors - were there to welcome two other St. Paul icons into the All-Star lineup: Snoopy and Charlie Brown.
Catching a foul ball during a ball game is an every day occurrence, right? So what's the big deal? I promise these three grabs at games over Memorial Day weekend will impress.
Texas closer Joakim Soria bobbled a slow-bouncing ball hit by Minnesota's Danny Santana to the left of the mound with two outs and the bases loaded in the ninth inning, allowing the winning run to score in the Twins' 4-3 victory over the Rangers on Tuesday night. The day began ominously for the Rangers when star pitcher Yu Darvish was scratched from his scheduled start with stiffness in his neck.
Nick Tepesch won his second consecutive start, Elvis Andrus and Chris Gimenez each had two RBIs, and the Texas Rangers beat the Minnesota Twins 7-2 on Monday afternoon. Tepesch (2-0) allowed two runs in 6 2-3 innings, striking out four to win consecutive starts for the first time in his career. Alex Rios added two more hits and now has six straight multi-hit games. The Rangers have won three straight and five of six.
Kyle Gibson pitched quickly and in command. Tim Lincecum labored and rarely looked in rhythm. The formula for success and failure Friday night was a bit unconventional for both.
Minnesota Twins catcher-turned-first baseman Joe Mauer has some advice for Giants All-Star Buster Posey: play catcher as long as you can, and enjoy doing it. Minnesota is making a rare visit to San Francisco this week for an interleague series that began Friday night.
Phil Hughes threw seven shutout innings and Trevor Plouffee homered in the Minnesota Twins' 2-0 victory over the punchless San Diego Padres on Wednesday night. Padres starter Tyson Ross (5-4) nearly matched Hughes, allowing one run on three hits over seven innings, walking three and striking out eight.
Mounds View's Sam Hentges is considered one of the best high school baseball players in the state. He carries a 6-foot-7-inch frame, can pitch, hit and uses his size to make an impact.
