Game 3 Preview

Game 3 of the ALDS between the Twins and the Yankees shapes up to be a relatively big game for both teams. Unless you have been hiding under a rock, you know full well that the Twins and Yankees are tied 1-1 after the first two games. Yes, game 2 was a heartbreaker, but it is just one loss. Had Torii Hunter not hit a home run in the top of the twelfth (and thereby inspiring me to premature thoughts of the collapse of the empire) and the Yankees had pushed across a run in the bottom of the inning to win, Twins fans would probably not be feeling so bad. However, I think that there is much to be cheerful about. The Twins were down in that game and they did NOT give up. No, they battled until the death. Here's another thought I had about game 2. I mentioned in my pre series analysis that I thought that the Twins' improved ability to hit the long ball would be important for them in this series. In the top of the 12th, you saw that displayed. In a tight post-season game, there's nothing like a home run to make the difference. Yeah, I know that Hunter hit more home runs last year and that it didn't make the difference in game 2. But, I think there will be more close games, and there are more guys on this 2004 team that can win the game with one swing of the bat. I talked with Moss about Friday night's game and he was surprisingly optimistic about the Twins' chances. I for one am a little nervous about the pitching matchup, especially since Carlos Silva has been known to give up a lot of hits and strike very few batters out (255 hits and just 76 strikeouts in 203 innings) and the bullpen got blown out on Wednesday. Moss points out that Silva will be pitching on his regular rest and that this will be very good for him. Moss was quite concerned about Johan Santana and Brad Radke before the playoffs began because he felt that they were pitching on too much rest and therefore would be too strong. I don't know if he's right, but empirically we can say this: neither pitcher had his best stuff. If Silva is sharp on Friday night, I may give Moss a chance to guest write a column during the ALCS (if he so chooses). I heard Ron Gardenhire say today that Joe Nathan will be available on Friday. Yowsa. I also read where Gardenhire hid behind the excuse that Nathan told him that he was able to go in the 12th. Good God! What the hell is Nathan gonna say? Sorry skip, I'm done? I don't think so! I happen to believe that Gardy's move is defensible (he was between the old rock and hard place because of J.C. Romero's dismal September), but justifying it based on Nathan's assertion doesn't pass the giggle test. Moss asked me why Gardy didn't consider Lohse in the 12th. Good question. Getting back to Friday's game, Twins' fans are probably nervous about just what Carlos Silva will appear. Will it be the guy who pitched in September and was masterful, or will it be the guy who struggled earlier in the season? What I'm wondering about is how will Kevin Brown pitch. Brown is pitching with a broken non pitching hand, a self-inflicted injury that he suffered on September 3. Since his return from surgery, he's pitched twice, getting shelled by the Red Sox on September 26th and giving up one unearned run in 5 innings against Toronto on October 2. He has only thrown 106 pitches in the last 5 weeks, so maybe he'll be a little "too strong" on Friday. For the season, he's 10-6 with a 4.09 ERA and 1.27 WHIP, allowing 132 hits and striking out 83 batters in 132 innings. He's certainly not the Kevin Brown of old, who was dominating, he's now an old Kevin Brown, who can be very good one time out and very ordinary the next. It's hard to say what we'll get there. This is a very tough matchup to call. I think the Twins will come out and play hard, forgetting what happened in game 2. I look for another close game, but I see the Yankees winning with Brown pitching well. I hope I'm wrong, and I think it's possible that it is. You know what? I am not writing for a newspaper and I never will be. I don't have to be objective. Who really cares if I'm right or wrong? When it comes to the Twins, I am first and foremost a supporter. I love this team. I love that they make between a quarter and a third of the Yankees salaries but are still competitive. I like that they play hard. I like that Torii Hunter has seemingly taken over the leadership of this team after What's His Face got traded away. I'll pull my hair out, I swear, if Lew Ford isn't in the lineup on Friday night, but what the heck, I'm here to pull for these guys. So forget that earlier prediction. The Twins are gonna rough up Brown and Silva's gonna give 'em enough. Twins win game 3. Good. I feel better.

NL Update

Atlanta ties series with an extra inning win. Sound familiar? Are the Astronauts done? I don't think so. Neither are the Twins. Murderers Row (Albert Pujols, Jim Edmonds, Larry Walker, and Scott Rolen) went 2-15 tonight. Spell trouble for the Cards? Not a chance. St. Louis wins 8-3 and puts an "All-Star Wrestling" style chokehold on their series with the Dodgers. With Anaheim down 2-0 in their series, the much balleyhooed (at least at this website) California baseball is about one night away from extinction in 2004 without so much as a whimper. I'll bet that Stan the Man is happy. I can tell you that the Dodger fans aren't. That's eight straight losses in the post season. They have haven't won a post season game since they closed out the 1988 World Series, a span of 16 years.