Twins 20, White Sox 1: Twins destroy Sox, streak

by Jon Marthaler on May 21, 2009 5:06 PM EDT in Game Recaps Comment 11 comments

More photos » Charles Rex Arbogast - AP

Michael Cuddyer's three-run homer in the second inning was just the start of MInnesota's onslaught.

Minnesota's longest losing streak of the year is over, and how. Joe Mauer found Michael Cuddyer in the end zone for a pair of first-half touchdowns, and Jose Morales kicked two late field goals to seal the victory for the Twins.

Or something like that.

Frankly, it's difficult to even keep track of everything that happened in this one. Minnesota scratched out a run in the first, then jumped all over Sox starter Bartolo Colon in the second, torching the righthander for seven runs - including back-to-back home runs from Michael Cuddyer and Joe Crede.

So it was 8-0 before the game even really started, and it just got more astonishing from there. The Twins got single runs in the third and fourth, put up six runs in the sixth - highlighted by a Joe Mauer grand slam - and then, for good measure, scored four more in the seventh, including Matt Tolbert's first major league home run, a three-run shot.

Every Twins starter reached safely at least once, except of course Nick Punto, who was 0-5 with three strikeouts. Only Punto could strike out thrice and go 0-fer in a game his team won 20-1. (Punto did score twice, getting on base via an error and a fielder's choice.)

Take a look at a couple of these lines:
Mauer: 3-4, 2 2B, HR, career-high 6 RBI, 2R
Cuddyer: 4-6, 2B, HR, 3 RBI, 4 R
Tolbert: 3-5, HR, 4 RBI, 2 R
Morales: 3-4, 2 BB, 3 R
Jason Kubel: 3-4, 2 RBI, 2 R

I haven't even mentioned Nick Blackburn yet, an undeserved omission. The Twins starter might have stopped the losing streak even without a 20-run cushion. Blackburn scattered just four hits over seven shutout innings, walking three and striking out two along the way.

The losing streak is over, as well as Minnesota's streaks of hitting only solo home runs and continually failing with runners in scoring position. Now, they just need to, you know, even things out a little bit - maybe score seven in every game instead of 20 in one.

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Stars of the Game:

1. Twins offense (except Punto)
2. Blackburn
3. Mijares and Nathan

Duds of the Game:

1. Nick Punto – 0-5, 3 K
2. Tolbert – error brought in the only Sox run
3. Morneau – no hit today although he did have 3 walks and 1 RS

by 33MorneauMVP on May 21, 2009 5:11 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

You can't give Morneau a "dud" award

Three walks is almost more impressive than three hits.

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by Andersklasen on May 21, 2009 6:52 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

We could give Mauer the "dud"

He hit 2 doubles instead of hitting a triple to go for the cycle.

by montanatwinsfan on May 22, 2009 12:11 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Good thing no one would have Punto on their fantasy team

b/c the 0-5 would hurt.

I can’t wait to get home and watch this beat down.

Looking forward to the story of Punto and Tolbert forced to wear dresses back to Mpls for their bad play

by caluofmn on May 21, 2009 5:51 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Road Trip = 1-6

Despite coming home +7 in number of runs scored versus number of runs allowed.

Baseball is about timing and confidence. Nathan blew a save in the wrong place at the wrong time, and things cascaded downhill from there.

Hard to believe the Twins can be mediocre with Mauer, Morneau and Kubel hitting like giants, but, without pitching in MLB, nothing is possible.

by Old Twins Cap on May 21, 2009 5:56 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Perhaps I've misunderstood "Earned Runs"

But can someone tell me why only 1 run was earned for Colon?

by Neil on May 21, 2009 7:58 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Explanation

Here’s the play-by-play for the second inning, in which all seven runs were unearned:

- J. Morales singled to center
- M. Tolbert singled to right, J. Morales to second
- N. Punto safe at first on third baseman W. Betemit’s throwing error, J. Morales to third, M. Tolbert to second, J. Morales scored, M. Tolbert to third, N. Punto to second
- D. Span grounded out to third
- J. Mauer hit sacrifice fly to center, M. Tolbert scored
- J. Morneau intentionally walked
- J. Kubel singled to right, N. Punto scored, J. Morneau to third
- M. Cuddyer homered to deep left, J. Morneau and J. Kubel scored
- J. Crede homered to deep left
- J. Morales flied out to deep right

For “earned runs” calculation, since the error prevented an out from occurring, it’s counted as an “out”, and once two more real outs (or errors that also should have been outs) occur, no more runs are earned, since the pitcher should have been out of the inning. Mauer’s sacrifice fly would have been out number three, then, so everything from that point on is unearned. Morales’ run is also unearned, because he scored due to the error (no one got an RBI), and without that error he wouldn’t have come around to score until after Mauer’s out.

If Punto’s bunt had been ruled an infield hit, with the error allowing him to get to second (this happens when the official scorer feels the batter would’ve made it to first even if the throw was on the mark), all seven runs would have been earned, because the error wouldn’t have cost an out, and Morales would have been expected to score on one of the other hits/walks that inning.

I apologize if that isn’t nearly as clear as it was when I formed the ideas in my mind.

"There are only two things that are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former." - Albert Einstein

by BeefMaster on May 21, 2009 10:39 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

It makes sense

but since the error occurred with zero outs, more of the runs have to be considered the fault of the pitcher’s. It’s not like he was an out away and an error occurred.

by Adam Peterson on May 23, 2009 4:40 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs