Twinsgirl197's Imaginary Off Season Game 4: The Strike is Over; The Twins Still Strike

Hey guys, there was a bit of a strike during the off season games (aka me being really busy between school and basketball), but it's back-- at least for one game! I have to kind of give a little credit to Jessy S for his last couple of posts because they sort of reminded me that I said I was going to try to post these every weekend... which I've sort of been neglecting.

The Twins headed out to Seattle to take on the Mariners, where they had a stellar game both offensively and defensively against Felix Hernandez and the Mariners. Carl Pavano pitched a decent game, going a total of 6 and 2/3 innings before turning it over to the bullpen. Lineups and summary after the jump.

Mariners: Twins:

Suzuki, RF Span, CF

Figgins, 3B Casilla, SS

Smoak, 1B Mauer, 1B

Cust, DH Morneau, DH

Guttierrez, CF Doumit, C

Kennedy, 2B Valencia, 3B

Olivo, C Willingham, RF

Peguero, LF Carroll, 2B

Ryan, SS Revere, LF

First inning:

Span led off the game by being hit by Felix Hernandez's 2-1 change up that slipped too far inside. Didn't exactly spell out good news for his night. Casilla placed a beautiful bunt down the first base line where he was barely thrown out at first, but succeeded in moving Span over to second. Joe put a nice swing on the third pitch he saw, singling to right and driving in Denard. On the 3-1 pitch, the hit and run was called. He swung hard, driving the ball to deep right, but Suzuki tracked it down, and Joe had already committed to running so he got doubled off at first.

The bottom of the first went by 1-2-3, Suzuki grounding out to Valencia, Figgins popping up foul behind the plate with Doumit having just enough room to make the catch, and Smoak struck out on 4 pitches.

Second inning:

Leading off the second inning, Doumit reached on an error by Ryan who fumbled a ball that probably otherwise would have rolled into center field. Danny watched 4 pitches all in the dirt to take first on a walk. With runners on first and second, Willingham hit a solid single to left, allowing Doumit to score from second and Danny to advance to third. Carroll bounced into a double play up the middle, but Danny was able to score. With the bases empty, Ben hit what would (and should have been) a single to center, but the umpires made an incorrect call on what was clearly a trap by Guttierez, calling Ben out. Oh well, I guess we still won so all was well.

The bottom of the second was again 1-2-3. Cust struck out on 4 pitches and Guttierrez hit what most thought would have been a single, perhaps even a double, to left center, but in a phenomenal hustle, Revere got over and dove just in time to slide and catch the ball with the tip of his glove. Pay back! Seemingly dumbfounded, Kennedy watched three fastballs go by, the first two on the low outside corner, and one middle in.

Third inning:

Span led off in the third hitting a single right up the middle nearly decapitating Hernandez. Clearly shaken by the fact that the ball took the cap right off of his head, Hernandez left a cookie in the middle of the plate that Casilla smoked down the third base line, making it all the way to the corner and rolling around. He ended up at third, with Span scoring the 4th run of the game. Joe brought in the 5th run as he doubled to right center. And that's when the Mariners opted to go to long reliever Jamey Wright. Morneau was the first out Wright got, as he struck out with a full count. Doumit singled to center on the first pitch he saw, and then Danny made contact the first pitch he saw as well. Too bad Danny's was a double play...

Olivo began the Mariner's half of the third with a fly ball to center that Denard caught with ease. Peguero hit a high chopper that Joe jumped just in time to get to stop it from getting to right field and beat Peguero to the bag by half a step. Ryan struck out completing Pavano's perfect first trip through the batting order.

Fourth inning:

The fourth was the first clean inning for the Mariners, with Willingham flying out to right, Carroll striking out, and Ben lining out with a great grab by Kennedy at second.

The Mariners finally got their first hit when Suzuki singled to left. Figgins followed with a double to center over Denard's head allowing Suzuki to score. With the score 5-1 with a runner on 2nd, Smoak walked on a close call in a 3-2 count. Cust singled in Figgins with Smoak making it to third. Guttierrez popped up in foul territory that Danny tracked down for the first out of the inning. To stop the bleeding, Pavs got Kennedy to ground into a 3-6-3 double play.

Fifth inning:

Span hit the 3rd offering he saw in the fifth with authority. He drove the ball just over the right field fence to make the score 6-2. Lexi hit the first pitch he saw with just as much power as Denard, but it was right to Smoak who knocked it down, and recovered in time to get him out at first. Smoak ended up being fine, but I'm pretty sure his hand will remember that hit for quite a while. Mauer hit the ball just a seeing eye single that got between the SS and 3rd baseman to barely make it to shallow left field. Justin followed Joe's hit with a solid homer making Denard's look like nothing. The score 8-2, The Mariners decided for whatever reason to not pull their pitcher but just to let him struggle through it. Doumit hit a single, but was quickly wiped off when Danny hit into a 1-6-3 double play.

Olivo began the home half with a double to the left field corner. Peguero drove him in when he singled to center. Ryan bounced into a double play, and Suzuki struck out to end the inning with the score at 8-3.

Sixth inning:

Willingham hit the second pitch he saw at just the right spot where it dropped behind the shortstop, but fell in front of the center fielder. Carroll followed with a double that scored Willingham making it 9-3. Ben drew a walk, and Denard followed with a bunt single that was misplayed by Figgins, loading the bases. Lexi struck out for the first out of the inning, but Joe followed with a grand slam making the total score 13-3. Justin walked, which caused the Mariners to call to the pen for Wilhelmsen who got Doumit to bounce into a double play.

Figgins led off the sixth with a single, but was erased as Smoak bounced into a 5-4-3 double play. Then Pavano struck out Cust to end the inning.

Seventh inning:

Valencia began the seventh with a solid homer to left center to make it 14-3. Willingham flew out to center field, and Carroll popped out to third. Revere hit a what would have been a double for the average runner to right, but he legged it out to third. Span struck out ending the Twins half of the inning.

All was going well for Pavano to start the bottom of the seventh, striking out both Guttierrez and Kennedy, but Olivo changed that. No, he didn't get a homer or even start a rally, he simply hit a ball up the middle. Hard. And Pavs reacted with his right hand, knocking the ball down and then tossing it to Joe to try to get the out. But everyone knew something was wrong, as Joe ran to the mound after time was called, signalling for a trainer. After a short mound visit, Pavano walked off, and a zoom on to his hand showed where the seams met his hand leaving a cut on his pitching hand. He'll be fine, but it made him have to leave the game. Waldrop came to finish the inning, getting Peguero to hit a ball right to second where Lexi just fielded the ball and stepped on the baggy for the out.

Eighth inning:

The Twins went down quietly in the eighth. Lexi, Joe, and Justin struck out, grounded out, and popped out respectively.

Waldrop also sent the Mariners down without a fight. He struck out Ryan, got Suzuki to ground out to Joe, and Figgins to fly out to Ben.

Ninth inning:

The Mariners brought out Kelley to face the Twins in their half of the ninth. Doumit welcomed him immediately with a first pitch double. Danny followed with a double of his own, making it 15-3. Willingham grounded the ball to Ryan at SS, and Danny made a running error that caused him to turn it into a double play. Carroll ended the Twins at bats with a fly out to Suzuki in right.

Waldrop finished off the game for the Twins striking out Smoak, getting Cust to pop out in foul territory that Joe caught just on the other side of first base, and Guttierrez grounded out to Danny. Final score, 15-3 Twins win :)

Studs: The Twins

Duds: No one!

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Ok, so if any of you guys have been reading my comments lately I said I was thinking of using 2K11 to simulate a game until I realized that I don't have like half the players on 2k11 that the Twins will have next year, so I just made this up off the top of my head. That being said, I'm wondering how many of you guys even like reading these or if they are just kind of a waste of my time to type these up and put on here? Feed back, as always, is greatly appreciated :)

Oh and almost forgot, the standings for the AL Central are:

Twins 4-0

Indians 3-1

Tigers 3-1

White Sox 2-2

Royals 1-3

Ok I think that's it, have a great week everyone :) (also I attached the poll so you guys don't feel pressured to say if you like them or not so you don't have to worry about me being mad or anything)