Twins 10, Red Sox 4: One wild night in Boston

(I'm starting typing this on my phone in the crowded Kenmore T station. The line was up the stairs.)

For all the non-energy I noted before the game, it picked up incredibly. Fans were going wild, the Twins were showing power, and all in all it was a great night (with one slip on my part post game).

*PREGAME*

A group of four boys sitting in front of me loudly cheer and dance, getting on the stadium camera at one point and constantly trying to get Alex Verdugo's attention, and trying to convince the nearby Fenway security member to tell them his name (he refuses on the likely correct grounds that they'll yell it all game, but says he will tell them post game). They are awesome.

Watched Jeffers and Ryan come to the bullpen, go through their stretches, and warm up:

(Somehow I've got on the crowded train. The people I am smushed into are speaking Polish.)

*GAME*

Inning 1: Julien hits one over the bullpen!

Inning 2: At the end of the inning, the four boys have to move as those aren't their seats. I am sad.

Inning 3: GALLO OVER THE PEN! This might be a rout! Also Emmanuel Valdez gets a hit in his first MLB at-bat; not a Twins thing but that's fantastic to see.

(Someone on this train has a pizza and is offering it to fellow riders.)

Inning 4: Twins down in order. Maybe this won't be such a rout.

Inning 5: Boston gets another run and Ryan's pitch count is climbing. Will the Twins get someone up? Yes, and it's BRENT HEAD ROCK. (My phone autocorrects "Headrick" in the comments too.) This game looks like it'll feature another big league debut!

Inning 6: LARNACH DEEP TO CENTER! DOUBLE-DIGIT RUNS! Ryan gives up a solo dinger in the bottom half but it's 10-3 and looking goooooood.

Additionally, lights start flashing, and the scoreboard displays a message that an alarm in the stadium has gone off. As soon as the alarm lights stop, fans finally get a Wave circling the stadium.

Inning 7: HEAD ROCK TIME! And he goes 1-2-3 with Valdez his first K in the Show. Fans in center are tossing a beach ball.

Inning 8: SWEET CAROLINE, BUM BUM BUM, GOOD TIMES NEVER SEEMED SO GOOD, SO GOOD, SO GOOD, SO GOOD...

The beach ball has fallen onto the warning track in center. Michael A. Taylor escorts it to Boston's bullpen, just out of sight of my phone camera.

Fans are starting to leave, opening up seats near me – which means those four boys can come back to near the right field wall! I signal them to empty seats near me and immediately...

Inning 9: ...they holler for Verdugo, finally getting a wave from the highest-digited Red Sok!

On the field, Headrick gets into trouble, and Pagán is warming up; should he enter, Headrick won't get the save. But after a sac fly he holds Boston off the scoreboard! TWIMS WIM! HEAD ROCK SAVE!

*POSTGAME*

It's the time for photos and departures. The four boys take pictures with the security guy and fist-bump me as they go. I finish filling out my scorecard:

As I'm about to go, I see a couple of young women having their photo taken in the aisle I'm heading for and step back. After some politeness judo, they invite me in for a photo. We speak briefly and part.

After I have exited the stadium, I realize that, although I got Cara (with a C) and Josie's names, it never occurred to me to exchange numbers or socials so as to continue contact.

I mentally kick myself all the way to the T station.

*STUDS*

Eddie Julien, Joey Gallo, Trevor Larnach: dongs aplenty

Joe Ryan: 6 innings, 3 runs

Brent Head Rock: 3-inning, 1-run save

Emmanuel Valdez: 2 hits in his MLB debut for Boston

The four boys and the security guy: excellent energy and enthusiasm all game

Cara & Josie: cute & friendly

*DUDS*

(my social skills)

(but other than that)

NO DUDS TWIMS WIM!

*COMMENT OF THE GAME* goes to whatever finally convinced Verdugo to give those four boys a wave.

(And the article is done before I reached my T stop. Homeward on.)