Stuff Happens . . . Happy Easter (so far)

Twins 6, Yankees 5

A nice comeback from 4-0 down to take a 5-4 lead. Farnswroth gets an out in the 8th, then allows a baserunner. I didn't want to see it, but I knew it was coming. Mariano being brought in to try to get the 5-out save.

Mariano gets out of the 8th. As I knew he would. Where these more and one-inning saves get tricky is in the subsequent inning, after the closer's had to sit on the bench for the top of the 9th.

In that top of the 9th, the Yankees fail to tack on. I'm hating this game more and more with each passing second.

In the bottom of the 9th, Castillo leads off with a 15-foot nubber that he beats out. (After looking at what I was sure was strike 3). Man on first, nobody out.

Mauer singles to left (after looking at two very possible third strikes). Matsui, unaccountably, tries to get Castillo at third rather than throwing it to second. Mauer moves up trailing the play -- men on second and third with no outs. The Twins can tie it by accident now and in fact win it by making two of the right kind of outs. I can barely watch at this point.

Mariano bears down and strikes out the next guy. Yes!

Mariano strikes out the next guy, too. All right! Might we actually pull this one out?

Alas, it was not to be. Morneau breaks his bat and places one through the right side of the infield. Ballgame. One hard-hit ball and one mental lapse in left field. Three ball/strike calls, any one of which going the other way wins us the game. Two runs. Brutal loss.

But stuff happens. My only quibbles are not doing more against Santana -- it's obivous that at this point he has no feel for the changeup and he's basically guessing where it's going when he throws it.

And I have always hated the one-inning-plus saves. I can't fault Joe too much last night, though. Farnsworth is not to be trusted (yet) with a one-run lead, and when you have Mariano there it's pretty hard not to bring him in.

Longer term, I do see a potentially bad effect, though. The 7th- and 8th-inning guys at some ponit are going to have to pitch with men on base. Should they really be in the mindset that the instant they allow a baserunner they're going to be yanked?


Yankees 9, Twins 2 (top 7th as I write this)

Two bombs by Giambi, Cano sneaks one around the left-field foul pole, and A-Rod unloads just now. We always hit Radke pretty well. Wang has gotten through 6 innings only alloowing the 2 runs. Presumably the Gang Who Can't Throw Straight can piece together the finall innings and at least we leave Minnesota (next to Florida and Tampa Bay, the worst stadium in MLB?) with a win. Off tomorrow, then two in Toronto against the new-look Blue Jays up at Skydome.

Joe and Randy discussed Randy's upcomng start in Toronto Tuesday:

Joe: You're good to go for Tuesday?
Randy: Yes. If I'm not stiff.
Joe: You're still stiff?
Randy: No.
Joe: Oh. OK, good.
Randy: But I might get stiff between now and Tuesday.
Joe: Oh. Well, would you rather start Wednesday instead of Tuesday?
Randy: No. I might feel good Teusday and then be stiff Wednesday.
(Posada peeks his head into Joe's office)
Posada: Hey guys. Can I catch Randy on Tuesday? Please?
Joe and Randy, in unsion: NO!!!!
(A reporter from the Daily News happens by)
Reporter: Posada is catching Randy on Tuesday?
Joe, Randy, and Posada, in unison: NO!!!!!
Posada: Randy's still stiff, anwyay
(Reporter scribbling furiously in his noteboook)
Reporter: Ohhhhhhh. Who's pitching Tuesday then, Joe?
Joe: (annoyed) Randy is, damn it!
Randy: (quietly) If I'm not stiff.
(Joe gets up and slams the office door)
Reporter: (to Posada as they walk away) Don't you think Joe looks kinda like a retard with his hat barely sitting on top of his head like that?
Posada: No comment. Wait. Fuck that, yes he does. Mariano blew the save last night becasue he couldn't stop lauhging at Joe's hat.