MN Twins - this band of brothers

Saturday's game was a "got to win" game for the Twins.  We had our ace, Santana on the mound, we had played so bad for so long that Gardenhire had finally sounded off about the "embarrassing" play of the Twins.  And something had clicked and the Twins had managed to pull it off - a win.

Now today going into the game, given the Twins past perfomance, I was only hoping that the game wouldn't hurt too much.  That the Twins would a least play well defensively, even as we lost.  And then this little pitching jewel happens and the defense is working behind the pitcher and finally here it is the top of the eighth in Cleveland. The Twins entered the inning trailing 1-0. C.C. Sabathia and Matt Garza had both pitched exceptional ball. Garza had given up one run off a double in the second. Twins had threatened but not scored (second verse, same as the first).
And then we enter the top of the eighth inning, and a little string of miracles starts again today:

· L. Ford grounded out to shortstop
· J. Tyner hit by pitch (the beginning of miracles here – Sabathia’s conrtol slips a notch
· J. Bartlett struck out swinging
· M. Redmond hit for N. Punto (here we have the second miracle – Gardy pinch hits for his fave boy Punto; the third miracle, the tribes right fielder plays Mike shallowly – forgetting that Redmond can push the ball)
· M. Redmond doubles to deep right, J. Tyner scores
· L. Rodriguez ran for M. Redmond
· And now get ready for a string of miracles -
· J. Mauer safe at first on second baseman J. Barfield's throwing error, L. Rodriguez to third, L. Rodriguez scored, J. Mauer to second
· J. Morneau doubled to deep left, J. Mauer scored
· R. Betancourt relieved C.C. Sabathia
· T. Hunter popped out to second (unfortunately the little string of miracles ended here).

And at the end of it all the Twins are in the lead 3 – 1!!


Top of the ninth – Lewwwwwwwwwww Ford homers!

Bottom of the ninth – Joe Nathan takes the ball and will fight for his save.

Arghhh - Joe gives up a lead off double.  Then finally he gets the first out on a ground ball out to the shortstop.  Oh and now pain and agony, Nathan leaves a ball up.  Blake connects for a base hit, but the runner on second does NOT come in to score.  Still just one out, runners on the corner.  In the grand tradition of Twins relievers like Eddie Guardado, Rick Aquilero, Al Worthington, and the arch nemisis RON DAVIS - Joe Nathan is making things interesting.

And then, the final miracle, the Indians Gutierrez, hits into a pitcher's best friend, the inning ending double play.    TWINS WIN!!!!!!!