So first I have to get my confessions out of the way. I failed to blog on my last few season ticket home games. I just found the games uninspiring particularly the Sept. 30th game in which we got blown away by Toronto. The thing I remember most was a kestrel swooping down from the sky catching a moth in mid-air. You can only see that if you're in the upper, upper decks folks. Not in those expensive seats. (There are videos of this kestrel's escapades on UTube.) But overall, the Twins were in sort of a post-clinch malaise and I suppose I was too.
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| View from Section 318, 13th row, Seat 11. |
But it's playoff time. The counter is reset to zero and off we go. Yankees again only this time the Twins have a home field advantage. Our seats are in section 318 behind home plate but way, way up in the nosebleed world. Those of us with a 20-game series didn't get a lot of choice in playoff seats.
You couldn't have asked for a better evening weather-wise. Game-wise, definitely could have wished for a better evening. We lost to the Yankees 6-4. But let us revisit the game a bit, shall we?
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| Thome gets bonked and goes down |
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| Cuddy sends one to the seats |
Frankie was our starting pitcher. There was a lot of pre-game speculation about whether Liariano could keep it together well enough to give us a chance. And he did for the most part. He looked dominating right into the 5th inning. The Twins had a 3-0 lead. Hubby was starting to BELIEVE. I was concentrating 150% on every pitch just as the Twins needed to do. Mr. C.C., on the other hand, had a few cracks showing. First he had the nerve to bean the beloved Mr. Thome. Knock him to the ground even. That shook C.C. up enough that he let one get away. On the next at bat, Michael Cuddyer delivered one into the centerfield shrubbery. Two ahead. Next inning we put one more up due to some fancy (some might say chancy) base running by Orlando Hudson. The O Dawg stole 3rd while the rest of us were busy watching Mauer and Teixeira slide into 1st base. The Yankee won that one for an out. But, one wild pitch strike later and Hudson had scored. Three ahead.
Then Frankie faltered. By the time he left the game, the Yankees had put up four runs. We came back and tied it up so we were still feeling hopeful. Then, the normally solid, Jesse Crain came in for relief. I took this opportunity to buy some hot chocolate. (While the weather was great, the 2nd to last row in the 3rd tier got a bit chilly when the breeze picked up.) Note, this means I was not focused 150% on every pitch as I should have been. Before I got back in my seat, Crain had given up a two-run homer to the Yankee's Taxman. We had our chances after that to tie or go ahead but the big hit just didn't come. Frustrating for the Twins and for the crowd.
Tonight is game two. The statisticians say a team that loses the first game on the home field doesn't go on to win. But the stats also say that the Yankees have a losing record as a wildcard entry.
So, I'll get my popcorn and peanuts ready and plop myself on the couch and keep hope alive, concentrating 150% on every pitch.
