Date: 6/16/10

Opponent: Colorado Rockies

Home/Away: Home

Starting Pitcher: Baker

Final Score: W 2-1

Record: 38-27

Recap: I'm really glad we won that game and guaranteed a series victory, because I'm very concerned about facing Jimenez tomorrow. Baker rebounded from a couple of rough outings to deliver an almost shockingly good outing. He struck out a career-high 12 batters over the course of 7 innings while allowing only 2 hits (both singles) and 1 walk. I just hope he can build on this start and not regress. But anyway, he was having a really amazing outing, and he looked great.

The Twins provided Baker with a little bit of run support (emphasis on little). We jumped to a 2-run lead in the 2nd inning after Valencia and Punto singled in a couple of runs. Frankly I'm really glad Valencia got his 1st career RBI, because I was so sick of Dick and Bert saying "Here's an opportunity for Valencia to get his first Major League RBI." I swear it was like every game. Valencia and Punto were the 8 and 9 hitters, but they were the only players to drive in runs and the only players with multiple hits. At least the bottom of the order has been trying to pick up the slack as late. The Twins had plenty of opportunities to score more runs, but it just didn't work out. Skinny Delmon was thrown out at the plate on Punto's single, which maybe cost us a bigger inning, and we also grounded into 3 double plays. Span and Tolbert left 3 on base, while Morneau left 4 on base.

The score stayed at 2 to 0 until the 8th inning, when Guerrier came in to relieve Baker. I know Baker's pitch count was fairly high (108), but I would have liked to see him start the 8th inning. Guerrier had kind of a crappy outing. He got one out but gave up a hit and hit someone with a pitch. One of these runs came around to score the Rockies only run on passed ball was Mauer. I don't find Mijares particularly trustworthy at this point, but he did a great job of putting out the fire and getting the Twins out of the inning with just the 1 run. He got a big strikeout with a runner on 3rd for the last out of the inning. Giant Man came in to get a quick, efficient 17th save. So it was a nice game for the Twins, if a bit closer than it maybe could have been.

Best Moment: Baker's 12 strikeouts.

Most Questionable Moment: Taking out Baker. Yeah, pitch count, blah, blah, blah. It would have been nice to see him out there in the 8th the way he was mowing down the Rockies.

Worst Moment: Giving up the run in the 8th inning.

Quotations of the Day:

• "Bert, his name is not 'Hawk'. Learn to read, you damn Dutch retard." - My brother, irritated by Bert's mispronunciation of Brad Hawpe's name.
• "He had electric stuff. His fastball was exploding." - Nick Punto on Scott Baker's outing. An exploding fastball?!?! Really? That we be freaking awesome! I wonder if they have trick baseballs that explode like those trick golf balls that blow up when you hit them. If so, I want some.
• "They were just super aggressive because all the strikes weren't technically strikes. But they just kept swinging and I just kept throwing it. You get ahead of guys and that's your first step and then make a good two-strike pitch. I think that's the name of the game. Good pitches get good hitters out." - Scott Baker
• "Yeah, that was awesome. Everybody likes it, those are the best." - Jose Mijares, on his strikeout to end the 8th inning.

Suck-Ass Performance of the Game: Matt Guerrier (0.1 innings pitched, 1 hit, 1 hit by pitch, 1 run). Okay, I know it wasn't an earned run, but it still broke up our shutout.