Twins-Cleveland: Boof needs to step up tonight
Posted on August 28th, 2007 – 5:03 PMBy La Velle
The Twins bullpen is worn down. Gardy said that Boof Bonser needs to pitch deep into tonight’s game things could get ugly.
Mike Redmond aggravated his middle finger again, but has no choice but to play. Gardy wants to play Chris Heintz at first, catch Redmond and use Justin Morneau as the DH on Wednesday, but he’s monitoring Redmond’s finger.
Kevin Slowey has been named International League pitcher of the year.
Lineups
Twins: 1. Tyner, LF. 2. Bartlett, SS. 3. Hunter, CF. 4. Morneau, 1B. 5. Cuddyer, RF. 6. Kubel, DH. 7. Redmond, C. 8. Buscher, 3B. 9. Punto, 2B. Pitcher: Bonser.
Indians: 1. Sizemore, CF. 2. Cabrera, 2B. 3. Hafner, DH. 4. Martinez, C. 5. Garko, 1B. 6. Peralta, SS. 7. Lofton, LF. 8. Nison, RF. 9. Blake, 3B. Pitching: Westbrook.
240 Responses to "Twins-Cleveland: Boof needs to step up tonight"
Buscher at 3B, right? 
Punto at 2b. JT called it.
Looking for Hunter to keep it going in the 3 hole. And if Morneau snaps out of his “slump”, it could be interesting.
And glad to see Buscher again.
And since there were game destroying misplays at the DP combo last night, I’ll take Punto at 2nd.
Should be interesting, and may the gods bless the Twins.
My bad. Buscher is at third base….
Go Twins! Didn’t get much opportunity to see last night’s game (enough to see Silva getting taken out of the game). Here’s hoping for a good outing tonight.
Not sure why Heintz possibly playing first tomorrow means Redmond has to catch tonight. I’m pretty sure Heintz can handle playing two nights in a row and it seems like Red could use the rest.
I also don’t understand why they don’t bat Bartlett lead-off and Tyner number 2. Bartlett has been hot lately, runs well and would give the Twins the right-left-right… combo.
Nice, another first inning error by Bartlett. Let’s hope this doesn’t lead to another run.
Congrats to Slowey.
HMMM…Bartlett makes another error. Hopefully, he will make it up with his bat tonight.
Well where have I seen this scenario before? Twins commit an error in the first inning and tonight not only do they just give up one run, but Boof gets torched for a 2 run shot by Hafner. Boof we really can’t afford for you to be your usual self tonight.
We’re in the hole again. Tough to give the Indians first inning runs and expect to come back. Coming back against the Orioles is one thing, coming back against the Tribe, in their house, is another. Let’s hope Boof rights the ship.
Different Twins pitcher, same result. Bonser and Silva are two of kind against the Indians.
Not a good start. Unlucky in the top. Bartlett error and then a horrible pitch by Boof.
Boof should have been skipped. This is an important series and he has not been very good all year.
Skipped for who Nora?
It must be fun to cheer for a team that has power. That is able to score runs with one swing of the bat. We struggle so much to score runs, but teams like the Indians make it look so easy. We’ve had this problem since the LCS against the Angels. Having two big bats on the team is not enough.
Yeah Nora, skipped for who?
Pop outs and groundouts. Punto is jinxing this whole team.
Nick34, but in the pregame show, I can’t remember if it was Ron Johnson or Coomer that informed us Gardy had said Punto, who has been a source of consistency, has been moved to 9th in the lineup tonight. I guess if Punto has been consistent, but I didn’t know the goal was to be consistently bad.
Man, Bartlett’s errors do seem to get magnified, don’t they?
This game just reeks of last night’s game.
Yikes.
Skipped as in skipped and move everyone else up in the rotation.
Yeah, you don’t reward someone for their consistently good play by putting them in the 9 hole.
If Punto is up in a critical situation later in the game I hope Gardy PH for him. Ya, he is a good defensive player, but if there is a oppurtunity to score runs get him outa there.
Its an idea but not one I like. Sure Santana goes today, but with his fingernail problems I wouldn’t want to move him up. Plus that puts Garza against CC. Don’t like that matchup. Boof was our second best pitcher down the stretch last year. I don’t do anything different.
Nice 1,2,3 inning boof. lets get one back.
nice rip buscher. if we could just get punto out of the line up…
Nora, yeah move everbody else up a day and have them pitch on 3 days rest. I don’t think so.
What is new? Punto still can’t get a bunt down.
Man, does Nick Punto stink!
JP, you make a good point but about Bonser being good last year? That is not a good reason to me. Punto was good last year too. That is in the past.
Welcome back, Buscher. Nice hit. Let’s start something here Twins. Oh wait, Punto struck out before I could finish typing. He is worthless.
Case and point. Punto gets called looking. Grab some bench Punto. You are a very bad hitter.
it is a good reason nora. boof pitched well in pressure situations, and has more experience than Garza in those situations. and why put that pressure on Santana’s fingernail, he always has problems this time of year.
La Velle- Yeah could you tell us why Punto is in this lineup day after day when he continues to not produce? Why don’t you ask Gardenhire that after the game tonight? Don’t buy his best defensive lineup out there because clearly that is not the case with Buscher starting at third.
So should we expect Bartlett to be benched and fined for his back-to-back errors?
I mean, if Gardy’s going to play that card with Casilla, doesn’t it make sense to give Bartlett the same treatment?
Not the Bartlett has been hitting lately, we can’t afford to lose hot hitters right now.
Nothing with Gardenhire ever surprises me Erik.
Good AB from Bartlett.
Good time for a bast by Torii.
Now is Torii’s time to come up with a clutch hit.
Nora,
That’s not what I’m talking about.
If Gardy is going to fine and bench Casilla for his “mistakes,” doesn’t it make sense to see Bartlett being fined and benched too?
Keep swingin’ away free agent to be…swing away.
I mean a blast, lol
Way to coax a walk out of Westbrook, Bartlett. C’mon Hunter, big hit here.
Erik, Gardy doesn’t do things that make sense. If he did Punto would not be playing.
Well that is a usual Torii at bat when it is an important at-bat. Go ahead and wait until the team is down by 7 runs or else up by 7 runs before you get your big run-scoring hits.
You’d think these hitters would realize that it doesn’t pay to try and PULL a sinking fastball!
My Kingdom for a two out hit!
not a good AB. not selective, swinging at pitches out of the zone. let westbrook off the hook.
Boof is going poof.
Boof, this is a disappointing start for you once again tonight. It must be rough to have a leadoff hitter who can hit a HR to deep center field.
Shaun, the only bad thing is I saw the smoke on that last fly ball by Cabrera which normally happens when somebody disappears, but now Boof is still there.
another one in the “punto would have made that play” category…
Just like after the all-star break. Sweep Oakland and then play horrible. Sweep Baltimore, then pitch, hit and play defense horrible. Were just not that good. Maybe we even played a little over our heads. Wow are we gonna stink next year when we have even less offense.
Nico- I would rather have Punto not out there at all. Thankfully that misplay by Buscher didn’t hurt us.
well, at least we have francisco back, thats gotta be good for approx. 35 wins, right? :S
Jeff-its really a pick your poison kinda question imho, get killed by bad defense or by bad offense…both do have a tendency to work rather quick against playoff teams :S
Quit trying to pull the ball Justin. Maybe you won’t hit so many ground outs to 2nd baseman.
I think that with what this team has shown all year offensively, you have to stick your best offensive team in the lineup.
What does it take for us to get a hit with RISP position when the game is still within reach?
why does the frequency and phraseology of jeff’s posts look so familiar? and where’s austin? i’m just sayin’ …
Jeff, It does not work that way with the Twins this year. They only score runs with RISP when the game is out of hand and doesn’t matter.
nico
hafner got out. so buscer not getting to it didn’t affect the game. after the AB by punto (SO) and the ripped single by Buscher there is no doubt in my mind who i want out there
hmm, I am watching the game as usual just not commenting on the blog since obviously some people can’t handle the truth.
what, so every time a play isnt made that didnt affect the game makes it ok?
Boof needed that.
whatever you say, jeff, er, austin.
Nico- No I don’t think so. I do think that it was good that Buscher’s misplay didn’t come back to hurt us. It wasn’t an easy play but it could have been made. There was no error given on the play. I still say we need to stick our best offensive lineup out there considering how much this team has struggled offensively this season. Plays like that from Buscher are things we will have to live with.
hmm, what are you talking about?
hmm- I don’t know who this Austin that you speak of is since I just noticed this blog today, but why are you comparing him to me and is it a good thing or not?
Jeff, don’t worry it is a good thing to be compared to me!
i rest my case.
when they do not make plays it does affect the game. It may noy show on the scoreboard but the pitcher usually has to throw more pitches and it makes for a more difficult inning which does affect the game just not always the score.
doesn’t make it okay but it didn’t cost us and it wasn’t easy.
the main point, that you didn’t comment on, is after watching the ABs by punto and by Buscher is who do you want to be out there.
if you say Punto the we can agree to disagree.
There is another hit for Buscher.
hmm, don’t make me get into it with somebody on here again? What do you rest your case about? Speak up!
another ripped single…
case in point…
LNP is up with another runner on base. Maybe he will get a walk. His only hope.
So you don’t want someone to make you get into it with someone on here again, yet you want them to “speak up?”
Makes sense.
Erik, yeah I want them to explain there point, that is all. Meanwhile your buddy LNP just got out again.
you can look at it from a different point of view: punto is not the only guy in the lineup that doesnt produce (lookin’ at you morny!), so instead of raising the lineups BA by about 3% we could put the best defensive lineup out there and make sure that even the little amount of runs we produce can get us a win
Nick34 you were so close to a good call there.
weak fly. on a pitch that looked like the pitch grady homered on..
When did Nick Punto become my “buddy?”
Are you clueless?
We sure could use a Bartlett hit here.
Erik, simply because he reminds me of you.
Nice single by JB!
Austin,
You’re clever.
Do you realize you’re not liked around these parts?
Erik, Neither of us are very well liked around these parts. At least you have the excuse of living in Wisconsin. Deal with it.
BART!
Come on Hunter! ANOTHER BIG AB!!!!!!!!
I found a new job for Punto. He can be the greeter in the dugout when the Twins score runs.
Torii, you are a veteran, what are you doing? You were clearly meat at first!
Hopefully Gardenhire getting tossed will ignite the ballclub.
Morneau do something productive for once here. Quit always trying to pull the ball.
Austin,
Take a poll.
So Gardy gets tossed defending a veteran for being stupid. No good.
Hunter can’t do that. Good baseball on Cleveland’s part
Erik, go back to battling your tail off.
YES!!!!!!!
New ballgame!
That is some quality hitting right there, going the opposite way.
Nice to see Morneau go with that pitch.
Nice work morneau. Hopefully Boof can keep them at bay.
Austin,
Are you upset about being banned from the site for insulting people?
Good inning to tie it up.
Erik, I visited your site one time and it wasn’t for me, I was never banned. Your site just seemed like a bunch of people that didn’t know what they were talking about to me.
Boof needs to stick a zero up on the board this half inning.
yep jeff big half inning for Boof here
Leadoff single..
Kenny Lofton still kills us even though he is 100 years old.
Need a goose egg to keep momentum beef
Can we get a ground ball right at somebody right here?
Thank God that stayed in the ballpark.
Regardless of his pitch count, Boof looks like he is starting to wear out once again.
Horrible throw by Boof.
Nice breaking ball by Boof there.
Well Bert, why do you or Dick always have to open up your big mouths and talk smack about the batter just before they get the big hit?
Walk Pronk and pitch to Victor.
Wow, got super lucky there by pitching to him. Well I am out, gonna go over to a friend’s apartment across the hall and watch the rest of it. Let’s go boys, rally back!
Gee Austin leaves and the comments count will drop by 80%!
That was way to quiet after the Tribe answered with runs
You could not expect much more out of Buscher after going 2 for 2 in his previous at bats. Does anybody else think it is rather obvious that Redmond is not swinging the bat 100%? I don’t know if Chris Heintz at 100% is better than Mike Redmond at whatever percent he is at but just a thought.
Austin,
That’s interesting that in that one visit you managed to post close to 200 times.
Nice try though, liar.
time to get the bullpen…
Seriously, are you kidding me Nick Punto? I hate his offense, but that was the #1 web gem of the night.
wow!! I can’t stand punto, but that was very well done.
That was a sick play.
Erik, chill out
OK Punto..That was one of the best plays I have ever seen. Defense=Great
man, that throw alone is worth 3 more starts…i think he must be the guy with the most webgems in the majors
punto will be in the lineup for the rest of the year now. he’ll end up batting .175 but plays like that will keep gardy sending him out there…
Leave Autism alone, he said he was going to his “friends” apartment. I’m sure he is taking his cuffs…
punto is the latest version of Dougy baseball. all defense and no offense. it just isn’t enough to play defense like that, hit .200 or less, yet still play every day. If he is hitting .240 i can live with defense like that. I am not sure casilla doesn’t make that play too. “Unless Jerry White has him positioned incorrectly” says Calos Silva
Once again Nick Punto sucks at the plate.
Punto is awesome. I don’t care if he isn’t hitting this year.
ahh the player that punto is.
fielding gem. SO. fielding gem failed bunt.
AAAAAAAAAAAAHRHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
Tyner owns Westbrook!!
Torii needs to come up with another huge at bat. C’mon Veteran you have the experience.
2 out hit would be the ticket.
walked…here comes Bunyan
Seriously, how about DH’ing for Punto? I mean, would the pitchers hit that much worse? They should be at least be able to put the bunt down better. We know Johan can hit.
Nice time for Justin to crank one out of the park.
BayareaTwinsFan
I floated a similar idea a couple weeks ago…seems like the RULE BOOK insists that DH can only be used for pitchers.
Good idea, though.
Boof only has 88 pitches but I would like to see a reliever in here for the 7th because it always seems like this is the time when he begins to get tired.
Rules, shmules. If we have to have a DH in this league, at least make it flexible enough to be of benefit to the teams.
I smell a petition 
Great snag by Torii there.
Wow.
That’s a great play by Hunter.
I hope he’s OK.
I like your thinking !!!!
That’s 2 webgems for tonight’s Sportscenter.
Great catch. I hope it isn’t his last of the season or as a twin. That really was an awkward landing.
Man he is fun to watch out there!
Hmmmm…or is that Baseball Tonight?
Another phantom HR call.
Does Dick Bremer have any clue as to when it’s a HR or not?
Bremer is like the guy who has never seen a game and thinks every well hit ball is a home run. A guy who has seen as much baseball as him should know better by now.
i can’t argue about Bremer, many times have i thought he was crazy with his calls. but watching on tv when cuddy first hit it i thought it had a chance of going out.
quality start by boof. made two bad pitches and paid for it.
I guess that is why you bring in Neshek for this inning where you have to allow nobody to score instead of the rook.
couldn’t agree more Jeff. one run game in a must win.
It is too bad that we started off the most important series of the year with 2 losses.
Well, that didn’t work
Anyone think the result would have been similar, if not the same, had Reyes been the “lefty out of the pen?”
The Twins are 3 outs away from unofficially being eliminated from postseason.
Thank you mediocrity.
how many runs have we scored off closers this year? never seems like we score in the 9th
Bam Bam Buscher
How big were those 2 run put up in the bottom of the 8th now?
!#@%!@% YOU GARDY. YOUR BULLPEN CHOICES COST US A TIE GAME!!!!
Congrats to Buscher.
Thank you Carmen Cali.
Um, very big of course.
JP,
That probably wasn’t Gardy’s choice.
Safe at first 4-4
Great night for Tyner, 4 hits. Now it is left up to Bartlett and hopefully Torii to try and go yard.
Where are the Tyner Hater’s?
Twins aren’t going quietly at least.
Nice job, Bartlett!
Ok Dick…we need one more hit though…
Torii…it’s time to get paid!
If Torii thinks he is a big timer…this is the spot.
4 for 5 Not Terry Ryan. Nice extra base hit Bartlett. Please Torii, pick them up.
Morneau it is all left up to you.
One hit…One hit…One hit…this is the season
It helps to swing Morneau.
for all things good and holy
my goodness
Justin! GRRRR!
Most MVPs don’t take a called third in the 9th inning in a crucial at bat.
At least swing the friggin’ bat!!!
THis is the end. This is the end, my friend
might be time to PH for Morneau in the late innings…
Erik
How is Cali not Gardy’s choice?
I would have much rather seen them go 1-2-3.
Good bye 2007 season.
It’s unofficially over.
Wow, what a bad at bat for Morneau. But the bullpen lost this one. It is clear after this year that the Twins can not count of Reyes and it doesn’t look like Cali has it eaither.
Now we need to have Johan outduel CC tomorrow and come away with a win and somehow sweep Cleveland next week at the dome. I gotta continue to hold out hope even when it looks the worst that it has been in the last week.
I really do not understand the lack of usage for the likes of Guerrier or Neshek in a one run game when the Twins are losing.
It boggles my mind.
Cali was given one too many batters IMHO.
Punto…wow. This game sums the whole thing up. Anyone who justifies his being in the lineup based on that sick play he made–which will be #1 in Top Plays tonight if Hunter’s catch isn’t–is absolutely wrong, wrong, wrong.
Buscher told the story–three hits and a dong. That’s a months worth of hitting for LNP!
La Velle–get to the bottom of this–HE SHOULD BE OUT OF THE LINEUP!
hey la velle could you please ask Gardenhire why he started off the 8th inning with the rook Cali instead of Neshek? If Gardenhire gives the lefty vs. lefty garbage, we all know that we don’t have a chance to finish within 4 games of the division this year.
I agree Erik. Horrendous bullpen management tonight in a must-win game.
I sure hope Gardy feels arguing that Hunter call for so damn long was worth it!
You can’t blame the offense tonight, and it’s tough to blame Bonser after he gave the Twins 7 sold innings.
The blame falls on Carmen Cali and whoever decided that it was the right move to use him in a one run game.
Enough with this lefty vs. lefty bull…use your best relievers when you have the chance.
I hope Austin the troll boy doesn’t take this out his friend…..ouch!
Nevermind lefty v. lefty, Erik. They left him in there to face Victor Martinez! I 100% agree…in a must-win game you have to go with your best relievers, period!
Gardy still made the bullpen choices. Every manager that gets kicked out has a runner from the clubhouse to the dugout. Our bullpen has really been a killer in the second half. Sure injuries haven’t helped, and there has been some underperformances, but Gardy takes the blame tonight.
This one hurts because the Twins out hit Cleveland and should have won this. The whole season has been frustrating.
Jason,
The only thing I can think about when they left Cali in to face Martinez is that Martinez has displayed a bit less power from the right side than the left.
But even that’s not logical enough to make up for not using your best relievers in that situation.
I think the Cali thing may have worked if he would not have plunked Martinez. He was up 0-2 and just got too far. I am okay with that move. Guys have to execute even if he is not your bullpen’s best.
I want to know how Morneau can watch three called strikes (plus one foul ball) to end the game with a guy on 2nd. Mauer must have given him a pep talk before he went to the plate.
Justin: What should I do Joe?
Joe: Don’t swing unless he grooves one down mainstreet.
Justin: But I am the MVP
Joe: Yeah, but I am the batting champ.
Justin: Okay
Joe: Oh yeah Justin, the most important thing is when you take a pitch that is not perfect, roll your eyes, then drop the head of the bat on the ground. If it is strike three say something to the ump, then walk back to the dugout while holding your breath and staring into the upper deck like you are too cool to get pissed.
Come on MVP, swing the damn bat!!!!
BT
The point Jason and others are making is this:
A one run game in the most important game of the year, you put your best pitchers out there. I consider Cali a LH specialist. No way he should be out there as long as he was. It cost crucial runs and IMO the game.
JP:
I agree but Neshek was not exactly shutdown tonight. No guarantee he gets the outs he needs either. He certainly did not with the bases juiced. Neshek has not been the K machine that he was earlier. Cali may have been used too much the last 3 or 4 days to be as effective as needed. I think Gardy wanted to keep Martinez on the right side since he has less power from that side. Easy to second guess, but I don’t think it was as simple as Cali was left in too long.
The only reason Gardy doesn’t bring in Neshek or Guerrier to start the eighth is because they have been less effective of late. Probably wearing down from overuse.
I may be off-base here, but why not bring in Nathan? Okay, so it wasn’t a save situation. Whatever. It was as close to a must-win game as you can get in August.
KateSmith- Go back to playing basketball. You don’t have anything worthy of saying.
Bob “Len” Barker- No actually I went over to a friends and watched the rest of the game to get away from pieces of work like yourself.
Erik- Yeah I was on your lil ridiculous battle your tail off site that you are constantly promoting on here and posted quite a few entries, however I never got the boot. You and your buddies keep talking the hogwash that you usually do.
welcome back austin,
actually i like that call, bring in Nathan in the 8th. most important game of the year and he’s our best relief pitcher. its not like Nathan has been overused, he can go 2 innings. great call there.
cali is a rookie. Neshek has been struggling a little lately, thats exactly why you bring him in to start an inning instead of a bases loaded mess.
I believe we have a twinkie fading. The Boys are being seperated from the Men!!The pitching has been there most of the year but the hitting has been silent and costly. I’ll take the twins pitching anyday and all the way to the series but not with the lack of hitting. I have to admit that it is amazing that they are still in it with the lack of hitting which generally has been a twinkie trademark. Having said all this I still “Believe” there is time. The Twinks just have to win against the royals and the like and win the series against the top dogs. As in the words of the 80’s Band Asia “only time will tell”!! Win Twins!!!
Please ban Austin
Well Claude, you have to admit the pitching was far less then stellar against the Indians.
If Cali doesn’t pitch in the eighth, he doesn’t belong in the big leagues (he might not). He couldn’t get Hafner out and then hit Victor on an 0-2 pitch. While Cali deserves the lion’s share of the blame, Neshek just isn’t dominating anymore. He gave up a hit and a sacrifice fly. In theory, if he only gives up one of those things, the Twins tie the score in the ninth.
The Twins had as good a chance as they could ask for in the ninth, second and third, one out with Hunter and Morneau coming up. While Hunter got a run home, they both really failed. Sometimes, that happens. Last year, I think Wedge would have walked Morneau, but its a different year, and Morneau’s stats in those situations are way down.
This would not have happened in the 1st place most likel if Neshek was brought in instead of a rookie in an important game. This is not the time to have rookie relief pitcher in the game esp. unproven ones.
Bad management of the bullpen this roadtrip.
Please ban michael.
Please ban those acting like children.
Way too much childish squabbling here. Seems like Austin is in the middle of it and would be better if he left.
Please don’t ban anyone, but make Austin sit in the corner for a bit.
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