GameChat – Twins @ White Sox #2, 7:10

I can’t help it. Even though I am usually the first to remind baseball fans not to count their chickens before they hatch, I’m also one who likes to be prepared.  So, my thoughts about tonight’s game can’t help but wander towards how this is the kind of matchup Duensing wants to be ready for in the post season (if we get there *knock on wood*).  Brian has been really a star in the second half of this season and I am sure he will be in any possible post-season rotation.  But games like tonight?  They show us how we’re set for that kind of situation.  I’m looking forward to it.

We Twins fans are definitely getting spoiled.  We’re now 41-16 since the All-Star break which means we don’t have to face that losing situation post-game very often lately.  And I ALMOST feel bad for Ozzie Guillen.  I know what I feel everytime we roadtrip to Yankee Stadium – that undeniable sense of dread that you know isn’t reasonable but always seems to be a self-fulfilling prophesy.  They just can’t seem to beat us this year – mostly because I think the Twins are a better team – but tonight had some CRAZY bounces that were practically unplayable.  How do you factor what looks like sheer bad luck into a playoff chase?

Duensing is just rocking the world right now.  And tonight was NOT one of his better performances.  I really wanted to see how he responded to the pressure, what his general mood would be and all those ‘intagibles’ that are so hard to quantify.  You know what?  He rocked.  He threw WAAAAAAAY too many pitches in the first couple innings and had some rough spots during the game.  But if you watched his face, he didn’t stress out, he didn’t get frustrated, he didn’t over-react.  He took the call, adjusted and threw again.  THAT is the kind of reaction you want to see in ANY pitcher you are considering for a post-season rotation and it’s EXCELLENT to see in a rookie.  I’m VERY excited about the possibilities for his future career.  So tonight, he has full access to the pastry buffet. Congrats Brian.

The offense decided to show off a bit tonight too – although, as mentioned earlier, some of it was on ridiculous bounces.  Span seems to be coming back to the guy we remember after a bit of a slump; Hardy is hitting GREAT now that he’s finally healthy again, Valencia had a good night to reverse the slide of late and in general, we were making plays we needed to make.  Kubel left the game with a sore wrist and Repko was ready to just slide right in.

But NO ONE showed off the offense tonight like Joe Mauer.  He finally got another homerun – in addition to hitting 3/4, 2 Runs, an IBB, and 3 RBI.   Yeah, he had a good night.  *laugh* For that, the chat voted him BOD.