Cuddyer's Revenge: Twins win in 10, 3-2

by Flashfire on Jul 21, 2009 10:22 PM PDT

Last night, Michael Cuddyer was the victim of a game-ending call at the plate. Tonight his triple in the 10th inning put the Minnesota Twins on top before closer Joe Nathan worked a quick bottom half of the inning in a game that was, as expected, nothing at all like the one before it.

Dallas Braden had another one of those games where he's just good enough to skate by without giving up a bunch of runs but Anthony Swarzak was a bit better. Overall they both allowed a pair of runs in seven innings of work. The A's got theirs in the third courtesy of a ground out by Adam Kennedy, then Orlando Cabrera followed with a run-scoring single.

Braden's worst inning would follow right after as he failed to get the shutdown inning. With one out, he gave up a double, triple and sacrifice fly and things were evened up at 2-2. It looked like things would have been a little different if not for some trouble from Scott Hairston in center field as the triple bounced off the wall and skipped past him to go along with a couple weak throws.

Braden and Swarzak settled down after that before the bullpens took over. Matt Guerrier worked two scoreless innings for the visitors while Michael Wuertz and Andrew Bailey went an inning apiece for the A's. Bob Geren sent Bailey back out for the 10th and for his second outing in a row, he ran into trouble. Joe Mauer singled with one out and after Justin Morneau flied out Cuddyer came through with a shot to the right-center gap. Problem was, it sure looked like Ryan Sweeney should have made the catch, overrunning the ball as it came down. From there, Nathan finished it off.

The rubber game of the series is tomorrow, an afternoon start.

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I love Dallas Braden.

Great post game interview. Listening to him talk about the game is always fun.

What you fail to understand in your joyless myopia is that baseball is the key to life-- the Rosetta Stone, if you will. If you just understood baseball better all your other questions your, your... the, uh... the aliens, the conspiracies they would all, in their way be answered by the baseball gods.

by winchester5 on Jul 21, 2009 10:23 PM PDT reply actions

And he tells it like it is.

You dont see that from Geren, so its nice to see Braden do it.

by winchester5 on Jul 21, 2009 10:24 PM PDT up reply actions

"No positives. We lost."

Last of the Ninth - Photography Site / jamesvenes.com - Blog

by Flashfire on Jul 21, 2009 10:25 PM PDT up reply actions

I agree with both of you.

I'm here to talk about the past.

by 67MARQUEZ on Jul 21, 2009 10:25 PM PDT up reply actions

What 67M said.

emperor nobody: "can ben copeland play third will the mcgwire throwback jersey be sponsored by balco labs i think i am having non-nerve-damage related chest pains well there’s holliday’s homer for may"
Clayton Tanner. I have nothing witty to add.

by walkoff baltimore chop on Jul 21, 2009 10:26 PM PDT up reply actions

What he said

PREPAREDNESS_Because those goddamn zombies aren’t going to kill themselves

by adragon on Jul 21, 2009 10:26 PM PDT up reply actions

Same here.

I'm here to talk about the past.

by 67MARQUEZ on Jul 21, 2009 10:29 PM PDT up reply actions

Sweeney probably should have caught that ball, but it seems like the post game show is blaming the entire loss on him....

It’s not like it was an easy play…I’m not making excuses for him, but I cant believe they are pinning the loss on him. He is the only one who hit today, and its not like if Cust was out there he would have caught it.

by winchester5 on Jul 21, 2009 10:29 PM PDT reply actions

i'm not sure about this sweeney in right idea

he’s a good athlete clearly, but i guess he just needs more practice there. some of his routes on the weekend looked somewhat circuitous

Roy Steele is the voice of God

by cuppingmaster on Jul 21, 2009 10:32 PM PDT up reply actions

Yeah he was looking a lot more comfortable in center than he has in right.

by winchester5 on Jul 21, 2009 10:34 PM PDT up reply actions

That is what we used to say about him in center

Great athlete but makes bad reads/takes bad routs

PREPAREDNESS_Because those goddamn zombies aren’t going to kill themselves

by adragon on Jul 21, 2009 10:38 PM PDT up reply actions

Yep

"I’m Joey Devine, I’m what Joba Chamberlain would be if he was good and nobody had ever heard of him."

by mikev on Jul 21, 2009 10:39 PM PDT up reply actions

yes but that was getting a lot better as the year went on

by winchester5 on Jul 21, 2009 10:40 PM PDT up reply actions

the point is just give him time

same with Hairston

PREPAREDNESS_Because those goddamn zombies aren’t going to kill themselves

by adragon on Jul 21, 2009 10:40 PM PDT up reply actions

Agreed on all points

They were acting like he dropped a routine fly ball.

will crosby spread his legs so far apart at bat that the games will have to be rated nc-17 -- emperor nobody

by day-to-day on Jul 21, 2009 10:58 PM PDT up reply actions

I agree -- it was a catchable ball but not an easy play

It was a bad pitch a heck of a lot more than the ball should have been caught.

I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal

by Nico on Jul 22, 2009 8:47 AM PDT up reply actions

Hairston's defense

In center is disappointing these first few weeks. Seems like there have been half a dozen plays not made the way one expects.

I didn’t see the triple tonight, but there were several plays in Tampa. Growing pains? Can he play right?

"It's better to live rich than die rich" -- The Fat Lady

by geogrman on Jul 21, 2009 10:39 PM PDT via mobile reply actions

He just needs time to learn the AL CF's

This is his first time in the Al after years in the NL

Both Scott and Swoony need to adjust to there new postions/league

PREPAREDNESS_Because those goddamn zombies aren’t going to kill themselves

by adragon on Jul 21, 2009 10:43 PM PDT up reply actions

I don't understand how fielding is that different in the AL and NL.

I get that a change in positions takes time – to adjust to the reads, routes, typical and atypical plays. I also get that if you’ve been playing in certain parks it takes time to learn new ones. But I guess as a fan – I have some sort of expectation that they play at such a high level as professionals, that the adjustment would be fairly quick. Swooney has had limited playing time so I can see why he’s got a steep learning curve. Is it wrong of me to expect more out of Hairston?

If a woman has to choose between catching a fly ball and saving an infant's life, she will choose to save the infant's life without even considering if there are men on base. ~Dave Barry

by BERRYJO on Jul 21, 2009 10:51 PM PDT up reply actions

i think it's just that in each park

they know exactly how many seconds and steps it takes to get to anywhere on the field. with time, they will both learn. it’s just the thinking about it that makes them hesitate and maybe take a suboptimal route.

Roy Steele is the voice of God

by cuppingmaster on Jul 21, 2009 10:57 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs

+This

PREPAREDNESS_Because those goddamn zombies aren’t going to kill themselves

by adragon on Jul 21, 2009 11:22 PM PDT up reply actions

On top of that each ballpark plays a little differently depending on how the ball travels

I mean, look at the jet stream in Texas and the new Yankee Stadium to right. That kind of carry doesn’t happen everywhere.

Last of the Ninth - Photography Site / jamesvenes.com - Blog

by Flashfire on Jul 21, 2009 11:25 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs

This is coming from a man who has seen alot of ballparks

and he knows of what he speaks

PREPAREDNESS_Because those goddamn zombies aren’t going to kill themselves

by adragon on Jul 22, 2009 9:51 AM PDT up reply actions

Myself, I preferred Sweeney in CF

He is perfectly capable in RF as well, but I think he was really making strides in CF this year. Hairston will be fine in CF, I’m sure, in time. I’’ll give him some time to adjust.

As far as the game result, this is two games in a row for Bailey being asked to pitch 2 innings in a tie game……and I have to say I don’t like it. Was Ziggy not available tonight? I don’t get it… Not sure what the stats say, but I really don’t feel good about AB having to pitch more than one inning in a game that he is not coming in to “close”. I had a bad feeling about this when the A’s failed to score in the bottom of the 9th and Geren had Bailey come back out to pitch the 10th.

I don’t blame Sweeney for the loss even though he probably could have caught the fly ball in the 10th. I don’t blame Bailey either. Someone had to break the ice and unfortunately for us A’s fans it was the Twins who came out on top. Nathan coming in fresh for a save opportunity in the 10th pretty much sealed the deal for me and hopefully tomorrow it does not come down to similar situation…..and Braden is a baller! Go A’s!

Zeigler to Geren…."A-Rod? He’s my bitch." -alox

by mrod on Jul 21, 2009 11:16 PM PDT reply actions