At Least I Came Home With A Hat

This post is three days late, but I figure I would just give a few notes of the Twins game on Saturday night.

4:00pm - Arrive to the Metrodome by light rail with my friend, Ernie. Two hours before the game and the light rail is kind of crowded. Must be a lot of anticipation. We bought our tickets. Gates do not open until 4:30pm, so we walked around. While the food outside of the Dome is usually very expensive, there was a small Mexican stand that was reasonably priced. I bought a pork tamale and a Jarritos fruit punch. Later, walked past another stand with the biggest corn dogs I'd ever seen so I bought one of those.

4:30pm - I buy a Twins magazine and scorecard outside, knowing full well that I won't be able to keep score during the game. Gates open, we go in and we get this:



Once inside, I get the Dome Dog, chips and a large drink... a Twins game tradition for me. We take our seats... 26 rows up in lower left field.

Pre-game - The Royals are taking batting practice. I count only two balls flying over the outfield walls... maybe a precursor of things to come?

Written in left field is...

DIXIE
DY 21

I know what "DY 21" is. Don't know about "DIXIE".

Later, is the Softball Home Run Derby. The first three batters leave with no home runs. TC hits 5.

Game Time - I will follow with a series of thoughts throughout the game.

* Jason Kubel is not in the starting line up. Normally, I would not think it a big deal except the Royals' starting pitcher, Brian Bannister, is a righty.

* I tried to keep score on my scoreboard, until I realized in the second inning that I missed a single hit by Jose Guillen in the first.

* Scoring throughout the game goes back and forth. Glen Perkins had a tough first two inning, but looks great in the next three. Then, in the sixth, he gives up another three run. After six, game is tied at 5. At least the Twins are providing some run support.

* You can count on Luis Ayala to try to lose the game for you. In 1-1/3 innings, Ayala give up two runs. Jose Mijares bailed him out in the eighth inning and the Twins score two to tie at the bottom of the eighth.

* Delmon Young hit 3-for-4 in the game with 2 RBIs. After his single in the bottom of the eighth, with the game tied, Carlos Gomez is sent in to pinch run for him. Some have questioned about replacing Young after hitting so well during the game, but Gomez is many time faster and Gardy was trying to go for the win. Buscher singles to left and moves Gomez to second. With Punto, Span and Casilla up next, you'd think one of the would try to bunt to move Gomez to third. Punto and Span pop-out. Casilla ground out to third.

* In the 11th inning, after Breslow walks three straight, R.A. Dickey is brought in. Walks one run home. Gives up a two-run single and then finally get out. Good thing because Dickey was the last reliever.

Twins lost 10-7 and the game was over at 10:30pm. Usually, I wait until traffic at the light rail dies down, but I think we left as fast as we could... I was missing my wife and kids at this point.

Even though the home team lost, it was still a fun game.