Well at least I know I felt like poking my eyes out at one point. I did thoroughly enjoy the game, and it was competitive all the way to the last out, but the go-ahead run certainly felt like the end of the whole series. The story the whole day for the Twins was 2-out rallies with no room for error that came up short, and trying to make every swing a home run and every defensive play the decisive momentum-changing moment that propelled them to the World Series. That and the Tardis-like strike zone that led our lead-off hitter to take three called third strikes before finally getting a walk in the 9th. (Don't get me started on the Tardis-like batter's box that had Frank Thomas and the A's practically standing behind the catcher every at-bat.)
The A's took a 2-0 lead in the 5th on a pair of doubles and a base hit that made it look like they might have figured out Boof Bonser, but he stopped the bleeding and made it through six complete innings and no decision. Then in the bottom of the 6th, after a couple horrendous swings like he was chopping down a tree, Michael Cuddyer came up with the right ball and hit a line drive so strong it didn't drop until it hit around row 20 in left field. Justin Morneau had been fouling off pitches far down the 1st base line and into the A's bullpen every at bat, and when he came up after Cuddyer, he finally got a hold of one as well and knocked it into the upper deck in right field. The Twins tied it up, and the whole crowd was chanting "Let's go, Tigers!" to heckle the A's (in anticipation of a Tigers-Yankees upset in the other division series giving the Twins an easier path to the World Series).
Of course, something really stupid had to happen, otherwise it wouldn't be Minnesota sports, and in the 7th inning, Torii Hunter charged what looked like a bloop single aiming to make an impossible highlight reel diving catch for an out and to hold Jason Kendall at first. Of course, it went under his glove and into center field, and since our other outfielders have no range anymore, nobody was behind him to cover it. Kendall scored from first to give the A's the lead, while if Hunter had gotten behind the ball and let Mark Kotsay get a single, Kendall wouldn't have challenged Hunter's arm and would have been safe at second, with Kotsay on first. Since the ball was rolling round the center field wall, Kendall went home, and Kotsay followed him, just beating the throw to Joe Mauer at home plate. Yes, it was a 2-RBI in the park home run, and I felt like a goddamned sphinx was jumping up and down on me asking me riddles like how you get two RBIs off a bloop single with a runner on first.
Not to worry though, our start closer Joe Nathan did manage to send an inherited runner home on a wild pitch to give the A's a 3-run lead in the top of the 9th, so the margin of victory wasn't solely the bizarre in the park home run. And Jason Bartlett started yet another 2-out rally in the bottom of the 9th that got Nick Punto to the plate representing the tying run. He may have popped out to short, but it wasn't over until it was over, and that's part of what's fun about baseball, until you get all 27 outs, anything can happen. And even in the aftermath of the home run, when Juan Rincon came in to start the 8th inning and struck out the side, I found myself thinking Phil would really have enjoyed that (even though nobody will get that joke).
A's 5-2 Twins
Oakland leads this best-of-5 series 2-0
Games three and four are out in Oaktown, but when the Twins turn it around, game five back in the Twin Cities is going to be epic. Shut up, pessimist turncoat Black Sox fans. It will be EPIC.
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