MINNESOTA SPORTS FAN DAILY: Saturday, September 16, 2017

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MSF Daily: 9/16/17

Twins vs Blue Jays in Game 2 of 4:

Big Sexy took the mound tonight and he was good early. That has been a trend for the most part, since he joined the Twins.

But once the lineup has seen him a few times, things can get ugly fast.

The game moved pretty quickly through the middle innings. The Twins got their first run in the 3rd when Mauer hit a SAC Fly, scoring Gimenez. In the 4th inning, Buxton got on with a bunt-single. Then, he stole 2nd base. Gimenez would reward Buxton’s scrappy play with a base hit that scored him.

2-1 Twins After 4

The Jays got a run back in the top of the 5th with a Pilar homerun. Dozier didn’t like that very much, so he came to the plate and did the same thing in the bottom of the same inning. It was his 31st of the season.

So, we went to the 6th inning with a 3-1 Twins lead.

After a Donaldson HR in the 6th, Bartolo was put in to try and get through 7. That ended up being 1 inning too many. Pressly came in and did all he could to stem the tide but it was 4-3, Toronto, when the dust cleared and we went to the 8th.

Unfortunately, that is exactly how this one would end. The Twins couldn’t make any magic happen in the bottom of the 9th Friday. They will turn around and play game 3 of 4 vs the Blue Jays at 6:10 on Saturday.

The Angels are tied at 0 in the 3rd. An Angels win would be a 2 game lead and a loss would keep the lead at 3 games.

Tomorrow will be Gibson vs Marco Estrada (8-8, 4.96 ERA)

Gopher Football vs Middle Tennessee State University:

I love football season. What a weekend.

Alright, so a few storylines have shown themselves leading up to this game on Saturday.

Middle Tennessee State University is looking to use this game as step in building their brand. 

So, I’m not going to attack MTSU for looking at this game as an opportunity they need to take advantage of. It makes sense. That is what all schools want. It is what all businesses want. They want to grow and show their brand in the best possible light, to the most possible people. Nonetheless, I hate the idea of it taking place against the Gophers, in Football, just like basketball. Fleck, Pitino, and every other Gopher affiliate and fan should hate that thought too. Richard Pitino will be a HUGE PJ Fleck Fan on Saturday….. READ MORE..

WTF is Going on With Sam Bradford’s Knee?:

So yesterday we were panicking about Miguel Sano’s injury. Today we were panicking about Sam Bradford’s. Personally, I think we all need to calm down on the Bradford front. Unlike Sano, the Bradford situation makes a little bit of sense.

The guy has gone through 2 knee surgeries. MAJOR KNEE SURGERIES. So, I would expect some soreness, especially in his first game back after the offseason. However, I am not a doctor and don’t claim to be. I am just a sensible human being trying to make Minnesota-optimistic assessments.

Here is what else I have seen on the Bradford situation:

Gopher Basketball Proving Winning Brings Fans:

Win games and they will come….

I think I have heard something like that somewhere…

Anyway, that is what Pitino and the Gopher Basketball team is finding out. After the worst season in university history 2 years ago, the basketball team rebounded last season and made the big dance. Not only did they make the dance but they were awarded a 5 seed.

Now, returning almost everyone and adding a couple of key pieces, the Gophers look like they might compete for a B1G Title this year. When that happens, the fans will pack The Barn. And a packed Barn is a FUN BARN:

Doug Mientkiewicz Fired as Miracle Head Coach:

So change is expected with this new regime but Dougie Baseball has brought his teams to 1st place in 4 out of 5 seasons. Because of that, it was a little surprising to see this. However, it seems like the relationship between the new management and Mientkiewicz was lukewarm at best… Here is what Dougie had to say since the Twins wouldn’t comment:

“I feel bad for the kids who played for me, including the ones I managed that are helping the Twins make a run for the playoffs right now. Ask any of them about me as a manager.”

“I’m out here working my rear end off, dealing with the remnants of the hurricane, and they call to tell me I’m fired. You think they will ever do something professional as an organization?”

Who do you think he blames for the firing?

I expect Dougie Baseball to catch on quickly and rise through the ranks. We will see him in the big leagues as a manager sooner rather than later, I think.

MSF Daily by Eric Strack @RealMNSportsFan

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