PREGAME:
Packed up and headed out of Milwaukee around 8:30 CST in a pretty decent rain storm. Stop outside of Madison for gas, coffee, & redbull. Made another Pitstop at Black River Valley (scenic view pull off) scenic view wasn’t all that scenic until we found the old trail, no longer maintained, that went to the top of the mound. So if you ever stop here follow the dirt path not the bridge. Full tilt from there to Minneapolis hitting some more rain as we got close to the twin cities. Holiday Inn … Cheaper Parking, One computer business station but it was free, no flat screen, no Versus, but otherwise not bad. After posting the the Day 1 recap, we grabbed a couple fajitas from Chipolte. As luck would have it, the hotel is in a five corners area in which each corner had a bar sometimes two. Add to the mix these bars sponsor a free “Fun Run Party Shuttle” to and from every Twins game. After layering up ( for the extremely cold game to come ) grab a couple colds ones and The Corner Bar… the gave us plastic cup for what we didn’t finish and jumped on the big red bus to Target Field.
GAME:
New stadium equals much bigger crowd. Our seats were a couple sections right of the first base and just under the over hang. Target Field is a very nice ballpark. We had good site lines and the same could be said for the upper decks we walked up to. They actually put heat lamps behind each lower level section to warm folks up and have several indoor bar areas. The Jumbotron is huge and obviously hit def, very nice. The twin cities/ball players sign is sweet as well. Juan Pierre started of the night with a texas leaguer to left center. After a fly out by Pierzynski, Jones hit into a double play to end the top of the 1st. Second up to bat for the Twins Hudson destroyed the back of the batters box (you would think he was a bull getting ready to charge), planting his back foot a well behind where it once was, then promptly popped out. Mauer doubled to left center but the inning is over on a Cuddyer ground out. Mauer is revered by twins fans they went nuts every time he was up to bat. The game was cold, very cold felt more like football weather. As nice as Target Field looks nights like this make people question no roof or at least a retractable one. White Sox continue to make contact but the Twins fielding prevents them from scoring any runs. In the 4th, Delmon Young (not to be confused with the 2b for the Pirates, Delwyn Young) 2Bs to the opposite field with Cuddyear and Kubel on base, Cuddyear scored and the 3rd base coach oddly sent Kubel home as well where his was easily tagged for the last out. In the top of the 5th White Sox start hitting and don’t stop until Slowey gets pulled and they have racked up five runs off of doubles by Alexi Ramiez and A. J. Pierzynski (booed loud every AB, LOUD no love for him) and a single from Andruw Jones. Twins had a chance to stop the bleeding but Hudson was unable to come up with a ground to second base. Morneau had a single HR to right in the 6th and had a chance to bring it within one run with a blast to dead center but was caught at the warning track by Rios. Thome came in for some ninth inning heroics with double to right field but his teammates were unable to add to it.
