#-1: Twins (Last Week: -5). A 3-2 week -- first the 2, then the 3. Start off with the losses that completed a sweep at Kansas City for the first time in ages that was a bright red flag in the troubles plauging the Twinks -- the injuries, the track record of the minor leaguers called up to help out the team, the dearth of offense.
But then Francisco Liriano throws his first no-hitter. In fact, it was his first complete game ever. In fact, it was his first shutout ever. No-hitters are absolutely no predictor of future success -- Dan Barriero of KFAN tweeted immediately after the feat, "Trade him. Now," and that's not a bad idea -- but it started a two-game sweep of the similarly shuffling Chicago White Sox and began their current winning streak; Friday's 9-2 victory over Boston was only the second time the team scored more than five runs.
You should have looked at the lineup the Twins trotted out today; there were so many new people that it feels like the franchise is rebuilding. Right now they're playing the Red Sox on FOX; after finishing up the series Monday, they immediately head back home for yet another two-game series (what's the deal with all these two-fers? I don't remember more than one a year, and this is their third) against Detroit, then they begin a weekend three-gamer in Target against Toronto.
#-2: Gopher baseball (Last Week: -2). Split their four games this screening week. Of course my friend and I go to a game where they lose, namely Sunday's dreadful 7-1 loss to Iowa depriving the Goofs of a sweep of the Hawkeyes that they needed. And then they go to Fargo, N.D. and loss at North Dakota St. on Tuesday. They give up the lead with four in the eighth inning ... to fucking North Dakota St. That has definitely got to hurt any chance they have of getting to the NCAA Tournament.
On the bright side, Friday they won their fourth straight Big Ten road game, 4-1 over Michigan. They're playing the second game of their three-game series right now; after this weekend, they stay on the road and start a trio against Penn St. Friday.
#-Infinity: Swarm (Last Week: -1). Everybody was hyped up last Saturday. With the way they ended the regular season, not only was the local National Lacrosse League team poised to make it to the Western Conference Final match, but also to finally give this success-starved metropolis a winner to watch.
Instead, they shit the bed. A team that poured on the goals in their last regular season game against Colorado was nowhere to be found when it counted, as the Washington Stealth held them scoreless in the fourth quarter. Man, that would have been frustrating to watch in person. A 5-1 Smarm lead early in the game became a 10-8 deficit after the third period, and that was it. And for the second time in franchise history, they host a playoff game and get upset. They still have not won a postseason game ever.
Failure in front of your home team when it counts? Now the Swarm is a Minnesota sports franchise.
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