Tuesday, September 16, 2003
There was some good, clean fun to be had at the Metrodome tonight. I decided to drop by to watch Estaban Loaiza and Brad Radke square off. Radke gave up a pair of leadoff hits in the first before getting Frank Thomas to ground into a 4-6-3 DP and then getting Magglio to end the inning. He eventually settled in to give the Twins seven strong innings before LaTroy Hawkins pitched the last two. Loaiza loaded the bases with one out in each of the first two innings. Loaiza didn't get too badly hurt, but did give up three runs, and threw 32 and 31 pitches in completing those innings. The third inning telegram for Mr. Loaiza read:
Na-na-na-na [STOP]
Na-na-na-na [STOP]
Hey hey hey [STOP]
Goodbye!
Carlos Lee robbed Cristian Guzman of a 3-run homer after Loaiza departed in the 3rd, stemming the tide of the Twins' offense. Much heckling of El Caballo ensued in subsequent innings. There were some valiant efforts to get a CAR-LOS chant in the manner of the Strawberry taunts of the late '80s and early '90s, but it never really materialized. The best individual effort came from a fan asking whether Carlos needed tickets for the playoffs. In the bottom of the 8th, Lee had the final putout of the inning and gave it the old fake hook shot towards the crowd. Classic.
posted by Tom Renbarger 11:03 PM
