This has been a weird game so far: 3 errors (so only 5 earned runs), 5 walks, 9 hits, a HBP and 166 combined pitches. The Yankees have two RBIs from Cody Ransom, one on a bases loaded walk. Derek Jeter has both a two-out RBI and an inning-ending GIDP. Melky Cabrera has already left 5 men on base. David Robertson came on with bases loaded, one out, got Nick Punto to strike out and then proceeded to walked in two runs.
And there was very little scouting report to go on coming into this game. Twins hitters had 6 plate appearances against Alfredo Aceves and hadn't reached first base. Francisco Liriano had faced the Yankees twice in the past: April 15, 2006, and May 15, 2009. In 2006 he came in relief of Johan Santana to pitch 1.2 innings of scoreless ball. Exactly three years and one month later, he started against the Yankees during that epic comeback series in the Bronx, going 6 innings, giving up only one run on a Derek Jeter homerun (despite 9 other base runners). The only Yankee besides Jeter with any past success against Liriano was Nick Swisher who had a 1.238 OPS in 7 PAs...and he's 0-2.
It has been a weird, weird game so far. And we've got a lot more to play.
A few links to check out: Jorge Posada on Francisco Cervelli in the New York Times. Some nice, well-deserved praise for the man. And Baseball Prospectus' Midseason report
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