On a hot, very humid night on August 22nd, the Twins were showcased on ESPN’s weekly national telecast Sunday Night Game of the Week. This game featured the Twins and Los Angeles Angels with Scott Baker taking the mound for the Twins against the Angels’ ace, Jared Weaver. Weaver has been very tough this season being near the very top in the American League in most statistical catergories. Up until the 5th inning, the game was very much a pitcher’s duel with Baker and Weaver matching performances. However, in the 5th inning the Twins finally broke through.
On the very first pitch by Weaver in the 5th, Danny Valencia hit a deep fly ball that landed in the upper deck in left field to get the Twins the first run of the game. Later with 2 outs in the same inning, Orlando Hudson hit a triple to deep right-center field. Joe Mauer and Jason Kubel followed with back-to-back walks to fill the bases for Michael Cuddyer. Cuddyer was determined not the strike out. After fouling off several pitches, Weaver finally left one over the plate that Cuddyer didn’t miss. Cuddyer hit a line drive that reached the wall in left-center field that cleared the bases and gave the Twins a 4-0 lead. This was all Scott Baker and the Twins bullpen would need.
Scott Baker pitched 7 solid innings giving up only 5 hits, 0 runs, and just 2 walks. Jesse Crain pitched the 8th and Matt Capps closed the game out in the 9th to preserve the shut out. With the White Sox losing earlier in the day to the Kansas City Royals, the Twins extended their Central Division lead to 5 games prior to leaving for a 7 game road trip to Texas and Seattle.
This game marked the 43rd Twins game I’ve attended this season. The pictures from this game were mostly taken from Section 110 about half way up the section. Even though I wasn’t near the field for this game, I’m pleased with the results of the pictures. Being slightly elevated allowed the field to be the background instead of the crowd, which happens when sitting near the field. Having the field be the background helps the camera focus more on the action and keep an even exposure. Section 110 is very near home plate however, so even though I was sitting farther from the field, I was closer to home plate than I normally am. Below is a link to the pictures from the game. Please take a look.
Link: Minnesota Twins vs. Los Angeles Angels, August 22, 2010
Your baseball photos really tend to capture the atmosphere of the game.