Ervin Santana's 4/15/17 Gem Ranks High On AT Twins List

Who says there's no pitching in today's MLB?

Today's lovely 6-0, 1 hit, 1 walk, 8 strikeout, nine inning shutout  win against the Chicago White Sox by Ervin Santana vaults him to a nice spot near the top of the Twins All-Time Top 116 single game pitching performances, as measured by his 92 Game Score. It tied him with several other greats in Twins history, namely Johan Santana, Jim Kaat, Dave Goltz, Gerry Arrigo and Milton, again. Game Score is a 1980s Bill James creation, as explained in my "Brief & Damn Near Worthless Sabrmetrics Guide. In brief, it awards points for strikeouts, innings pitched, and outs recorded, while subtracting points for hits, walks, and earned runs allowed.

It really helps distinguish the wonderfully dominating starts that characterize elite pitchers from those outings of pitchers that needed a fair amount of fielding luck and walks and hits to get through nine innings.

Eric Milton is #1 on our list, whose 1999 no-hitter versus the Angels  (You Tube) was above all other starts in team history in terms of quality and economy. It was fast. It was dominating. And It was clean, like Santana's was today. He faced 28 batters. Santana, 29. Milton punched out 13 in his gem, which clocked in at 2:28. Santana, again, k'd 8 in a zippy 2:26, by comparison. Pretty comparable, right? The main seperator between them was the five extra strikeouts, and one hit allowed by Santana.

It's probably worth noting that Bert Blyleven has pitched 5 of the TOP 25 Game Score games in team history, more than any other hurler. You should also note that Santana's game today rates higher than no-hit games pitched by Jack Kralick in 1962 (#34 on our list), Scott Erickson in 1994 (#48), and Francisco Liriano in 2011.

Photo: Jim Mones, AP

Part of the fun of lists like these is that they give Twins fans, old and young, an opportunity to recall the great games they remember seeng in person, or on radio or TV. Anyone born as early as the 1980s remembers watching Scott Baker's no-hit bid against KC in 2007 (#7), or Andrew Albers's 2013 2-hitter versus the Tribe (#116), for example. I obviously fit into the "prehistoric duffer" category, as I can readily recall the 1973 Joe Decker 15 strikeout game (#14), or the Dave Goltz 11 inning 2-1, complete game win in 1977 (#20). Feel free to post your favorite game reminiscences from those you see in the list!  

NO HIT PITCHERS IN RED CAPS, others referenced appear in BLUE.
-I'm adding box score links to the dates, check back sometime to check 'em out-

Rk             Player          Date Opp   Rslt   IP H R BB SO GSc
1         ERIC MILTON    1999-09-11 ANA  W 7-0  9.0 0 0  2 13  98

2       Bert Blyleven    1975-08-27 MIL  W 1-0 11.0 6 0  1 13  97
3        Dave Boswell    1966-07-30 BAL  W 7-0  9.0 1 0  1 11  95
4         Jim Merritt 1967-05-30(2) NYY  W 3-0  9.0 2 0  0 11  94
5       Bert Blyleven    1986-08-01 OAK W 10-1  9.0 2 1  1 15  93
6        Kevin Tapani    1992-06-24 CAL W 11-0  9.0 2 0  0 10  93
7         Scott Baker 2007-08-31(2) KCR  W 5-0  9.0 1 0  1  9  93

NEW!      Ervin Santana  2017-04-15 CHI  W 6-0  9.0 1 0  1  8  92
8       Johan Santana    2004-07-06 KCR  W 4-0  9.0 3 0  2 13  92
9            Jim Kaat    1967-09-18 KCA  W 2-0 10.0 6 0  0 12  92
10        Eric Milton    2002-08-01 CHW  W 6-0  9.0 3 0  0 11  92
11         Dave Goltz 1976-08-31(1) MIL  W 4-0  9.0 2 0  2 11  92
12         Dave Goltz    1977-08-23 BOS  W 7-0  9.0 1 0  3 10  92
13       Gerry Arrigo 1964-06-26(1) CHW  W 2-0  9.0 1 0  1  8  92
14         Joe Decker    1973-06-26 CHW  W 4-0  9.0 4 0  3 15  91
15     Camilo Pascual 1961-07-19(1) LAA  W 6-0  9.0 5 0  1 15  91
16        Jim Merritt    1966-07-21 WSA  W 1-0  9.0 3 0  2 12  91
17        Dean Chance    1968-06-19 WSA  W 4-0  9.0 3 0  0 10  91
18        Frank Viola    1986-10-05 CHW  W 3-0  9.0 2 0  1  9  91
19      Ervin Santana    2016-07-06 OAK  W 4-0  9.0 2 0  0  8  91
20         Dave Goltz    1977-07-25 OAK  W 2-1 11.0 8 1  1 14  90
21      Bert Blyleven    1973-09-14 CHW  W 6-0  9.0 4 0  1 12  90
22     Camilo Pascual    1963-09-18 DET W 10-0  9.0 2 0  3 10  90
23      Bert Blyleven    1973-09-26 OAK  W 4-1  9.0 1 1  1  8  90
24      Bert Blyleven    1973-05-24 KCR  W 2-0  9.0 1 0  2  7  90
25          Jim Perry    1970-09-25 KCR  W 1-0  9.0 2 0  0  7  90
26       Mudcat Grant 1965-09-25(1) WSA  W 5-0  9.0 1 0  2  7  90
27       Dave Boswell    1968-05-29 CLE  W 1-0  9.0 3 0  2 10  89
28           Jim Kaat    1962-04-22 LAA  W 5-0  9.0 4 0  0 10  89
29      Johan Santana    2005-08-12 OAK  W 1-0  9.0 3 0  1  9  89
30       Kevin Slowey    2008-06-29 MIL  W 5-0  9.0 3 0  0  8  89
31         Brad Radke    2005-05-05 CLE  W 9-0  9.0 3 0  0  8  89
32     Scott Erickson    1991-05-01 BOS  W 1-0  9.0 2 0  1  7  89
33        Jim Merritt    1967-09-21 KCA  W 4-0  9.0 2 0  0  6  89
34       JACK KRALICK    1962-08-26 KCA  W 1-0  9.0 0 0  1  3  89
35      Bert Blyleven    1974-05-24 TEX  W 9-0  9.0 5 0  0 11  88
36       Dick Woodson    1972-08-01 TEX  W 3-0  9.0 3 0  3 10  88
37      Bert Blyleven    1972-05-03 MIL  W 7-0  9.0 4 0  1 10  88
38      Johan Santana    2005-06-08 ARI W 10-0  9.0 4 0  0  9  88
39      Bert Blyleven    1986-07-13 NYY  W 5-0  9.0 3 0  1  8  88
40         Dave Goltz    1976-09-09 TEX  W 6-0  9.0 3 0  1  8  88
41           Jim Kaat    1973-07-01 CAL  W 2-1  9.0 1 1  0  7  88
42        Dean Chance    1968-09-23 CAL  W 3-0  9.0 3 0  0  7  88
43           Jim Kaat    1962-06-23 LAA  W 5-0  9.0 3 0  0  7  88
44       Bill Krueger    1992-06-30 CAL  W 2-0  9.0 2 0  1  6  88
45     Scott Erickson    1991-06-24 NYY  W 5-0  9.0 2 0  1  6  88
46         Geoff Zahn    1980-06-06 TOR  W 5-0  9.0 1 0  3  6  88
47        Scott Baker    2009-08-14 CLE W 11-0  9.0 2 0  0  5  88
48     SCOTT ERICKSON   1994-04-27 MIL   W 6-0  9.0 0 0  4  5  88
49         Gary Serum    1978-08-19 TOR  W 5-0  9.0 2 0  0  5  88
50      Bert Blyleven    1974-08-30 BOS  W 3-2  9.0 4 2  2 14  87
51     Camilo Pascual    1963-07-23 CLE  L 2-3 12.2 7 3  2 11  87
52         Brad Radke    1997-07-20 OAK  W 1-0  9.0 5 0  0 10  87
53         Joe Decker    1973-08-24 MIL  W 3-0  9.0 4 0  2 10  87
54           Jim Kaat    1966-09-25 DET  W 1-0  9.0 4 0  1  9  87
55       Dick Stigman    1963-05-29 WSA W 10-1  9.0 2 1  3  9  87
56         Dave Goltz    1976-09-25 CAL  W 6-0  9.0 2 0  4  8  87
57        Dean Chance    1968-04-10 WSA  W 2-0  9.0 4 0  0  8  87
58        Dean Chance    1967-05-11 KCA  W 8-0  9.0 1 0  6  8  87
59     Camilo Pascual    1963-05-25 CHW  W 6-0  9.0 2 0  4  8  87
60        Eric Milton    1999-07-31 ANA  W 8-0  9.0 3 0  1  7  87
61    Darrell Jackson 1978-07-07(2) OAK  W 1-0  9.0 3 0  1  7  87
62          Jim Perry    1970-08-07 OAK  W 2-1 11.0 5 1  3  7  87
63     Camilo Pascual    1962-09-30 BAL  W 1-0  9.0 3 0  1  7  87
64     Camilo Pascual 1961-09-23(2) WSA W 10-0  9.0 2 0  3  7  87
65      Scott Diamond    2012-07-27 CLE W 11-0  9.0 3 0  0  6  87
66           Joe Mays    2002-08-16 BOS  W 5-0  9.0 2 0  2  6  87
67         Dave Goltz    1974-10-01 TEX  W 6-0  9.0 2 0  1  5  87
68       Dick Stigman    1964-07-03 NYY  W 1-0 10.0 4 0  2  5  87
69       Dave Boswell    1969-09-19 SEP  W 2-1  9.0 5 1  1 14  86
70           Jim Kaat    1968-09-02 BOS  W 5-1  9.0 3 1  2 11  86
71     Camilo Pascual    1962-07-13 WSA  W 4-0  9.0 4 0  3 10  86
72       Kevin Tapani    1990-05-06 MIL  W 4-0  9.0 5 0  0  9  86
73          Jim Perry 1970-09-01(1) MIL  W 4-0  9.0 5 0  0  9  86
74     Camilo Pascual    1961-08-29 NYY  W 3-0  9.0 4 0  2  9  86
75     Camilo Pascual    1961-05-20 KCA  W 2-0  9.0 5 0  0  9  86
76         Brad Radke    1998-06-09 CHC  W 8-0  9.0 4 0  1  8  86
77      Bert Blyleven    1970-08-26 BOS  W 7-0  9.0 4 0  1  8  86
78      Bert Blyleven    1970-06-27 CHW  W 9-1  9.0 2 1  1  8  86
79        DEAN CHANCE 1967-08-25(2) CLE  W 2-1  9.0 0 1  5  8  86
80         Brad Radke    2001-06-12 HOU  W 7-0  9.0 4 0  0  7  86
81      Jerry Koosman    1979-09-04 KCR  W 5-1  9.0 2 1  0  7  86
82      Bert Blyleven    1973-06-16 DET  W 5-0  9.0 4 0  0  7  86
83           Jim Kaat    1966-08-27 CHW  W 1-0  9.0 3 0  2  7  86
84     Camilo Pascual    1961-05-15 CHW  W 5-0  9.0 4 0  0  7  86
85        Frank Viola    1984-05-19 BOS  W 7-0  9.0 3 0  1  6  86
86         Geoff Zahn    1977-07-10 SEA W 15-0  9.0 3 0  1  6  86
87         Luis Tiant    1970-04-26 DET  W 6-0  9.0 3 0  1  6  86
88     Camilo Pascual    1961-08-23 CHW  W 4-0  9.0 2 0  3  6  86
89       Dick Woodson    1972-09-06 TEX  W 2-0  9.0 2 0  2  5  86
90          Jim Perry 1966-07-19(2) WSA  W 4-0  9.0 2 0  2  5  86
91     Scott Erickson 1992-07-24(1) BOS  W 5-0  9.0 1 0  2  3  86
92        Dean Chance 1967-07-02(1) WSA  W 4-1  9.0 5 1  0 12  85
93           Jim Kaat 1963-07-24(2) CLE  W 5-0  9.0 6 0  1 11  85
94        Dean Chance    1967-06-01 BOS  W 4-0  9.0 5 0  2 10  85
95          Jim Perry    1966-08-16 CAL  W 8-1  9.0 3 1  4 10  85
96           Jim Kaat 1961-09-14(2) LAA  W 3-1  9.0 3 1  2 10  85
97         Brad Radke    1997-09-21 MIL  W 2-1 10.0 6 1  0  9  85
98          Jim Perry 1966-06-26(2) DET  W 7-1  9.0 3 1  3  9  85
99         Kyle Lohse    2002-08-20 CHW  W 5-0  9.0 4 0  2  8  85
100     Bert Blyleven    1985-08-17 SEA  W 2-0  9.0 3 0  4  8  85
101     Bert Blyleven    1972-09-22 CAL  W 1-0  9.0 5 0  0  8  85
102          Tom Hall    1969-08-24 NYY  W 1-0  9.0 4 0  2  8  85
103       Dean Chance    1968-08-03 DET  W 4-0  9.0 4 0  2  8  85
104          Joe Mays    1999-07-17 CHC  W 8-0  9.0 3 0  3  7  85
105      Dick Woodson    1973-05-13 KCR  W 5-0  9.0 3 0  3  7  85
106       Jim Merritt    1968-06-04 NYY  W 3-0  9.0 4 0  1  7  85
107         Jim Perry    1968-04-13 NYY  W 6-0  9.0 4 0  1  7  85
108     Bert Blyleven    1986-08-11 CAL  W 2-0  9.0 3 0  2  6  85
109          Tom Hall    1969-04-18 CAL  W 6-0  9.0 2 0  4  6  85
110    Camilo Pascual    1963-05-10 KCA  W 2-0  9.0 3 0  2  6  85
111     Bert Blyleven    1973-06-08 BAL  W 2-0  9.0 2 0  3  5  85
112      Jack Kralick    1963-04-25 WSA  W 3-0  9.0 3 0  1  5  85
113      Dick Stigman    1963-04-18 LAA  W 3-0  9.0 3 0  1  5  85
114          Jim Kaat    1962-07-19 CLE  W 8-0  9.0 3 0  1  5  85
115       Pedro Ramos    1961-04-11 NYY  W 6-0  9.0 3 0  1  5  85
116     Andrew Albers    2013-08-12 CLE  W 3-0  9.0 2 0  0  2  85

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 4/15/2017.

To generate this list at Baseball Reference, I began at 85 as my absolute bottom benchmark score. Any game lower than this failed to make the list, like Francisco Liriano's 83 in his 2011 no-hitter. I vividly recall saying in my "25 Best Pitched Twins Games" * post that that game wasn't even close to  being the best pitched game of his career, and being chastised as being ridiculous by one friend ("A no-hitter HAS to be the best game he's ever thrown!"). Because throwing a no-hitter is the be-all/end-all criterion, and nothing else matters, I guess. Walk 11 or 12 guys, strike out 3, and have your fielders catch 4 "At-em" balls? No matter!

* A post that now looks hopelessly arbitrary, unscientific, and very subjective today, as there's no rank order, and I was going completely off of memory. Of course, I didn't have the benefit of the "BBRef Play Index" to guide me 6 years ago!

But owing to Liriano's 6 walks and a mere 2 strikeouts in that effort, I stand by my earlier idea. I think most people would agree a game that is as clean as Santana's was today, nice to watch and tinged with an artistic flair, is qualitatively better. I don't care if I see a 10 walk, 4 strikeout, 12-inning complete game no-hitter tomorrow, I'll still maintain a "clean," economical pitching effort with 2 hits allowed gets the nod.

"So long, everybody!" - Herb Carneal

Classic Twins Game of the Week: Dave Winfield's 3,000th Hit Game: Sept. 16, 1993

UPDATED: Tues., Oct. 8, 2013

                Winfield squares up pitch  from Dennis Eckersley  for his 3000th hit

Dave, like Graig Nettles in previous post, also played for the
Alaska Goldpanners as an amateur, in 1971-72
 ( Photo by Brian Peterson Minneapolis Star Tribune)

                 

Dave Winfield, the three-sport standout alumni of the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers,  came back to Minnesota after 20 years to become a member of the 1993 Minnesota Twins. After a prolonged slump that late season, he finally connected for his milestone hit; only 18 other players had accomplished the feat to that time. A poignant photo is below, from that Thursday night, Sept. 16, 1993 ( see BB Ref. box ) game against the Oakland Athletics. That Kirby Puckett ( who scored on the hit ) was one of the first players to congratulate Dave Winfield after his milestone hit reminds me of an interesting circumstance. Had he remained healthy into the first week of the 1996 season, only he, Rick Aguilera, and Chuck Knoblauch would have earned the distinction of being the only Twins to play with the era's 3 outstanding players from St. Paul, Minnesota and had Hall of Fame - calibre careers: Jack Morris in 1991, Winfield in 1993-1994, and Paul Molitor in 1996. Alas, that was never to happen when he woke up the morning of March 31, 1996 with a black dot in his right eye. Glaucoma robbed him of that opportunity, forcing his retirement later that season. As a footnote: The Twins won that game, 5-4.

                          Greeting big Dave near first base: Puckett, a smirking Scott Erickson, Brian Harper 
                           behind Erickson, Willie Banks behind Kirby. Jeff Reboulet (#17), out of camera holding 
                  helmet, Pat Mahomes looks up at video board. (this photo & others: Fri., Sept. 17, 1993 Star Tribune)                    

Speaking of videos: watch this while you can before MLB has it scrubbed from You Tube [ note: the suits did just that, not long after this posting...the fun squashers thus took away your view of Dave's at bat in its entirety!].  It's nice to hear long time Twins announcer Dick Bremer on the call.

Winfield was showing signs of pressure in the attempt to reach his goal - if not the signs of encroaching age and the diminishment of his skills. At the link, see the averages over the stretch of his previous 20 games before Sept. 16, along with the log of games before his hit on the 16th:

Much like Harmon Killebrew's struggle to breach the No. 500 HR barrier during the 1971 season, this period for Winfield was a testament to the fact that he was now into the "September" of his career. In other words, it was an excruciatingly long-ass crawl to the 3,000 hit finish line for him...I hope you like this Minneapolis Star Trib feature from the day

Go ahead, click on photo, view larger version and others in 

this post for greater detail!

I will be adding more commentary to this post shortly. 

As our old friend at the mic, Herb Carneal, would have said, "...And the count rides along." - TT

Click on graphic of quotes to see unobstructed view!

I'll never forget the sight of Nolan Ryan knocking

down Winfield and Rickey Henderson in the '85 

All-Star Game, which I attended at the Hubert H. Humphry 

Metrodome in Minneapolis.  At the time, I really didn't 

understand his motivation  - but this bit of history in their

background might shed some light on that. See Ryan's

comments below...you can also judge his actions
in context with his beating the snot (MLB Video) out of
  Robin Ventura in 1993 when he charged Ryan in Texas.