E.K. NATION

10:08 a.m. First batter of the game for the Twins gets an automatic double, second hitter bunts him to third. Good start for Minnesota against Mussina, who has gone 20-2 lifetime against the Twins.

10:12 a.m. Mussina is out of the jam, getting two ground ball outs.

10:45 a.m. Guzman scores on a sacrifice fly to center by Rivas, after getting to third with some aggressive baserunning on a single by Stewart, just getting under the tag. Twins lead 1-0.

11:36 a.m. Interesting. I look over at my muted TV screen and see that Reed has come in for Santana in the fifth. Did Santana get a blister? Maybe the break the Yankees have been waiting for today.

11:54 a.m.

So, we're in the sixth inning there at Yankee Stadium and Hunter says, so where can I hit this ball and get some action? And I says, what kinda action, and he says scoring action, what do I look like? And I says, well what do I look like? So he says, so you think I'm some kinda jerk for askin', only he don't use the word jerk. And then he calls me a jerk and then he goes and hits a triple after the ball got past Williams in the outfield, scoring LeCroy and then when Soriano throws the ball away Hunter scores. I don't say nothin', and then he asks me how the Yankees feel about it, and I says, well, that don't sound like too good a deal for them then.

12:30 p.m. Here...they...come! Two men on, no one out in the seventh for the Yankees. Ruben Sierra coming in to pinch-hit (I looked over and for a second there I thought he was Barry Bonds). Oh, but it's a weak little tapper that Hawkins can't field quickly enough to turn two. First and third, one out.

12:35 p.m. Hawkins just blew strike three past Soriano. Whoosh! Now it's up to Nick Johnson.

12:38 p.m. Whoosh!

12:55 p.m. Pierzynski just got hit with a pitch with the bases loaded so...wait a minute. Runner sent back, and Gardenhire's out there arguing now. Was it foul? Here's the replay....hmmm. Don't know, especially with the sound off.

12:57 p.m. Pierzynski just grounded into a 1-2-3 DP to end the eighth. He doesn't look happy. Still 3-0 Twins.

1:16 p.m. Well, here comes the first walk to Barry Bonds. Man on second, two out in the first, who'd'a'thunk it? Time for Fonz to step up now. Stat says Barry has scored 38 times after his 148 walks.

1:20 p.m. Giants and Yankees have two on and two out in their respective innings. Lots of switching. And...aaaarggghh.... it looks like the Giants didn't score. Crap.

1:21 p.m. Soriano runs the count to 3-1 against Guardado and then he beats out an infield roller up the middle, 3-1 Twins now.

1:23 p.m. Foul pop by Johnson just barely makes it out of play, Yanks still alive.

1:25 p.m. And all Johnson can do is ground weakly to third. Game over, Twins up 1-0. Yankees lose. Thuu-uhhh-uhhh....Yankees lose. Can't say I'm not surprised. This is the first win by Minnesota over New York since early 2001.

Now they bring over the Giants game to ESPN.

1:28 p.m. Just found out I had been spelling "Pierzynski" right. Wooo-weeee, I'm good!

2:02 p.m. I nearly took J.T. Snow off my favorite Giants postseason moments list with that egregious throw into right field, but fortunately that long drive by Cabrera with two outs only made the warning track. Still 0-0, still happy.

2:09 p.m. Barry walks again, but this time it helps us, moving Rich to second. Edgar starts to sacrifice but this is not a good idea. Swing away, Fonz. The pitcher's only 14 years old.

2:13 p.m. Then again, Fonz, maybe if you bunt, the third baseman's throw will sail past first and allow Richie to score and move Barry to third. Good work, Fonz. Great strategy. One to zero, G-Men.

2:21 p.m. Boy, if second and third with a run already in and no outs and then not scoring anymore is not a wasted opportunity...

2:28 pm. Come on, Richie, you can make sure of at least one out, man! With the picther on deck you can afford to make sure you get the one out if you feel rushed. It's not just playing the game; it's Knowing The Situation.

2:39 p.m. I totally did not see this ninth-inning catch today. Was it good? (I note that knucklehead idiot shithead baseball fans still don't understand not to reach out into the field of play.)

2:40 p.m. So Bonds will lead off the sixth inning. He should see some pitches. Let's hope we're still up by one.

2:55 p.m. Well, he saw a nice 2-1 pitch and laced it to center for an out. Drat. Still One-zip.

3:04 p.m. Damn, Schmidt has been fan-fucking-tastic. If it weren't for Beckett's nice performance so far I'd be dancing. Or a reasonable alternative to rhythmic rituals, as I am white. Still One-zip after six-and-a-half. Cruz has been busy in right, handling seven outs by my count.

3:29 p.m. What better way to show you don't have any faith in your team or your pitching staff to intentionally walk Barry Bonds with nobody on? There's a time and place for intentional passes, and that ain't it, Chickenshit. I hope Fonz shoves this one up your ass.

3:31 p.m. Well, well! Turns out it's Barry shoving one deep in your backside. He freakin' stole a base on you, cowards. Excellent.

3:32 p.m. You get what you deserve, McKeon. You just screwed your team with your chickenwing brand of ball. Edgardo just doubled, scoring Barry.

3:40 p.m. Nice play by Durham to start the ninth, great pitching by Schmidt the entire way- a three-hit shutout!--and we're up 1-0 in the series. Feels great so far.