Inaugural Post pt. 2

So, I went to the game tonight and it had my rapt attention up until about the 2nd inning when Twins pitcher Anothony Swarzak really started to struggle. I was also getting ragged on a lot by an enthralled Yankees fan sitting to my right. He was pretty nice about it though, since his second favorite team is the Twins. Overall, although it was a tough loss for the Twins, there were some bright spots. I’ll go over the bad first, the good after, that way we can end this on a high note…sort of.

The Bad…The Ugly…The Worse
The bad is the Twins continue to struggle hitting with runners in scoring position. Hitting when it counts is what helped the Twins come so close to the playoffs last year. This year they haven’t fared so well ranking 8th in the AL at .264. They went 1 for 5 tonight against the Yankees with 3 of their best hitters in Justin Morneau, Michael Cuddyer, and Denard Span failing to get a hit. Joe Mauer, with a solid double off the wall in left field that scored Brendan Harris, was the only Twin to get a hit with a runner in scoring position.

The ugly is Jose Morales being completely unaware of the game situation and not at all ready to pinch hit for Nick Punto. Morales is batting .338 this season and should know that in a one run game, a runner on, 2 outs, and Nick Punto coming up to bat…there’s a good chance he’s going to be called to bat. When the call finally comes, he’s scrambling to find his gear and get his bat ready. He’s not stretched or warmed-up at all. I have faith in this kid to possibly get something done, but not if he’s stiff and his mind isn’t in the game. Maybe this isn’t so much as ugly as it is irritating.

The worst news is another Twins starter struggles and labors through a short outing. Swarzak gave up 4 earned runs in just 4.1 innings while throwing 98 pitches. He took a page out of Scott Baker’s book from yesterday in walking around the mound between each pitch almost dreading having to throw another one. It was hard to watch. The Twins need Glen Perkins to come back healthy and strong and also Baker and Francisco Liriano to start showing up if they want to contend for the division title.

The Somewhat Good

Twins reliever Bobby Keppel had another great relief appearance. He threw 3.2 shutout innings sustaining a 0.00 ERA. I’m not sure if it’s that hitters don’t have a sheet on him yet or if he has amazing stuff, but he sure gets the job done. It’s nice for the Twins to have another long relief option so that job doesn’t solely rest on R.A. Dickey’s shoulders.

Joe Mauer had another great night going 3 for 5 with 2 RBI off of a long double and a solo HR. The other great thing about his night is that he is now qualified for the batting title. He leads Ichiro Suzuki of Seattle by 32 points at .388. I think he will calm down a bit and the .400 talk will go away in time, but for now the Twins and Twins fans alike need to enjoy the pace he is on. Very, very impressive.

Tags: Anothony Swarzak, glen Perkins, joe mauer, jose morales, justin morneau, michael cuddyer, nick punto, Scott Baker, Twins, yankees