Impressive Out of the Break

The Twins won 2 out of 3 in Texas against the big-hitting Rangers. It’s nice to see the Twinkies get off to a good start coming out of the break. They’ve notoriously been a better second-half ball club, but they really need it this year in order to win the AL Central. There were some definite things that impressed me over the weekend, and one two that left a sour taste in my mouth.

One great thing was the fact that both Scott Baker and Francisco Liriano avoided the big inning blowup. On Saturday, Baker went 8 strong innings only giving up 1 run on 6 hits. His ability to locate was back and he was strong the entire game. He pitched exactly the way the Twins need him to the rest of the stretch, 7 or 8 solid innings giving the game to Jose Mijares and/or Matt Guerrier in the 8th or to Joe “The Hammer” Nathan in the 9th. I think he’s finally starting to get it and show flashes of what everyone saw in big spots last year.

Liriano, however, looked the part of a Jekyll and Hyde up on the mound. There was an inning where he’d be laboring but then the next inning it was lights out. He would have been set-up for a win if Gardenhire had taken him out after the 6th and started the 7th with Bobby Keppel. Instead, Liriano gave up 2 hits and then Keppel was put in with 2 men on and no outs. The Rangers then scored the tying run off of two consecutive sacrifices. It’s tough luck for the kid, because he pitched much better than he has been throughout the year and he deserved the win.

On that note, what a buzzkill that Sunday night loss was. The Twins caught a hitting team in the Rangers at a time when they weren’t hitting as well as normal. It just leaves a sour taste in your mouth to watch a team win the first 2 games in a serious and then give away the 3rd game like that, especially when the division-leading Detroit Tigers were swept by the Yankees. Good news is, the Twins made up 2 games over the weekend and now sit just 2 back from the Tigers and a half game back from the White Sox.

What business does 0 for 19 and the names Denard Span, Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau, and Michael Cuddyer have being in the same sentence? Well, in last night’s game, arguably the team’s best hitters went 0 for 19 with 3 walks and 7 strikeouts. Ugh with a side of ugh! that can’t continue if the Twins plan on winning some more games. Also, Joe Mauer is 2 for his last 25 at bats. That’s something you don’t see very often, if at all. Only good thing for the Twins is that they’re getting run production out of the more unlikely hitters. Hopefully that continues until, and possibly beyond, the end of the slump for the big 4 hitters.

Tonight, the Twins face the Athletics in game 1 of a 3 game series. They split a 4 game series in June, but if the Twins don’t come out of it with 2 of 3 then they are drastically underachieving.

Tags: athletics, baseball, bobby keppel, francisco liriano, joe mauer, joe nathan, jose mijares, justin morneau, matt guerrier, michael cuddyer, mlb, rangers, ron gardenhire, Scott Baker, Span, Twins