Metrodome Memories

The Twins again rode good pitching and hitting to an afternoon victory over the White Sox, 4-3. The win got them the two game sweep of the South Siders, their first sweep of any kind in this season.

Carlos Gomez was the offensive star of the game, going 3 for 4, scoring 2 runs, hitting an RBI double, and stealing his 11th base of the season. That puts him into 2nd in all of MLB, 2 behind Houston’s Michael Bourn. However, his most important hit was a 7th inning bunt. That allowed him to later score from third on a Justin Morneau double for the eventual winning run. That sequence capped off a game where the lead changed hands several times. Jason Kubel, who was the offensive star last night, went in the opposite direction, going 0 for 4 with 3 strikeouts. Potentially even more aggravating was that he stranded 3 runners in scoring position.

Nick Blackburn bounced back from his last start to provide continuing stability from the rotation. He went 7 innings, giving up 3 runs on 8 hits, walking 2 and striking out 4. The 3 runs included giving up his first home run of the season, a 4th inning solo shot to Carlos Quentin. Joe Nathan held down the fort in the 9th for his second save in as many nights.

Although it is only a two game sweep, the Twins have to be proud of what they accomplished. There were contributions from all facets, pitching, hitting and base-running. The solid outings by Bonser and Blackburn are particularly important, since that has been an area of concern early in the season. Of course the Twins have strung together streaks like this, the goal now is to sustain the momentum and keep winning more games.

Maybe it was being back home at the Metrodome, or perhaps it was something else. Whatever it was, it seemed to help as the Twins beat the White Sox 3-1. The team got lifts both from pitching, by starter Boof Bonser, and hitting, via DH Jason Kubel.

Though it was a low scoring game, it was punctuated by Kubel’s 2 run home run in the fourth, as it was a blast that reached the upper deck. However, that wasn’t it for the Twins that inning. Delmon Young got in on the act as well. Right after Kubel, he singled, stole second, got to third on an error and scored on a sac fly by Mike Lamb. Joe Mauer tripled in the first to extend his hitting streak to 11 games. Mauer’s consistency has been a bright spot for the offense as it struggles through the early season.

Bonser, who has arguably been the team’s best starter, delivered another solid outing, though this might be his best so far this season. He went 7 innings, pitching quite well through the first 6 2/3 before surrendering a homer to Sox 3rd baseman Joe Crede. During that time he scattered 6 hits, walked only one and struck out 8. All in all, a very impressive showing, the kind that the Twins need more of as the season progresses. Joe Nathan pitched a perfect ninth for his 8th save of the season.

The team has to be encouraged by their showing today. They had all the right ingredients, great pitching, power hitting and good baserunning. Delmon Young’s trip around the bases is particularly important because that is how the Twins will score most of their runs this season; by getting on base and moving the runners over. They will not pepper the outfield seats with balls, but will use what they have to score the runs they need.

After exploding yesterday for 12 runs, the Twins could not score any today and also could not stop them from being scored as they lost 10-0. Either it was just one of those days where things don’t seem to work out or the Twins are becoming dangerously inconsistent at the plate.

The Twins only got 7 hits and the only extra base one was a double by Matt Tolbert. Big hitters Justin Morneau and Jason Kubel were held hitless. In what is becoming an increasing problem that must be fixed somehow, the team left 7 runners on base, of which there were 3 instances where runners were in scoring position with two outs. The Twins are showing signs of choking when they need that big hit.

Livan Hernandez, he of the solid start to the season, showed it could not last as he only pitched 2 2/3 innings, giving up 7 runs on 9 hits and 2 home runs. Reliever Brian Bass did perhaps better, but gave up 2 runs and even Joe Nathan looked a little shaky, giving up a home run.

Just when it looked like the Twins might put together a winning stretch, they came tumbling down to the bottom. Their number one priority from now on is working on consistently hitting and scoring runs. If they can do that, then it can make up for the little imperfections like shaky pitching or forgo the need to score a large number of runs in a small space of time. This team isn’t one to bash opponents into submission with high scoring, but they still need to produce enough to make up for what will be an erratic rotation.

The Twins overcame a rough outing by starter Scott Baker and a 3 run deficit to charge past the Rangers for the 12-6 win. The team was able to break out offensively in a big way and came through when they really needed to score.

Many Twins had great games including Delmon Young, who some feel is not living up to expectations. After the team came back from a 5-2 deficit to tie it up, Young helped bust the game open with a 2 out, 2 RBI single in the 7th. The icing on the cake was Michael Cuddyer’s 3 run homer in the 8th. Brendan Harris went 3 for 5 with a double and 2 runs scored. Mike Lamb got 3 hits, including a double, scored 1 run and drove in 2. The only Twin not to get a hit was leadoff man Matt Tolbert, who went 0 for 6, but did reach base on a Texas error in the 8th. He then stole 2nd and later scored on a Joe Mauer single.

Scott Baker struggled, giving up 4 runs in the third on a pair of 2 RBI hits by Josh Hamilton and David Murphy. He gave up one more run in the 5th before exiting with just one out, but on a positive note, did strike out 7 Rangers. Matt Guerrier then came in with the bases loaded but did not surrender a run. The bullpen held up the rest of the way, only allowing a run in the ninth to seal the win.

Perhaps most important of all, the Twins were abe to start a huge rally, scoring 10 runs over the space of 3 consecutive innings to pull ahead for good. This was something they had not been able to do the past few games, so it bodes well for the future. Baker had to leave his start with a groin strain, so that might raise a few eyebrows in concern, as he continues to distance himself from the problems he had in Spring Training.

The Twins jumped on Texas starter Kevin Millwood early, but the pitching was not able to hold that lead and fell to the Rangers 6-5 in 10 innings.

Justin Morneau was the offensive star, driving in all 5 of Minnesota’s runs, including an RBI single in the top of the 1st. But that was nothing compared to his 3 run homer in the third. It was a night to remember as every hit he had produced a run. Carlos Gomez and Joe Mauer had 2 hit games, with Gomez scoring 2 runs and Mauer getting a double. Michael Cuddyer, in his return from the DL, went 1 for 5.

Nick Blackburn, who had an amazing outing last time, struggled mightily, however he was able to last 6 innings, something that was needed after the bullpen pitched alot yesterday in relief of Francisco Liriano. After being given a 5 run lead in the third, Blackburn blew that lead and allowed 5 runs, on 11 hits and a walk, to the Rangers to tie it all up. The bullpen was able to hold the lead until Juan Rincon gave up the game winning run in the 10th inning.

Though it was a tough loss to take, there were several positives to take away. Morneau continues to establish himself as one of the better hitters in the league that no one really notices and the defense turned 3 double plays to add to its Major League leading total. They included a nifty one in the bottom of the 3rd. Cuddyer threw a relay to shortstop Nick Punto, who threw to Mauer to tag out Hank Blalock trying to score, then Mauer threw to third baseman Mike Lamb to tag out Jason Botts, who was trying to stretch a double into a triple.

There were also some negatives including committing 2 errors and continuing to have problems driving in runners in critical spots.

Overall, the Twins know they have things to work on and things they can fall back on as strengths and will continue to ride those to victories.

Francisco Liriano’s goal was to come out of his start after having made some progress in getting his pitches in for strikes and showing he was on the road to recovery. Liriano didn’t even make it out of the first inning. That was the beginning of an ugly 11-2 loss to the Athletics.

The game started off with promise when leadoff hitter Carlos Gomez hit a solo shot to start the game. However, the Twins only scored one more run. That was in the 5th when rookie third baseman Brian Buscher singled in catcher Mike Redmond. The team was able to muster 9 hits in all but once again had trouble getting them across home plate.

Liriano wanted to show that he was back on track, but just could not seem to find the strike zone, throwing only 15 of his 35 pitches for strikes. That lack of command led to 3 walks on top of 5 hits. He allowed 6 runs in total, all within the space of 2/3 of an inning. Long reliever Brian Bass came in and allowed 3 runs in 3 1/3 innings, including a solo homer to Donnie Murphy. Jesse Crain then pitched 2 innings and only gave up 1 run, but that was a homer, also to Murphy. Dennys Reyes and Juan Rincon were able to keep the Athletics off the board in their respective innings.

This is a major setback for Liriano. If he can’t show the ability to have consistent command at the Major League level, he faces being demoted to the bullpen or even to the Minors, as is the idea being thrown around right now. No one coming off the surgery Liriano did is expected to be lights out right away, but given what the Twins pitcher showed in 2006 and his importance to the rotation, there is added pressure for him to perform at a very high level.

The Twins weren’t able to muster enough offense to clinch a series win, as they fell to the As 3-0. The lack of offense came from their low hit total as well their inability to get runners in scoring position home.

The team was only able to generate 6 base hits, and Joe Mauer’s 9th inning double was the only extra base knock of the game. However, the As committed two errors, but the Twins were still unable to get those runners home. Down 3 to nothing in the top of the 9th, they had runners at the corners with 1 out against Athletic closer Huston Street, but Delmon Young and Jason Kubel were unable to keep the rally alive.

Boof Bonser bounced back from his last outing, pitching solidly. He gave up 2 runs on only 3 hits over 6 innings, but walking 4 and fanning only 2. No run support meant the performance turned into a loss for Bonser, who dropped to 1-4 on the season. Matt Guerrier kept it close until he gave up a solo home run to Mike Sweeney in the bottom of the eighth.

The Twins have killed late rallies the last two games and the early season theme of clutch hitting seems to have hit a snag. The Twins hitters also struck out 8 times, with Craig Monroe and Nick Punto each getting 2. That makes 18 for the series. If the team expects to hit, they must cut down on the strikeout total and have a bit more plate discipline. They only hope they can remedy these in tomorrow’s series finale.

The Twins began their Western road trip the right way, with a 5-4 win over the Athletics in Oakland. The Twins jumped ahead by 3 by the top of the fifth, but the A’s responded in the bottom frame with 2 runs. It was a back and forth game as Oakland took the lead before the Twins regained it late.

The offensive star was DH Craig Monroe. He went 3 for 4 with a double and a solo shot in the 7th, while being involved with every run the team scored. He crossed the plate himself twice and drove in the other 3. However, he struck out with runners on the corners and two outs in the 8th to kill that rally. Mike Lamb had a similar line as Monroe, with 3 hits, sans the homer and only 1 RBI. Jason Kubel had the other RBI. The team didn’t execute in certain situations, stranding 7 runners and striking out 10 times, most of which belonged to Carlos Gomez. He struck out 4 times in 4 at bats.

Showing steady veteran presence early on in the season, Livan Hernandez started off well through the first 4 innings, but then struggled in his last two, including surrendering a solo shot to Emil Brown in the 6th. He ended with 4 runs on 7 hits and 2 walks but managed to strike out 3 As. Juan Rincon and Pat Neshek pitched scoreless innings in relief and Joe Nathan shut it all down in the 9th for his 7th save of the season. Nathan has been automatic so far, and is on pace for about 56 saves.

The Twins continued getting those clutch RBIs, with two of the 5 runs coming with 2 outs. This is very important for the Twins to establish since timely hitting is something that can turn games completely around. More importantly this type of hitting is coming from various players, not just the big swingers. Spreading out the scoring makes the lineup more potent since just about anyone can be counted on to get that critical hit or drive in that needed run.

Finally, something must be said about Hernandez. Though he started the season well, this could perhaps be the start of a downturn of sorts. While over the course of the past few season he has been more or less solid, there are times where he just can’t seem to get it done. While this happens to every pitcher, the Twins need Hernandez to be especially on the ball every time out since he is filling a sort of veteran leader role, propping up the rotation in a way.

The Twins were once again clutch when it was needed as they won the series finale with Cleveland 2-1. It was a game of continuing trends as Carlos Gomez continued his heroics in center field, Justin Morneau kept hitting and the Twins kept getting those clutch hits. The defense turned a double play, not as many as yesterday’s 4, but the team still leads all of baseball in that category.

Morneau’s hit was clutch but other Twins paved the way offensively. Brendan Harris had the biggest output, going 3 for 5. His solo home run in the third tied the game at 1 and he scored the winning run in the 10th, when Morneau knocked him in with an RBI single. Jason Kubel and Nick Punto each had 2 hit games. Another story was Brian Buscher, who was called up from Triple-A Rochester yesterday and started at third today, getting a double.

Another good story in a game full of them is starter Scott Baker’s performance. He dealt with some troubles in Spring Training, but they weren’t evident in his outing, he threw 7 innings of 1 run ball, giving up 5 hits, walking 1 and fanning 8. Dennys Reyes, Pat Neshek and Matt Guerrier each pitched scoreless innings in relief. The bullpen has bounced back from its troubles in Detroit to provide solid pitching late in games.

The biggest moments came late when Gomez made a game-saving catch in the 9th and Morneau brought home Harris in the 10th. In addition both RBIs, Morneau’s game-winning single and Harris’ homer, came with two outs. Most of their runs the past few series have come with two outs, so the Twins are developing a needed habit of coming through when it’s really needed.

The team has a day off before it heads out on a short road trip to the West. The trip opens up with three in Oakland and then ends with three against Texas.

The Twins returned the favor to the Indians today by keeping them off the scoreboard in a 3-0 win. Rookie Nick Blackburn pitched brilliantly for his first Major League win behind some phenomenal defense and Justin Morneau paced the offense.

The Twins jumped on Indians starter Jake Westbrook early. With 2 outs in the bottom of the 1st and Joe Mauer on after a fielder’s choice, Justin Morneau launched his 5th home run of the season. Carlos Gomez followed suit in the second, singling home Mike Lamb. That would be all the runs in the game, but not all the offense. On his 25th birthday, Mauer was able to add a double. Morneau chipped in a single on top of his home run. In addition, Craig Monroe went 2 for 3 with a double.

Blackburn was magnificent, tossing 7 2/3 shutout innings, giving up 8 hits, no walks and striking out 1. The name of his game was the groundball as 14 of the outs he recorded came off groundouts. Dennys Reyes threw three pitches for 1 out on his birthday and Joe Nathan pitched a perfect ninth for the save.

Blackburn turned in a great performance, but it was as much due to his pitching that he got the win as it was to the defense behind him. The Twins were able to turn 4 inning-ending double plays, that felt almost automatic as they were executed. This was in addition to several infield stops that saved hits. The defense was not just limited to the infield, as Delmon Young made a few great catches and saved a run when he threw out Indian second baseman Asdrubal Cabrera, who was trying to score from 2nd on a single by Casey Blake. Both Carlos Gomez and Jason Kubel made near great catches that went in and out of their gloves, but otherwise were flawless in the field.

The very strong defense will be a constant theme throughout the season and something the team will rely heavily on. As well, Blackburn’s start is encouraging as the rookie fought his way into the starting rotation and it is only hoped he can build on his performance today.

Francisco Liriano made no forward progress in his recovery from Tommy John surgery and the Twins couldn’t muster any offense, as they fell to the Indians 4-0. It was an all around disappointment, as they were stymied all night long by Indians starter Cliff Lee.

The offense was abysmal as the Twins were only able to get three hits, all singles, by Matt Tolbert, Joe Mauer and Nick Punto. The only other Twin that got on base was Delmon Young, who drew a walk off of Lee.

Liriano struggled yet again on his path to regain his 2006 form. He gave up only 4 hits over 5 innings while fanning 3, but those went along with 5 walks and they all created 3 runs. Reliever Juan Rincon pitched 2 innings but gave up a solo shot to Casey Blake in the 7th. Jesse Crain pitched perfect in the 8th and 9th as the pitching was able to avoid using too many relievers a day after long reliever Brian Bass was injured and Matt Guerrier threw almost 4 innings.

They were alot of negatives from this game including the lack of offense, but that is due as much to the Twins inability to hit as it was to the brilliant outing by Lee. The only real positive was the fact that there was no need to overwork the bullpen in the temporary absence of both Twin long relievers.

Boof Bonser most certainly did not live up to the status as having one of the best names in baseball as he couldn’t pitch well at all and the Twins lost to the Rays 7-3. After a strong few starts he hit a wall and the Twins were unable to get the sweep, albeit of a two game series.

Several Twins did have nice offensive outings. Carlos Gomez, Matt Tolbert and Justin Morneau each had two hits, with Tolbert and Morneau each smacking a double. The other hits came from Joe Mauer and Delmon Young, and those were both RBI singles. The Twins continued a nice trend of 2 out RBI hits with Mauer’s hit being one and Tolbert getting the other. Denard Span did score a run and steal a base but he committed two errors in right field, not really building his case for playing time as Michael Cuddyer nears his return.

Bonser just could not get it together, giving up 7 runs, 6 earned, on 7 hits, 2 walks, no strikeouts and a homer to Eric Hinske. After pitching to 4 batters in the fifth and not recording an out, Brian Bass came in to log several innings, but after surrending a hit and walk while only recording one out, a strike out Rays über-prospect Evan Longoria, he had to leave, suffering from a low back strain. He is listed as day-to-day. The other long reliever, Matt Guerrier was called upon, with the bases loaded, to also log some innings, and not get hurt of course. He was nearly flawless, allowing only 3 hits over 3 2/3 scoreless innings.

Though Boof majorly goofed and Bass went down, Guerrier’s outing is great news as a few nights ago as he was partly repsponsible for blowing a 4 run lead in Detroit. The use of both long relievers, Bass being injured and Guerrier getting major work, does not bode well for tomorrow when Francisco Liriano takes the mound as he went just 4 2/3 innings his last outing. So the Twins better hope their middle relievers can pitch a couple innings each.

Changing their name and look doesn’t seem to be working for Tampa Bay so far this season as they fell to the Twins 6-5. Unlike the last two games, tonight the Twins bullpen held up and it was the starter that struggled.

The team put together a good offensive effort, highlighted perhaps by Carlos Gomez, who is fast becoming an emerging threat on the basepaths. His two hits set the table for the two bases he stole off of Rays starter James Shields, one of which led to him scoring a run. Justin Morneau and Jason Kubel further victimized Shields by each hitting a double off of him. But Joe Mauer had a better preformance, going 3 for 4, scoring 2 runs and getting an RBI. The Twins were clutch with Mauer, Kubel and Brendan Harris each getting 2 out RBIs.

After solid outings to start the season, Livan Hernandez struggled giving up 5 runs, 3 earned, and 8 hits over 6 innings while walking 3 and striking out 2. Even more painful were the home runs he gave up to Carl Crawford, Eric Hinske and Shawn Riggans. Dennys Reyes, Juan Rincon and Joe Nathan combined to shut down the Rays the rest of the way, with Rincon getting the win and Nathan getting the save.

The obvious positive for the game was that the bullpen was actually able to hold a lead. Others are the offensive performances by the Twins hitters. However, Hernandez’s start is cause for concern. He is a solid pitcher, nothing more and no where near a staff ace. He can be maddeningly inconsistent and pitch poorly at the most crucial times. He will log a large load of innings, but the hitters better be ready to score alot of runs when he does.

The Twins better hope the recent trend of bullpen failures doesn’t continue for very long. It was the cause of their 6-5 loss to the Tigers. The eighth inning was again the culprit as a solid effort by Scott Baker went to waste.

Carlos Gomez doubled, stole third and scored when Joe Mauer grounded into a fielder’s choice to start off the game. Mauer again drove in a run, with an RBI single to move Matt Tolbert home in the third.  Justin Morneau hit a 2 run shot, his 4th of the season, in the sixth.

Baker went seven strong for the Twins giving up 3 runs all on solo home runs by Gary Sheffield, Magglio Ordonex and Carlos Guillen. Then Jesse Crain came in to start the eighth and gave up three runs that would become the difference in the game. Crain gave up a double to Ordonez that scored Placido Polanco. Miguel Cabrera then launched a 2 run jack shortly thereafter.

Of course the bullpen’s performance the past two games has been disappointing, but there is not much that can be done except to keep giving the relievers chances to redeem themselves. The bullpen is too good to be this bad for any extended period of time.

The Twins return from their first road trip of the season for a 5 game homestand, starting with a pair against Tampa Bay and then a weekend trio with divisional foe Cleveland.

Having been one of the Twins biggest strengths, the bullpen was horrid in an 11-9 loss to the Tigers. A 4 run lead was blown and overshadowed some great offensive performances.

Despite the pitching woes, several Twins had multiple hits and RBIs. Delmon Young went 3 for 5 with 2 RBIs, a double and a stolen base, Justin Morneau had a two RBI single and both Jason Kubel and Brendan Harris went 2 for 4 with 2 RBIs. Mike Lamb chipped in an RBI as well. Carlos Gomez added to his stolen base total with a swipe of 2nd base and Denard Span had 2 hits. Span will most likely be headed back to Triple A soon with the impending return of Michael Cuddyer.

Rookie Nick Blackburn was pitching well through the first 5 innings but ran out of luck in the sixth. He gave up 4 straight 2 out hits which would eventually become Tiger runs. The two teams traded up giving up runs until the eighth when Matt Guerrier and Pat Neshek combined to give up 6 runs on several hits, a throwing error and a sac fly.

The bullpen which was pegged as a strength that would need to back up a young rotation experienced its first major setback. It was just one of those days that are bound to happen several times during the course of the season. Although the relievers need to refocus and avoid making mistakes, they should shake it off and be ready to answer the next call to the mound.

The long anticipated return of Francisco Liriano did not go the way some be expected, as the Twins lost to the Royals 5-1, unable to complete the sweep. Liriano looked nothing like the pitcher who dominated in 2006, but then again who really expected him to?

The Twins’ lone run came at the beginning of the game in the first when Brendan Harris reached second on a throwing error and later scored on Justin Morneau’s 2-out RBI single. The team’s only other hits were singles by Jason Kubel and Adam Everett.

Handed a lead before he even got on the mound, Liriano couldn’t make it stick. He gave a run in the bottom of the first when Joey Gathright scored on a single by Billy Butler. Liriano gave up another in the second before giving up 2 more in the fourth. The 4 runs he gave up in 4 2/3 innings were off of 6 hits and 5 walks, but he was able to get 4 Ks. He was clearly outplayed by Royals starter Brian Bannister, who pitched the whole game.

Liriano wasn’t expected to come out and get 10 Ks or pitch a complete game his first try, so fans shouldn’t put too much stock into his struggles in his first game back. However, there is still some work to do before he can get back to his 2006 form.

Jason Kubel supplied the offense and Boof Bonser supplied the pitching in the Twins’ second straight shutout win over the Royals, 2-0. The team kept its momentum going and got more great performances on another very cold night.

Though limited to just 2 runs, the offense was still evident. The runs came from Kubel’s second inning solo homer and he later scored in the seventh off of Denard Span’s RBI single. The home run was the Twin’s only extra base hit of the game. Like Kubel, Brendan Harris, Nick Punto and Span each had two hits, while Delmon Young had one.

Like Hernandez last night, Bonser shut out the Royals. He scattered 3 hits over 6 innings while walking 2 and fanning 4. Matt Guerrier and Pat Neshek pitched scoreless innings and Joe Nathan recorded his 4th save of the season in the ninth.

The Twins look to go for the sweep, but it will not be the only motivation for the team. Francisco Liriano will be making his first start since Tommy John surgery. The team hopes he can get back into the groove of things and get back to his pre-surgery form.

The Twins battled the cold and a recently surging opponent to shutout the Royals 5-0. It was due to a combination of great pitching by Livan Hernandez and some great performances by the team’s young players.

The bulk of the offense came in the second off of Royal starter Gil Meche. After the first two Twins walked, Denard Span hit a single for the first Major League RBI of his career. Carlos Gomez then doubled in 2 more and Matt Tolbert capped it off with an RBI single, which was one of his 3 hits for the game. The remaining run came just an inning later when Justin Morneau blasted a solo shot. That was his third of the season, all of which have come against the Royals, so it bodes well that the Twins play them so much.

Certainly the youth powering the offense was great, but Livan Hernandez certainly was the main cause for win, pitching 7 shutout innings while giving up 7 hits and only 1 walk. He was able to pitch himself out of a few jams without surrendering any runs. This can only be good for  the Twins, having a solid veteran presence at the top of a young rotation.

The team was able weather the elements for an impressive W. All facets of their game was great and this should be used as a stepping stone to further performances of the same nature.

Thursday’s finale against the White Sox was postponed due to rain. It has been moved back to June 9th, which had previously been an off day for both teams. That game will now serve as the finale of what had originally been a three game series and is now 4. The Twins head to Kansas City for a 3 game weekend set against the Royals, but the forecast isn’t looking good.

The Twins can only hope the surprise day off doesn’t cool their bats and that they can keep the momentum going in an important divisional series.

Perhaps as a response to the criticism of their offense so far this season, the Twins exploded, beating the White Sox in a 12-5 rout. The bats have been inconsistent in the early going, and it can only be hoped that this game is a portent of things to come.

The barrage started in the first inning with an RBI single by Delmon Young and a sac fly by Jason Kubel. The Twins batted around in two seperate innings, getting 5 runs in each frame. The highlight was certainly Jason Kubel’s grand slam and he ended up with 6 RBIs for the game. Carlos Gomez had a spectacular catch in the outfield and added a double and a pair of RBIs. Mike Lamb had a pair of hits, including a double and 2 RBIs. Brendan Harris joined the doubles crew, his being one of his 3 hits. The 2 baggers didn’t stop there as Craig Monroe had an RBI double.

Starter Scott Baker started off well, but ran into some trouble. He left after giving up 3 runs on 5 hits, 1 walk and 7 Ks over 5 innings. All three runs Baker gave up came on solo home runs by Nick Swisher, Paul Konerko and Joe Crede. Baker then yielded to Brian Bass who pitched 4 innings of 2 run ball.

This certainly has to be the Twins best game this year. There were able to finally awaken their somewhat dormant bats with everyone who came to the plate getting a hit except Adam Everett.  Of course there will be big offensive games like the one tonight over the course of the season, and the Twins just have to keep trying to be consistent. They have the players to score the runs and this game was just a reminder of how good they can be at the plate.

The Twins started off their first road game of the season in good fashion, but the bullpen could not hold the lead and the team lost to the White Sox 7-4. The deciding factor was Chicago third baseman Joe Crede’s broken bat grand slam in the seventh off of Pat Neshek. The fluke hit spoiled another solid start by rookie Nick Blackburn.

The Twins were able to muster 4 runs on 10 hits. Mike Lamb had a pair of RBI doubles, while the other RBIs came courtesy of hits by Joe Mauer and Delmon Young. Brendan Harris chipped in a double and youngsters Carlos Gomez and Denard Span each had a stolen base. Adam Everett was the only batter on the team not to get a hit.

Blackburn, in his second start of the season, again gave the Twins a chance to win. He gave up 2 runs on 7 hits, walked 2 and struck out 5 over 5 innings. Matt Guerrier set the table for Crede’s grand slam by walking Jim Thome and allowing a single to Paul Konerko. Neshek then entered and after giving up a hit to Jermaine Dye, threw one inside which shattered Crede’s bat, but somehow made it out of the yard.

The Twins were doing quite well until Crede’s slam, and hits like those seem to happen every once in a while, so there’s not much to do besides brush it off and keep on moving forward. The Twins have to be impressed by Blackburn’s continued strong effort on the mound and the fact their offense seemed to come alive a bit tonight. The team has a scheduling oddity tomorrow, a day off before the concluding two games of their series against the White Sox.

The Twins were unable to muster enough offense to get the series sweep of the Royals, as they dropped the finale 3-1. With Carlos Gomez and Justin Morneau leading the offense in the previous two games, it seemed to run out of gas today.

The Twins’ lone run came in the sixth, courtesy of Morneau, when he crushed his second home run off new Royal Ron Mahay. The Twins collected 7 more hits, but were unable to make any of them count. Morneau chipped in a single, Brendan Harris and Matt Tolbert got doubles, with the latter getting a single as well. Gomez, Joe Mauer and Delmon Young got the remaining hits for the Twins. Rookie Denard Span, who lost the center field job to Gomez and now called up to replace Michael Cuddyer was unable to anything as well. Their offensive troubles were added to when they grounded into two double plays, increasing their league leading total to 15.

Boof Bonser, who might have the best name in baseball, was solid, giving up three runs on 8 hits, walking none and striking out 4 over 7 innings. Bonser got his second loss of the season, mainly due to the lack of run support. Jesse Crain and Dennys Reyes pitched scoreless eighth and ninth innings, respectively.

After hitting well in their opener, struggling the rest of the Angels series, hitting well again in the first two games of this series, the Twins did not come through in the finale. So far it appears that the team might struggle to produce runs, but the lineup is too talented for that to happen for any extended period of time. Sure they’ll go through their dry spells, but overall they should be exciting to watch.

Now the Twins go on the road for 8 games against the White Sox, Royals and Tigers.

Justin Morneau broke out offensively in the best way, as he led the Twins to a 6-4 victory over the Royals. The Twins evened their season record as Morneau and Co. seemed to break out of an offensive slump.

After Matt Tolbert singled to start off the 4th and Joe Mauer walked, Morneau launched a Gil Meche pitch out to put the Twins ahead 3-2. Morneau also had a RBI double in the sixth and later scored on a single by Jason Kubel, who in turn scored on Craig Monroe’s double later in the inning. Last night’s hero Carlos Gomez had a rough night going 0 for 4 with 3 strikeouts.

Livan Hernandez did get the win, however, it was not a very good outing he turned in. He gave up 2 runs in the third and 2 in the seventh. The 4 runs he gave up also came with 7 hits, no walks and 2 punchouts. Matt Guerrier pitched a scoreless eighth and Joe Nathan got his second save in as many nights, for his third of the season.

Morneau has to be happy to finally be doing some offensive damage after struggling in the first few games. There was some bad news as Michael Cuddyer, who dislocated his finger last night, was placed on the 15 day DL. Starter Kevin Slowey will miss at least one start with the strained biceps muscle he sustained in his first start of the season. With the Twins day off this Tuesday, the injury won’t have that big of an effect on the rotation. The team wraps up their series with the Royals tomorrow.

Carlos Gomez supplied the offensive spark and Scott Baker provided a somewhat solid outing as the Twins beat the Royals 4-3. Gomez provided some evidence to his claims as being one of the fastest players in baseball and was the main reason the Twins won. So far he is looking superb as he tries to establish himself with the Twins and get away from being part of the ’supbar’ offer the Twins accepted for Johan Santana.

Gomez had three hits total, one of which was a bunt to start off the first, he then stole second and later scored on Joe Mauer’s single. He also contributed a single and a double later in addition to stealing another base. Mauer kept going offensively as he and Michael Cuddyer hit back-to-back singles in the thrid and Justin Morneau was able to break out of a slump with an RBI single only moments later. However, Cuddyer dislocated an index finger on Morneau’s single sliding into third, and his status is unknown at this time. There was also a bit more drama in the sixth as Mike Lamb scored from third on a suicide squeeze with Adam Everett up to bat.

Scott Baker, another Twins starter who had some injury struggles during Spring Training, got into trouble, giving up two runs in the first, started by the Royals Joey Gathright, as he nearly pulled off nearly the exact same bunt, stolen base, scored run production as Gomez. However, Baker settled down after that, once retiring 11 straight Royals. He ended up surrendering 3 runs on 7 hits in 6 2/3 innings. Pat Neshek pitched a scoreless inning and a third and Joe Nathan was able to record his second save of the season.

While wins might be hard to come by this season, the Twins showed they have the offensive prowess to get those wins. Carlos Gomez keeps impressing the team with his speed, offensive and hustle in the field. With more games like this one, he may start to enter the discussion that previously began and ended with Jose Reyes, as the game’s fastest player.

The Twins were able to start a late rally, but it fell short and the final game of their season opening series to the Angels was a 5-4 loss. After winning on Opening Day, the team dropped the final 3 games of the 4 game series against the other team from LA.

Angels starter Ervin Santana was almost flawless early on, holding the Twins to just one hit in the first 5 innings, but that ended in the sixth. Carlos Gomez, in typical speedster fashion got a bunt single and later scored on Joe Mauer’s double. The latter scored soon after on a sacrifice fly by Justin Morneau. Mauer later hit another double and a sac fly of his own and Jason Kubel hit a solo jack for the fourth run. Delmon Young, Brendan Harris and Adam Everett picked up the Twins’ remaining hits.

Starter Kevin Slowey started off great, setting down the first 6 Halos he faced, but ran into trouble in the third. He gave up three runs on hits, punctuated by Gary Matthews Jr’s two run blast. If that wasn’t enough, Slowey had to leave with one out in the fourth because of a strained biceps muscle. Brian Bass relieved him and gave up two runs, including Torii Hunter’s solo homer to lead off the seventh, while working the same amount, 3 1/3 innings, as Slowey. Relievers Juan Rincon, Dennys Reyes and Matt Geurrier were able to hold the fort for the rest of the game.

The most disappointing aspect was the Twins inability to get that crucial clutch hit. Adam Tolbert and Joe Mauer were able to draw walks off of Angels closer Francisco Rodriquez, but with two outs Michael Cuddyer struck out to end the game. Equally disappointing was Slowey’s start, while starting off well, the muscle strain put an end to it, and has to frustrate the starter because he struggled a bit during Spring Training.

This is obviously not the start to the season the Twins wanted and while they made their share of mistakes, it is still far too early and they must soldier on, as they now host the Royals for three games.

If Nick Blackburn was pitching with a purpose it was clearly evident tonight as he attempted to make the most of his opportunity in the rotation. Alas, given the great effort in his Major League debut, he and the Twins lost 1-0. After the offensively minded previous two games, the bats went silent as both teams combined for just 11 hits.

The Twins were only able to muster 4 hits against the Angels, with Carlos Gomez, Michael Cuddyer, Nick Punto and Matt Tolbert able to break through against Halo starter Joe Saunders. Also equally frustrating was the fact that the Twins grounded into 4 double plays during the game.

Blackburn shined in a solid start as he gave up the only run of the game, while surrendering 5 hits and 1 walk and fanning 6. He had his shaky moments, giving up a wild pitch that led to the only run of the game and beaning Angel Howie Kendrick. Matt Guerrier gave up 2 hits but combined with Dennys Reyes for a scoreless eighth, while Pat Neshek was perfect in the ninth. Reyes came in and threw only one pitch as he was able to coax a double play out of Angels first baseman Casey Kotchman.

Despite the loss and lack of offense, the Twins can be encouraged by the outing Blackburn gave them. Pushing for playing time in Spring Training, he was given the opportunity when Francisco Liriano was not deemed not ready for big league action. Blackburn’s effort is perhaps a sign of hope that this young and inexperienced rotation can do some good this season.

Twins starter Boof Bonser struggled early and often in a 9-1 rout by the Angels. The good vibes from the Opening Day win were erased in the top of the first as the Halos put two across. The spotlight swung to them as several Angels had good games including starter Jon Garland who went eight strong.

There was not much offense to note, except that every regular, except for Justin Morneau and Brendan Harris got a hit, with Delmong Young getting two. The Twins lone run came in the 5th, when Young doubled and was latter knocked in by defensive specialist Adam Everett. Everett driving in a run is sight that probably won’t happen all that often during the season.

The pitching took center stage in the worst way tonight. Bonser, who shed alot of weight but not his facial hair, gave up 4 runs, 3 earned on 8 hits and no walks while striking out 4 and giving up one homer, to Angel catcher Mike Napoli. The bullpen didn’t help matters either. Jesse Crain didn’t last an inning, while Dennys Reyes didn’t even last an out. Brian Bass and Juan Rincon each lasted longer but gave up two runs apiece.

The first two games might be a microcosm for the rest of the season. There will be days like Opening Day, where everything seems to be clicking just right and then there will be days like tonight, where things just go wrong. They are only halfway through their series with the Angels, with two more games left to play. Nick Blackburn will have the ball for the Twins tomorrow as he tries to prove he really earned that rotation spot.