Twins @ Motor City for 4 game series

[love_that_reefer]

Great game for Morneau!! He is having a great, under the radar year. I do have a question for you Twins fans. Who is this team's MVP so far? A couple of years ago when Morneau won the MVP (I was one of the rare few that thought he would/should win) people were arguing he wasn;t even the MVP of his own team. Is it Mauer or Morneau?

[mntwinsfan]

I would say Mauer.. With Morneau a close 2nd.

[Izzy]

It's pretty hard to say and still too early to decide who is more deserving to be the Twins' season MVP.

Anyway, now on to tonight's game.

Glen Perkins vs Tigers' offense

[php] **PA** AB H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS SH SF IBB HBP GDP G_miss YR_miss
+-----------------+-------+---+---+--+--+--+---+---+---+-----+-----+-----+-----+---+---+---+---+---+------+-------+
Carlos Guillen 8 7 4 2 0 1 1 1 1 .571 .625 1.286 1.911 0 0 0 0 0
Placido Polanco 8 8 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 .250 .250 .250 .500 0 0 0 0 0
Ryan Raburn 8 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 .000 .000 .000 .000 0 0 0 0 0
Gary Sheffield 8 8 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 .375 .375 .375 .750 0 0 0 0 0
Brandon Inge 6 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .167 .000 .167 0 0 0 1 0
Edgar Renteria 6 5 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .000 .167 .000 .167 0 0 0 0 0
Marcus Thames 6 5 1 0 0 1 1 1 4 .200 .333 .800 1.133 0 0 0 0 0
Curtis Granderson 5 5 2 0 0 0 0 0 3 .400 .400 .400 .800 0 0 0 0 0
Miguel Cabrera 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 .000 .000 .000 .000 0 0 0 0 0
Ivan Rodriguez 3 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 .333 .333 .333 .666 0 0 0 0 0
Clete Thomas 2 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 .500 .500 1.000 1.500 0 0 0 0 0
+-----------------+-------+---+---+--+--+--+---+---+---+-----+-----+-----+-----+---+---+---+---+---+------+-------+
Total 64 60 14 3 0 2 2 3 13 .233 .281 .383 .664 0 0 0 1 0
[/php]And the Twins' offense vs. Armando Galarraga:
[php] **PA** AB H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS SH SF IBB HBP GDP G_miss YR_miss
+-----------------+-------+---+---+--+--+--+---+---+---+-----+-----+-----+-----+---+---+---+---+---+------+-------+
Carlos Gomez 11 9 3 1 0 0 1 1 1 .333 .455 .444 .899 0 0 0 1 0
Justin Morneau 11 10 4 1 0 0 0 1 2 .400 .455 .500 .955 0 0 0 0 1
Jason Kubel 10 10 3 0 1 1 1 0 3 .300 .300 .800 1.100 0 0 0 0 0
Joe Mauer 10 7 4 1 0 0 5 3 0 .571 .700 .714 1.414 0 0 0 0 0
Brendan Harris 9 9 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 .111 .111 .111 .222 0 0 0 0 0
Delmon Young 9 8 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 .125 .222 .125 .347 0 0 0 0 0
Alexi Casilla 7 5 1 0 0 0 0 2 1 .200 .429 .200 .629 0 0 0 0 0
Mike Lamb 6 5 2 0 0 1 1 1 0 .400 .500 1.000 1.500 0 0 0 0 0
Brian Buscher 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 .250 .250 .250 .500 0 0 0 0 0
Denard Span 3 3 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 .333 .333 .667 1.000 0 0 0 0 1
Nick Punto 2 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .500 .500 .500 1.000 0 0 0 0 0
+-----------------+-------+---+---+--+--+--+---+---+---+-----+-----+-----+-----+---+---+---+---+---+------+-------+
Total 82 72 22 4 1 2 10 9 10 .306 .390 .472 .862 0 0 0 1 2
[/php]

I hope Perkins can repeat his good performance earlier this year at Comerica.

[catman]

After 6, the Twins are looking pretty good. Perkins has pitched really well.
In the 7th, Casilla hit a double down the left field line to lead off and Mauer struck out. Morneau was intentionally walked and Kubel walked. Now for Delmon Young.

[Izzy]

Sac fly for Young. Make it 3-1, Twins.

As for the AL Central race, Floyd is getting bombed by the Rangers and now taken out after 2 plus innings. Texas lead the White Sox 5-0.

Harris replacing Buscher.

[catman]

Great game for Morneau!! He is having a great, under the radar year. I do have a question for you Twins fans. Who is this team's MVP so far? A couple of years ago when Morneau won the MVP (I was one of the rare few that thought he would/should win) people were arguing he wasn;t even the MVP of his own team. Is it Mauer or Morneau?

Hard to say. Mauer does a lot other than hitting, as does Morneau. I'll throw another name into the mix -- Joe Nathan.

[Izzy]

Twins win, really nice low scoring game.

Looks like the White Sox is going to lose tonight will bring us closer to them by a game and half.

[catman]

They made a nice comeback from a tough series in Boston.
An old friend picked up the save in Texas tonight -- Eddie Guardado is still pitching pretty well.
Looks like its time to sit Gomez down again for a day or 2. He needs to clear his head again.

[mntwinsfan]

Nice to see us get the win. Perkins did the job. I seen he is 4-0 in his last 4 starts. Casilla and Punto made some defensive gems in the field. After the beating in Boston its nice to see us rebound back into the win department.

Gomez needs to take a day off. Or maybe take extra batting practice? He's like the weather, hot then cold. Idea would to have Span be the lead off hitter and move Gomez into an rbi spot. might help him out behind the plate.

[mntwinsfan]

Now that we know at the worst we will be 3.5 games out at the break, have there been anything said to who we might try and trade for? Best case scenario is that we sweep the Tigers and Soxs get swept by Texas, then we have a .5 game lead and in first. Polad would have to DUST off the checkbook correct?

[mntwinsfan]

Anyone get the feeling that Denard Span will be up with the Twins for the rest of the season and maybe longer? He has hit the ball and played good in right field. I don't see him being demoted anytime soon.

If you think about it, we can always send Cuddyer back to 3rd base? Platoon Buscher there as well. Then the 3rd base issue is solved.

[henks]

he could also play first when justin needs a day off.

[Izzy]

They need to release Everett somehow to make room for Cuddyer. Span/Casilla duo really impressed me. Casilla, I think, is finally ready to be a real second baseman.

Lamb does play 1B but with his less playing it has become more hard for him to play 1B.

[Izzy]

Today's pitchers:

Scott Baker vs Detroit's offense (career)
[html] **PA** AB H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS SH SF IBB HBP GDP G_miss YR_miss
+-----------------+-------+---+---+--+--+--+---+---+---+-----+-----+-----+-----+---+---+---+---+---+------+-------+
Curtis Granderson 28 28 7 0 1 3 4 0 3 .250 .250 .643 .893 0 0 0 0 0
Placido Polanco 21 21 4 1 0 0 1 0 2 .190 .190 .238 .428 0 0 0 0 0
Brandon Inge 20 19 3 0 0 0 2 0 4 .158 .158 .158 .316 1 0 0 0 0
Carlos Guillen 19 18 7 2 0 1 2 1 2 .389 .421 .667 1.088 0 0 0 0 2
Ivan Rodriguez 19 18 2 0 0 0 0 1 2 .111 .158 .111 .269 0 0 0 0 0
Gary Sheffield 17 17 4 2 0 1 2 0 5 .235 .235 .529 .764 0 0 0 0 0
Marcus Thames 12 12 5 0 0 3 5 0 0 .417 .417 1.167 1.584 0 0 0 0 0
Edgar Renteria 6 6 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 .500 .500 .500 1.000 0 0 0 0 1
Clete Thomas 6 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 .000 .000 .000 .000 0 0 0 0 0
Miguel Cabrera 4 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 .000 .250 .000 .250 0 0 0 0 0
Matthew Joyce 3 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 .000 .000 .000 .000 0 0 0 0 0
Ramon Santiago 3 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .500 .500 .500 1.000 1 0 0 0 0
+-----------------+-------+---+---+--+--+--+---+---+---+-----+-----+-----+-----+---+---+---+---+---+------+-------+
Total 158 153 36 5 1 8 16 3 22 .235 .250 .438 .688 2 0 0 0 3 [/html]And Twins offense vs Nate Robertson (career)
[html] **PA** AB H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS SH SF IBB HBP GDP G_miss YR_miss
+-----------------+-------+---+---+--+--+--+---+---+---+-----+-----+-----+-----+---+---+---+---+---+------+-------+
Justin Morneau 39 39 10 0 0 4 7 0 8 .256 .256 .564 .820 0 0 0 0 1
Joe Mauer 31 31 8 2 0 0 4 0 3 .258 .258 .323 .581 0 0 0 0 1
Nick Punto 26 25 7 2 0 0 2 1 2 .280 .308 .360 .668 0 0 0 0 2
Mike Redmond 23 20 6 0 0 0 5 1 2 .300 .391 .300 .691 0 0 0 2 1
Brendan Harris 14 13 4 0 0 1 1 1 4 .308 .357 .538 .895 0 0 0 0 1
Delmon Young 14 10 0 0 0 0 0 4 4 .000 .286 .000 .286 0 0 0 0 1
Alexi Casilla 13 13 3 1 0 1 3 0 1 .231 .231 .538 .769 0 0 0 0 1
Jason Kubel 13 11 0 0 0 0 0 2 5 .000 .154 .000 .154 0 0 0 0 0
Carlos Gomez 9 8 3 1 0 0 0 1 2 .375 .444 .500 .944 0 0 0 0 0
Craig Monroe 8 8 3 0 0 1 3 0 0 .375 .375 .750 1.125 0 0 0 0 0
Mike Lamb 3 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000 .000 0 0 0 0 0
Denard Span 2 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 .500 .500 1.000 1.500 0 0 0 0 0
+-----------------+-------+---+---+--+--+--+---+---+---+-----+-----+-----+-----+---+---+---+---+---+------+-------+
Total 195 183 45 7 0 7 25 10 31 .246 .292 .399 .691 0 0 0 2 8
[/html]

[henks]

Looks like it should be a good one today.