Ian Kinsler started the game with a home run off Francisco Liriano and ended the game some twelve innings later, belting a two-run shot off R.A. Dickey to give the Rangers a much-needed 5-3 win. In between Kinsler's home run, the Twins' offense was pretty much non-existent against the always subpar Texas pitching staff. They got only three runs off a lost rookie lefthander, Derek Holland, and those runs were produced by Nick Punto (on a home run -- yes, miracles do happen!), Alexi Casilla and Denard Span. Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau continued to phone it in during the three-game series, and the Twins' 3-4-5 hitters went a combined 0 for 15 in Sunday's game. That's just ridiculous folks, and it's almost amazing that the game went 12 innings to begin with. The Twins struck out thirteen times against Holland and company and went 2 for 8 with runners in scoring position. There was a huge shortage of clutch hitting, which is quickly becoming a theme for this team. Casilla finished the day 1 for 5 and completed the series going 2 for 14, which actually lowered his already low batting average from .180 to .176. Compounded to his absolute patheticness at 
the plate, Casilla made yet another defensive lapse in the field, letting a catchable foul ball drop because he wanted Justin Morneau, who had a much worse angle at the ball, to catch it instead. Casilla grounded into a double play in the first inning, too. With the Twins signing veteran Mark Grudzielanek on Sunday, the only question I have is this: how long does it take Mark Grudzielanek to get into game shape? I'm not saying that Grudzielanek is the be-all and end-all option at second base. He's old (39) and he hasn't played at all since last August. But considering who the Twins have (Casilla, Punto, Tolbert -- or in other words, Bad, Terrible, and God-Awful) Grudzielanek might as well be Joe Morgan. Seriously, how can Grudzielanek be any worse than what the Twins already have? Here's a guy who has always hit consistently (.290 career hitter) and he even won a Gold Glove in the later part of his career, in 2006 with the Royals. Most importantly, the guy is experienced and he's not going to make the mental errors that Casilla has been making every single game that he plays. And, it's going to be a lot less embarrassing to pencil in a guy like Grudzielanek in the #2 hole instead of guys hitting below the cost of a gallon of gasoline. This being said, even if Grudzielanek comes to the Twins, you know Ron Gardenhire's going to look at his infield -- Joe Crede at third, Brendan Harris at short, Grudzielanek at second, Morneau to first -- and say that that's way too good, and insist on putting Nick Punto somewhere. An infield just wouldn't be an infield for Ron Gardenhire if there wasn't at least one guy hitting under .200.
the plate, Casilla made yet another defensive lapse in the field, letting a catchable foul ball drop because he wanted Justin Morneau, who had a much worse angle at the ball, to catch it instead. Casilla grounded into a double play in the first inning, too. With the Twins signing veteran Mark Grudzielanek on Sunday, the only question I have is this: how long does it take Mark Grudzielanek to get into game shape? I'm not saying that Grudzielanek is the be-all and end-all option at second base. He's old (39) and he hasn't played at all since last August. But considering who the Twins have (Casilla, Punto, Tolbert -- or in other words, Bad, Terrible, and God-Awful) Grudzielanek might as well be Joe Morgan. Seriously, how can Grudzielanek be any worse than what the Twins already have? Here's a guy who has always hit consistently (.290 career hitter) and he even won a Gold Glove in the later part of his career, in 2006 with the Royals. Most importantly, the guy is experienced and he's not going to make the mental errors that Casilla has been making every single game that he plays. And, it's going to be a lot less embarrassing to pencil in a guy like Grudzielanek in the #2 hole instead of guys hitting below the cost of a gallon of gasoline. This being said, even if Grudzielanek comes to the Twins, you know Ron Gardenhire's going to look at his infield -- Joe Crede at third, Brendan Harris at short, Grudzielanek at second, Morneau to first -- and say that that's way too good, and insist on putting Nick Punto somewhere. An infield just wouldn't be an infield for Ron Gardenhire if there wasn't at least one guy hitting under .200.Well, the Twins won a series against the competing Rangers, and now they get to travel to Oakland to face the bottom-feeding Athletics, who have the second-worst record in the American League. The first time the Twins went to Oakland they let the A's win two games which the Twins should have won, but this time around if the Twins don't win the series (they really should sweep Oakland) it would be a major disaster, especially considering that the Twins actually face a competent opponent next weekend in the Angels. Staff ace Nick Blackburn goes for the Twins against southpaw Gio Gonzalez.
2 comments:
Give casila a chance hes do for a big game. i bet the twins will call up grdzlenzmnik and then youll bitch and moan about him to; so we dont have the best 2nd base in the league but so what 2nd base doesnt win championshiops, stars like morneau and mauer and cuddeyer and nathan and creede do!
Casilla's had three and a half months to prove that he's a .175 hitter; though I agree that second base doesn't win you championships, I think that Grudzielanek at least gives them a better chance to win the division. He can't be much worse than what they've got now.
Thanks for the comment,
Howie
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