I picked the wrong game to attend as I was at the 6-3 soggy loss on Wednesday but it didn't dampen my spirits one bit. What a facility! Just walking around and taking it all in was incredible. I can't wait to go back!
By the way, the Twins won ANOTHER series against a playoff caliber team! That 3 straight to start the season!
Game 1 with all the pageantry, was still a baseball game. Pavano was solid if not spectacular, as he worked out of early trouble, and the Twins were able to give him an early 3-0 lead with RBIs from Cuddyer (who hadn't been getting much in the way of RBIs before this series), Kubel, and Mauer with one of his trademark doubles. Mauer would get a little lucky with his 2nd RBI of the game when a grounder bound for the shortstop hit 2nd base and gave him an infield hit scoring Span for the 2nd time (2 BBs). Kubel got the first home run in Target Field with a solo rocket to right field in the 7th to finish the scoring for the Twins. Pavano lasted 6 giving up 1 run and Duensing allowed a sac fly by Pedroia. Rauch got his 5th save in as many chances.
Game 2 was all about clutch hitting. The Redsox got theirs from an unlikely source (#9 hitter) while the Twins didn't from one of their big boppers (Morneau). Slowely struggled to get any rhythm going on a soggy afternoon, but muddled through 5 innings managing to keep the damage down to 3 runs after allowing 4 walks which is very uncommon for Slowey, and 5 hits. He hasn't started the season that well, but he is still keeping the Twins in games. The bats were shutdown by the Redsox new big-money pitcher John Lackey. Hudson and Mauer got RBI singles off of him in the 3rd but that was it. So both starters were out and the score: 3-2 Redsox.
The Deciding inning (bottom 7, top 8)
Okajima came in to get Mauer and Morneau with 2 on, after awild pitch, Mauer was intentionally walked, and Morneau steps up with bases loaded 2 outs, Okajima gets him to pop out on the infield harmlessly. In the 8th with Jesse Crain pitching, He allows a single, and double, intentional walk, and gets a popout for the 2nd out. Jeremy Hermida, the Redsox #9 hitter, steps in and laces a double in the left-center gap scoring 3... ballgame. Cuddyer's solo homer was too little to late, it boiled down to clutch hitting, and on this day, the Redsox had it, and the Twins didn't.
Game 3 was the Liriano show. Fransisco Liriano got his first start at Target Field, and going by the result, I'd say he likes the new ballpark! The most encouraging thing about his start was how he worked out of first inning trouble, after a Pedrioa single and Martinez double it was 2nd and 3rd with one out, he settled down and got Youkilis on strikes and Beltre to ground out to 3rd. In the 2nd he had 2 on and 1 out again, and induced 2 ground outs to get out of the inning. After that he settled down and allowed only 1 hit and 1 walk the next 5 innings while striking out 6 for a total of 8 Ks and only 2 walks in 7 innings of shutout baseball. He was able to hit his spots with a good fastball (92-94 MPH) which he used to setup his nasty 82-85 MPH Slider and occasional changeup. He got offensive support from Span(2 -2B, 2 RBI), Cuddyer (HR, 3 RBI) and Punto (3 hits, 2 runs scored).
Series Top Performers:
- Liriano - 7 innings, 0 Runs, 8 Ks, 2 BB
- Pavano - 6 innings, 1 Run, 4 Ks, 1 BB
- Span - 3 for 9, 6 BBs, and 2 RBI
- Cuddyer - 5 for 12, 2 HRs and 5 RBI
- Young - 4 for 7, 2-2B, 1 Run
- Punto - 4 for 11, 2-2B, 3 Runs
- Kubel - 5 for 11, HR and 2 RBI
- Morneau 4 for 13, 0 XBH, 1 RBI
- Hudson 3 for 14, 3 runs, 1 RBI
- Slowey 5 innings, 3 Runs, 5 Ks, 4 BB
- Crain - .2 innings, 3 ER, 1 BB
- Mijares - 1 inning, 2 hits, 0 Runs but got bailed out with bases loaded GIDP
7-3 to start the year with 7 of 10 games on the road against quality opponents. Great start! Now its time to beat up on our division as we play the Royals, Indians, and Tigers 2 series each from now through cinco de mayo.
Go Twins!
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