Game 142: Score ugly, but some positives
posted in Minnesota Twins, The Stretch Run |The Tigers lost, 9-5, in the HHHorrordome. By the look of the score, you cringe. There was an inning — does Minnesota have a patent on those? — where everything went right for the Twins or it might have looked a lot better, maybe not even a loss, but you can’t say. All you can say is this: The Tigers had plenty of positives in a loss. And that is something we have not been able to say for awhile.
First off, Detroit scored five runs. They had a 4-2 lead in the fifth inning with five hits and four walks when Minnesota starter Matt Garza left the game. So far, so good, right? Lately, that sounds like a victory. And about 15 innings worth of work. Magglio Ordonez went 3-for-4 with a walk and four RBIs. That’s Magglio coming around for the final 20 games. Again, yo have to look at that and be happy. Pudge went 2-for-5 and looked good in the 2 hole. And Omar Infante continued to hit well in place of Placido Polanco. Honestly, this was one of the best losses Detroit has had in a long, long time when you look at it from that angle. And Carlos Guillen played, that’s definitely good news. On the other hand, they were 2-for-12 with men in scoring position.
From the pitching side, Wil Ledezma just couldn’t keep a lead. His defense didn’t contribute real great either. He was given 2-0, it was 2-2 after the Twins batted. He was given 4-2; it was 5-4 after the Twins next half-inning. In the third inning, Minnesota singled for four straight at-bats with two outs. The Twings strung four hits together to score three runs in the fifth inning, this time with one out. And in the sixth inning, off Andrew Miller, all four runs were scored with two outs. Miller walked the next three baserunners, was pulled, then the hits started off Zach Miner. It is debatable — too close to call so the runner got the edge — if Detroit got the third out when Carlos Guillen came out with a terrific grab and threw to first with one hop. If he gets that out, it’s 5-4 still. But as it is, Brandon Inge commited an error the next at-bat, then Phil Nevin doubled in more runs. 9-4. Game over.
Mike Maroth pitched for two innings, allowing just one hit. It was just some good Minnesota hitting or some bad Detroit fielding, but the runs can be scored fast and furious in that dome, and the team that needed them most came up with them.
Hopefully Detroit returns the favor tonight. The JV relief squad played on Friday, let’s see how the varsity does for Nate Robertson… or if he needs them at all.
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