Gavin Floyd pitches another career-highlighting game, brushes against history after nearly no-hitting the Tigers in April.

While The Perfect Game is rare, a No-Hitter is pretty damn close.  Floyd combined a masterful performance with some help from his defense, the end result of which was a great win for the White Sox.  There was a little trouble in the first inning, as he walked Brendan Harris and Joe Mauer in back-to-back plate appearances, but no damage was done.

Another walk to Mauer in the fourth led to Minnesota's only run.  With Joe on first, Justin Morneau took a strong cut and lined the ball hard into left field.  Carlos Quentin appeared to make the catch, but in the next instant the ball slipped from his glove.  Michael Cuddyer followed up with a long fly out to right field, advancing Mauer to third, and Jason Kubel completed the hitless scoring opportunity by lifting a sacrifice fly to Nick Swisher in center field.  It made the score 2-1, but Floyd wouldn't give the Minnesota offense another opportunity.

Cuddyer described what it was like for hitters in the batters box:

"He had late movement, and that's the best kind you can have," Cuddyer said. "It looks like a strike all the way to the zone and then maybe it falls out. To the naked eye, it looks like we are chasing, but when you're up there, it looks like a strike."

Gavin Floyd's curveball has always been his best pitch, but on Tuesday night his fastball and slider were just as effective.  Games like this are what can happen when guys with great stuff, like Floyd, can get it all working at once.

After retiring Brendan Harris on strikes to start the top of the ninth, Joe Mauer stepped in, 0-for-1 with a pair of walks.  On a 1-0 count, Floyd's slider broke over the plate and Mauer took advantage.  Mauer pushed it, lining the ball into the left-center field gap.  Swisher, who had been playing Mauer to pull, was out of position.

Knowing it takes a little luck to put a No-Hitter on your resume, Floyd mentioned he could only do what he could do:  throw strikes and get people out.  It was Swisher who sounded disappointed when talking about trying to keep that goose egg intact:

"In the sixth, I looked up and realized they didn't have [a hit]...I didn't care if I had to run through the wall to catch it. I was going for it, and tried my best superman impersonation, but I didn't get it. In my mind, it [stinks]. The win was great to get, but I wanted that for Gavin."

That one hit was enough, and Ozzie Guillen lifted Floyd from the game with a 7-1 lead, one out and Joe Mauer standing on second base.  It was Mauer's ninth double of the season.  Bobby Jenks came on and closed out the ninth.

It wasn't much fun to watch as a Twins fan, but as a baseball fan it's easy to appreciate what Floyd nearly pulled off.  We know first hand what it's like to cheer for someone or something that isn't extpected to do too much, and Gavin Floyd's career hasn't exactly gone as it once was projected.  Tuesday night he was effective as any pitcher in the game, and he nearly pulled off a No-Hitter.

Having said that, I'm glad Mauer broke it up.  It's a small victory, one of those "moral victories", but you take what you can get out of a loss.  Game two of the series is tonight, hopefully we can turn it back around and start another winning streak.

[Note by Jesse, 05/07/08 5:39 AM CDT ]  Be sure to check out our Q&A with Twins President Dave St. Peter from Tuesday moring!

It's as easy as 1-2-3.

Jason Kubel hit a 2-run shot in the fourth off Chicago starter Gavin Floyd, giving the Twins a 2-0 lead.  Michael Cuddyer, who had doubled directly in front of our new full-time designated hitter, was the other run.  Said Kubel about the upper-deck shot:

"I was just trying to get the runner over from second base, and he left it down the middle," Kubel said. "I was trying to pull it and ended up putting a lot of backspin on it. And I got it up and out."

Floyd agreed, admitting leaving a fastball down the middle was a mistake to a hitter like Kubel.  The towering blast was Jason's fourth home run of the season, and while it's early puts him on pace for more than 20 bombs in 2008.  His .247/.268/.398 line to this point isn't anything to write home about (in fact it's disappointing), but there aren't many position players off to good starts for the Twins.  As the season rolls along, Kubel should find his stride.

Bonser was like a man possessed, taking out the Chi-Sox early on the fastball before mixing in his breaking balls.  Seven strong innings, eight strikeouts, a walk and only six hits.  Joe Crede's solo shot in the seventh was his only damage.  Gardenhire was impressed:

"He set a nice tone. I think you saw some really good breaking balls. His curveball was going down hard. He had a nice slider. And he mixed them all in there. But it all starts with locating the fastball early in the ballgame and setting it up."

While Pat Neshek and Dennys Reyes combined for a scoreless eighth, it was Joe Nathan came on and pitched a perfect ninth inning.  There's nothing like finishing a vicotry with a double-shot of Joe!  Twins win, 3-1.

With Tuesday's win the Twins improve to 12-14, which puts them in a tie for second place with the Royals.  While many of Minnesota's upcoming opponents will are early favorites for October runs, hopefully the Twins can take advantage of having 15 of their next 21 games at home.

Other Highlights

*  The 1 and 2 hitters for the Twins were 0-for-8.  His hitless night left Brendan Harris' OBP at .344, still second best on the team.

*  Joe Mauer was 1-for-3, with a triple and a walk.  He's now hitting .306/.362/.400.

*  Delmon Young was 2-for-2 with a walk and a pair of stolen bases, giving him six in seven attempts.  While there's still no power, Delmon is 10-for-27 in his last seven games.  Hopefully this means he's heating up.

*  In his last two starts, Bonser has pitched 13 innings and allowed three runs and just nine hits.  BOOOOFFF!!!

*  Pat Neshek has held opponents scoreless in his last six appearances (5.1 IP, 3 H, 3 K).  His ERA is under 4 for the first time since being lit up by the Royals on April 4th.

*  Dennys Reyes:  LOOGY extraordinaire.  11 appearances, 8.2 innings pitched, 4 hits, 4 strikeouts, 2 walks, 0 runs allowed.

*  Joe Nathan's eighth save ties him for third in baseball, behind something named George Sherrill and Francisco Rodriguez.

See you tonight!!

It's a good thing I'm not terribly supersticious, I'd never see another full Twins game this year.

I wouldn't call it ironic, because kicking the living crap out of the Ranger bullpen isn't unheard of or even unexpected, but the Twins didn't get to Sidney Ponson as early as I thought they would.  Ponson went five and a third, allowing five runs (just one earned), but he'd been surprisingly effective through five innings.  In the sixth, holding a 5-2 lead, things came unravelled.

Once he was staked to his lead, Ponson changed tactics and began to go after Twins hitters, not being afraid to throw over the plate instead of trying to get them to bite on fastballs dancing on the outside of the zone.  In the sixth inning this tactic began to backfire, and in the end forced Texas to put the fate of their game into their suspect relief corps.

Brendan Harris led off the Minnesota sixth, and again it looked like Ponson was approaching Twins hitters aggressively.  Three of his four pitches were right over the heart of the plate, and on a 2-1 count, Harris took Ponson's offering to center field for a double.

Still in control, Ponson attacked Mauer will three consecutive fastballs.  Joe took the first two for balls before taking his third pitch back to the pitcher.  Ponson threw the ball away, Harris scored, and when the dust settled Joe Mauer was standing on second base.  5-3 Rangers, but Ponson was shaken.

After Justin Morneau grounded out to first base, Michael Cuddyer reached base when Texas third baseman Ramon Vasquez was unable to come up clean on the ground ball.  With only one out and runners on first and second, it was Jason Kubel who chased Ponson.  His hard-hit liner to right scored Mauer from third.

Jamie Wright came on in relief, and quickly walked Delmon Young on five pitches.  The bases were loaded for Mike Lamb, who's had one of the roughest starts of any Twin so far this spring.  Lamb came through with a sacrifice fly, and the game was tied as Cuddyer crossed home plate.  It was the best inning I've been able to watch so far this year, and was an awesome way to wake up this morning, not gonna lie.

Another three-run inning in the seventh gave the Twins a healthy lead late, but it was Michael Cuddyer's three-run homer in the top of the eighth that put the nail in the proverbial coffin.  Following a 10-pitch plate appearance for Morneau, Cuddyer took Scott Feldman's first pitch and deposited it over the left field fence.  It capped 10 unanswered runs by the Minnesota offense.

Craig Monroe's start in center field didn't cost the Twins any runs in the end, and likely helped the offense in the absence of Carlos Gomez.  He went 2-for-5 with an RBI double, giving the Twins their first lead at 1-0.  I wouldn't want to pull that job more than a handful of times all season, but if it has to happen on a limited occasion, well...it's not going to alter the fortunes of the team one way or the other.

That was a great win for the Twins.  Let's shoot for a series victory this afternoon!

 Justin's grand slam, 5 RBI over-shadowed.

A 5-0 lead in the top of the third was wiped out in the bottom, as Nick Blackburn was tagged for five consecutive singles to lead off the inning.  Hank Blalock follwed immediately with a double, before Jason Botts drove his own double to right field.  Blalock, who was trying to score from second, was thrown out at the plate.  Botts, in an attempt to turn his double into a triple, was consequently thrown out at third.  Seven consecutive hits plated five runs, but Blackburn was the benefactor of a slow runner and a bad base-running decision.  Frank Catalanotto was called out on strikes to end the Ranger third in the very next at-bat, but it could have been a whole lot worse.

Each team was kept scoreless until the bottom of the tenth, when Donny Murphy singled off of Juan Rincon to score German Duran.

Carlos Gomez rebounded for the second straight game, going 2-for-3 with two runs and his 10th stolen base of the year.  Joe Mauer also did his part, going 2-for-3 with a double and two walks.  After the criticism they've received here the last couple of days, it was good to see them come through.  Hopefully they can build off of Friday's successes at the plate.

Michael Cuddyer was 1-for-5 in his return, batting fifth.  He was followed by Jason Kubel and Delmon Young, whose hitless nights helped the three combine for a 1-for-14 evening.  They stranded 17 baserunners between them.

That's not a fun way to start your Saturday morning, no matter what country you're in.  I'll see you this afternoon.

Thursday afternoon's contest against the Athletics was discouraging for many involved.

Francisco Liriano failed to make it through the first inning yesterday, easily making it his worst start to date in his career with the Twins.  Only 43% of his pitches were for strikes, and when you're struggling for command with your fastball there's not too much you're going to be able to do to be effective.  He recorded two outs, allowing eight men to reach base; Liriano was charged with six runs.

After his night off, Carlos Gomez collected hits in his first two plate appearances on Thursday.  Leading off in the top of the first, he gave the Twins a 1-0 lead when he hit his first home run of the season.  Minnesota's only other run came off Brian Buscher, who knocked in Mike Redmond from second base following his double in the fifth.

With more than eight innings chewed up by four members of the bullpen, it's likely that only Guerrier, Neshek and Nathan will be available for Friday night's game.  While Rincon and Reyes only threw 15 pitches apiece, in today's game that means they'll only be used if absolutely necessary.

It was a disturbing thing to watch, from the bottom of the first innings through the rest of the game.  Francisco Liriano's immediate future with the Twins will likely be decided in the next 24 hours, when the Twins will decide whether to option him to Rochester to further develop his arm, or whether to give him one more shot at a start.

Span Optioned to Rochester; Cuddyer to Start Friday

Following the 11-2 defeat, the Twins sent Denard Span back to triple-A to make room for Michael Cuddyer's return on Friday.  Span was 1-for-1 in relief of Jason Kubel yesterday, and Ron Gardenhire believes the outfielder needs to be with the big league club:

"I know he needs playing time, but I'd like to have him here and off my bench too," Gardenhire said. "Maybe that is something I can work out over the next couple weeks or so. I'd like to use him in the big leagues a bit more. I like having him here."

Span's appearances didn't shock anyone, and he didn't do too much to make you notice whether he was there or not.  But by playing well in the field and limiting his mental mistakes, he's at the very least impressed his manager.  Span averaged 3.97 pitches per plate appearance in his first brief stint with the Twins, and managed a .324 OBP.

On Friday night, Michael Cuddyer will make his first appearance since leaving the game on April 4.  Reports on Cuddyer, and his hand, have been positive.  It will be interesting to see if he favors it during his at-bats tonight.

I was fortunate enough to be asked by John Bonnes to be the editor of the May, 2008 edition of GameDay (thus my absence here over the last few days).  It's shaped up to be an extraordinary issue, and I'm incredible proud of the content.  Thanks to John, GameDay, and to the contributing authors for making it a fun and easy gig.

Below is my contribution.  Enjoy, and be sure to find your GameDay vendor in front of the Dome!

“Every person puts out a different heat,” says Michael Cuddyer to Denard Span, “and that’s how I find your card.”  Span’s hand is resting on Cuddyer’s, as the center field prospect plays the mark in the latest magic trick perfected by the Minnesota right fielder.  Span is laughing as the trick continues, until in the end Cuddyer finds both the nine of clubs and the king of diamonds, neither being where Denard thought they would be.

Therein lies the magic in what Cuddyer does:  he goes about his business, does his job, succeeds.  Yet nobody appears to be any the wiser.  In a lineup with the likes of Justin Morneau, Delmon Young and Joe Mauer, Michael Cuddyer somehow pulls a vanishing act.

On some level, it makes sense.  He hasn’t won a batting title, or an MVP, or a Cy Young award.  He’s not expected to be one of the game’s best young hitters, doesn’t boast the speed of an F-15, and the throne of Future Ace doesn’t rest on his shoulders.  His comments to the press don’t incite water cooler conversation about the etiquette (or lack thereof) of professional athletes in the press.  Even on the day he signed his three-year, $24 million contract, it was seen as a secondary highlight to the 2006 MVP’s new deal.  There’s something old school about the way Cuddyer goes about his business, and in today’s sports and media world this means he often gets overlooked.

On another level, however, missing him makes no sense at all.  Michael Cuddyer has been with the Twins longer than any other position player on the major league roster.  Both Juan Rincon and Cuddyer made their debuts way back in 2001, albeit in very limited time.  No other current Twin debuted before 2003.  It’s bizarre to think that Cuddyer, at just 29, is now the elder statesman thanks to all the turnover Minnesota has been witness to these last couple of off-seasons.

While some of us in the seats may not think “Cuddyer” when given the words “Minnesota Twins” in a word association test, it’s a given that the Twins organization, from top to bottom, hasn’t forgotten about him.  Of course there’s the brand new, multi-million dollar contract to prove it.  There’s Ron Gardenhire’s placement of Cuddyer right in the middle of the batting order (third in 2008, up to the thumb injury).  Then there’s the role he’s been settling into slowly over the last couple of years:  team leader and sound bite machine.  This is backed up by his new position in the locker room, as he requested and was granted Torii Hunter’s old locker.  It’s near the showers and has an empty locker next to it, leaving plenty of space for the media while keeping the familiar location for where to go to grab a good quote or two.

The sound bite is where we, as fans, get to see how leadership takes form.  In the wake of the Hunter and Santana departures, fans were unhappy with how the two players had handled the situation.  Going further back, fans were often split by Hunter’s freedom in front of a microphone.  Whether you bought into that hype or not, one thing is certain:  Cuddyer’s sound bites prove him to be a team player.  He doesn’t flaunt his opinions, and when he does mention them they’re stated in good taste.

When asked about the possibility of playing in center field, he remarked, “I'm in no place to dictate to the manager where I'll play.  At the same time I'm comfortable in right.  I don't think you can argue with the results in right.  I know the baggie, and I know everything that goes on with playing that position. If I had my preference I'd stay in right field."

When commenting on his and Justin Morneau’s new contracts, he said, “There [have] been a lot of negatives going around this off-season with losing Torii and Carlos and the whole Johan situation. To have some positive light for the fans is pretty special."

Finally, when talking about the “Twins way,” he had this to say:  “Try to play the game as it was meant to be played, stick up for your teammates, and don't show anybody up. That's the way.”

Over the course of his career there are quotes just like these.  Cuddyer has a penchant for doing and saying the right things, and as a result both he and the team come off in a much more positive light.  His off-the-field track record helps confirm his status as a team leader.

Yet there’s nothing about his game which deserves to be glossed over, either.  In his two full years in right, Cuddyer’s appeared in 91% of the Twins’ regular season games, hitting .280/.359/.469.  Those numbers are good enough to make him 24 OPS points better than the league-average right fielder in that same span.  In that period he’s been hitting in the cleanup position in the batting order more often than any other slot, usually right between Mauer and Morneau.  Still he’s somehow overlooked.  Would you overlook whatever you put in a sandwich?  I submit that you would not.

Defensively Cuddyer’s acquired a reputation for being a head-hunter, notching 15 kills (and an American League-leading 19 outfield assists) from right field in 2007.  In fact, in a study done by John Walsh of The Hardball Times in January, it was concluded that Cuddyer saved the Twins about 14.6 runs by holding and killing base runners.  That was good for best in baseball from his position.  As last summer progressed you could actually notice when the base runners started respecting that cannon, because suddenly the better ones weren’t trying to take an extra base on hits to right field.

Michael Cuddyer has come a long way since his debut with the Twins seven seasons ago.  His roles have changed and expanded, but he’s growing into his new shoes with aplomb.  He keeps his head down, throws down a new magic trick from time to time, flashes an easy smile, and in spite of being the media’s new go-to guy manages to get overlooked for his solid on-the-field product.  Cuddyer is the walking example of Teddy Roosevelt’s quote:  Speak softly and carry a big stick.

Don't let the dimples deceive you.  He can hit, he can throw, he's a leader and his slight of hand will give your slight of hand the smack down.  He's come a long way since cutting Johan Santana in half.

When I was in high school, there was a guy on our baseball team that loved nothing more than the first pitch of the game from the opposing pitcher.  If it was a ball - and this being high school baseball, it often was - this guy, without fail, would prematurely heckle the pitcher by yelling "STRUGGLING!" at the top of his lungs.

I suppose that's a little like noting that anybody on the Twins is "struggling" after just one series.  Nevertheless, the Twins did drop three of four to the Angels, and in the process resurrected old concerns about the team's ability to score runs or hit the long ball. 

After the jump, a look at the first series of the year, and at some players who didn't have the best week.

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