Minnesota improves to 2-3 in spring training baseball.

Glen Perkins struggled again Monday afternoon, tossing two innings and allowing one run, on two walks and a pair of hits.  A pair of double plays kept the numbers from looking as bad as they could've.  After tying the game in the bottom of the first, Casey Daigle put the Twins back in a hole in the third.  Three hits and a walk led to two Cincinatti runs.  The only other Twins pitcher with a blemish on his afternoon was free agent acquisition Zach Day.  Day lasted just an inning, getting tagged for three runs while allowing a home run to Andy Green.

On the positive side, Phil Humber looked good in the seventh inning.  He faced three batters, retiring all three in order.

At the plate, hits were collected by Joe Mauer, Carlos Gomez (who led off), Justin Morneau, Delmon Young, Chris Basak, Matt Macri, Alexi Casilla and Randy Ruiz, whose extra-inning home run sent the Twins home with a win.  Gomez stole a base while Casilla stole a pair, each player flashing trademark speed.

While Gladden announced that the Twins "needed" this win, I can't imagine why.  This point of the season is about getting back into the game:  working pitches, finding your game swing, getting re-acquainted with game situations.  Wins are secondary.

Winners:  Joe Mauer looked fine at the plate, Carlos Gomez gets plus scores in the field and on the basepaths, and Phil Humber looked as good as a pitcher can look at this point in spring training.

Rough Days:  Glen Perkins was tagged for two innings, and it could have been worse.  He has plenty of time to get his arm back, but right now hitters are teeing off of anything that leaves his fingers.  Zach Day was all over place in his inning of work, getting two ground ball outs and a strikeout while getting tatooed by Green.  Randy Ruiz, while winning the game for the Twins, also looked uncomfortable and over-matched at the plate on more than one occasion.