Mauer homers, but Pavano gets rocked.
Denard Span led off the game just the perfect leadoff man, reaching base and putting a duck on the pond early for Joe Mauer. Mauer's two-run shot off Clay Buchholz put the Twins up 2-0 before they even took the field. It was Joe's first bomb of the spring, but it just wasn't the Twins' afternoon.
The Red Sox peppered Carl Pavano with base runners. He only walked one, but Pavano was unable to escape the fourth inning and was eventually chased after giving up his twelvth hit. By the time Pat Neshek got him out of the inning, Pavano's damage was eight runs over three and two-thirds. Already down 8-4, Tug Hulett's three-run shot off of Jose Mijares in the seventh put the nail in the proverbial coffin.
A few guys got a few innings in the field today that hadn't seen much time this month: Joe Benson (0-for-1, K), Dustin Martin (0-for-1, K), James Beresford (0-for-1, K) and Nicholas Romero (0-for-1). Santos Arias pitched a perfect eighth inning.
It's easy to chalk up Pavano's poor start to being "just a spring performance". Whether you believe that or not, it's just one start. Every pitcher gets banged up, and on the plus side this one doesn't really count.
It counts in eight days.
Plus
Denard Span (1-for-2, RBI, R)
Joe Mauer (1-for-3, HR, 2 RBI, R)
Jim Thome (2-for-3, 2B, R)
Jason Kubel (Assist at the plate)
Jacque Jones (1-for-1, RBI)
Pat Neshek (1 IP, H, 2 K)
Minus
Justin Morneau (0-for-3, K)
Michael Cuddyer (0-for-3, 2 K)
Carl Pavano (3.2 IP, 12 H, 8 R, 2 K, 1 BB)
Jose Mijares (1.1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 1 K)