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Blue Jays 11, Twins 2: Toronto Offense Hammers Pavano, Twins

By Adam Peterson

This was an ugly one. The Toronto Blue Jays have the most powerful lineup in the majors, and while Kevin Slowey was able to skate in and out of trouble last night, today's starter Carl Pavano was in trouble early and often as the Twins lost 11-2 in Toronto this afternoon. With the loss, the Twins split the two game series in Toronto and fall to 2-3 on their current seven game east coast road trip. With two games left in Boston Wednesday and Thursday, the Twins must sweep the Red Sox in order to avoid their first losing road trip of the season.

Game notes, studs and (mostly) duds follow after the jump.

Carl Pavano was ripped by the Blue Jays hitters today, giving up 10 hits, six earned runs and 2 home runs in only four innings of work. And the ten hits weren't cheap either:
  1. Sharp ground ball to right field for a single by Fred Lewis.
  2. Line drive to right field by Adam Lind.
  3. Line drive double to right center by Lyle Overbay.
  4. Fly ball home run to left center field by Edwin Encarnacion. (actually a good pitch down and away)
  5. Line drive single to right field by Jose Molina. Just over Hudson's glove, but you don't expect to catch sharp line drives. 
  6. Fly ball home run to left field by Vernon Wells. The pitch was right down main street.
  7. Ground ball double down the third base line by Alex Gonzalez. This one should have been an error on Nick Punto, as he tried to backhand the in between hop, but he at least needs to knock down the ball and prevent a double.
  8. Seeing eye ground ball single to shortstop by Jose Molina.This might be Molina's only infield single of the season. 
  9. Fly ball double to center field by Fred Lewis, just out of a diving Denard Span's glove.
  10. Sharp ground ball single to right field by Adam Lind. A great throw by Jason Kubel put Lewis out at home to prevent further damage.

By the time Gardy mercifully took Pavano out of the game, the Twins were down 6-1 and well on their way to a loss. The bullpen was hit just as hard as Pavano, giving up five more runs and two more home runs in four additional innings. Ron Mahay pitched a 1-2-3 fifth, but then he showed why he's a LOOGY by giving up two singles and an Aaron Hill home run to put the Blue Jays up 9-1. Jesse Crain then came in, bobbled a come backer, threw the ball into right field, and promptly gave up a home run to yesterday's goat Lyle Overbay. 11-1 Toronto.

In the meantime, Toronto starter Shaun Marcum was in control. The Twins managed to put together a small rally in the third, but after an Orlando Hudson single and Joe Mauer double to right field, Justin Morneau grounded weakly to third. Mauer's double should have scored Hudson, but Orlando clearly wasn't running the bases well and held up at third. In the end, Marcum pitched seven innings and gave up five hits, one run and two walks.

Studs

  1. Michael Cuddyer. 2-3, R, 3B, BB. Contributed +1.01 runs offensively.
  2. Jason Kubel. 1-3, BB, RBI. Contributed +0.33 runs offensively and saved a run by throwing out Fred Lewis at home plate.
  3. Jose Mijares. 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO. Jose was the only effective Twins pitcher today. 
  4. Alexi Casilla. 1-1, R, 3B. Contributed +1.05 runs offensively with a pinch hit triple past a diving Jose Bautista. 

Duds

  1. Carl Pavano, Ron Mahay and Jesse Crain. Enough said about that, 11 runs in 6 innings is bad.
  2. Brendan Harris. 0-4, SO, GIDP. Contributed -1.35 runs offensively.
  3. Delmon Young. 0-4, 2 SO. Contributed -1.24 runs offensively.
  4. Justin Morneau. 0-3, SO. Contributed -1.06 runs offensively.

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