Twins at Tigers News and Notes

The Twins are off for an eleven-day roadtrip, one that begins in Detroit on Monday night.

By Jon Marthaler Apr 29, 2013, 10:00am EDT

The team that was going to run away and hide with the AL Central has, through a month, yet to do so. They're behind the Royals (This is the year!), and despite sweeping the previously-red-hot Braves over the weekend, are still only one game ahead of the Twins in the standings.
In his start on Friday against Atlanta, Anibal Sanchez struck out seventeen batters in eight innings. Only Randy Johnson has struck out more in an eight-inning start, since 1921. While four of them were Dan Uggla, making the game a little less impressive, it's still fair to say that the new $80 million man is on a hot streak for the Tigers.
Speaking of money, it's worth noting that Detroit has $107 million committed to six players next year - Sanchez, Verlander, Miguel Cabrera, Prince Fielder, Torii Hunter, and Victor Martinez. I'll forgive you if you leave this notes column for a moment to drop into a wistful, what-if-the-Pohlads-actually-spent-some-money reverie.
Out in left field, both Andy Dirks and youngster Avisail Garcia have struggled with injuries, but Matt Tuiasosopo is picking up the slack. He's hit in four consecutive games, and is batting .323 in his action this year.

Minnesota was 6-3 in Detroit last year, one of the few places they had any success. They also took two out of three from the Tigers in the one series between the teams so far in 2013.
Tim Wood's rehab assignment in Rochester continues to go well. He's pitched five innings and allowed just one hit, one walk, and no runs.
I am going to try to recreate in print form one of Dan Gladden's radio calls from Sunday's game. What - apparently - happened was that Mitch Moreland tried to go to second on a bloop to center, but Hicks threw him out. But here's how Gladden called it, more or less: "Fly ball to center, routine. Hicks starts back, now he comes in, he won't get it. Moreland's trying for second. They got him at first!"
According to the Star Tribune, Trevor Plouffe is going to get a "refresher course" at third base, which I hope is nothing but somebody hitting him grounders and Scott Ullger kicking him in the butt every time he olès one.

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