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Scott Diamond imploded during Game 1 of today's double-header, as things got shaky in the fourth before the train fell off of the rails in the fifth. To be fair to Diamond, he's not the only Twins player who forgot they were playing two regular season games today. Minnesota was 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position, which has become an issue, and it becomes pronounced when the team only managed three hits in the first place. Jordan Zimmerman rolled, and the Nationals' four through seven hitters were 9-for-13 with six runs batted in and five runs scored.
In Game 2, Chris Herrmann stayed hot and crushed a two-run double off of the wall in the second inning to put the Twins up 2-1. In the third, Pedro Florimon launched his third homer of the year (and he knew it, too, did you see him watch it?) to push the score to 4-1. But you know that's not how it ended.
After a rain delay, Aaron Hicks was pulled for a ham string something that he's day-to-day for, but Samuel Deduno showed his stripes by walking the first two hitters in the fifth. Washington would score one. Dendard Span's triple in the sixth down the right field line scored a runner from first to tie the contest at four. Then Ian Desmond jumped all over a fat breaking ball that left up by Anthony Swarzak to score the go-ahead and final run of the game in the sixth. Herrmann walked with two away in the ninth and Joe Mauer followed with a single, but Josh Willingham popped up (SIGH) to end the threat and send the Twins home for a series at Target Field against the Phillies.
ROLL CALL (both games)!
- jere.johnson.37 (105)
- kenzertz (103)
- myjah (94)
- DavidRF (86)
- less cowbell, more 'neau (70)
- SooFoo Fan (63)
- MNWildcat (43)
- carlpavanosmoustache (41)
- twinscrazy_german (39)
- Sportsavenue (38)
- After being 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position in the first game, the Twins were 1-for-10 in Game 2. This season the Twins are batting .254/.336.356 in that situation this season.
- Aaron Hicks is day-to-day.
- Swarzak gets credit for a blown save in Game 2, which will be marked as a "BS" in the box score. An argument could be made that it's more of a notation for what he pitched like rather than the mark of a pointless statistic.
- Herrmann is making a surprising amount of good contact in limited duty.
- While it was Swarzak who left that fat pitch up for Desmond in the sixth inning of Game 2, Josh Willingham attempted to field the ball. We'll just leave it there.
- I had a whirlwind tour of Fargo, North Dakota this weekend. I'm running on about seven hours of sleep since Thursday. How are you?