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A lot happened in this game. Wait, let me start over: A lot happened in this game while I was out for my birthday with a bunch of people from Spain and Brazil where I was given the gift of watching Brazilian dancers and then dancing to Brazilian music and watching Capoeira. This isn't actually what I did for my birthday, it was for a work thing. So, I went to a work party for my birthday. Which doesn't sound any better.
But the Twins did win. There were a pair of controversial calls made at home plate. In the top of the third, Pedro Florimon threw home off of a ground ball and Ryan Doumit appeared to apply the tag to Don Kelly. Then, with the game tied at two in the top of the sixth, Kelly singled into right field and Prince Fielder was waved around third base. Chris Parmelee's throw was there in time and, once again, Doumit appeared to apply the tag. Replays revealed that the play in the second was incorrectly called, but the replay in the sixth proved the correct call was made as Doumit's glove landed while Fielder's left leg was still in the air. Both were critical calls and needed to have correct judgments made, but unfortunately replay isn't allowed for plays at the plate.
Jhonny Peralta's two-run single put the Tigers on the board in the fourth, before birthday boy and back-from-the-disabled-list specialist Trevor Plouffe jacked one into the left field seats to knot it up. Plouffe led off with a double in the sixth, eventually scoring on a Brian Dozier single. Three batters later, Joe Mauer's two-out, two-run single pushed the game to 5-2. Plouffe singled off the wall in left-center in the seventh to drive in another run, missing his second homer of the game by two feet. It was the Trevor Plouffe show.
Oh. He walked, too.
Samuel Deduno threw 93 pitches in seven innings tonight, only striking out two but also walking just one. Two of the game's runs were charged to him, although he should have been charged with an additional run had the correct call been made. Luckily for Sam, history won't care.
Game three is tomorrow afternoon, when the Twins have a chance to take the series from the AL Central leaders. See you back here in the morning!
ROLL CALL!
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- MNWildcat (35)
- Sam Deduno has now made fives starts. Three have been quality, one wasn't far off, and only one was miserable. His season ERA is now 3.26. Maybe Deduno's June is like Correia's April?
- Jared Burton has been off his game in his last four outings, allowing seven runs (six earned) in 3.2 innings. The rough patch has increased his ERA by a run and a half.
- Clete Thomas continues to improve on his all-or-nothing campaign, going 2-for-5 today with three strikeouts. That's six Ks in his last three games.
- Since his return from Rochester, Oswalso Arcia is 6-for-17 with four doubles, three strikeouts and a walk.
- The power isn't there, but Justin Morneau is following up his .315/.362/.387 May with another strong month. In June, Justin is batting .316/.381/.395. Has Justin turned into a different hitter at this stage of his career? Or is there still something that hasn't come back? Either way, Justin's numbers going back into May would make him a reasonable number three hitter. Willingham can hit fourth, Doumit can drop to fifth as long as he doesn't go into another prolonged slump, and then Arcia and Plouffe could follow. It's not exactly a murderer's row, but there's some talent in that group. And unless Gardy is now buying into advanced metrics and lineup analysis numbers, he's going to drop Doumit in the order anyway. May as well put Morneau third.
- Brian Dozier initiated a fancy double play by tagging a runner and then throwing onto first base. Dozier tagged the guy in the balls, since he tried to jump out of the way. Whoops.