The last-place Indians and the first-place Twins have exactly the same record; the W and L columns are just reversed.
Cleveland, Ohio -- The Minnesota Twins have to feel like they've just had back-to-back Christmases at Progressive Field. And what did Santa leave for 'em under the tree? How about a six-game lead over fading Chicago in the AL Central?Dear Tribe: This is the kind of thing boys get when they've been good all year.
The Twins are about as relaxed as a team can be, coming into the final weeks of the regular season. They are headed into Chicago for a three-game series that starts tonight, but after Sunday's 6-2 shellacking of the Indians in Progressive Field, clubhouse TVs were tuned to NFL games, not potential opponents like the Pale Hose.
Here's an account of the postgame relaxation going on, courtesy of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune:
The White Sox were in the process of erasing a six-run deficit against the Royals on Sunday but the Twins, following a 6-2 victory over the Indians for their latest series victory, didn't seem to care.There was a football game on every TV in the player's section of the clubhouse. Did Twins manager and majordomo Ron Gardenhire extend his ban of White Sox highlights at Target Field into the dressing area? Nope. Fantasy football.
Chris Johnson's two touchdowns against Oakland drew more attention than Paul Konerko's two home runs against Kansas City. And Gardenhire was more worried about why fellow former University of Texas athlete Colt McCoy wasn't on the field for the Browns.
Um, think that might be because Jake Delhomme and the rest of the Browns were doing just fine losing the game all by themselves without the help of a rookie who's just not ready for the bigs? How many pitchers do you know who get signed out of college and go straight to the Show?
Finding a way
Sunday's 6-2 win is almost an anomaly for the Twins. The St. Paul Pioneer-Press noted that games like Saturday's 1-0 have been more common.
From The Plain DealerThe Twins have played 51 one-run games this season, second only to Kansas City's 55 in all of baseball. Of Minnesota's past 14 games, 10 have been decided by one run, and of those 10, the Twins have won eight. Minnesota's 30-21 record in one-run games is the best winning percentage (.588) in such games in the major leagues, and Gardenhire said it's those wins, especially the recent ones, that show something essential to a successful season.
"We're figuring out finding ways to win," he said. "It's not like we're getting 15 hits a night or throwing no-hitters every night, but we're finding ways, and that's what good teams have to do."
The Twins' one-run results become even more relevant when looking ahead to their next opponent. After today's off day, Minnesota opens a three-game series at Chicago. Of the 51 one-run games the Twins have played this season, nine have been against the White Sox, and in those games the Twins are 7-2.
Oh, so THAT'S how you get to 85-58, as opposed to the Indians' 58-85.
A five-run first-inning lead, which is what the Tribe staked the Twins to on Sunday, is good enough relax any pitcher. But it shouldn't have happened. Manager Manny Acta gave writer Dennis Manoloff his take on the situation.
Starter Mitch Talbott left the game three batters into it with inflammation in his pitching shoulder. Justin Masterson relieved, but it was Luis Valbuena's boot of a double play that really hurt.
The first batter Masterson faced, Jason Kubel, flied out. Michael Cuddyer singled to load the bases. (Former Indian Jim) Thome grounded to second for what should have been a routine double play. Instead, for reasons known only to Valbuena, he hurried his turn toward second and fumbled the ball in the process. Credit Thome with an RBI on the fielder's choice/error.
"We continue to struggle offensively, but I think the story was the first inning, not being able to stop the bleeding with that double-play ball," Acta said. "We pretty much shot ourselves in the foot by giving them those two extra outs. When you're playing a good team, you can't be giving it extra outs."
Valbuena was nowhere to be found in the postgame clubhouse.
In his Indians Insider column, Manoloff noted that the cheers may at last be starting to outnumber the boos for the popular Thome, who left in 2002 to sign with the Phillies. Manoloff also said that second baseman Jason Donald will miss three to five days with fingers bruised in a failed bunt attempt on Saturday night.