Finally the Twins grabbed a lead in Seattle they could keep, thanks to rookie Denard Span.
This game was pretty much all about Span. He was three for five with four RBIs and caught a ball that would have gone yard and given the Mariners the lead.
Span, who was in triple A five weeks ago and has played in only 44 games, appears to have job security. He's hitting .315 and has a secure hold on the leadoff spot. He's been playing great defense.
The Twins pitching was shaky in this series. Nick Blackburn allowed only three runs in six innings, and for once the bullpen gave up no runs -- thanks to Span.
Some relative unknowns played well for the Twins. Backup catcher Mike Redmond was two for five. Recent call-up Randy Ruiz went two for five with two runs. Brendan Harris, who has been swinging a hot bat lately and upped his average to .268, was two for four with two runs and two RBIs.
The Twins blew a 6-0 lead Monday and a 2-0 lead Tuesday to suffer bad losses to the worst team in the American League. The bullpen imploded in the series opener, giving up 10 runs in one inning. Ouch.
It was bad enough to worry about how the pen will fare on the road or against tough teams at home.
The Twins didn't gain any ground -- the White Sox won and remained a game up.
The team plays at Kansas City -- no gimme anymore -- and then has a home series against the Yankees, a team that has always done well against the Twins.
Keywords: Brendan Harris, Denard Span, Mike Redmond, Minnesota Twins, Nick Blackburn, Randy Ruiz, Seattle Mariners
