It started so well, with back-to-back wins against the mighty Angels in Anaheim. It ended calamitously, with the Jays sweeping the Twins in Toronto, with the final game a 9-0 blowout.

The Twins finished the road trip 5-8 -- 2-2 against the Angels, 1-2 against the Mariners, 2-2 against the Athletics and 0-3 against the Jays, who won all six games against the Twins.

But the news isn't all bad. The White Sox also played poorly during that stretch, and are up only a game and a half. And the Sox must play without star -- and possible MVP -- Carlos Quentin indefinitely. He has a fractured wrist and must have surgery. He's probably out for the year.

What's more, the White Sox must play the Angels next. You might think they have little to play for, with the AL West title all but wrapped up. But the home-field advantage that goes to the team with the best record can come in mighty handy, and the Angels and Rays are fighting it out for that.

Continue reading "Twins out of gas as Road Trip from Hell ends"

What a difference a day makes.

On Monday the Twins were 2 1/2 games behind the White Sox. The Twins cruised over the Royals and the red-hot Blue Jays swept the Sox in Chicago. Now the gap is only a game.

The heroes included Justin Morneau, who hit his 23rd homer and knocked in two to up his RBI total to 119; Denard Span, who went three for five with two runs and an RBI; Brian Buscher, who went three for four with a run and an RBI; and starter Nick Blackburn, who allowed two runs and five hits in seven innings.

Maybe it was the day off Monday. The Twins had a brutal road trip and probably just got tired. (And ran into a team that's put it all together at the end of the year, the Jays.)

The Twins have a decent shot. Injuries to Carlos Quentin and Paul Konerko will hurt the White Sox. On the other side of the ledger, though, the Twins have bullpen issues. Matt Guerrier, in particular, has just pitched too many innings. There are some tired arms in the pen.

Continue reading "Twins back in the race"

You can't put lipstick on this pig: The Twins' bullpen blew a fine effort by Francisco Liriano to lose at home to the woeful Kansas City Royals.

This one really hurts. Now the team is a game and a half behind the White Sox, with the Sox playing the Jays later tonight.

Liriano's the team's ace, and the Twins have to win his games. The bullpen is as wasted as frat boys at 2 a.m. on a Sunday morning. They have nothing left.

Let's be unkind and point fingers: Matt Guerrier and Dennys Reyes blew this game.

But where was the hitting? Just two runs against the Royals at the Baggie Dome?

Hometown hero Joe Mauer made the last out. Jason Kubel, Brendan Harris, Nick Punto and Alexi Casilla went hitless.

No, the Twins aren't dead, though they've played some games recently where they didn't show much life. But the White Sox have not been playing well either.

Continue reading "Horrible loss for Twins"

You have to win crucial games down the stretch on the road to reach the postseason.

The Twins did that, winning 12-2 and 12-6 over the Baltimore Orioles, who have been a welcome change from the Toronto Blue Jays, who have been beating everybody.

In the first game, Justin Morneau went four for five with two runs and two RBIs; Denard Span was two for five with four RBIs and two runs; Carlos Gomez was two for four with four RBIs and a run; and Scott Baker had a solid outing, allowing just one run in six innings.

In the second game, Span, Matt Tolbert and Brendan Harris each had two outs. Morneau drove in two more, improving to 124. (MVP anyone? At least if the Twins win the division, I think he'd be a great choice.)

It's a good thing the Twins bashed the ball in that second game -- Glen Perkins had a weak start, allowing six runs in three innnings. For once the bullpen was perfect. Bobby Korecky, Craig Breslow, Dennys Reyes and Philip Humber pitched six innings of scoreless relief.

Continue reading "Twin-bill win for Twins"

Black Sunday followed a terrific Saturday.

The Twins lost to Baltimore, 7-3, and the White Sox swept the Tigers to go a game and a half ahead of the Twins.

Alarmingly, the starting pitching wasn't good during the series with the Orioles. Glen Perkins allowed six runs in three innings in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader. Nick Blackburn gave up six runs in four innings against the Orioles on Sunday.

The bullpen's issues were troubling enough. The Twins can score runs, but they must rely on good pitching.

Tonight the Twins are behind the Indians, 3-0, and White Sox and Yankees are tied, 2-2. Gulp. The Twins really do not want to fall behind any further.

Continue reading "Twins hang on by their fingernails"

As each new season begins, fondly do Viking fans hope, fervently do we pray, that this will be the year that all our dark memories will be erased. Each year, we tell ourselves, we start with a clean slate. THIS WILL BE THE YEAR.

My expectations got out of hand, as they always do, before they’re exposed as a fraud. Before I realize Joe Six Pack has a better chance to date Eva Longoria than the Vikings have to win the Super Bowl.

The Vikes played just well enough against the Packers to make it close. Then they showed their true colors.

They led the Colts, 15-0, before Peyton Manning led the Colts to a victory.

Sorry, fellow sufferers. A Super Bowl victory just ain’t gonna happen.

Let’s admit it: The Vikings are the most cursed team in sports, replacing the Red Sox. No other team is even close — the Cubs are just a bad franchise, not a cursed one. And they might even win the World Series this year.

Continue reading "Vikings curse is real"

You wouldn't want to head to Vegas and put down a bet on the Twins. But at least they're alive.

Francisco Liriano, 6-0 since being called up, pitched seven strong innings against the playoff-bound Rays. This was a must-win-situation against a good team. The Twins couldn't count on any help from the Royals, who managed to win only one game against the White Sox.

The Twins are two and a half games back with a series coming up against the Sox at the Baggie Dome. They need to win at least two of three -- and probably all three.

Both teams are off Monday, and the series begins Tuesday in Minneapolis.

Joe Mauer was the hitting star for the Twins, hitting a double and triple. He has an 11-game hitting streak and went eight for 15 in the series. He's hitting .330.

Continue reading "Liriano keeps Twins' hopes alive"

Whew. I don't know about you, but I was really nervous that the Vikings would go 0-3. But their defense came through, dominating the Panthers, and Gus Frerotte had a decent second half as the team won 20-10.

Frerotte, the replacement for the woeful Tarvaris Jackson, went 16 for 28 for 204 yards. Those are better figures than Jackson had, and it was Frerotte's first game.

Adrian Peterson played hurt, and his rushing numbers show it. He ran 17 times for 77 yards, and his long run was only 14 yards. Chester Taylor rushed 11 times for 44 yards.

The real story was the defense. The Vikes allowed only 204 yards against a previously unbeaten Panthers team that should have been better with the addition of star receiver Steve Smith.

The D also got two sacks -- yes, one by Jared Allen -- and forced two fumbles, one of which Antoine Winfield returned for a TD. He also had a sack. (It was in the same play he forced the fumble.

Continue reading "Vikes beat Panthers to avoid 0-3 hole"

The Twins had to win this first game in the series against the White Sox, and they did, 9-3.

You have to spotlight three players. First Scott Baker, who allowed five hits and a run in seven innings to improve his record to 10-4. He's our No. 2 pitcher behind Francisco Liriano, and he pitched as well Tuesday as Liriano did Sunday against the Rays.

But then you look past the usual suspects, Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau. Oh, Morneau had an RBI to raise his league-leading total to 129.

Think a minute. Many teams don't want to give Morneau anything to hit. He and Mauer both get tons of walks.

Mauer bats third, Morneau fourth. The fifth and sixth batters in the lineup have to come through. They did Tuesday.

Jason Kubel had one of his best games of the year, going three for four with two homers, a triple, three runs and three RBIs. Batting right behind him, Delmon Young went three for three with two runs and two RBIs.

Continue reading "Baker cooks up fine start, win for Twins"

It didn't look good early. The White Sox scored all six of their runs in the fourth, and were up 6-1. I thought we were going to lose.

But as Jayson Stark said on ESPN tonight, whatever the odds are, never count out the Twins.

They fought back, nickel-and-diming. They scored two runs in the bottom of the eighth to tie it up.

The White Sox brought their closer Bobby Jenks in the eighth, and he was still pitching in the 10th when Nick Punto walked with one out. He went to second on a groundout, and Alexi Casilla knocked him in. Casilla had two hits.

Denard Span went three for four with three RBIs and a run; Joe Mauer went three for four with an RBI; and Carlos Gomez went four for five with three runs and two RBIs.

In other words, except for Mauer, it was the greenhorns who came through. Justin Morneau didn't have a hit.  Neither did Delmon Young.

Continue reading "Twins win, in first place"

It was a close game throughout. Nick Blackburn pitched well for the Twins, John Denks was a little bit better for the White Sox.

Blackburn made one mistake, and Jim Thome made him pay with a homer. The Sox had only five hits, the Twins  two.

The Twins had one shot. Michael Cuddyer hit a double to lead off the fifth and went to third on a sacrifice. He tried to go home on a ball to short center, and Ken Griffey threw a one-hopper to home plate.

Cuddyer crashed into A.J. Pierzynski, who held onto the ball. It was the Twins' only chance to score.

Blackburn was great, and so was the bullpen. But you don't win when you don't score. It was the fifth time the Twins lost 1-0 this year.

The Twins had a good record against Denks, but couldn't hit him Tuesday. Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau did nothing. Morneau might have won the MVP if he had done something down the stretch, but he was one for his final 20. No MVP for him.

Continue reading "Twins done"