1) Justin Morneau hit two home runs in a game for the first time in I can't remember; he appears to be fully healthy, as I haven't heard anything about him having to take more than routine days off except for his injury, and he has come back from that extremely well.

2) Joe Mauer hit a home run to deep right center field

3) Morneau, Span, Casilla and Mauer all had at least 2 hits

4) We saw what we should be expecting from DeVries; gives up a lot of runs (hopefully not this many) and attacks the strike zone (He threw 96 pitches, 60 for strikes)

Morneau just pasted the ball tonight, what a great sign along with Mauer hitting the home run. Lots of opportunities tonight with so many left on base, if that keeps happening it will swing our way. If not for Duensing blowing up we come back to win that game, not to castigate him unfairly but a tough one to take because he's been so reliable.

 

If Devries can chew up some innings and keep the long balls down he'll serve us alright. He threw a lot of strikes tonight, that's positive.

1) Justin Morneau hit two home runs in a game for the first time in I can't remember;

4) We saw what we should be expecting from DeVries; gives up a lot of runs (hopefully not this many) and attacks the strike zone (He threw 96 pitches, 60 for strikes)

April 18 in win against Yankees.

 

Liked some of what I saw De Vries do. The bad thing about the outing is that his mistakes were BIG mistakes. They weren't just a pitch that was meant to get inside that drifted over the plate a little. They were right down Broadway types. Hopefully that's not the norm.

If the defense was competent in the 3d inning they win this game.

Well, they gave up 11 runs - give the pitchers some credit, it wasn't all on the defense. Real key is to get Willingham on track again - when you score 8 and your cleanup hitter is 0-4 with a walk, you're doing something right. Get him on track, get Doumit back in the everyday lineup behind Justin, find a #2 hitter of some ability, or else move Mauer and everyone up a notch. And hope for more starts like Diamond and Walters have given than the rest of the starters have offered to date. 5-3 on a road trip is okay. 50-30 from here puts them over .500 and in it (probably) around 15 August. Let's see if they can keep this going for a much longer time. At the very least they're watchable most games.

Edited May 25, 201214 yr by Snortwood

Willingham can't take a third strike with the bases loaded. And, move Mauer up to #2. Get Doumit back in there.