...for the first freakin' time this year. They've been at or one game over .500 somewhere around 67,000 times this season (which I think leads the league) but have never been able to go two up...until today. But the game wasn't without incident.
First, Justin Morneau was taken out of the lineup after going 0-4 with a "mild groin strain". Groin injuries suck and it usually takes forever to overcome them. However, my control group this year involves Nick Punto, who is always hurt, so maybe I'm exaggerating. In any event, this isn't good news going into an important home series against the division-leading Detroit Tigers. On the bright side, he's going to get a day off tomorrow and a few days off over the all-star weekend.
Second, as stated, Nick Punto has a hurt back. There are two possibilities here. A) Joe Crede has infected yet another member of the team with the dreaded "Old Man Back". Joe Mauer has been bitten by that bug and now Nick Punto...or...B) Nick Punto is just a guy who is always hurt and on the DL. Despite the convincing nature of option "A", I'm going to have to go with the latter here. Nick can't go two games without dinging something. On the bright side...he doesn't really offer much of anything that can't be replaced at this point. Matt Tolbert is quite capable of hitting lazy fly balls to shallow center. The team will make do.
Third, Red Dawg took his obligatory "rogue foul ball in the (insert body part here)". Normally it's a shoulder or the jimmies. Today it was a screamer off of his arm. He was down for the count and had to be helped up off the ground, into the dugout and then over to the hospital for X-Rays. He is officially "day-to-day" with a deep bruise on her arm. Must be some bruise if he left the game. Hell, I saw an alligator bite Red's arm completely OFF one game. He sewed it back on while the home plate ump was sweeping the plate off and he called a complete game shutout. Dude's tough. This has ramifications in that just like his insistence that a shitty-hitting infielder needs to hit second, he is skeptical to allow Mauer to DH when there is only one other catcher on the squad.
Finally, Glen Perkins regressed a bit. He only gave up one run and eventually got the win. However, like Baker last night, he was anything but sharp...scattering 10 hits over 7. Not a clinic by any means. In fact, had it been any team other than the Royals, the outcome would probably have been different.
As stated, the Twins play Detroit starting Friday. A series win could move them to within 2 games of the division lead. A series sweep would have them tied up at the top. And while the injury to Punto isn't of much consequence considering he's just short of garbage so far this season, the loss of Morneau and Redmond is a very big deal.
MADS - Joe Mauer for going 3-3 with two walks and upping his season average to .393.
CSMA - Ron Gardenhire for wasting the two spot in the lineup with Tolbert and falling in love with Bobby Koepell already. Good lord.
