To summarize this game, you just have to look at Matt Garza's performance: 7 innings pitched, three hits, no earned runs, and a loss. He was sent down before the all-star break to deal with a schedule/rotation problem, and in his triumphant return to the majors he goes seven innings and gives up no earned runs, and still gets tagged with the loss, the 1-0 Bert Blyleven special. On the run, Brandon Inge reached first on an error by Twins shortstop Jason Bartlett, then Garza advanced him into scoring position on a wild pitch, and Magglio Ordonez sent him home on a single.
The Twins only real scoring opportunities were undone by the sleepy bats of the heart of the line-up. #7 reached reached first in the 4th, only to be thrown out 2-4 on a hit and run since #5 came up with a big K (for those of you playing Twingo at home). The big opportunity that people were talking about (bitterly) came in the 6th when Castillo and Bartlett both got on base, and then Mauer struck out without taking his bat off his shoulder, and Cuddyer struck out to end the inning, then Morneau led off the 7th with a strikeout to make it three in a row. This was most unfortunate, and the lack of hitting was matched with a failure to manufacture runs, like Cuddyer's hit and run strike-out, or Nick Punto's inability to lay down a bunt... actually that one's infuriating, since he keeps trying to hit bunt singles and shows bunt on the first pitch of every at-bat, so you'd think he could lay down a bunt. But without reading too much into one game in which a great batter (Mauer), an RBI guy (Cuddyer), and a power hitter (Morneau) all faltered, it stirred up the thought that the Twins really need more scoring.
The future of a lot of players is up in the air over the next couple of years, since the Twins are have to face contract negotiations with Johan Santana, Torii Hunter, and Joe Nathan, all critical parts of their pitching/defensive prowess, and decide who's making the rotation if Francisco Liriano comes back healthy. And talk still swirls around trading pitching for a power hitting third baseman to solve the Twins offensive woes. So here's my take: they have to start putting together the '10 Twins now. The big contract story in baseball recently was Ichiro signing a $100m contract with the Mariners, even though table-setters like him statistically aren't game changers... but Kings County just built two new stadiums in downtown Seattle, and as the face of the franchise, Ichiro had to be resigned, to give the fans something after they gave the Mariners their infrastructure for the next 30 years. Similarly in north Lon-Don, Arsenal fans are getting a little steamed, because the club went through a few lean years paying for a new stadium, and now that it's open, they're short-handed up front and selling off their superstar striker's contract, and their fans aren't too happy about it.
In a similar situation, after years of small ball, Twins fans and taxpayers just spread our legs under the overpass at 5th and 3rd so the Twins could erect a new ballpark, and there's a definite expectation that new revenue streams will mean a bigger budget. Personally I don't give a shit as long as the seats on the third base line face home plate and I don't have to spend the whole game on a yoga mat leaning out in the cobra position to see the at bat. But the faces of the resurgent franchise have been Santana and Hunter, winners of 4 division titles so far, and the Twins are acting like they can't keep them while the Yankees are talking like they're going on a Chicago Ave shopping spree this winter. If in the next year, Nathan is replaced by Neshek as closer, the rotation is drawn from Silva, Baker, Bonzer, Garza, Liriano, and Slowey, with decent relievers, they'll be okay in the regular season if not so intimidating in a play-off series. Without Hunter there will be a gaping hole in center field, with Michael Cuddyer our only decent outfielder, and an even weaker offensive output. If the Twins open the new stadium with gleaming new cash registers and then trot out a weaker line-up, that isn't going to go over too well, especially if Santana and Hunter end up in New York and Anaheim.
The current crop of talent and the increased gameday revenue on the horizon should be enough to keep the core intact, have a good rotation and bullpen and have enough pitching talent left over to trade for a hitter. There's obviously room at third for a hitter to slide in and make Punto a utility infielder, or in left field, or as a DH. After nearly ceasing to exist in the 90s, the Twins should have the foresight to do these things, and accept losing money until 2010, so they can put some pennants up and use this to sell seats in their sexy new stadium. If they blow a chance at winning to pinch pennies until the new stadium opens and alienate all the people putting down deposits for seats, then somebody save them from themselves.
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