Kuzul

Having lost six of their last seven games, the Minnesota Twins’ fast start has slowed considerably.

Though still six games above .500, the Twins are no longer at the top of the AL Central. While fans and media are jumping off the bandwagon left and right, Minnesota is trying desperately to find what’s ailing them and fix the problem.

Are the Twins being hurt because of a poor offense, or is the pitching doing them in? As is usually the case, Minnesota can attribute their drop in the standings to a combination of both offense and pitching.

Check out the table below for a quick run-down on the Twins’ struggles in June:

In the 25 games the Twins have played in June this season, they have had a net loss of 1.14 runs per game. As you can see, if the Twins don’t burst from this slump and start scoring and preventing runs at a much better clip, they will have no chance of postseason contention.

But in order to break free from the shackles they currently find themselves in, the Twins will need to bank on a few key players finding their groove once again.

Justin Morneau, Joe Mauer, and Michael Cuddyer have lost an average of 159 OPS points in June. JJ Hardy and Orlando Hudson, Minnesota’s starting shortstop and second baseman, have combined to appear in just 15 games during the month of June.

As a team, the Twins have dropped 82 OPS points in the same month. Essentially, Minnesota hitters have transformed from Cody Ross to Christian Guzman.

Clearly, the offense has been an issue for the Twins. Luckily, most of these players will be unable to keep up this futility for too long, and should start slowly pulling themselves out of the mud.

Minnesota’s starting rotation, though, could be a bigger issue.

Francisco Liriano and Carl Pavano have been excellent for the Twins this year, but the other 60 percent of the rotation has been downright dreadful. Scott Baker, Kevin Slowey, and Nick Blackburn have combined to post an ERA of 7.17 in the month of June, which, at the major-league level, is laughable and simply unacceptable.

Still, a few of these rotation members should be able to get back on track before too long.

Blackburn, though, has sandwiched an outstanding May with a horrendous April and June. If the Twins were to acquire a starting pitcher before the July 31 trade deadline, Blackburn would be the one to go. And, let’s face it, replacing Blackburn’s innings with that of a league-average starter (or even Cliff Lee) would drastically improve the team.

Yes, the month of June has left Twins’ fans with a rotten taste in their mouths. The Detroit Tigers and Chicago White Sox have had very strong months, and are flying up the standings.

Chicago won 15 of 17 games at one point and are about to hold a mini-fire sale, though, and will inevitably fall back to third in the division. The Tigers will endure a tough month or two, as well, and the Twins will have an opportunity to re-gain some ground.

After all, baseball is a six-month sport.

Unlike football or basketball, one extended losing streak won’t derail a season. The Twins have plenty of time to address their needs, catch their breath, and engage in a dogfight with Detroit.

There’s no time like the present, and with the Tigers in town for a three-game series, the Twins need to take advantage.

We’ve hardly reached the do-or-die point in the season, but a series win against Detroit this week would do wonders to Minnesota’s attempts to break out of a funk.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

For the 2010 season the Minnesota Twins spent big money.

Their payroll, usually closer to the bottom of the league than to the top, is now the eleventh highest in Major League Baseball at $97.6 million.

They signed Joe Mauer to an eight year $184 million contract extension that will land him among the top five paid players in Major League Baseball in 2011.

All this and a new ball park has the expectations higher than ever for this perennial AL Central contender.

Yet, there is a hint of concern in the air of Twins fans.

Mauer is currently battling a slump with his average at a season low .303. If the season were to end today, it would be the third lowest in his six years for the Twins.

His lowest batting average of .293 in 2007 followed the season of his first batting title in 2006.

With a batting title and an MVP award last year will the drop-off be even greater? Mauer is already held to a higher standard than average players, or even All-Star players, and with big money comes big expectations.

So far for the Minnesota Nine Target Field is playing larger than it’s dimensions—almost the exact opposite as to how New Yankee Stadium opened last season.

There have been 50 home runs hit a Target Field, yet only 19 of these from the Twins, only two from the MVP tandem of Justin Morneau and Mauer—and none from last year’s batting champ and MVP.

So how does the 2010 version of the Minnesota Twins compare to the previous teams?

Looking back at the Twins’ record after 70 games to 2003, the season before Mauer was called up, may hold some surprises.

With a record of 40-30 going into Wednesday night’s games against the Milwaukee Brewers, this is the best record the Twins have had over the last eight seasons. 

Their previous best was 39-31 achieved in 2004 and 2005.

One game better? The expectations are much greater than that.

In 2005 they finished third in the AL Central at 83-79, 12 games behind division champions Chicago White Sox, the eventual World Series Champions.

With four division titles since 2003 (five if you go back one more year to 2002) the Twins appear to be sitting in familiar territory.

However, with a little more than half the season remaining, the Twins have the worst record among American League division leaders, while the Yankees have the best.

It looks exactly like every other playoff year—ending with a divisional playoff loss in four games.

As the summer heats, and the winds shift from the South, perhaps the Twins’ bats will heat up, and the Twins will make a run worthy of their payroll. With a key roster add before the trading deadline the Twins could still change their fortunes and October baseball in Minnesota may still be a possibility.  

If not, 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

A serious Triple Crown candidate is emerging in Detroit.

Miguel Cabrera’s 18 homers and 53 runs batted in pace the American League and he ranks fourth in batting average (.339).

I know precisely what you’re thinking. It’s the second week of June.

How dare you utter “Triple Crown”!

Well, let’s look at it this way—with each mention of the feat, writers offer a refresher course in history.

Who was the last player to earn the Triple Crown?

Carl Yastrzemski.

When was this feat last achieved?

1967.

Through print, we honor those who achieved this suddenly unachievable conquest with each mention. So if you believe it’s premature to link Cabrera to this group of conquistadors, simply focus on the respect element.

Yaz’s family certainly likes seeing their kinsman cited 27 years after his retirement.

One of baseball’s smallest clubs, only 15 players are members in the Triple Crown Society. Not even Albert Pujols or Alex Rodriguez, today’s top MLB players, have procured this distinction.

It has become virtually unattainable.

Back to Cabrera. Logic does not indicate it’s too early to begin the discussion. Sure it’s only June, but the first baseman’s track record suggests he has a better chance than most.

Cabrera annually finishes near the top in dingers and RBI’s, and has placed as high as runner-up in batting. In the past five years, the average for AL batting champs has been .346—Miggy lurks seven points away.

Eight months removed from swearing off alcohol, his approach is no longer influenced by hangovers or mental lapses resulting from late night partying. Cabrera is on pace to shatter previous career highs.

He’s projected to wrap 208 hits, slug 51 homers, and plate 149 runners.

Health issues might also trip up less extraordinary players on the long-distance run to the Triple Crown.

But the 27-year-old has taken a few chapters out of the Iron Horse’s book. Cabrera’s never been placed on the disabled list in his eight-year career. In each of the past seven seasons, he has played at least 157 games.

Cabrera defines reliability.

And this isn’t the first year he has flirted with the Triple Crown. He often places top-five—even top-three—in the required categories, and he’s regularly mentioned in the same sentence as Prince Albert and A-Rod.

Now, if you believe this achievement may be surmountable, we must address the obstacles he will face en route.

Since no one has grabbed the distinction in 43 years, press covering the anomaly could grow overbearing. Interview-seekers would flood Cabrera’s voicemail and inbox—and his name would be plastered on headlines across the US.

A pair of Twins—Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau—along with Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano and Mariners outfielder Ichiro Suzuki, won’t willingly let Cabrera coast to a batting title.

Morneau is terrorizing the league, emerging as another Triple Crown contender. And Cano is blistering the ball at a .376 clip. Combined, usual suspects Mauer and Ichiro have won five batting titles since 2001.

This foursome will present Cabrera’s biggest challenge.

Division rival Chicago will also attempt to stand in the way of history. Detroit plays the White Sox 14 more times in 2010, a team that gives Miggy fits. In 177 career at-bats against Ozzie Guillen’s crew, he has hit .243.

This year, he’s a measly 1-for-14. Normally allergic to extended slumps, the White Sox have neutralized his bat.

While the odds Cabrera will complete the feat are low, spectators outside of Detroit need to recognize history may be in the making.

Keep your eyes glued to Miguel Cabrera this summer.

One of the best pure hitters of this generation is having a career year.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

We are now about a third of the way through the 2010 baseball season, and the time is ripe for a new awards list.

Many players on this list are the usual suspects, but there are also a few surprises.

Many are clear cut (see above), where other categories, such as NL Comeback player of the Year, have at least a quartet of deserving candidates.

Not all these players will actually win the award at the end of the season, as this list is who I believe should win right here, right now.

The fellow shown above is on verge of an historic season. Will he be able to continue his dominance for the final two-thirds?

Time will tell.

Begin Slideshow

Who should be the Twins’ third baseman?

Coming out of Spring Training, Brendan Harris had the edge statistically after batting .326 with three doubles, a triple, and a home-run. 

Punto ended the exhibition season with a .233 average, one double, and 12 strike outs. 

When the season opened Ron Gardenhire named Punto his starting third baseman and the debate began.

The answer now seems obvious—give it to Michael Cuddyer.

After filling in for Orlando Hudson at second base in the first game of the Twins’ west coast road trip in Seattle, Cuddyer should be given consideration to be the their fulltime third baseman.

The benefits of such a move could not have been more evident than in the Twins’ 5-4 victory over the Seattle Mariners.

Delmon Young, Jason Kubel and Cuddyer all homered in the game. Cuddyer and Kubel on back to back pitches in the fourth inning.

By playing Cuddyer at third this allows Gardenhire to play Kubel in right field, Young in left field, and have Jim Thome DH more frequently. More plate appearances for more power hitters. 

This allows Gardenhire to use Punto in a role better suited to his speed and hustle—late inning pinch runner or defensive specialist.

Of course this means less playing time for Nick Punto and more importantly Brendan Harris.

Punto is currently batting .221 and Harris only .170. Combined they have only one home run this season.

Not even close to what is considered a power-hitting position in baseball!  

The downside, there is no downside—it only seems to get better and better! 

At the end of last season, when Justin Morneau went down with a stress fracture in his back, Cuddyer filled in admirably with a .986 fielding percent in 34 games at first base.

Comparing Cuddyer’s career stats to Corey Koskie, the Twins’ third baseman from 1999-2004, helps to solidify the move: 

Cuddyer: .270 batting average, 20 home runs, 83 runs batted in, .941 fielding percent at third.

Koskie: .275 batting average, 20 HR, 83 RBI, .966 fielding percent.

It sure seems like Cuddyer and Koskie were cut from the same bolt of cloth.

Since Koskie’s departure after the 2004 season the Twins have not found anyone to anchor the hot corner.

Cuddyer played 95 games at third in 2005, but was moved back to the outfield in 2006.

Punto, Harris, and Mike Lamb were all given a shot to play third base, and none of them have been able to match the numbers of Cuddyer.  

Who should play third base? The answer is the right fielder in front of us!

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

With baseball a full two months in the books, teams are starting to make their runs toward the All-Star break.

With so much parity in MLB, teams with nearly identical records are separated by a few spots, sometimes more.

There are still many teams in realistic contention for their division title, but I will narrow it down to five teams right now that we could see playing in late October.

Begin Slideshow

In an MLB.com article earlier today, Alden Gonzalez wrote that “one thing was evident when the first batch of American League voting results for the 81st All-Star Game were made public Monday: Winning yields votes.”

On the surface that may appear to be true. If we were to look at the American League voting so far, it rewards teams rather than players. More accurately, it rewards the well-known players on these winning teams, showing that in the American League voting, fans are just voting for popularity.

This is to be expected, given that the fans are voting, but shouldn’t the best players be the ones getting the votes? In some cases they are. There is no question that Robinson Cano is deserving of the starting second baseman job, and Joe Mauer is the obvious choice at catcher

Beyond that, Evan Longoria deserves the third base nod, and Ichiro deserves the top outfielder spot, as usual. Vladimir Guerrero is without question the top DH, as well.

My praise for the voting ends there though.

For as many good choices as there are, there are some that I’m scratching my head at. Yes, I get the players are popular, but they’re really doing that well?

Let’s look back at the designated hitter.

Vlad should be first, but the next four make no sense; we have Hideki Matsui, Ken Griffey, Pat Burrell, and David Ortiz rounding out the top five. Matsui is not playing very well, hitting only .227, and we all know how shoddy Griffey is. Including Ortiz in the discussion is fine.

But Pat Burrell? Really?

Yes, the guy who does not even have a team is fourth in voting.

Still, no Jose Guillen in there? I guess he’s on the Royals so he doesn’t count. Well, there are few DH playing well this year so I’ll let it slide.

The shortstop position isn’t as bad, but Elvis Andrus is playing well enough that he may well be worthy of the starting bid rather than Derek Jeter. Also, Alex Gonzalez should be third at worst—he’s playing far better than J.J. Hardy and Jason Bartlett, but again, they’re on good teams and that’s all that matters apparently.

I can’t argue with the current outfield of Ichiro, Carl Crawford, and Nelson Cruz. What puzzles me is how Yankees fan have Curtis Granderson ahead of Nick Swisher and Brett Gardner, who are playing far, far better baseball than he is. Still, how Vernon Wells is 11th and losing to Bobby Abreu and B.J. Upton shows what drives fans to vote.

Favorites.

The only position that truly bothers me right now though, and I hope it will be fixed, is first base. Mark Teixiera is first, then Justin Morneau, then Miguel Cabrera.

Mark “.209 average but it’s just a slow start” Teixiera is beating Justin “.383 average and beating you in HR and RBI” Morneau, and Miguel “also beating Teixiera in everything” Cabrera. Even Youkilis is doing better. But again, it’s a popularity contest. That being said, it will be rather hard to add in four first basemen to the roster.

Now, I’m aware that we are in the early stages of voting, and it’s very possible that the bugs, now that people have seen the first round, will fix themselves. The casual fan knows to vote for Morneau right now, though they’ll still vote for Cano, and possibly Jeter and A-Rod.

My problem with the current numbers may mean nothing. If we are just voting the popular ones to the all-star game no matter how badly they play though, then what’s the point? It’s not an honor any more if we do that.

So go vote, and vote for those players you think are most deserving. Don’t stuff your ballot with everyone from your team (come on Yankees fans, even you know Granderson’s not playing like an all-star).

Just go out there and vote smart. Make an informed decision. For it’s not the color of the uniform, but how well they play the game, that makes an all-star.

One last footnote: Taylor Teagarden is fourth in catcher votes. He’s played 10 games with a .037 average and isn’t even the Rangers’ starter now. The guy is fourth and has one hit!

Think about that.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

By now the amazing season that Justin Morneau is having isn’t just a well-kept secret in the Minnesota area. Indeed, there are dozens of baseball fans outside of the Twin Cities buzzing about Morneau’s performance. 

But there is more than meets the eye to the season Morneau is having, and Morneau’s numbers are, I dare say, more impressive than they seem.

For the record, Morneau is currently the American League leader in all of your RSL categories, with a .374 average, a .491 on-base percentage, a .710 slugging percentage, and a 1.201 OPS.  He also leads the AL in OPS+ with a  robust 225, and in bases-on-balls with 30.

This has translated well into the SABRmetrics as well: Morneau leads the majors in WAR, runs created, adjusted batting runs, adjusted batting wins, offensive winning percentage, and situational wins added.

And consider this crazy factoid: Morneau already has more adjusted batting runs in 2010, through 36 games played, than he did in all of 2009, in 135 games.

I don’t know what any of that means, but it seems to me that he is dominating baseball.

Now, if you’re paying attention to the Minnesota Twins at all, then the first thing that occurred to you when I read you all of those numbers is: It must be the new ballpark. It was certainly the first thing that occurred to me. If Morneau is a new player, and he has become that new player in the first season in his new home park, then the new home park must be responsible. Right?

And that, my friends, is where this gets interesting. Let’s take a little trip down to Splitsville and examine just what effect Morneau’s new home park has had on him.

Justin Morneau has played 18 games at home and 18 games on the road. In 18 home games, he has 77 plate appearances. In 18 road games, he has 84 plate appearances.

Homeruns: Justin Morneau has hit 11 homeruns this season.  Nine of them have come on the road.

RBI: Justin Morneau has 29 RBI on the season in 2010.  20 of them have come on the road.

Hits: Morneau has 49 hits this season, 27 of which have come on the road (as opposed to 22 at home).  Of his nine doubles this season, six have come on the road.

Walks and Strikeouts: Morneau has drawn 30 walks and struck out 28 times this season.  Curiously, 17 of his have come at home, while his strikeouts have been split evenly.

Total Bases: Morneau has had 33 of his 93 total bases—just less than a third—at home.

RSL Stats: Morneau’s batting average and on-base percentage are roughly even at home and on the road—.367/.380 and .506/.476—but get this: because of the doubles and homerun advantages on the road, his slugging percentage is nearly 300 points higher on the road—.550/.845—which has roughly the same effect on his OPS—1.056/1.321.

If you’ve paid any attention to Justin Morneau’s career, you anticipated his numbers going up this season because, well, it is an even numbered year. Just like Alex Rodriguez, Juan Gonzalez, and Bret Saberhagen before him, Justin Morneau is one of the most drastic every-other-season guys in baseball.

Check out this stat: Morneau’s OPS and batting runs numbers have never increased or decreased in consecutive seasons during his career. Even numbered years are always up seasons, and odd numbered years are always down seasons:

Nevertheless, there is no way anyone could have anticipated an “up” year quite like this one.

So what does it all mean?

Short story: Justin Morneau is playing the best ball in the American League despite actually being hurt by his own home park.  Considering the fact that he is currently third in the major leagues with 11 homeruns, it would appear that if he’d played all his games on the road so far this season, he would be running away with a homerun crown.

More importantly, though, it means that Justin Morneau has escaped a nasty American League trend. Remember, Justin Morneau’s 2009 season was curtailed in mid-September when he was diagnosed with a stress fracture in his back, and he ended up missing the last two weeks of the season as well as the Twins’ improbably run to the playoffs.

But so far in 2010, Morneau has made it clear that he is fully recovered from his injury, and he has also loudly declared that any dip in his numbers last season were the result of injuries, and not an indication that he is anything but one of the elite hitters in the American League.

We’re listening Justin. There are dozens of us who can hear you loud and clear.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Remember last October when the Yankees swept the Twins in the American League Playoffs? This was after the Twins had clawed their way back to win the Central Division crown while the league-leading Tigers swooned. Impossible to forget.

Remember the final moments of Twins baseball inside the Metrodome? With its artificial landscape contained by a shabby, baseball-colored roof that held and intensified noise to exhausting, bone-jarring levels—the Dome rocked and rolled. On that final Sunday there were 54,735 fans packed inside, all screaming for a win until the last pitch.

Remember being down 4-1 in the bottom of the the ninth as Twins third baseman Brendan Harris stood in the batters box with Michael Cuddyer safe on second base? Within that deafening roar as the count stood 2-0, Harris swung hard, hitting a ground ball to the shortstop who threw him out at first.

The Dome literally imploded sucking in the last gasped hope for glory, finally exhaling a huge release—sending the 2009 season for the Twins into the record book. The final out stopped their remarkable come-from-behind mentality, overridden finally by injury and fatigue—and, of course, the Yankees.

The team from New York was moving on to star in other spectacles of baseball glory. In the end they would win their 27th World Series after putting the Angels and then the Phillies respectively in their places.

The Twins, meanwhile, were just moving.

At long last the Twins were abandoning the antiquated Metrodome—the home of the club since April 3, 1982. In 2010 the team would begin play at Target Field in a new outdoor, state-of-the-art facility. The Twins were growing “green.”

In all of Major League Baseball, especially the ALCD, there was not a manager who shed a tear over the realization that his team would never again return to play in the Dreaded Dome. It was the most detested facility in the AL. Owners and managers did not hesitate to voice their opinions about the inadequacies of the facility. The Dome was, as far as they were concerned, another key player on the Twins roster.

It was, however, home to the Twins, bringing the team a bit of luck and a huge reserve of home field advantage when they needed it most—except against the Yankees.

Despite the moral victory of making the playoffs after defeating the Tigers to clinch the Central Division title, the sweep by the Yankees still stung in the waning moments of the 2009 season. Nobody likes to end with a goose-egg.

In fact, the Twins never defeated the Yankees in 2009. They were 0-7 during the regular season as well as 0-3 in the playoffs.

That doesn’t mean the Twins rolled over and died when they faced the Yankees. They fought hard, losing six of the seven regular season games by two runs or less—two of the seven went into extra innings.

It had to be doubly galling to come so close so often and come away empty-handed time after time. The Twins could never get over the hump when they faced the Bronx Bombers last year.

Like most teams in MLB, the Twins simply lacked the pitching depth required to outlast the powerful Yankee lineup. Also, during the playoffs, the Twins were without Justin Morneau who suffered from a stress fracture in his back and was missing from the lineup at the end of the season. The vaunted first baseman wreaked havoc with the Yankee pitching staff during the regular season—but not enough to give the Twins a victory.

With 2009 in the books—MLB is currently in week six and the Twins stand alone atop the Central Division with a 22-12 record. At this same juncture a year ago, the the team stood 15-17, starting the season with some key players injured.

Things are definitely looking up for the Twins as they settle into Target Field. They sell out almost every game as fans pack the stands, waiting.

The new facility plus the signing of MVP catcher Joe Mauer and the return of Morneau have pundits and fans talking positively about enjoying post-season play again. The return of Francisco Liriano to top form on the mound has added another degree of optimism. So far Liriano has enjoyed stellar results with only one bad outing against Baltimore in his first loss of the season. Liriano is 4-1 with an ERA of 2.36.

But now the true test awaits. The Twins must face the Yankees during a three-game road trip to the Big Apple starting Friday May 14. Having lost 10 in a row, the Twins need to stand up to the 2009 MLB champs and stop letting the Yankees kick sand in their faces. The Twins are no longer second tier to anybody—not even the famed New York Yankees.

At present the Yankees have the same record as the Twins at 22-12. But they stand second in the AL East behind the astounding Tampa Bay Rays at 24-10.

Starting for the Twins in New York on Friday will be their best to date, Francisco Liriano who is 4-1 on the season with an ERA of 2.36. The Yankees will place A. J. Burnett on the mound with a 4-1 record and an ERA of 3.40.

The ultimate challenge of the season will come in New York where the Twins need to find a way to stop the 10-game losing streak to start a new world order in 2010. They must complete the transformation by drawing a line in the sand and taking game one in New York.

So what if the Bronx Bombers have lost only two games at home? That means the odds are in the Twins favor to reverse the trend. All the Twins have to do is remember October 11, 2009—a rainy Sunday afternoon when the Yankees shut the door on the Twins and sent them home for the rest of the season.

Step up to the plate, boys, and remember the Metrodome—win one for 28 years of baseball magic on a diamond where it never rained…

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The old baseball adage is that pitching and defense wins championships. That being the case, the Minnesota Twins appear to be going in the right direction in 2010.

The starting pitching, led by Francisco Liriano, appears to be the strongest and deepest staff the Twins have had in ten seasons. Four of the starters have spent their entire major-league careers with the Twins. Liriano, Scott Baker, Nick Blackburn and Kevin Slowey have all been a part of the rotation since 2008.

They average four years of experience with an average age of 27. Baker is the elder statesman at 28, and is in his sixth season with the Twins.

In 2009 the Twins added Carl Pavano, who in his 14th major league season, adds a veteran presence to the rotation.

Comparing the success of the starting pitching in 2010 over the past ten seasons confirms that this is a strong staff. The starters are pitching deeper in games with an average of 6.33 innings per start—the third highest since 2000.

With two complete games already this year, the 2010 staff has more complete games than the 2001 staff and almost half as many as any team since 2007.  

Manager Ron Gardenhire and pitching coach Rick Anderson appear to have increased confidence in their starters, allowing them to go longer in their starts and throwing more pitches.

The starters have averaged 96 pitches per start while exceeding the 100-pitch count ten times already this season.

Liriano has thrown at least 92 pitches in every start and 123 against Cleveland in his last start. This many pitches is almost unheard of for a Twins’ pitcher.  

Gardenhire’s confidence was very much on display in a recent game against Detroit. With the Twins leading 3—2, he sent Blackburn out in the ninth allowing him to get the win and the complete game.

With Jon Rauch having converted eight of nine save opportunities, it could not have been due to lack of confidence in the first year closer.

The pitching staff is getting the job done. It is currently third in the AL in ERA at 3.60, and second in all of Major League Baseball with only 76 walks allowed.

Liriano, at one time considered for closer, has become the staff’s stopper with a 4-0 record and a 1.50 ERA. In three of five starts, Liriano has earned the victory following a Twins’ loss.  

If the starters can continue to pitch effectively and stay healthy, the Twins will cruise to another AL Central Division title and a great chance of getting past the divisional round of the playoffs.

Miscellaneous observations and questions:

• After going seven for eight in his first two games Wilson Ramos has cooled to one for 11 the past three. What will the Twins do when Joe Mauer returns? Could one of these two end up playing third base, adding some power to the lineup?
• With depth in the starting rotation and pitchers Jeff Manship and Brian Duensing appearing ready to join the rotation, is there a chance that Pavano will be playing for his sixth team?
• How long will Twins’ fans have to wait for Justin Morneau’s first Target field home run?
• When will Michael Cuddyer hit his first road home run?

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com