BOSTON — Inside a quiet Twins clubhouse, Matt Guerrier sat by a computer, reviewing each pitch of Tuesday’s eighth-inning meltdown on video. He replayed the two-run homer by Manny Ramirez over and over and over again.

“It’s tough sometimes when you go out there and make a pitch, and you think it’s good, and then you look back, and it’s really not that good,” Guerrier said. “You just kind of watch and learn.”

Yes, watch and learn. The Twins, as a group, should heed that advice after two heartbreaking losses. They can learn from this, but the real test is not letting things spiral with five tough games remaining before the All-Star break.

A few thoughts that go beyond what I could squeeze into the game story:

(*) How about that 12-pitch at-bat by Nick Punto off Jonathan Papelbon to start the ninth inning? Star Tribune copy wiz Ken Chia noted that Papelbon was pumping nothing but fastballs the whole inning. The Twins made it interesting.

(*) I liked the decision to pinch hit Jason Kubel for Carlos Gomez, who is in an 0-for-10 slide and struck out in his previous two at-bats. But Kubel looked at a pretty good strike two pitch and then swung right through Papelbon’s 97-mph heater with a full count.

(*) It was big for Nick Blackburn to pitch well at Fenway Park after getting rocked for four runs in a one-inning relief appearance here Sept. 29. He looked like Johan Santana when he pounced on that bouncer in front of the mound by Brandon Moss in the fifth inning.

(*) Denard Span - wow. That’s all I can say after the three spectacular catches he’s made in right field. If he keeps this up they’re going to rename the Pesky Pole.

(*) Guerrier threw one inning in all three games against Cleveland last weekend. Three perfect innings. The Twins didn’t want to use him in Monday’s 1-0 loss, and tonight, he just wasn’t sharp. But it started with Dustin Pedroia reaching out his bat to hit an 83-mph slider that was a foot outside and headed for the dirt.

“I don’t think you can make a better pitch,” Gardy said.

(*) Brendan Harris was the story early. He looks very comfortable at third base and delivered the big two-run triple off Jon Lester in the fourth inning before doubling in the seventh. That and Punto’s 2-for-4 were two more encouraging signs. Alexi Casilla had his 14-game hitting streak snapped but drew two walks.

(*) So it’s up to Livan Hernandez to salvage the series, with Josh Beckett chucking for the Sox in Wednesday’s Fenway matinee. The last time Beckett faced the Twins — Sept. 27 — he lost. Boof Bonser pitched five innings for the win.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 8th, 2008 at 11:44 pm and is filed under Twins thoughts. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.