Postgame update: Mauer, Span, Punto, Liriano
Posted on June 23rd, 2009 – 11:34 PMBy Joe Christensen
MILWAUKEE — Twins catcher Joe Mauer went 0-for-5 in Tuesday’s 7-3 victory over Milwaukee, lowering his batting average to .395.
It’s just the second time this season his average has been under .400. Mauer was batting .397 after going 1-for-4 against the White Sox on May 20 and came back the next day in Chicago and went 3-for-4, with two doubles and a home run.
This was just the 10th time in Mauer’s career that he’s gone hitless with at least five at-bats.
“I think you ought to be happy you witnessed that,” Manager Ron Gardenhire said. “Because not too many people are going to witness those things. Just like [Mauer] said, he’s going to go 0-for-4, 0-for-5. He’s going to have nights where he just doesn’t get a hit. He’s been so good that the expectations are so high.”
INJURY UPDATES
(*) Denard Span has a bruised palm, but Gardenhire said it won’t stop the Twins from activating Span from the DL on Thursday. He will fly from Rochester, N.Y., to Milwaukee on Wednesday, work out with the Twins and likely be in the lineup for Thursday’s series finale.
(*) Nick Punto had cramping in his ribs. Gardenhire said it didn’t sound like a pulled muscle but Punto will be re-evaluated on Wednesday.
OTHER NOTES
(*) Francisco Liriano threw a career-high 117 pitches, earning his first victory in eight starts. I wrote about him in our game story. His previous career high for pitches was 111, on July 18, 2006 against Tampa Bay.
(*) Carlos Gomez opened the game with three good at-bats, scoring two runs and igniting the Twins with an aggressive baserunning play in the second inning. Look for more on him in Souhan’s column.
(*) Gardenhire praised R.A. Dickey for his two innings of near spotless relief. I’m praising him, too. I don’t think I would have made deadline if it hadn’t been for him.
40 Responses to "Postgame update: Mauer, Span, Punto, Liriano"
This game really was dragging through 4-5 innings, but the pens sped things up. Does sort of make you wonder whether both teams had starting pitchers that should be filling some other role, doesn’t it?
Glad they could get things wrapped up in time for your deadline!
dickey has been an interesting and increasingly valuable pickup. just goes to show what a game of luck it is to put together a roster, much less a bullpen. many players are good or even great one year, not so much the next.
several days back a blogger put up a list of all the “coveted” relief pitchers that didn’t end up as twins over the offseason — and the numbers were pretty much as bad or worse than ayala, henn, breslow, et al (that’s IF i remember correctly; i’m sure someone will correct me if not …).
At the beginning of the spring, there were a lot of great expectations put on the starting rotation and there was also a lot of question/discontent with Bill Smith’s addition of R.A. Dickey.
But as this season has started and is still unfolding, the inconsistency of the starters has made Dickey’s signing a great one(…although it appears on the front end to be improving vastly).
He’s looked real solid in relief.
I was at the game, and it REALLY dragged the whole way through - it seemed like every inning there was somebody on base, at least two or three batters going to a three-ball count. I was amazed that the game finished in 3 hours, 20 minutes.
I am sick of Delmon Young, even though he had a big hit tonight. He looked terrible in the field, and I don’t think his bat is any better to warrant starting him over Gomez when Span comes back. They should really just platoon him with Kubel as the DH.
Thanks Steve. I have Delmon doubts too. But more importantly, Gomez needs to play just about all the time now.
Delmon did go after that one early flyball and did a good job chasing it. Why do you say he looked bad otherwise?
kubel/young platoon at dh seems like a good idea.
from 420 to 395 in a couple of days… the SI cover jinx strikes yet again?
OMG…I have never seen a bigger bunch of wimps. Bruised palm? What the….huh? Cramping ribs?!?!?! What…is he running a marathon? This is laughable at how soft these guys are. Absolutely pathetic.
Brasky-See how you feel if you hurt your blogging finger.
For anyone watching the game last night, can somebody tell me if they saw anything different in Gomez’s at-bats last night?
I know it’s a weird, tough question, but just curious if anybody saw anything different in what he was doing that maybe he can build on (besides actually getting hits)
Ayala is a nut job. No wonder he made Gomez nervous. With him gone, the sky’s the limit for our young CF.
I didn’t realize that Ayala requested a trade - who’s he trying to kid anyway? My thoughts are that he was lucky the Twins didn’t cut him earlier and I just can’t say enough good things about the relief efforts of Dickey. I think he could have pitched the rest of the game if Gardy had let him; plus, I thought Delmon played well last night. If he gets more at bats and plays everyday he seems to do so much better.
Span was hit by a pitch and pulled from the game. He is still on track to be back. How exactly does that make him a wimp?
aparrently pitt wants Ayala use him to get Sanchez
Brasky- dude, Span was hit in the hand by a pitch. I would imagine even at the AAA level, that is an injury that can be painful. And notice he is still playing despite the injury.
I think it is possible your uber-machismo is getting in the way of clear thinking.
I know it’s a weird, tough question, but just curious if anybody saw anything different in what he was doing that maybe he can build on (besides actually getting hits)
He looking very patient, getting hits on the 5th and 7th pitches. I thought it looked like he was shortening his swing and hitting the ball to the opposite field. Hopefully, it wasn’t just a fluke.
You get whacked on the hand, it swells up, and its use is limited. It doesn’t matter if it hurts or not.
Thanks …says…Yeah, I just saw a highlight of his RBI single, and it actually looked like he was choking up on the bat a bit more….Or maybe I was just seeing things.
“Nick Punto had cramping in his ribs.” I hope they check for the cramping in his brain that happens every time he slides into first
If Go-Go uses this game as a plate discipline springboard, watch out. Span LF, Gomez CF, Cuddy RF, is the best defensive lineup the Twins can field; I say use it. Delmon/Kubel DH platoon is warranted too.
Better sign Joe today, while he’s under .400 and in a terrible slump.
My favorite thing about the Twins every year is the way they talk about their struggling pitchers. According to Rick Anderson, Liriano had the best bullpen session in the history of bullpen sessions, his mechanics are getting better, his stuff is just nasty…then he comes out and gives up seven hits and five walks in five innings. That sounds nasty to me, but not in a good way.
That “great bullpen session” line is the kiss of death.
I remember how many great bullpen sessions Carlos Silva had just before an awful start.
I agree with playing Gomez when Span comes back. I don’t see Delmon improving in the field or at the plate. I for sure don’t understand why people say to play Gomez in center, Span in left, Cuddyer in right, bench Young, then platoon him at DH with Kubel! Why would you want Delmon’s weak bat at DH? I say sit him on the bench period. He doesn’t have options, so let him sit. Maybe he will start to listen to the coaching staff. Or not. Who cares. He is not going to suddenly develop power like the Twins think.
I was out with some friends after work and didn’t get back home until 8. Much to my surprise the game was only in the THIRD INNING.
aparrently pitt wants Ayala use him to get Sanchez
You’d have to use a LOT more than Ayala to get Sanchez away from the Pirates. Heck, I’d wager Ayala wouldn’t even be the centerpiece of that trade.
One has to wonder if Mauer is pressing a bit with the media attention and the SI sportwriters doing a feature on him. Or, it could be a simply mid-season slump that is a bit untimely. Another possibility is he is feeling the aftermath of having some flu or other virus. In any event, his bat has gotten very slow the past week. A lot of weak groundball outs.
I don’t think we need help with position players so much as Bill Smith needs to call up a reliever that actually has the potential to help the twins in the 8th inning. Delaney and Slama fit the bill better than Keppel
if pitt really wants ayala the twins or should i say bill smith is nuts if he doesnt package him with some prospects and pull sanchez (who is available) away from the bucs…we have enough studs in the minors to make such a deal-it makes no sense not to pursue that move…if done it would make that infield so solid-sorry lnp..but what a lineup that would be…..get it done billy boy….
is mauer going to suffer the si jinx….god lets hope not…
T I realize that, just saying we could use him in the trade
RyanW,
“uber-machismo”
I luv it. 3 languages in 1 word.
““uber-machismo” I luv it. 3 languages in 1 word.”
plus, it hit the bull’s eye.
Span - Gomez - Cuddy
Kubel, DH
DY - minors. Let him learn down there. Even though Joe turned into a HR hitter after all the years as a singles hitter, he always worked hard on his craft and listened to coaches. DY may, eventually, turn out to be a bigger hitter but attitude and work habits rarely change.
4 games out and detroit doesnt seem to be letting up at all…this is the time to get very serious about this season…the twins cannot afford to continue to lose rediculous games and must start winning all series- home and road……hopefully this pitching staff will get some help both in starters and relief if needed, depending on how keppel does and maybe crain returns to his old style??, but im not holding my breath on that one….the rest of the division is about to be gone in a week or two and i believe its minn and detroit and unless minny starts winning consistently this division will be all detroit and we surely dont need a boring summer such as that…..
“work habits rarely change”
Delmon’s work habits are fine.
His Drill Instructor Dad made sure of that.
One has to wonder if Mauer is pressing a bit with the media attention and the SI sportwriters doing a feature on him. Or, it could be a simply mid-season slump that is a bit untimely. Another possibility is he is feeling the aftermath of having some flu or other virus.
Another possibility is Mauer was impossibly hot for a long time, and the inevitable force of gravity is pulling his batting average down towards what one would expect his BA to be.
There’s a reason nobody has hit .400 since Teddy Ballgame. It’s difficult.
“There’s a reason nobody has hit .400 since Teddy Ballgame. It’s difficult.”
amen.
As much as I would like to believe that Super Joe could hit .400, the realist in me kicks in. The position that he plays is just too demanding for anybody to ever hit .400
There must be a reason why no catcher before him had even won a batting title in,like, forever.
Is it just me, or does it seem like Gardenhire is just a cantankerous old bastard that has disdain for all people? He was actually ripping on Gomez after last nights game. Much like everybodys old Grandpa, you just can’t make the guy happy.
Why does Delmon take so much hate? He had a fine year last year, and he is playing just fine now that he actually gets to play. He is a player that needs to play, not sit on the bench. He gets better with more play. And his poor defense is an overexageration by posters. He does not play “smooth” defense, but he isn’t making a ton of errors out there either. I actually saw one post that said he had a poor arm, which is completely false. If you check the numbers for Games, at bats, runs, hits, and RBI; I think you’ll find there isn’t a great difference for productivity for Cuddyer, Young, Gomez, or Span. And Young and Gomez are starting to produce now that they are playing daily. I go back to my opinion from a month ago, which is to trade Cuddyer. All other things being equal, I don’t think the Twins win/loss record hinges on any combination of these 4 outfielders. But with Young and Gomez you have two very young outfielders with tremendous upside. So, trade Cuddyer and LET THEM PLAY!!!
