Short post because there’s a day game coming up — and I’ll be doing an in-game Twins Chat starting at 2 p.m.. Details will be posted on the home page.

In case you get into a conversation with folks who want you to dissect the game-losing play at the end of the eighth inning last night, here’s what I saw (again and again because it really was a confluence of ineptitude).

*On a throw from the wall, Brendan Harris has time to move his feet to get in position to take Kubel’s relay, even if the throw was a bit off. Moving his feet may be the weakest part of Harris’ game and that’s exactly a play he’s gotten a lot of chance to work on — all the more because he had to bull his way into the stareting shortstop position.

*Harris needed to make a better throw. J.J. Hardy isn’t exactly Nick Punto on the bases.

*Joe Mauer tried to make a lost-cause catch-and-sweep tag. You can debate the merits of his choice. Even if the play was a long shot, Jason Kendall is going to stay at second base if Mauer catches the ball. Some would argue, though, That Mauer fiorst and foremost had to make sure that he had control of the ball, even if it meant conceding the run. You decide. (Oops, too late. It’s a split-second decision.)

*Nick Blackburn needed to hold on to the ball instead of throwing toward third. The difference between Kendall at second and Kendall at third with two outs is negligible.  It would have been all about retiring the next batter and keeping the game tied at 3. Blackburn said he thought Kendall was only midway between second and third when he thrw; it looked to me like he was a lot closer than that.

Whatever the case (and Gardy’s hypersensitivity to the postgame question not withstanding) Blackburn’s pitch count and command of the game after the first couple of innings warranted that he stay in the game to pitch the eighth — and pitch to Kendall in that situation.

Stuff just went kablooey.

This entry was posted on Thursday, June 25th, 2009 at 9:42 am and is filed under Thoughts. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.