Minnesota Twins version of Chicago Cubs Headlines for Thursday

Carl Heartscubs Gierhan on 10.08.09 at 4:58 AM | 86 comments |

Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Brian Duensing and Joe Mauer look to the groiund against the New York Yankees in game 1 of the ALDS at Yankee Stadium in New York

Did anyone think (other than our endless fountains of positivity gravedigger and doc blume) that the Twins had a shot Wednesday night? They played what may have been the greatest baseball game in years on Tuesday night, flew overnight to New York and had to deal with the smell of the city. I don't think our fearless Twins would use that as an excuse,but they also won't have any problems winning three out of four to win the series. Another Carl (Pavano) enforces my beliefs:

"I didn't play [Tuesday], and I'm beat," Twins pitcher Carl Pavano said. "I'm not making excuses for these guys, but they battled today. This day off's definitely going to recharge us. Everyone knows the momentum we had coming into this series, and I don't see how tonight's loss is going to affect any of that."

Let's hear from some of the rest of the team, who also aren't using fatigue as an excuse:

"I'm not going to say anyone was tired," outfielder Denard Span said. "You can't be tired this time of year."
OK, what's on everyone's agenda?
Orlando Cabrera: "Sleep."
Brendan Harris: "I'm sleeping in."
Jason Kubel: "I'm going to bed."
But nobody was tired.
"That's a popular excuse," Harris said. "We're not going to use that."

Does anyone else think the Twins' strategy might involve making Alex Rodriguez feel good about himself, only to pull the rug out from under him? Well, step one of Operation Making A-Rod Feel Good was completed Wednesday night. The setting: the fifth inning, two outs, Jeter on second, Rodriguez at the plate.

"What do you want to do?'' Anderson asked Duensing.

"Let's just go right after him.'' Duensing replied.

Anderson reminded Duensing that first base was open and he didn't have to throw Rodriguez anything too good.

What did Duensing do?

"I missed right in the middle,'' Duensing said, "and he hit it into the gap.''

One other moment of the game that looked to be a possible turning point wound up being another disappointment. With two outs in the seventh and runners on second and third, Orlando Cabrera stepped to the plate to face Phil Hughes. If he could get on, it would bring Joe Mauer to bat.

Hughes fired nine fastballs, several reaching 95 miles per hour, and one slider. Cabrera fouled off five pitches and eventually worked the count full before missing a fastball near the knees for the inning-ending strikeout.

A disgusted Cabrera asked the plate umpire -- St. Paul's Tim Tschida -- if the pitch was a strike. Tschida said it was a little low. Once he heard that, Cabrera wanted the pitch back.

"At-bats like that, they stick with you until the next time you face that guy," he said. "I know the results are going to be different."

Watch out Yankees! The results will be different next time.

Published in Daily headlines and tagged Alex Rodriguez, Denard Span, Derek Jeter, Joe Mauer, Minnesota Twins, New York Yankees, Orlando Cabrera, Phil Hughes