Twins, Gardenhire feel shorted after losing series

Elizabeth Flores, Star Tribune

Nick Punto fires the ball for a double play during the sixth inning against Baltimore on Wednesday. Baltimore won 3-2.

A thin bench tested the manager's resourcefulness during a series-ending loss to the Orioles at the Dome.

By JOE CHRISTENSEN, Star Tribune

Last update: June 6, 2008 - 11:43 AM

Vikings coach Brad Childress visited the Twins clubhouse Thursday morning to see manager Ron Gardenhire, and part of their discussion centered on roster challenges.

It was the first day in Gardenhire's seven years as manager with 13 pitchers on the 25-man roster, so his staff had been busy planning for various nightmare scenarios. Pitchers coming in as pinch runners, for example.

Gardenhire said football coaches have to prepare for the unexpected, too. Using a wide receiver as an emergency defensive back, etc.

Gardenhire passed these off as challenges any leader faces, perhaps not knowing how strange the next three hours would be, as the Orioles defeated the Twins 3-2 at the Metrodome.

Adam Jones broke a 2-2 tie with a home run off Twins reliever Brian Bass, leading off the seventh inning, and the Orioles held on to win the rubber match of the three-game series.

The Twins had 12 hits but went 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position.

Those were the common baseball elements in a game that was anything but common.

Exhibit A: Mike Redmond had three hits, but in the eighth inning, with his team down a run, Gardenhire lifted him for a pinch runner.

The speed burner's name? Kevin Slowey.

Yes, the Twins used a starting pitcher as a pinch runner in a key situation. Why?

Gardenhire had three position players on his bench, and he had other plans for all three. (Stay tuned.)

He figured he had pitchers who were faster than Redmond, a veteran catcher, but even those choices were limited.

Livan Hernandez? Nope.

Scott Baker? He started the game, pitching five innings, with the only blemish being a two-run homer by Nick Markakis.

Glen Perkins? One problem: In the third inning, he got drilled in the back of the right leg with a foul ball from the Orioles' Freddie Bynum.

"I was the last man standing," Slowey said.

So after Redmond singled to start the eighth, Slowey grabbed his helmet and ran to first base.

Gardenhire continued making chess moves. With two outs, pinch hitter Jason Kubel singled, advancing Slowey to second base, and then Joe Mauer pinch hit for Delmon Young.

Mauer, who was 7-for-15 with two home runs in his previous four games, grounded out to first, ending that inning.

"I'll take that situation any time," Gardenhire said. "But it didn't work out."

Which brings us to Exhibit B: The Twins finished the game without a designated hitter.

Mauer pinch hit for DH Craig Monroe, and with Redmond finished, Mauer had to catch.

So, when Orioles closer George Sherrill struck out Alexi Casilla to end the game with a runner on second base, the next scheduled hitter was Twins reliever Jesse Crain.

Brendan Harris, the third and final player from Gardenhire's bench, was in the on-deck circle, ready to pinch hit.

"They outplayed us in the series," Gardenhire said. "We had our chances though. We just couldn't come up with one big hit."

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