Latest loss provides Twins reality check

Richard Tsong-Taatarii, Star Tribune

At the Metrodome after a game between the Yankees and the Twins, third baseman Brian Buscher and infielder Matt Tolbert lingered after the game. The Yankees swept the Twins in the three game series.

The Yankees' latest sweep of the Twins exposed some significant shortcomings in a team looking to be a contender.

By JOE CHRISTENSEN, Star Tribune

Last update: July 11, 2009 - 12:37 AM

Print this story

N.Y. YANKEES 6, TWINS 4 Up next: 7:10 p.m. today vs. Chicago • Metrodome • TV: FSN (1500-AM)

More from Twins

If the Twins spent the season's first half believing they were good enough to play with baseball's elite come October, by Thursday afternoon, they weren't kidding themselves.

Not after losing 6-4 to the Yankees. Not after getting swept at the Metrodome without ever holding a lead for three games.

Not after going 0-7 for the season against the Yankees, and falling to 6-19 against the AL East.

With the White Sox in town tonight for the final series before the All-Star break, the Twins got a painful reminder of what they are: a work in progress.

"Anytime you play the Yankees, it's a test, and we're just not there yet," catcher Mike Redmond said. "And I think everybody on this team realizes that we've still got a lot of work to do. If we want to compete with the best teams in this league, we've gotta keep working."

Granted, four of the losses to the Yankees were by one run, and two were by two. But if the mid-May series in New York was about how close the Twins seemed, the past three days exposed how far away they really are.

Francisco Liriano (4-9) gave the Twins another wobbly start, giving up six runs (three earned) on seven hits in 5 1/3 innings. Throw in Scott Baker and Anthony Swarzak's efforts, and their starters combined to post a 8.76 ERA in the series.

"I think I get too excited to face [the Yankees]," Liriano said. "It's a good team. You don't want to make a mistake. You want to go out there and make good pitches."

Second baseman Matt Tolbert's second-inning error on Robinson Cano's bouncer led to three unearned runs. But in many ways, Liriano earned those runs, walking the first batter, hitting the next and then walking .185-hitting Cody Ransom with the bases loaded after getting ahead in the count 0-2.

Perhaps equally disturbing, the Twins managed only 19 hits for the series. They could write off the first two losses to the difficulties of facing CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett.

But with Chien-Ming Wang injured, the Yankees turned Thursday into a bullpen day, starting reliever Alfredo Aceves, and New York still held the Twins to six hits.

Justin Morneau went 0-for-10 in the series.

Joe Mauer went 5-for-14 with two more hits Thursday to leave his AL leading average at .389. But his biggest chance came in the fourth inning, after David Robertson had issued two bases-loaded walks to shrink New York's lead to 5-4.

Mauer grounded to second base, ending the inning. The Twins were 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position and batted .113 (6-for-53) in those situations over the seven losses to the Yankees.

"Mental block? I'm not buying that," manager Ron Gardenhire said. "They've just got some good players over there and they got it done."

Gardenhire's teams also went winless against the Yankees in 2002 (0-6) and '03 (0-7).

New York is 36-17 since May 13, but here comes Chicago, riding a 16-7 stretch.

"The White Sox are playing very good baseball," Gardenhire said. "So if we go out and play like we did against the Yankees, we'll probably get our butts kicked here at home again, and that's not too much fun."

Recent Twins stories

Mets' Johan Santana throws off mound for 1st time since elbow surgery - July 11, 2009

Mets' Johan Santana throws off mound for 1st time since elbow surgery - New York Mets ace Johan Santana threw off a mound for the first time since elbow surgery last Sept. 1 and said he felt good. More