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La Velle E. Neal III has covered baseball for the Star Tribune since 1998 (the post-Knoblauch era). Born and raised in Chicago, he grew up following the White Sox and hating the Cubs. He attended both the University of Illinois and Illinois-Chicago and began his baseball writing career at the Kansas City Star. He can be heard occasionally on KFAN radio, lending his great baseball mind to Paul Allen and other hosts. Mark Rosen borrows him occasionally for WCCO-TV.
Twins go for sweep...without Mauer
Posted by: La Velle E. Neal III Updated: August 29, 2010 - 2:08 PM
This is the final game of a strange road trip - weather wise.
We arrived at DFW on Monday when it was 108 degrees. Every game in Seattle this weekend has started with the temperature under 70 degrees. I was so wound up about beating the heat in Texas I didn't look ahead to the Seattle trip. I just figured that EVERY city in America should be at least 75 degrees in August, for goodness sakes.
Anyway, i ended up buying a Seattle Sounders hoodie at the game last night so I can be warm in the press box for ONE game. Yes, I went to a soccer game. It was great, 36,000-plus, and they stood the entire game.
Twins have a chance at a 4-3 road trip with a win today.
Joe Mauer is getting a scheduled day off. Twins manager Ron Gardenhire wants Mauer to get two days off - today and the off-day on Monday - then fire back out on Tuesday.
Jim Thome's back is still a little sore.
Orlando Hudson is back in the lineup after his ankle., `locked up,' on Saturday.
``We found the key to unlock his ankle,'' Gardy quipped.
Gardy also said before the game that they, ``desperately,'' wanted Cliff Lee, but would have had to give up a lot to get him. A Twins official pointed out to me recently that Wilson Ramos, Aaron Hicks and Ben Revere - players they were willing to discuss - were banged up at the time. A couple others - Kevin Slowey and Nick Blackburn - weren't pitching well. So things never really heated up.
Still, Mariners catcher Adam Moore is really raw. He committed a passed ball then failed to catch Ichiro's throw home on Friday. Both times, I yelled at the Mariners' PR guys: ``Oh nooooooo. The Mariners didn't really need Wilson Ramos!!!''
Twins (75-55)
1. Denard Span, CF
2. Orlando Hudson, 2B
3. Michael Cuddyer, 1B
4. Jason Kubel, DH
5. Delmon Young, LF
6. Danny Valencia, 3B
7. Jason Repko, RF
8. J.J. Hardy, SS
9. Drew Butera, C
Carl Pavano, RHP
Mariners (50-79)
1. Ichiro Suzuki, RF
2. Chone Figgins, 2B
3. Russell Branyan, DH
4. Jose Lopez, 3B
5. Casey Kotchman, 1B
6. Franklin Gutierrez, CF
7. Adam Moore, C
8. Matt Tuiasosopo, LF
9. Josh Wilson, SS
Luke French, LHP
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