Here are three thoughts following the Twins 3-1 win over Houston
GOMEZ'S ONE BAD INNING: After the game I asked Eddie Rosario if there are times during night games that fly balls are tougher to catch than others. ``I have never had a problem with a fly ball here," he said. O.K., so that means Gomez was being Gomez on Monday when his botched back-to-back plays in the fifth inning that allowed the Twins to score all the runs they needed to win. Rosario, who was 3-for-4 and hit the ball hard all night, singled to open the fifth inning. Jorge Polanco then lined a ball to center that somehow skipped by Gomez and rolled to the fence. Rosario scored the first run of the game. Juan Centeno followed with a fly ball that Gomez lost and landed about 25 feet behind him on the warning track. ``The first one, I thought I had it and it missed my glove," Gomez said. ``The second one, I don't know where the ball is at. It's something you don't feel good about. It made us lose the game. I feel worst than anyone in the clubhouse." Having covered Gomez, I've seen him make outstanding defensive plays. He usually goes back on a ball as well as anyone in the league and will crash the wall to make a play. At least he was like that with the Twins.
POLANCO SHARP: Jorge Polanco started at short and was 2-for-4. Most importantly, he played short very well. I've got him down for assisting on seven plays and catching one popup. Of second, short and third, many in the organization feel that short is Polanco's worst position. But he was solid there on Monday. ``Maybe one of the better games I've ever seen him play at short," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. ``He was clean, finished. Threw with confidence. It was a good night for him all around." Twins righthander Tyler Duffey said: ``Polanco made four or five plays tonight that were really good. Polanco didn't have to go into the hole and make a throw, where Molitor said his arm could be problematic. But if he can make the plays there he could make a case to play there permanently.
JAY WILL BE OK: The Twins believe they caught a break when lefthander Tyler Jay, one of their top starting pitching prospects, was diagnosed with neuropraxia. That means he has a stretched nerve in his neck/shoulder area and is expected to resume throwing in a week to ten days. The Twins were worried that Jay, the sixth overall pick in 2015 draft, had thoracic outlet syndrome and needed surgery. Jay has a 5.79 ERA in five appearances at Class AA Chattanooga after being promoted from Class A Fort Myers. Jay, Kohl Stewart and Stephen Gonsalves all have been promoted to Chattanooga during the season. Right now, Gonsalves has been the most impressive, going 4-1 with a 2.42 ERA in eight starts there.
