Three Twins postgame thoughts from LEN3: Bonuses, Mauer, attendance, BONUS

O.K. the talk after the game was about Phil Hughes falling just shy - one stinking out - of reaching 210 innings on the season. That would have triggered a $500,000 bonus. But a rain delay at the end of the eighth lasted 1 hour, 6 minutes, too long for Hughes to go back out there.

So he fell one out shy. And fans on twitter are demanding that the Twins pay him the bonus away - which is unrealistic.

``After pitching eight innings, that something that's not worth the risk," Hughes said. ``So that was not an option."

Should you get the bounds anyway?

``It wasn't 2092/3, it was 210," Hughes said. ``That's the way it goes sometimes."

Twins manager Ron Gardenhire was prepared to break his protocol - bringing in his closer with one run lead in the ninth - and allow Hughes to pitch the ninth. But the rain wash away those plans. Jared Burton gave up one hit in the ninth but earned the save.

``It's unfortunate," Gardenhire said. ``but it is what it is."

``You're really trying to get my fired, aren't you," he said. ``He's done for the year and that was his last start."

I sent a text message to an agent I know, and asked him if a club has paid out a bonus when a player gets close. ``No chance of that happening," was the response.

Teams aren't obligated to do that. And that's opening up a serious precedent if a team does. Doubt it will happen.

Mauer sits out

First baseman Joe Mauer has some soreness in his right elbow after being hit with a pitch there on Tuesday, but he could have played in the series finale against Arizona.

``I didn't even ask him," Gardenhire said. ``Just played the other guys. I want him to be ready for (Thursday)."

Mauer is batting .276 with 4 home runs and 52 RBI, an offensive year no one expected from the three-time batting champion in his first year at first base. While things have soured at the plate, Gardenhire feels Mauer is becoming a good first baseman.

``I thought he got better and better defensively around first base," Gardenhire said. ``He was a little tentative early, which was expected. I think he's gotten now where he ventures away from the base on plays, diving for the ball, filling the holes down the line. He got comfortable catching the balls and taking it to first himself. I think he's learned an awful lot. He kinda got a feel for what he can get away with and what he can't."

Attendance check

The four straight 90 loss seasons are reflected at the turnstiles.

BONUS: Milone ready

Tommy Milone has recovered enough from his sore neck to be available ouf of the bullpen during the season-ending series in Detroit.

Milone has not pitched since Sept. 2, missing one start because of a tired arm and now two starts because of the sore neck. But he threw in the bullpen on Monday and feels he can help out of the bullpen.

``I was a little rusty," Milone said of his bullpen session.

Milone is 0-1 with a 7.40 ERA in five outings for the Twins since arriving from Oakland in the Sam Fuld trade.

It's rookie dress up day, the annual event when rookies get their clothes stolen and are forced to wear crazy costumes. I think the rookies this season got off easy.