The standing ovation was loud and long. If this was Ervin Santana's farewell, if his first season with the Twins is finished no matter what happens this weekend, next week and beyond, at least fans at Target Field seemed happy to forgive and forget.
"He came out very strong after the layoff in the first half, ran into a stretch where things didn't go particularly well, then he turned it up a notch in September, there's no doubt about that," manager Paul Molitor said of the 32-year-old Dominican, the Twins' prize free-agent signing of last winter. "I'm not sure how he feels about how everything transpired this season. I'm sure it's been challenging for him, but he's found ways to move on."
So have fans, apparently. Santana, suspended for the first half of the season after failing a test for performance-enhancing drugs in the spring, turned in seven consecutive quality starts to close the season, posting a 1.62 ERA since Aug. 30. Whatever residual grumbling lingered over Santana's absence for three months, there was no trace of it as he walked off the field after seven strong innings Friday night in the 3-1 loss to Kansas City.
"He's been embraced here. [It was] a nice ovation when he came off the field today. People have put things behind them," Molitor said. "I'm sure he'll come back hungry and ready to go."
Santana tipped his cap to the announced crowd of 31,534, and said afterward that he enjoyed the ovation.
"It was pretty good. Fans were appreciative," Santana said after likely wrapping up a half-season in which he went 7-5 with a 4.00 ERA. "They were very good, everything they've done for us."
He threw 110 pitches Friday, giving up four hits, three of them doubles. In fact, Alcides Escobar's single to lead off the eighth inning snapped an odd streak for Santana: He gave up seven hits over 13 innings, all of them doubles.
He wanted to stay in longer, and got Molitor to agree with his suggestion that he stay in until he gave up a hit.