Some quick hits following the Twins win over Tampa Bay:
Joe Mauer continues to receive praise for his glovework at first base. He made a nice scoop of Ehire Adrianza's throw in the eight inning. It started as a routine play until Adrianza bounced his throw. "Joe's pick on the Adrianza play was a big play at that juncture," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "Baserunners are dangerous."
Brian Dozier called the win a big one, "with the pressure building for us to win at home." Of course, that led to more questions about pressure, which he backed away from some. But it's clear that some players are wondering what their record would be if they were playing better at Target Field. "Over the course of a season you have to stack up wins at home," Dozier said, "and we have failed to do that. Obviously we ave been playing really well on the road."
Byron Buxton entered the game in the seventh inning as a pinch runner but came to the plate in the eighth and shot a pitch on the outside corner up the middle for an RBI single. Buxton has taken better at bats since an atrocious start to the season but still looks pull-conscious at times. "He had a little extra time in the cage this morning to find a better way to increase contact and more of a line drive approach," Molitor said. "It was nice to see him rewarded with a two strike hit up the middle. He didn't smoke it but stayed on it." Buxton's single in the eighth raised his batting average to .190 - a season high. We're on .200 watch now.
