With the World Baseball Classic coming up next week, Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau are playing more innings early in spring training than they usually do.
Mauer caught five innings on Sunday then was the designated hitter on Monday. Morneau played until the sixth inning on Sunday and played half of Monday's game. The veterans usually every other day off during the early spring schedule. Not with the WBC coming up.
And the M & M boys are going to play for a third straight game on Tuesday when the Twins travel to Dunedin to play the Blue Jays. Veterans usually get the three-hour bus rides off early in camp. Not with the WBC at stake.
Colabello the Clutch
Chris Colabello came through for a second straight game.
On Sunday, his ninth inning RBI single drove in Darin Mastroianni with the tying run against Baltimore, setting up extra innings. On Monday, he came to the plate with Brandon Boggs on first.
``I told myself if I got a good pitch, to let it fly," he said.
Colabello got a fastball and pounded it to right-centerfield, and Boggs scored what turned out to be the decisive run in the Twins' 5-4 win over the Pirates. Cole De Vries got the win. Pedro Hernandez got the save.
Etc.
Shairon Martis has left camp to join the Netherlands team in Taiwan, where it will begin play in the World Baseball Classic next week.
Today's attendance was announced at 5,048 - the second straight non-sellout. And none of the suites at Hammond Stadium were reserved for Monday's game.
Trevor Plouffe will start at third base tomorrow when the Twins head to Dunedin to play the Blue Jays.
The starting outfield tomorrow will be Darin Mastroianni, Aaron Hicks and Joe Benson
