Twins postgame: Will the real Twins please show up?

You can't use injuries as an excuse for this game.

The Twins were lousy in several areas, still had a chance to win despite their lousiness and then lost 4-3 to Kansas City to make things more lousy.

On Thursday, they were streamrolled by Tampa Bay in Game 1 and their bats handed to them in Game 2.

``Sometimes, you'd rather lose those games than to lose one like this," outfielder Jason Kubel said.

When will this team respond? I know the bottom four hitters in their lineup tonight were starting in the minors at this time last season. But that's no excuse for bad baserunning - and for Alexi Casilla failing to get a bunt down in the first inning and not catching a catchable ball in the eighth.

There's stuff this team needs to clean up, healthy or not..

Gardy looks like he's ready to pop. If they lose tomorrow things could be interesting.

Add 2011 to that list. They are sitting at 9-16 with one game left to play this month - oh boy!

The biggest sign that the Twins can be licked right now came in the seventh. Righthander Blake Wood was on the mound for the Royals with two outs, runners on second and third and Justin Morneau at the plate.

If this was a year ago - or if Jim Leyland is in the other dugout - Morneau is walked intentionally and Wood goes after Michael Cuddyer. But Wood is allowed to face Morneau, Morneau swings and misses three breaking balls off the plate and the inning is over.