#-1: Twins (Last Week: -3). In a two-man race for the top spot this week, both baseball clubs acquitted themselves quite well. Without either team having a glaring bad spot or doing something amazing, I'm going by record here and giving the week's crown to our Twinkies, who just completed a sweep of Detroit to go 5-2 (including Thursday's loss to Baltimore). A wild last two may exemplify the change in this year's roster. On Wednesday, starter Glen Perkins (who started off really hot) and the bullpen kept giving Tigers runs (and the lead) like they had a deal on Tic-Tacs. Yet it was the offense, capped off by Joe Crede's two-out, two-strike grand slam in the 13th inning just before the stroke of midnight, that finally decided this back-and-forth in the Twins' favor, 14-10. This afternoon's game was much more orderly. Scott Baker gave the Tigers all of its five runs in the top of the 6th, then the lineup (led once again by Crede) got all of its six runs in the bottom of the 7th. (Geez, the Tigers' bullpen is just as crappy as ours.) In other words: It looks like, for this year at least, the offense will have to carry the pitching, not the other way around. They're on the road this week: At the Yankees Friday through Monday, then at Comiskey Tuesday till Thursday.
#-2: Gopher baseball (Last Week: -1). Winning two out of three ain't bad, especially if you're playing on the road against a Michigan squad trying to make the Big 10 tournament. Sunday's 10-4 loss ended a six-game winning streak for the Gophers, but they still remain on top of the conference by a half-game (due to a cancellation). Better yet, they got back on the polls, including a season-best 21 on Baseball America. (The Gophers are ranked #24 by Collegiate Baseball Magazine and Rivals.com, the latter of which I did not know even had a baseball poll.) And congrats to closer Scott Matyas for being named Big Ten Pitcher Of The Week and matching the school record for saves in a season on Friday. Baseball America still places the team in the tournament as the second-best team in its regional. They finish the season with three at Penn State (note that the first game actually is tonight and ends on Saturday), a team that has very faint hopes of clinching the sixth and final spot for the Big 10 tourney. I say: Because the tournament is being played in the minor league ballpark in Columbus, does it matter that the Gophers are the 1-seed? Ohio State and Illinois are a half-game behind, and Indiana is a half-game behind them, plus only the two best teams get that first-day bye. But if someone's injured, sit him. Tournament time's comin', and there's no use in overworking your best players when the end of the regular season is in sight.
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