There's only one. I think that's a first.
#-1: Twins (Last Week: -2). You know, usually, a 5-2 week would be considered a great week. But we're talking about the Twinks here, the Twinks we thought would roar to the American League Central title and then get swept by the Yankees, the Twinks that had a shitty April and May. They're in such a hole right now and behind so many teams in the division that only a perfect week would be considered a good week, and even then we're all secretly waiting for the other shoe to drop.
It didn't help that the two losses were excruiating. Matt Capps was given a three-run lead in the top of the 9th Saturday at home against Milwaukee and promptly choked (although Michael Cuddyer fucking up that fly ball to right didn't help matters). And now he's a punching bag and his reputation is in tatters. I was at the following game, the Sunday matinee. It was thrilling to see this team bounce back from such a humiliating defeat, and it was even more heartening to come back on the Brewers like they came back on the Twins the day before (even the Brew Crew came back from a 7-0 deficit and they only came back from a 6-1 one). But with a two-run lead in the top of the 9th, out came Capps to a chorus of boos. And even though he has the excuse of a blown double play, he left the game with two men on -- and a chorus of boos.
Manager Ron Gardenhire turned instead to Glen Perkins, the Minnesota boy and Gopher who had been bitching about not being a starter. And he promptly got the next two batters out to seal the win. It was the first save of his career. Moreover, it was the first win for reliever Phil Dumatrait, a man who I didn't know even existed until, oh, six weeks ago.
Capps again couldn't get hitters out on Tuesday, so Perkins saved his ass again and salted away a 3-2 Minnesota victory over Tampa. Capps has righted himself since; I think he's picked up two saves. But right now, Perkins has been the only lights-out reliever this team has, and there's a three-way race for closer; don't forget Joe Nathan, who's starting to pick up arm velocity.
In other news ... I always hate it when a team, such as the New York Yankees, seem to have the Twinks' number. So it's always good to see that we have someone else's number. And that is the Chicago White Sox, who are now 6-28 against Our Nine in their last 34 meetings and have lost nine in a row to them. Moreover, the Twins are conducting an awesome home invasion: They have a 14-2 record in their last 16 games at Comiskey, including the last eight.
They've already split this series; can they go for the sweep this weekend to end the first half of the season? After the All-Star Break, the Twins begin the second of their two long homestands this season (12 games in 11 days) when they start a series Thursday against Kansas City.
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