#-1: Twins (Last Week: -1, where they've been for the past two months): Winning two-of-three at lowly Tampa Bay followed by losing three-of-four at home vs. Houston. The past 24 hours were particularly tough. Wednesday night they raced out to a 5-0 lead on the Astros, but then the rain came in the middle of the third inning, I think. They tried waiting it out, but at 10:30 they called the game and went to a day-night doubleheader yesterday (Thursday). And since Wednesday's game did not reach 4 1/2 innings, they did not pick up the game from where they left off; instead they just started a whole new ballgame from the beginning. And Houston pounded them in the day and in the night, 15-7 and 10-2, respectively. So what was going to be an easy win has turned into a doubleheader sweep and a three-game losing streak.
What is becoming worse is the continuing struggles of the youth core of this franchise. Hector Santiago started the other day and couldn't get out of the fourth inning, I think. Jose Berrios was the Starting Pitcher who got rocked in the afternoon game yesterday (Thursday). Worst of all, Byron Buxton was sent down to AAA Rochester for the fourth time since being initially called up. His defense has turned into one of the best in the majors, but he has been so ugly at the plate once again that he was deemed to need even further remediation in the minors. This merry-go-round has to stop. However, despite having shitty discipline at the plate, he's demonstrated such a wizardly dexterity with the glove that, at this point, I'm ready to tell him to just stay with the Twinks and keep working on his swing. Or, shove him all the way to the back end of the bench and tell him he's going to be a Pinch Runner and late-game defensive replacement. Michael Rand of the Strib said that a fourth demotion raises a deep red flag. And he's right. This can't continue without a firm commitment or ... a change.
This week: Hosting three games against Kansas City, then a return two-fer in Atlanta Tuesday and Wednesday, followed by a four-game set in K.C. beginning Thursday.
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