The first two games of the Mets series were a perfect snapshot of the Twins’ see-saw season to date: An 8-1 loss and a 9-0 victory in the span of 24 hours. Five hits one night, thirteen the next. Go figure.
Actually, if the season ended today, you could put the last eleven games in a time capsule as a condensed version of the sort of maddening team the Twins have been all year. They lost two-of-three to a dreadful Washington club (and, in typical fashion, looked hopeless against a couple of stiffs in the process), swept a decent Atlanta team, lost two-of-three to Milwaukee, and then split the first two games of the New York series in absolutely schizoid fashion.
What was the difference tonight?
Beats the hell out of me. Gardenhire swapped Jeff Cirillo for Nick Punto, and Cirillo proceeded to go 3-5 with a run and an rbi. At least for one night that looked like a pretty smart move, and given that Cirillo is a career .298 hitter you kind of wonder why it took so long to give it a shot.
And the Mets, of course, committed four errors and looked anxious all night against Santana.
This much seems certain: We’re not likely to see Santana put together such a strange –if nonetheless very attractive– pitching line (complete game shutout, four hits, 92 pitches, and one strike out) any time soon.
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