Though nobody in the game had hit fewer home runs at midweek, the Twins nevertheless ranked fourth in the AL in runs scored (ahead of such powerhouse lineups as Detroit, the Yankees and the Angels), they ranked third in hits and third in sacrifice hits.
Three Twins ranked among the AL's top 10 in batting average with runners in scoring position: Cuddyer (fifth, .361), Morneau (seventh, .360) and Gomez (ninth, .339).
Their lineup Wednesday night in San Diego featured five draft picks (Joe Mauer, Morneau, Cuddyer, Jason Kubel, Glenn Perkins), three guys acquired in a trade (Casilla and Carlos Gomez, part of the Santana deal with the Mets, and Brendan Harris, acquired from Tampa Bay in the Delmon Young-Matt Garza deal) and one Rule 5 pick (Brian Buscher).
One of their key starting pitchers opening eyes around the game right now, Nick Blackburn, was a 29th-round pick in the 2001 draft.
"We had a lot of question marks coming in, most of them having to do with experience," says Mauer, who is battling for a second AL batting title. "I don't think we had any questions about the talent we had."
Now, as that experience is deepening ... well, here come the Twins. Again.
"Everyone has bought into the program and believes we can do it," says Morneau, whose 59 RBI ranked third in the AL at midweek. "We didn't read into anything. We listen to what the manager says, play hard and play good baseball.
"Our lineup is good, and our pitching had been great. It's really been a plus. It's giving us a chance to win ballgames."
• These 13 teams would be in first place were they playing in the NL West: The Chicago Cubs, St. Louis, Milwaukee, Philadelphia, Florida, Los Angeles Angels, Oakland, Chicago White Sox, Minnesota, Boston, Tampa Bay, the New York Yankees and Baltimore. And Texas would be tied for first. Throw in the fact that Arizona actually is the first-place team in the NL West, and you've got 15 of baseball's 30 clubs qualifying for the lead in baseball's worst division.
• As Minnesota threatens in the AL Central on the basis of its two-week run, the Twins are doing it all without the guy who in 2006 emerged as Santana's co-ace: Guy by the name of Francisco Liriano, who's still climbing uphill following Tommy John ligament transfer surgery. He was with the Twins briefly earlier this season but was sent back to the farm when it was clear he wasn't ready. Liriano currently is at Triple-A Rochester, working to get back, to so-so reviews. His fastball velocity has improved in recent outings (he's amping it up to 93 mph now at times, up from 91) but his slider still needs work. "They're telling me there's still some tumbling action to it," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire says. "It's not quite as sharp. He just needs to pitch. That's all it is. You sit out for 16 months, you need to pitch. He's doing his work, trying to get back here."
• Look out, we're in danger of having another catcher win a batting title. When Minnesota's Joe Mauer won it with his .347 average in 2006, he became the game's first catcher since Ernie Lombardi (1942, Boston Braves) to win a league title. Now he's at .323, tied for third in the AL behind Texas' Milton Bradley (.330.) and the Yankees' Alex Rodriguez (.324). "I knew those questions would start coming up," Mauer says, smiling. "We've always had the mentality around here that we want to get to the playoffs. Those things take care of themselves if we can do that. In '06, we had the MVP (Justin Morneau), batting champion, Cy Young winner (Johan Santana) ... we had a lot of individual awards. That stuff comes if your team has success."
• One more note on the Twins and team success: Right fielder Michael Cuddyer's right index finger still isn't completely healed following his early-April incident on the bases. He dislocated and lacerated it diving head first into third base, and it cost him most of the month of April. But don't view the injury as one of those cautionary, you-shouldn't-slide-head-first tales. "I was safe," Cuddyer says. "If I would have slid feet-first, I would have been out. Jason Kubel ran for me, scored, and it turned out to be the winning run. I'd do that again 10 out of 10 times to get a win."
• The Padres, sources say, continue shopping third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff, who missed a handful of games with a bad back last week, and one rumor making the rounds is of a Kouzmanoff-for-Jason Bay deal with Pittsburgh. Bay, a former Padres farmhand and subject of San Diego rumors off-and-on for the past year, is signed through 2009 and is due $7.5 million next season. One long-time scout scoffs, though. "Pittsburgh will never even be .500 if they do that," the scout says. "That is not a fair trade. They're too smart for that. They won't do it unless it's a money thing."
• OK, Cubs-White Sox on the South Side this weekend, and here's this: The Cubs acquired third baseman Aramis Ramirez from Pittsburgh on July 23, 2003, and since joining the North Siders, Ramirez's numbers against the Sox: .380, 10 homers and 27 RBI.
• Who's throwing Saturday,
• Overdue team meeting called by Washington manager Manny Acta before Wednesday's game with the Angels. Acta calmly spoke to his players about everything from their concentration level in games to fundamentals to respecting teammates. Let's just say that it's one thing to lose, but it's something else altogether to lose sloppy and make it look like you don't care. "That team's a joke," one big league coach says. "They walk to their positions. In all my years in the game, I've never seen a team respect the game less."
• So the Yankees are 4-1 in Joba Chamberlain's five starts, the kid has a 1.80 ERA as a starter and he beat the Pirates on Wednesday. "I think this has probably went as well as it could have went," is manager Joe Girardi's in-progress assessment.
• Cleveland, where's the beef? The Indians have scored one or zero runs 13 times this season, and three or fewer runs 39 times.
• The race is on for Jim Thome: He needs 664 plate appearances this season in order for his $13 million 2009 option to vest. Through midweek, he had 392 plate appearances to go, with the days starting to move by more quickly. If he doesn't make it, the decision will be up to the White Sox: Pick up the option anyway, let him hit the free agent market and try to re-sign him at a lower salary or bid farewell.
• Things are so bleak in San Diego they're booing local icon Trevor Hoffman. Well, they did Tuesday night, at least, when he surrendered two ninth-inning homers against Minnesota to lose the game and fall to 1-5. "I didn't like it," Padres manager Bud Black said. "This city should be very proud of a player like that for everything he's done on the field and in the community. I don't like it. I don't think it's fair."
• If things go well, Atlanta will get center fielder Mark Kotsay back from the DL next week and left fielder Matt Diaz back a couple of weeks after that. Manager Bobby Cox sure is hoping that scenario plays out, because Braves outfielders, at midweek, ranked 10th among NL outfielders with a .262 batting average, 14th with 18 homers and 14th with a .386 slugging percentage.
• The sad day nears: There are now fences with yellow police caution tape in Detroit surrounding Tiger Stadium, which could have a date with the wrecking ball as soon as August.
