The Old Hit and Run

Well, it couldn't last forever right? The Twins defeated the hometown nine 8-4. The M's jumped out to a 4 run lead in the first. 4 Runs off Santana? Inconceivable! With his first inning double Sexson is slugging 1.667 by the way. Nice....

Meche had thrown 73 pitches in holding the Twins scoreless through 4, when the wheels came off. He gave up 4 singles and a ground out, before being lifted for the dubious Matt Thornton. Thornton didn't pitch that bad, but a hit and run single, a check swing blooper and a bomb to Jacque Jones and its goodnight, nurse. The M's never even got as many as two men on after the first.

I'll leave off the obvious harping about what Thornton's doing on the roster, and why he's being used as a long man instead of a LOOGY (Lefty One-Out GuY) to talk about the hit and run.

Its one of those plays that the "fan" in me and the "stathead" in me are conflicted over. I hate hearing Fairly and Hendu and Joe Morgan talk about "putting the game in motion." We know the straight steal is a losers play, and though I haven't seen anything definitive on the hit and run, I expect that it is also. But when it works, its a beautiful thing. Bartlett takes off, Valdez moves towards second to cover and Mauer hits it right into the hole behind him. Literally into the place where poor Wilton was standing just seconds before. Beautiful.

Madritsch versus Silva today in a 3:35 start!