Minn/Detroit under 7' -114 (3x)
Twins are in a major hitting funk right now, while the pitching has been very good. Their last 8 games have all been low scoring, 1 run games. Check out these scores: 3-2, 4-3, 3-2, 2-1, 5-4, 3-2, 3-2, and 3-2. Only one game would have gone over tonight's total of 7 1/2. Now the Twins are thinking of sending their clean-up hitter to the minors. Santana and the rest of the bullpen will have to keep this a low scoring game for the Twins to have a shot.
Morneau might be sent to minors
Twins need to clear roster spot for Baker
BY JASON WILLIAMS
Pioneer Press
With a roster decision looming this weekend for the Twins, struggling first baseman Justin Morneau might be headed back to the minors.
No decision has been made about which player will be demoted to make space on the roster for pitcher Scott Baker, who will be recalled from Class AAA Rochester to start the second game of Saturday's doubleheader at Detroit. But manager Ron Gardenhire made it clear that Morneau is a candidate to return to the minors for the first time since he became the Twins' everyday first baseman in July 2004.
The reason is obvious: Morneau has not had a hit in his past 21 at-bats, and the young slugger looks lost at the plate.
"If it looks like he's not going to pull out of (the slump), the option is always there to let him go down and get his confidence," Gardenhire said. "We just have to keep playing him and see how he does over the next however many days."
Morneau, 0 for 19 since the all-star break, insists he has not lost any confidence and has felt good during batting practice all season. He said that he believes he is close to snapping out of the slump, which has caused his batting average to plummet to .248. Morneau has two home runs in his past 32 games.
If the Twins had any organizational depth at first base, management almost certainly would not hesitate to demote Morneau. But backup first baseman Matthew LeCroy is a defensive liability. Michael Cuddyer made his first start of the season at first base this week, but it is not his natural position. The options at Rochester are limited, too. Terry Tiffee still is trying to regain confidence at the plate and is shaky defensively. Garrett Jones isn't ready to play in the majors.
All of those options could be too risky, considering a player cannot be recalled after being optioned to the minors for 10 days unless there is an injury.
At this point, that would leave the likelihood of pinch-hit specialist and fifth outfielder Michael Ryan as the player optioned to Rochester.
That's life: Responding to the reports that his name has been mentioned in trade talks with the Boston Red Sox this week, Twins reliever J.C. Romero seemed indifferent about the possibility of being dealt before the July 31 nonwaiver trade deadline.
"If that's true and they're going to trade me, then you've got to move on," Romero said. "Hopefully I can stay here. But if they trade me, I'm still going to be the same J.C."
Briefly: Second baseman Bret Boone, who is batting .160 (4 for 25) with seven strikeouts as a Twin, was out of the lineup for the first time since coming over in last week's trade with Seattle.
? Each of the Twins' past eight games has been decided by a one-run margin. It is the longest such streak for the Twins since they had nine consecutive games decided by one-run margins Sept. 22-Oct. 2, 1972.
Gordon Wittenmyer contributed to this report. Jason Williams can be reached at
jwilliams@pioneerpress.com.
