Ron Gardenhire has announced that Brian Dozier will be the team’s starting shortstop when he arrives in the clubhouse on Monday. Jamey Carroll will be shifted to a utility role for the time being, giving Gardenhire an opportunity to give occasional rest to Danny Valencia and Alexi Casilla (or replace them if they continue to struggle).
The Twins’ 9 hits in their last 4 games is the worst streak in the modern era (since 1900). Ouch. Let’s hope for something better this afternoon.
Erik Komatsu is in right field again, Mauer is back behind the plate for the first time in almost a week, and Carroll will get a swan-song at shortstop. Here is the rest:
| Minnesota Twins |
@ |
Seattle Mariners |
| Span, CF | Ackley, 2B | |
| Carroll, SS | Ryan, SS | |
| Mauer, C | Suzuki, I, RF | |
| Willingham, LF | Montero, DH | |
| Doumit, DH | Seager, 3B | |
| Parmelee, 1B | Jaso, C | |
| Valencia, 3B | Smoak, 1B | |
| Komatsu, RF | Carp, LF | |
| Casilla, A, 2B | Saunders, M, CF | |
| _Blackburn, P | _Noesi, P |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
| Minnesota |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
5 |
0 |
| Seattle |
3 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
X |
5 |
7 |
2 |
Ryan Doumit was 3/3 with a walk and 2 HR. The rest of the Twins were 2/27 with 5 walks and 6 strikeouts. All in all, another pretty disappointing display of baseball from the Twins.
Twins are back home tomorrow to start a 9 game homestand. Francisco Liriano takes the mound against a no-name pitcher for the Angels, Jered Weaver.
It’s really weird to be sitting in the opposing team’s ballpark and hear a batter announced for your own team…that you’ve never heard of.
Who is this Komatsu guy? How did he end up on waivers? Our perfunctory google search made me think this was his first year (month, really) in the majors, so I can’t figure out how that happened.
LT, you’re exactly right, this is Komatsu’s first time in the league, and despite still having all of his options, he did end up on waivers.
BECAUSE
He was the Cardinals’ Rule 5 draft pick, and the Twins claimed him before he made it through waivers. So the Twins now have to keep him on the 25 man roster, or work out a deal with the Nationals to keep him in the system.
Basically the Twins must have loved him so much that they are willing to see if he can stick on the 25 man roster, or maybe want to use him as part of the ever evolving trade talks dealing with Denard Span going to Washington. Who knows.