Denard Span hits 3 Triples, Minnesota Twins beat Detroit Tigers 11--4

A triple is an exciting play in baseball. It's pretty much a guarantee that the player has to be running hard and a ball will be thrown to attempt to get the runner out. This usually has fans standing on the edge of their seats. Some games may even have a team hit 2 triples if they're lucky. Denard Span of the Minnesota Twins hit 3 - yes 3 - triples yesterday in a 11-4 triumph over the Detroit Tigers, tying a Major League Baseball record. He becomes the first player to accomplish the feat since Rafael Furcal of the Atlanta Braves did it in 2002. Overall, 49 players have accomplished the notable feat, as ballparks used to be bigger in the dead ball era. The win moved the Minnesota Twins back into 1st place in the AL Central Division. Span was 4-4 on the day with 5 RBI's, truly a night for Span to remember. Nick Blackburn recorded the win for the Minnesota Twins, a win he desperately needed.

Minnesota Twins drop New York Mets Series, Opener to Detroit Tigers

In a disappointing weekend, the Minnesota Twins lost 2 of 3 to the New York Mets at Citi Field. The Minnesota Twins dropped the opener 5-2 with Kevin Slowey responsible for the loss. They bounced back on Saturday defeating old Minnesota Twin ace Johan Santana 6-0. Carl Pavano pitched his 2nd consecutive complete game and has easily established himself as the Twins ace right now, allowing 3 hits over 9 innings. In an ironic fashion, the Twins were then beat 6-0 on Sunday by the New York Mets with starter Scott Baker getting roughed up. That left the Twins 1-5 in their last 6 games.

The brightside was that the 9 game road trip was over and the team would return to Target Field. However, the homestand did not start the way they hoped. The Minnesota Twins lost 7-5 to the Detroit Tigers in the first game of the three game series. Starting pitcher Francisco Liriano surrendered 4 runs in the 1st inning and Minnesota was never able to recover. The Minnesota Twins have the next 6 games at home and will need to fix their problems quickly, as the Tampa Bay Rays are up next after the Tigers. Nick Blackburn gets the nod tonight as starting pitcher. Blackburn is winless in his last 5 starts.

Twins Will Try to Avoid Sweep vs. Brewers

After dropping the first two games to the Milwaukee Brewers, the Twins will look to avoid a sweep in the three game series in Milwaukee. Scott Baker and Francisco Liriano started the first two games of the series and both were charged with a loss. Nick Blackburn will take the mound this afternoon for the Twins, squaring off against hard throwing righty Yovani Gallardo. Blackburn will be looking to halt his own personal slump, having be pulled before the 4th inning in 3 of his last 4 starts. Blackburn is 6-4 on the year with a 5.80 ERA.

Overall, Minnesota is 4-6 in their last 10 games and need to get back on track. After today's game, the Twins will travel to New York where they will face off against the Mets in a three game series. Left fielder Delmon Young has been having a great June, but the rest of the lineup has failed to be consistent. Getting back shortstop JJ Hardy would solve some lineup issues for the Twins, so they can move Nick Punto back to third base and keep Michael Cuddyer in right field. Today's finale against the Brewers starts at 1:10 Central time.

Delmon Young is Heating Up

The Minnesota Twins pride themselves on building a strong farm system and promoting from within. That's what made the November 2007 trade that sent prized prospect Matt Garza and a blossoming shortstop Jason Bartlett to the Tampa Bay Rays for Delmon Young an unfamiliar move. While Garza and Bartlett both acheived success in the first two seasons with the Rays, that was not exactly the case with Minnesota and Young. His fielding, running ability, and plate discipline were questioned, as was his all of sudden lack of power. This made Twins fans very bitter about the trade. Fast foward to June 22, 2010 - the opinions on the trade may be finally swaying a little for some Twins fans. Young came into the 2010 season thirty pounds lighter and appearing in his best shape since arriving in Minnesota. As of today, Delmon Young holds a .306 batting average (cough cough - opposed to Joe Mauer's .304), 8 home runs, 43 rbi's (2nd on the team), and a solid .502 slugging percentage (his highest previous for a season was .425).

He has been on a power surge recently -for the month of June he is batting .387 with 16 RBI in 17 games. He has hit safely in 19 of the last 21 games. His approach at the plate has been improved significantly this season, already drawing more walks this season. His clutch at bats have been huge for the Twins recently, with JJ Hardy and Orlando Hudson spending time on Disabled List. Another reminder is Young is still only 24 and could just be entering his prime in the MLB. Clearly there is still a lot of baseball left, with 60% of the season still to be played. Young's emergence is a very pleasant suprise to an already potent line up. If Young can maintain his strong start, he could finally establish himself as a player to be recognized.

Target Field Photos - View from Section 301

Justin Morneau on the big scoreboard. Hi Justin!

Field view from Section 301, zoomed out,

tried to get entire Target Field.

The view of Paul and Minnie from Section 301 at Target Field.


Do you have your own photos?

No? Get to Target Field and take some! The ballpark is totally amazing and Twins Tickets are still available!

Minnesota Twins Score Updates

The Twins Target Field home stand has been filled with ups and downs. Here is a quick score recap of the past six games.

June 8 Twins vs KC WIN 7-3

June 9 Twins vs KC WIN 6-2

June 10 TWINS vs KC loss 8-9
*Twins made a great comeback, but came up short*

June 11 Twins vs Braves WIN 2-1

June 12 Twins vs Braves loss 2-3

June 13 Twins vs Braves loss 3-7
*A rough first inning was too much to overcome*

Valencia Makes Major League Debut

Danny Valencia, the likely third basemen of the future for the Minnesota Twins, made his Major League debut last night against the Seattle Mariners. In his first at bat, he singled and ended the night 1-3. When he arrived at his locker, a jersey was waiting for him there but it was the number 79 since the veterens decided to pull a prank him. Luckily his number 19 jersey arrived just before the game. Valencia is going to be sent down right after the next series in Oakland while Michael Cuddyer is at his father in laws funeral. Valencia has been doing okay as he has batted close to .300 this season, but he is yet to hit a home run. He hit 15 home runs last year so the power is there, but he just hasn't hit one yet. It's important to monitor his progress since he is likely the 3rd basemen of the future for the Twins.

5 Game Win Streak Ends, Blackburn Loses

Nick Blackburn, who was 5-0 in May, was probably sad to see the calendar flip to June and it showed Tuesday night. Blackburn lasted only 3 2/3 innings and allowed five runs in what was his shortest outing since September 11, 2009. After Morneau tied the game at one a piece with a home run in the 3rd inning, it was all Mariners. The Twins are in serious danger of losing the next two games to the Mariners considering they must now face the two-headed monster of Felix Hernandiz and Cliff Lee to end the series. Cliff Lee has already won a Cy Young and Hernandez has that kind of talent. It will be interesting to see how the Twins fair against these dominant pitchers.