Twins still half in it

That was the most tenuous ten run lead I've ever seen. Ok maybe not. STILL though, this was a pretty damaging win. Manship had his longest outing of the year, and Crain didn't do much to stop the bleeding. Mahay continued to be a band-aid. Kepp Kepp threw ball, ball got hit, ball not always find glove. The Twins' long relief is hurting, mostly because the starters' haven't pitched past the sixth since Tuesday. Fun fact: Royals starter Lenny DiNardo lasted one inning, but the Twins used TWO more pitchers during the course of the game. That's the worst part about scoring five runs in the first inning: you still have to keep watching, the players have to keep playing, and the players don't want to keep playing. I wouldn't either, and that's how comebacks happen.

That first inning though, wow. I never knew Delmon had it in him. Buster Olney's blog (ESPN Insider only) includes a table showing the batters who saw the most pitches the previous day. Guess whose name was near the top? He still has those three pitch strikeouts, but his pitch recognition has improved. Now he needs to learn to be satisfied with getting on base without swinging the bat, which may never happen, but oh well. He's been a secretly big part of the Twins' hot streak (hit .309/.326/.444 (avg/on-base/slugging) in September), and hopefully can be a big part of their future. Now that he's hitting grand slams and all.

The Twins still are relying too much on the Tigers losing, but the chances are improving. Which is more probable, the Twins beating Greinke or Freddy Garcia beating the Tigers? I'm hoping for both, but to bet on one would give even the most degenerate of gamblers pause.