Winner, winner, chicken parmesan dinner. Image: Bob DeChiara-US PRESSWIRE

To be fair, Morneau also had 4 hits, including a couple off of left-handed starter Felix Doubront as he continues to improve in that facet of his game. There might not be much hope for this season, but the more this team mashes between now and the end of 2012, the more it will look like they have something substantive to work with in 2013.

Carl Crawford showed flashes of his glory days, knocking 3 hits with 3 RBI to keep the Red Sox in the game. In the end it was the Twins bullpen, carried late by Jeff Gray and Jared Burton, that outlasted the Red Sox bullpen. Which brings me to this point…

…there’s just something about Vincente Padilla, isn’t there? I cannot totally peg it and I am not saying that I align myself with Mark Teixiera’s hatred of him, but there is just something where I would not want my team’s hopes lying in his hands. Ever. Sure enough, it burned the Red Sox last night.

The game’s hero, Carroll, has not overwhelmed anybody with his statistical output this year. But the good thing about Carroll has always been and continues to be the fact that he passes the “eye test.” Your gut instinct with him is always that he is a solid player you can count on. This is true in the field, and it is true at the plate because he seems to make solid contact more often than he doesn’t. Even in a terrible down season at the plate, I am perfectly happy to see him come up in an important spot. I felt that way last night and he came through.

And there was continued discontent in Boston.

We're laughing at you, not with you, Bobby. Image: Bob DeChiara-US PRESSWIRE

Ron Gardenhire is thoughtful, measured, patient, dull, and dry to listen to. Bobby Valentine reacts quickly, seems to talk first and think second, makes rash decisions, and draws a lot of attention to himself. Maybe that list is harsh, but the dude is definitely not patient. If things are not going the way he wants them to, it shows in his public comments and in his actions as manager. These range from ripping former player Kevin Youkilis in the media to claiming that his players go behind his back to management to overhauling his lineup for a game against Brian Duensing.

You know Duensing. He is the spot starter with the 2-6 record who brought his ERA down to 4.53 with a great start against the Cleveland Indians last Sunday. Prior to that he was not even in the rotation. It might seem a bit hasty on Valentine’s part, but perhaps it will still work out for the Red Sox. They are still in the playoff race, after all, which is more than the Twins can say.

Here is Ron Gardenhire’s lineup for tonight’s game, in which Duensing will face off against the solid Felix Doubront:

Denard Span CF
Ben Revere RF
Joe Mauer C
Josh Willingham DH
Justin Morneau 1B
Danny Valencia 3B
Darin Mastroianni
Brian Dozier SS
Jamey Carroll 2B
Brian Duensing P

It appears that Valencia will have every chance to prove he belongs while Trevor Plouffe is on the shelf. He has shown some promising signs as of late, and will look to continue that positive trend against the left-handed Doubront tonight. Ryan Doumit gets the night off as Gardenhire opts to keep Willingham at DH.

Here is Bobby Valentine’s altered lineup for the Red Sox:

Jacoby Ellsbury CF
Dustin Pedroia 2B
Cody Ross RF
Adrian Gonzalez 1B
Ryan Lavarnway DH
Will Middlebrooks 3B
Carl Crawford LF
Kelly Shoppach C
Miles Aviles SS
Felix Doubront P

Searching for offense with David Ortiz on the shelf, Valentine opts to insert hot prospect Lavarnway in the 5 hole. Ross is a good player, but the Red Sox definitely did not acquire him to ever bat 3rd. Ever. The Twins will hope that their recent stretch of outstanding starting pitching will continue against this tweaked lineup.

Doumit caught it! Image: David Butler II-US PRESSWIRE

Samuel Deduno set the tone by going 6 solid innings, logging a noteworthy 11 groundball outs in the process. Take away the 4 walks he issued and he pitched a near-perfect game. A mere 2 hits by the Red Sox was enough to provoke the Boston faithful. As the starting pitching for the Twins becomes more consistent, it gives us the opportunity to appreciate the heroes out of the bullpen. Tonight it was Casey Fien and Glen Perkins once again pitching well to close out the final 3 innings of this series-opening victory.

The sign of a good offensive team, especially one that will produce consistently and not be prone to extended cold steaks, is a lineup that gets contributions from everybody, sometimes in the form of unexpected heroes. Tonight it was Brian Dozier, whose 3 hits included a home run over the Green Monster in left field. Grant this 2012 version Twins the distinctiveness they deserve as compared to the teams of the last few seasons, because unlike those teams, these guys can flat out hit.

Dominant and timely offense, dominant pitching with lots of groundball outs, and a no-doubt victory all combined to frustrate the heck out of the volatile personalities that comprise the Boston Red Sox and their fan base. That made tonight’s victory that much sweeter.