Carroll Comes Through

Do you remember what I wrote yesterday about the Twins offense showing its strength by having a different guy step up each day? Last night it was none other than Justin Morneau Jamey Carroll who came through with 4 hits, including the game winning RBI in the 10th inning of a 6-5 victory over the Boston Red Sox.

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.