Indians at Twins - Gems

Recap:
Tuesday: Indians 1 - Twins 5
Wednesday: Indians 0 - Twins 6
Thursday: Indians 8 - Twins 1

Twins take series 2-1: That's FIVE consecutive series.

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So you've probably heard the old saying "chicks dig the long ball." Well, not this chick. This chick digs wonderful, slow, knee-buckling curves and devastating, hard sliders. Ok, we're talking about baseball. Get your mind out of the gutter. Sheesh.

But anyway, I love, love, love excellent pitching. And it was a treat to see Slowey and Liriano pitch such terrific gems. I'll admit, Baker pitched a lump of coal, but fortunately for me, I was too busy at work to pay much attention.

Before Slowey's start on Tuesday, a lot of folks were worried because he struggled during his previous start -- it just seemed like he just wasn't clicking with Joe Mauer. But all those concerns were erased when he dialed in and mowed down the Indians' batters. He was confident and precise. Just amazing.

And before Liriano's start on Wednesday, a game I went to by the way, a lot of folks were concerned because, well, because he's Francisco Liriano, and he pitched well in his previous start and we always wonder if he can be good twice in a row. Well, he can and he did. It was a lot of fun watching him strike guys out and make them swing funny. What was even more impressive was that he didn't freak out when men got on base; he was able to wiggle out of his jams and come back out strong the next inning.

As far as Scotty's lump, well, let's hope he's got that out of his system and pitches a gem next time. I think he would have had a better day if he hadn't started out with a couple tough-luck calls.

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Oh, and a side-note from Wednesday's game. When Mike Redmond came to the plate, I gave him a standing ovation. I was the only one in my section to do so, but I didn't care. I miss him, and it was good to see him. And, in good old Mike Redmond form, he got beat up by a few foul tips -- just like old times.

Seeing him again made me kind of wonder why I'm not reading as many personal-interest, fun stories about the players. Is it because everyone's writing so much about Target Field right now? Is it because it's still early in the season and no one's doing anything interesting yet? Or is it because the funniest, funnest, goofiest guy on the team isn't on the team any more? I don't know. But I sure wish someone could fill his shoes in that regard.