Twins whack Brew Crew

I'm not going to get too optimistic after Friday night's 10-2 win in Milwaukee. But I'll tell you what, watching the offense score some runs and having the pitching staff hold a lead makes you feel good about the team, if only for a night.

Three Stars:
Kevin Slowey - 8 IP, 5 H, 5 K, 2 ER, 2 for 4, 2B, R, 2 RBI. For as bad as his last game was, this one was amazing. He was under control and hitting his corners. He avoided dangerous innings. He even helped himself out with a couple of big hits. Obviously, I think it benefitted Slowey that he hadn't faced many of the Brewers before, and if he had it was only a couple of at-bats. If these guys saw him regularly, it would become a different story. But they don't, so it's not. Great way to start the weekend - the bullpen is still fresh!

Now it gets a little tougher...
Six guys with multi-hit games, 2 guys with 3 RBI...

Alexi Casilla - 2 for 5, 2B, R, 3 RBI. I'm taking Casilla because he was part of the big 5th inning. In fact, if it weren't for a single play he made, that inning wouldn't have happened. Gomez led off the inning with a bunt single. Casilla followed with a bunt single. Mauer followed that up with a tailor-made double play ball. However, Casilla's hard slide into 2nd broke up that opportunity. The next batter, Morneau, was able to hit a 2-run 3B. Had it not been for Casilla's slide, the inning - and probably game - would have taken on a whole new look. Adding to that, Casilla also had a 3-run double in the 5-run 7th inning.
Delmon Young - 3 for 4, R, RBI. The big thing here is that Young was on the bench to start the game. When Cuddyer took a ball to the hand in the 1st inning and left the game later, Young had to step in; and step in he did. Mentally, a player usually has all day to prepare for a game (or a day off) and usually, on off days, a player is not likely to be called upon until later. However, Young was able to step in early and produce. Granted, it wasn't extra base hits and lots of runs batted in, but a 3-hit game when you're supposed to be on the bench is a good thing.

Pre-game big news: Twins first-round pick OF Aaron Hicks signed a contract. I believe the signing bonus was $1.78 million. Not bad for a guy who graduated earlier in the day. Here's your diploma... here's almost two million dollars. He is expected to play in the GCL, just as Ben Revere did last year. (Speaking of Ben Revere, he went 3 for 5 today and is batting .411. I know there is no reason to hurry the kid - and his defense is brutal - but how about a shot at high-A ball?)

Now onto the other stuff:
A lot has been made about AAA-affiliate Rochester only having eight healthy position players last night. How the Twins stiffed them and all that. Yeah, the Twins lacked the necessary foresight. The Red Wings won anyway, and the next day relief came from New Britain. I'm not going to make anything more of it; it's over and I doubt it will happen again.

Getting their first promotions to AAA were C Jeff Christy and SS/3B Trevor Plouffe.

Christy was a 6th round pick in 2006 out of Nebraska. Although, he's not a high-rated prospect, he would appear the next-ready to play besides the 4 above him. Personally, I don't think he'll ever wear a big-league Twins jersey, but what do I know?

Plouffe is a former 1st round draft pick. The Twins top choice in 2004, I rated him as the #5 prospect in the organization. That is higher than most other places have rated him, but he is still very young. In fact, he is over 5 years younger (22 tomorrow) than the Red Wings average age (27 and a month). With that being said, he wasn't performing so great that he needed to get the call. Honestly, there were other infielders in New Britain who were probably more deserving. (Plouffe was 0-3 in his debut.)

With 2 players leaving New Britain, there is going to be some ripple-effect felt between there and Ft. Myers. The report is that 4 players will be promoted after their all-star game tomorrow night. (There has been one already.)

Most likely, we will be seeing 3B Danny Valencia, 2B Brian Dinkelman, SP Jeff Manship and CLR Robert Delaney make the move to play every day in AA. (C Rodolfo Palacios was already promoted, but he doesn't figure as a top prospect.)

Valencia will be replacing Luke Hughes, who, when healthy, should head to Rochester. Valencia has been tearing it up and has wiggled his way from "3B of the Future" to "3B of 2010" to "3B of 2009...?" to "Can he be ready by September?" As good as he's been (.336/.402/.518), there is no way he heads North until September of 2009 (at the earliest).

Dinkelman hasn't been quite as good as Valencia (.293/.399/.414), but he's still putting up pretty good numbers. The issue is that New Britain already has a pretty good 2B, Steve Tolleson. Should he be getting the call to move up soon too?

Manship will step right into the rotation and continue as a top-level prospect; Delaney will probably assume a position as a set-up guy. While Manship may one day crack the big-league rotation, Delaney will be nothing more than a middle-reliever if he can continue his climb upward.

With that, I'm going to close up shop. I look forward to seeing what other move are made and let's all hope for Perkins to come up big tomorrow night, so we can go for the sweep on Sunday!