Twins back on track

The Twins were able to get back to their winning ways on Saturday night with a 12-6 win over the Sidney Ponson-led Texas Rangers. It came at a price, as Scott Baker left in the 5th inning with what was described as a "mild groin strain." It is unknown if he will be able to make his next scheduled start.

It was tough for me to decide on my three stars. Eight of the nine in the lineup got at least one hit. Six got two or more. Six players knocked in runs and seven scored. And that's not to mention the job the bullpen did after Baker left early.

Three Stars, after much debate:
Brendan Harris - 3 for 5, 2 R, 2B. Harris has been playing very well since being inserted in the #2 spot in the lineup. In my mind, I view Harris as the leadoff hitter. Yeah, Gomez bats first, but the lineup starts when Harris bats because he brings all the qualities of a leadoff hitter to the plate.
Mike Lamb - 3 for 4. 2 RBI, R, 2B. Lamb finally is starting to come around (his average is finally over .200) and that is good news for the Twins. Remember, Lamb was brought in for his bat - not his glove - but is arguably having his best fielding season at 3B. (His fielding percentage is .956. Only his 2005 season at .980 was better - but he only started 12 games at 3rd base that year.)
Twins Bullpen - 4 2/3 IP, 4 H, 6 BB (ouch!), ER, K. After Baker's early exit, the bullpen came in down 4-2 and did an excellent job giving the Twins a chance to win. The 10 baserunners in 4+ innings (WHIP over 2.00) is kind of alarming, but the 1 run is more important. Jesse Crain was especially dominant in his 2/3 of an inning. Hopefully, Livan "Innings-Eater" Hernandez can give the bullpen a break today.

In other news, the NFL Draft started yesterday. My mock ranked slightly below Mel Kiper's, but I still matched 7 players with their correct teams - and that's not easy to do. (My final draft was Friday - so I didn't change any of my picks even though a lot were known before draft time.)

I'm a Jaguars Fan - and I was happy with their first day. Obviously they gave up quite a bit to move up to get their guys, and only have 2 5th rounders today, but the one obvious weakness - a pass rush - was addressed yesterday with the selection of Derrick Harvey and Quentin Groves.

As far as the local teams go, I don't really have much to say, but I will anyway...
The Packers had a pretty good day I thought. Jordy Nelson will be able to contribute this year on special teams and eventually will be a pretty good receiver. He should see the field in 5-receiver sets. Brian Brohm was a very good selection. I wouldn't be surprised if he makes a start by the end of this season.
The Vikings surprised a lot people by trading up to draft S Tyrell Johnson. There were still good QBs and WRs on the board, which are both viewed as bigger needs than DB. (The Vikings were somewhat able to redeem themselves by trading up to draft John David Booty in the 5th round.)

The Twins game has begun, so I will be back to post later.

My Mock Draft

Here's my shot at the 1st round:

1 MIA
Jake Long

2 STL
Glenn Dorsey

3 ATL
Chris Long

4 OAK
Darren McFadden

5 KC
Branden Albert

6 NYJ
Vernon Ghoulston

7 NE
Keith Rivers

8 BAL
Matt Ryan

9 CIN
Sedrick Ellis

10 NO
Leodis McKelvin

11 BUF
Devin Thomas

12 DEN
Ryan Clady

13 CAR
Chris Williams

14 CHI
DeSean Jackson

15 DET
Rashard Mendenhall

16 ARI
Derrick Harvey

17 KC
Phillip Merling

18 HOU
Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie

19 PHI
Jonathan Stewart

20 TB
Mike Jenkins

21 WAS
Malcolm Kelly

22 DAL
Felix Jones

23 PIT
Quentin Groves

24 TEN
James Hardy

25 SEA
Jeff Otah

26 JAC
Lawrence Jackson

27 SD
Aqib Talib

28 DAL
Limas Sweed

29 SF
Gosder Cherilus

30 GB
Jerod Mayo

31 NYG
Kenny Phillips