Two out of three versus the Sox thus far. Last night was a rollercoaster but they did lead the entire game. A few thoughts— been busy of late!

Glen Perkins: I’m not going to say much about Saturday’s game other than I was impressed with Glen Perkins. Yes he did give up three solo shots, but showed command and good stuff on the mound. The rotation is badly in need of a lefthander with Liriano in the minors and Perkins fits the bill. I’m not sure how accurate the FSN radar readings arebut he did display more velocity than I anticipated. The Youkilis and Crisp shots were clear bombs, I thought the Lowrie homer was a good pitch. He should get another start or two with Baker on the DL— maybe he’ll be a fixture for a while.

On to Sunday’s game…

The Monroe Doctrine: I haven’t been kind to Monroe, preferring Jason Kubel like many others. At this point Monroe clearly deserves the time at DH. Kubel has been a mess of late and beyond some early power numbers hasn’t given the team much. The potential power that Monroe provides the team is valued even more due to their inability to hit the long ball. Last night’s game is the perfect example— stringing a few hits here and there wouldn’t have been enough to beat the Sox like the three run homer was.

Monroe

AB- 67
HR- 4
RBI- 13
AVG- .284
SLG- .537
OPS+ - 136

AB- 117
HR- 4
RBI- 18
AVG- .222
SLG- .359
OPS+ 66

There’s no way around it, Kubel has been brutal. He has a .238 On Base Percentage with only three walks to go along with 24 strike outs. In half as many at bats Monroe has clearly out performed him. Part of the attraction of Kubel was the idea that Monroe is a free-swinger with little plate discipline or propensity to take a walk. That last statement is true in that Monroe has only three walks himself. The problem with the criticism of Monroe is that Kubel has been much worse. There’s no guarantee that Monroe’s production will continue but at this point he has to be the preferred choice at DH for a while.

Red Sox Nation: The crowd has been marked by a high percentage of Red Sox fans. Some estimates put it as much as 25% of the crowd, a very boisterous lot. According to many this is Red Sox Nation. I’ve been to Twins/Red Sox games for years at the Dome. There were always a decent number of Sox fans there but nothing like now. Yes, the bandwagon is in full force this weekend—- the Bosox bandwagon. It would be interesting to quiz some of these Johnny Come Lately’s on Red Sox history. I’d be willing to guess not many would be familiar with the likes of Bob Stanley or Jody Reed or even Mike Greenwell.

Come on Livan: Let’s all channel our inner Livan and will him to another solid start tonight. He’s given up only one earned run in each of his last two starts with impressive victories over Detroit and Chicago. The Twins get to face Clay Buchholz who’s been up and down this season. A victory would be a clear sign that this team has the potential to truly contend this season due to their strong play at the Dome. The home field advantage is back in full force.