Justin Morneau is crushing the ball at Coors Field.
Morneau, who was traded from the Twins to the Pirates at the deadline last summer, signed with the Rockies last offseason. The result has been Morneau getting back to the form that made him one of the American League’s most formidable hitters from 2006-2010.
Morneau, while playing for the Twins, was named the American League MVP after he posted a .321 average with 34 home runs and 130 RBIs in 2006.
Concussion-related problems and other injuries slowed Morneau since the middle of the 2010 season, but he’s revived a seemingly dead career in just 42 games with the Rockies.
So far this season Morneau is hitting .327 with nine home runs and 32 RBIs.
His latest home run was a walk-off winner against the Padres. See the video here.
“I thought I hit it good off the bat, but it scared me a little bit when I saw him drifting back toward the bullpen,” Morneau told the Denver Post. “But as good of an athlete as he (Padres outfielder Cameron Maybin) is, if he can’t catch it, then it’s definitely gone. It was scary there for a moment, but it was a good feeling when it went out.”
Morneau said he wasn’t trying to hit a home run.
“I just wanted to stay aggressive,” he said. “That was one of those cases where, with a runner on, I just wanted something to drive. It was almost the same pitch I missed on a 3-1 count.”
Meanwhile, Twins first baseman Joe Mauer remains in a slump. He’s batting just .283 with two home runs, four doubles and 13 RBIs. He has just six extra-base hits in 37 games, and seven of his 13 RBIs came in two games (May 3 against Baltimore he had four RBIs, April 12 against Kansas City he had three RBIs).
Jim Souhan of the Star Tribune believes Mauer’s back “spasms” that kept him out for nearly a week earlier this month is part of the reason Mauer is struggling.
“I’m starting to feel better,” Mauer said following Sunday’s 6-2 loss to the Mariners. “I was a little under the weather all week. I’m getting back in the weight room for the first time since it happened, so that felt good.”
Mauer will have a day off today before the Twins play the Padres in San Diego starting Tuesday.
