A 10-4 regular season loss to the New York Yankees is nothing new. The Twins have been hammered often by the Bronx Bombers in the Gardenhire Era.
But Monday’s loss was especially excruciating since Minnesota had a 4-3 lead heading into the eighth inning, and this current Yankees team is filled with castoffs to replace its injured superstars.
Didn’t matter. Yankees 10, Twins 4. Thanks, in large part, to Robinson Cano’s two homers and another Jared Burton meltdown in the eighth inning.
So how is all of being seen by keen Twins and Yankees observers?
Let’s start with the Star Tribunes’ Patrick Reusse, who maintains the once-dominant Burton is setting up the Twins to fail: “The folks following this team — and Monday’s paltry crowd of 29,619 indicated that number is in serious decline — have grown increasingly unhappy with Gardenhire’s loyalty to Burton as his eighth-inning man.”
From Associated Press writer Jon Krawczynki, comes this gem of a paragraph, with illuminates exactly what the Twins were up against: “The Yankees haven’t looked much like the Yankees of late, running out relatively no-name lineups filled with youngsters and journeymen while their stars mend on the disabled list. They had lost 13 of their previous 18 to fall into fourth place in the AL East, and (starter Andy) Pettitte looked nothing like the consistent lefty he’s been for most of 18 seasons in the early going Monday night.”
Star Tribune writer Phil Miller focused on how Mariano Rivera pitched the ninth for the Yankees, just for fun: “Usually the Twins bullpen is trustworthy. This time, it surrendered seven runs over the final two innings, removing any chance for the game’s all-time save leader to notch No. 635.”
We searched a bit for some anti-Twins hatred from the New York newspapers, figuring the Post and Daily News tabloids would offer it up easily. Dead end on both accounts. Instead, the buttoned-up New York Times played nasty with our local nine: As poorly as the Yankees have played recently, and as miserable as their offense has been, there is nothing so bad that it cannot be fixed by a visit to Minnesota and a date with the Twins.
Excruciating.
Finally, TwinsGeek John Bonnes put together a list of the best places in Target Field to jeer the Yankees. You know, just in case the Twins are ahead, or about to win, and you want to holler at the enemy. For example: Section 128, 129, 229, 230 — The left field bleachers: “Because you never know when the Yankees may bring back Chuck Knoblauch. It makes as much sense as trotting Vernon Wells’ undead corpse out there. (By the way, Wednesdays are $1 hot dog nights.)”
