Date: 9/29/09

Opponent: Detroit Tigers

Home/Away: Away

Starting Pitcher: Duensing

Final Score: L 6-5

Record: 82-75

Best Moment: At least we rallied and made it interesting. Given that we were down by 5 starting the 6th inning, you've got to admire the fight we put up. Having said that, fight doesn't do much for us if we don't win. And now we have no margin for error. We must win the next 2 games. This was the most difficult match-up for us though with Verlander on the mound, and now we have our best pitchers on the mound. But Pavano and Baker need to hold up under the pressure, and it would sure be helpful if the offense could put up runs early.

Verlander was dominating us early, with strikeout after strikeout, but we finally got to him in the 6th. Given how impressive he was early, I'm rather stunned that we eventually scored 4 runs off of him. But I also felt like a few key decisions really cost us, and maybe even cost us the game (see below).

Most Questionable Moment: 3 Gardy decisions really struck me as very very stupid in this game. First, starting Gomez over Morales. I didn't get it. I still don't get it. Dick and Bert were saying something about Gomez rattling Verlander in an earlier game, but he didn't seem to upset him too much with Verlander striking him out 2 of 3 times. Gomez was 1 for 8 against Verlander going into the game, and it was an unfavorable right vs. right match-up. Morales can switch hit to bat from the left side, and he was 1 for 2 with a walk against Verlander. Sure it's a small sample size, but I'll take the odds of Morales having a better at bat than Gomez. My second problem was bringing Bobby Keppel in with the bases loaded. I just don't trust Keppel in that kind of situation. It was early in the game, but it was only a 3-run lead, and each game is so important in this series. My biggest issue though? Guerrier pitching to Granderson to lead off the 8th instead of Mijares. Mijares was warming up, and while he did pitch in the first game of the day, I don't think it would have been horrible to have him face 1 batter. Granderson really struggles against lefties, was 0 for 4 career versus Mijares, and had had notable success against Guerrier (4 for 13 with a double, triple and 6 walks). The game was close, and as it turned out, that home run was the winning run. So thanks a lot, Gardy.

Worst Moment: Michael Cuddyer returns to Mr. Anti-Clutch form and can't get a big hit. I guess I've started to expect him to be awesome all the time now, and while I logically recognize that no one is perfect, I irrationally demand it anyway.

Quotations of the Day:

• "We've been fighting an uphill battle. [The loss] just makes tomorrow's game even more important. We wanted to get this one tonight and finish off a great day. Our guys gave it everything they had. We put it all out there on the line. Until the last out was made, we still had a chance. That's pretty fun to watch, and I'm proud of the guys." - Ron Gardenhire
• "He was nasty. He usually is whenever we face him. But he had his good stuff working tonight." - Joe Mauer, on Justin Verlander
• "Both games were tough games, even the way we battled back the second game versus their best pitcher. We've seen their best now." - Denard Span
• "We still have two left with them. They are probably hoping to get a couple of them and put this thing out of reach. But we're still alive." - Joe Mauer

Suck-Ass Performance of the Game: Michael Cuddyer (0 for 4, 2 strikeouts, 3 left on base) and Brian Duensing (4.2 innings pitched, 7 hits, 3 walks, 1 home run, 5 earned runs).