Spring Training Report: Game Six (and Six B)

For the first time this spring, I didn't have access to either video or audio of either of the games Twins fans were interested in today. Sad, but true. We'll see what I can glean out of the box score and the various reports that have come out so far:

1.) First, the good news. Carlos Silva and Sidney Ponson both pitched very well today, Silva in 3 innings against the Devil Rays, Ponson in the B game against the pseudo-Red Sox. A bad start for Silva against the Rays would have probably sent the Twins into a bit of a panic, since he's being counted on to pick up some solid innings this season. I'm going to play this start low-key, though, and suggest that just as one bad start last week didn't mean much, today's solid start isn't that meaningful either in isolation. The Twins need Silva to be consistent, so we'll see if he can put together a solid overall spring. As for Ponson, today's news was encouraging, but let's see how he pitches against some real competition in the Grapefruit League.

2.) The Matt Garza situation is frustrating, but doesn't sound too serious. The Twins should probably give Garza a good 3-5 days off to rest his neck, and work him back in after that. Why rush a guy who is probably going to start off in the minor leagues anyway? I love Garza - I wouldn't mind seeing him win a spot in the rotation when the Twins break camp, in fact - but I think he could use some time in AAA. And, missing 5 days wouldn't actually hurt him all that much. I just hope that my read on this situation - that it's an annoyance but a short-lived one - is right.

3.) Eli Tintor, Garrett Guzman, and Steve Tolleson all played against the D-Rays today. None of them is officially a part of Major League camp, but with all of the injuries and the lack of depth the team is dealing with right now, they were asked to make the trip and got some playing time. In fact, Tolleson got an RBI double, and Tintor scored a run and tripled. Not bad for guys who aren't even supposed to be in camp. Meanwhile, Trevor Plouffe played with the "B" squad against the Red Sox, going all nine innings. If I had to guess, the Twins will probably keep at least a couple of these guys in camp through at least Thursday, when they have their first and only true "split squad" games of the season, against Boston and St. Louis.

4.) Good to see the bats pick up a little bit today, with 9 hits and 4 runs (and a win!). And I love seeing Michael Cuddyer hit for extra bases, and Denard Span knock around singles. Keep the bats going, boys!

5.) I'll actually be listening to the game tomorrow, but not until about 5:30 (Thank you, Gameday Audio, for the archive feature). That means, I expect to put up a report by sometime in the neighborhood of 9 or 9:30, Mountain Time. Good luck to Ramon Ortiz, who will try to build on the success he had in his first start of the Spring.

Today's Big Winner: Carlos Silva (Now, if he can just do that about 38 more times)
Runner-Up: Denard Span (Starting to look pretty comfortable at the plate)

Today's Big Loser: Matt Garza (Get Well Soon!)
Runner-Up: Luis Rodriguez (0-2 today, hitting just .154 this spring despite getting a lot of playing time)