Daily Archives: May 23, 2009

Twins at home = Globetrotters. Twins on road = Generals.

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The difference for the Minnesota Twins is as simple as turf or no turf, teflon roof or no teflon roof.

The Twins have scored 147 runs at home this season, more than any team in Major League Baseball so far this season (granted, they’ve played six more home games than road games, but the point is they’re scoring runs at home). Their record at the Baggydome: 16-9.

The Twins have scored 85 runs on the road this season, the sixth-fewest total entering Saturday’s play. Their record on the road: an American League-worst 5-14.

Yes, the Twins do have a young team. But offensively, they really don’t. And there isn’t much of a home/road differential with the team’s ERA. The home and road ERAs – both not pretty – are separated by just .36 runs/game.

Minnesota’s lineup regularly boasts Justin Morneau, Joe Mauer, Jason Kubel, Joe Crede, Michael Cuddyer and Nick Punto. These are all guys with at least five years of big league experience. You wouldn’t expect lengthy road trips to shake a group like this.

So why the road struggles? Who knows. Maybe it’s just an early season anomaly.

Whatever the case, if the Twins could bottle their home success, they’d be in great shape in the very much up-for-grabs AL Central.

The emancipation of Cuddy … whatever that means

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Isn’t this the Michael Cuddyer you were all hoping for when the Minnesota Twins inked him to a three-year, $24 million extension prior to the 2008 season?

Cuddyer had his second straight four-hit game and became the second Twins player this season to hit for the cycle in an 11-3 victory against Milwaukee on Friday.

Cuddyer, whose 2006 season is the only time in his career he’s posted a better than .800 OPS in a season, has been on fire for the last week.

In his last five games, he is 12-for-23 with four homers and 12 RBIs.

Of course, this pace is not sustainable for anybody. But if Cuddyer could put up the kind of numbers he put up three years ago (.284 BA, 24 HRs, 109 RBIs, 102 runs), the Twins – in major need of right-handed slugging – would be very satisfied. Cuddyer can at least somewhat balance out the lefty-laden lineup that includes Justin Morneau, Jason Kubel, Denard Span and Joe Mauer.

For the season, he’s hitting .291 with seven homers and 30 RBIs in 42 games.