Thoughts from the home opener

Trevor Plouffe late in the game.
The fans aren't happy with 0-7; nor
are the players.

Oh and seven is no way to open a season, but that's where the Twins are,

I said during my belated KMSU appearance, recorded Monday morning because I was to be on the road at air time, that I felt better about this team's 0-6 coming into the home opener than I did about 2015's 1-5 because in 2015 the Twins were being consistently blown out in those initial games. This year only one game has been one-sided.

And that was the case again on a chilly Monday afternoon at Target Field. The Twins lost 4-1; last year's score for the home opener was 12-3. Progress, folks!

At some point you are what your record says you are. I don't believe that's the case for the Twins yet.

Other thoughts:

* Kyle Gibson wasn't particularly sharp, but he allowed just one earned run in his 5.2 innings. (The two-run fourth opened with Eduardo Escobar bouncing a routine throw past Joe Mauer for an error, and the runs scored with two outs.) With 40-degree temperatures and 100-plus pitches, I was a little surprised Gibson got as far as he did.

* I was even more surprised that Ryan Pressly went 2.1 innings. I suggested in that KMSU appearance that he might be in line to move up the bullpen ladder a notch. He didn't hurt his cause Monday. although the actual use suggests more of a long-man role than a short relief one. One of the two baserunners beat out, with the help of replay, a soft grounder to second that Brian Dozier had some trouble getting a grip on to throw.

*The Twins only struck out seven times, which is their new season low. And Eddie Rosario actually walked, which astounded me in the left-field seats.

* Miguel Sano didn't look terrible from my vantage point, which wasn't good for evaluating the right fielder.He did make an odd-looking throw to third base with a skipping motion that is, I'm sure, a remnant from his infield days. I will wager that Butch Davis, the coach responsible for the outfielders, either talked to him about that technique or will.

* My vantage point was pretty good for evaluating the left fielders. Melky Cabrera did not enjoy the Target Field sun, but he made two catches that he appeared about to misplay anyway. Meanwhile, Rosario let another ball down the left-field line elude him, which allowed a run to score in the top of the ninth off Trevor May. That's at least two such balls this year for Rosario,

* There were boos at the end of the game for 0-7; there were boos also when third base coach Gene Glynn held up Joe Mauer at third base on a short fly to center. I would have held Mauer in that situation too. No sense in risking the out for a run that still leaves you behind.