Box score here. Game story here.
It won't get the national attention that the Jim Joyce call in the Cleveland-Detroit game got, but there was a blown call at second base on the final play of this one as well.
But the run scored for more than the odd final play — men on second and first, two down, Ichiro grounds one up the middle, Matt Tolbert makes a diving stop, flips to J.J. Hardy at second only to have Dale Scott blow the call while pinch runner Ryan Langerhans scores from second. That run scored because Matt Guerrier couldn't navigate through the weakest bottom of the lineup in the league.
And more than that, the game went into extra innings because in the fourth inning, after Joe Mauer singled and Justin Morneau doubled, neither Michael Cuddyer nor Jason Kubel could do anything with Cliff Lee. It happens; Lee's a quality pitcher. And Seattle's only run in regulation scored because Kevin Slowey did a lousy job of holding Milton Bradley on base.
The Twins faced two lefties the last two games and scored a run in each game. Safeco's a tough park to hit in, and Cliff Lee is Cliff Lee, but that's not going to get it done very often.
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Hardy's been hitting second with Orlando Hudson out. Here's a little quiz for you: Who has the higher OBP this year, Delmon Young or Hardy? How about Nick Punto or Hardy?
Answer: Young's on-base percentage is .314; Punto's .298; Hardy's .275.
Young has drawn 13 walks already this year. Not that 13 is a huge number — it's eighth on the team — but he had 12 all of last season.
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