In the big inning.

I used to read every once in a while that a good bar bet was to bet someone that the winning team in a baseball game would score more runs in one inning than the losing team would score in the whole game.  I don't gamble and rarely go into bars, so I never had any reason to check and see if that actually worked out over the long term.  It would've been a good bet last night, though, as the Twins did all of their scoring in the fourth inning and it was enough to win the game.  They not only did all of their scoring in one inning, they made it more challenging by doing it all after two were out and nobody was on base.

Trevor May had the best start of his young career.  It wasn't a great start--five hits and four walks in five innings, but only two runs--but it was better.  May has always had a problem with walks, although his big league numbers are skewed by his first game.  Of course, that problem becomes worse the farther up the ladder you go, because a) you run into fewer hitters who swing at bad pitches and b) you run into more hitters who can make you pay for those walks.  I'm sure it's something the Twins will continue to work with him about.

One wonders how long Casey Fien is going to remain the automatic eighth-inning choice.  I'll grant that Gardy doesn't have a lot of good options, but Fien has been pretty bad lately.  In his last eight appearances, covering 5.2 innings, he's given up nine runs on thirteen hits and a walk.  He's also allowed all four inherited runners to score.  Perhaps he's just worn out--he's made 68 appearances this year and 141 over two years.  It seems to me that it might be a good idea to let him take a little time off and give someone else a try.

All in all, it may not have been pretty, but a win's a win, and the Twins aren't in a position to worry about style points.  Mr. All-or-nothing, Kyle Gibson, goes for the Twins, while the Indians are going to bring the House.  Glenn Anthony House, who naturally is called T. J., has given up quite a few hits but not quite a few runs, so be prepared to hear some grousing about the Twins not hitting with runners in scoring position tonight.  Still, it doesn't matter how many you score, as long as you score one more than the other team.  Eighteen games left.  We're still on track for 80-82.