Mays Fails Again

Is it me or did everyone involved in trade talks suddenly turned south completely? Joe Mays, J.C. Romero, Lohse (ok he's had some decent starts) haven't been too great since all the trade talks started and today was no exception. Of course, we can discuss Shannon Stewart's numbnuts play in the first, but rather, lets discuss what we held onto in these two pitchers. Since not trading them before the deadline, both Romero and Mays have shown their true colors and have been beyond terrible. Mays served up hit after hit today in the 4 and 2/3 innings he pitched, giving up a total of 13 hits and eight runs with Stewart's play making one unearned. Romero didn't have any inherited runners to let score, so instead he gave up a monster, two-run opposite-field blast to Manny Ramirez in the seventh. Having the chance to get rid of a pitcher like that is almost a dream now. Think about it. Some teams wanted to give up a player or two for guys like Mays and Romero when its clear now we are just as good dropping them, so a trade benefits no matter what. Get a minor league hitter or two ready to come up in a year or two and help the team as they were obviously conceding the season in July. Doesn't matter. Other teams wanted these guys and we are better off without them and their salaries. And to think, the Twins once again scored some runs today, but didn't have the fortune of Radke or Santana being on the mound. Terry Ryan, why didn't you just take a deal? Anything would have done....

But I'm spent on that account. Everyone knows how bad these guys are now so the value just isn't there anymore. And of course, Stewart made a bad, bad, embarrasing play in the first when he gave a fan the ball after getting the second out on a fly ball, allowing Kevin Millar to score from second. That didn't help at all, but hey, at least he did something at the plate, going 2 for 5 with two RBIs and two runs scored back in the leadoff spot. Beyond Stewart, the offense didn't come from any big guys. Nick Punto, Juan Castro, and Jason Bartlett all had two hits on the day, with Michael Cuddyer collecting the other. The 3-4-5 hitters of Ford, LeCroy, and Jones went 0 for 12 with 7 strikeouts (including an embarrasing four from Jones) with an RBI in the form of a LeCroy sacrifice. That was a pathetic performance from the middle of the order again and of course, two of the Twins seven runs were unearned, caused by Boston's continued sloppy defensive play.

Its grand to see the Twins take two of three from Boston, but only Friday was a convincing win. The Twins need consistency from their offense still and they need something better than what they are getting from Mays. Its time for some serious moves and time to get youngsters like Baker, Liriano, Bowyer, and even possibly Garrett Jones to the majors. Unless they are really convince they have a shot at the wild card, let these youngs get some experience to prevent this year from repeating itself. Its hard enough to watch now, so give us fans something we want to see, like the pleasure of watching Baker pitch over the horror of a Mays game.