SOM Diary: AL Central opening series KC@MIN

The Kansas City @ Minnesota series continued with a game where batters started to make more contact than in the first game, at least for the visiting KC team.

KC@MIN game 2: 6-2
In game 2, Ervin Santana quickly recovered after giving up two runs in the first, while Kevin Correia labored through 6 innings giving up four runs. Josh Willongham showed his range limitations by conceding two triples to hits to left that younger, faster leftfielders might have had a clean play on. The Twins bullpen gave up another two runs while the Royals relief corps held up well and brought the game to tie the series safely home. Final score Royals 6, Twins 2. Santana takes the win, Correia the loss, the Royals batters contribute a HR and three (!) Triples, while the Twins manage only 5 hits out of 32 at bats and only Joe Mauer continues his work as anon base machine with two hits and a walk.

KC@MIN game 3: 8-1
Game 3 was a pretty lopsided affair. The Royals hit ten hits off Mike Pelfrey and scored seven runs off the starter who lasted only 4+ innings, while the Twins' bats remained mostly silent (the team is batting below .200 as a whole in the three first games of the season). Jeremy Guthrie cruised to an easy win, pitching seven innings and giving up one run on three hits, a walk and seven strikeouts. Billy Butler went 3-for-5 with a two run homerun to get the Kansas City scoring started in the first inning.
They paid a high price for it, though, losing both starting catcher Perez and infielder Getz to injuries. However, the Twins didn't fare any better, losing Joe Mauer in the first inning after he fouled two balls off his foot.