As if we needed another reminder, Nelson Cruz, the 40-year-old designated hitter for the Twins, seems to only get better with age. How good was he on Monday? He was so good that when he failed to connect on an opposite field grand slam, he hit the next pitch for a grand slam anyway.
Cruz went 3-for-6 on Monday and drove in five runs to power the Twins to a 15-6 blowout win over the Detroit Tigers.
Facing a bases-loaded situation in the second inning, Cruz hit what appeared to be an opposite field home run that was eventually ruled foul. On the next pitch, he hit a missile over the left field wall. He also hit a no-doubt-about-it solo shot in the fifth that was hit so hard Twins broadcaster, Dick Bremer, noted that Tigers catcher (and ex-Twin) Wilson Ramos asked for a new ball from the ump before Cruz had completed his swing!
Everyone got into the act in this one. The Twins scored 15 runs on 14 hits. Willians Astudillo had three hits, Jorge Polanco added two more and Andrelton Simmons had a hit, scored two runs, drove in two as well and walked three times. He’s hitting .417 in the No. 9 spot in the lineup.
Starter Matt Shoemaker picked up the win, allowing only a run over six innings, and Randy Dobnak earned the save, although it wasn’t pretty. The Dobber allowed five runs, all earned, over three innings after he served up a grand slam and solo shot of his own.
J.A. Happ gets the ball Tuesday.
Extra innings…
-The Twins are 3-1 on the young season.
-Mitch Garver, Jake Cave and Miguel Sano did not have a hit on Monday, although Sano scored two runs and walked three times.
-Walks killed the Tigers. They issued 11 of them on Monday.
-The Twins hit five doubles.