A spin through some of the talkers that could dominate conversation as the week goes along: SINCE THE BREAK ...
The Twins have played 11 games since the All-Star break. They are 7-4, and the most encouraging sign within those victories is the strong starting pitching exhibited in winning four of their past five games. If the starting five can be thought of as at least temporarily stabilizing, let us now begin to fret about the bullpen. Huh? Hasn't the bullpen, overall, been a pleasant strength of this team -- with Twins relievers, in fact, leading the American League with a 3.10 ERA?
Indeed. But while it's true that there are a lot of arms down there capable of getting outs, there are also some nagging questions. The smaller ones: Can Jose Mijares get the big outs that Brian Duensing was getting ... and does the bullpen's low strikeout total (second lowest among relievers in the AL) foretell of some rockier innings ahead?
THE BIGGER ONE
Since the break, the Twins have had exactly one game in which they started the 9th inning in a save situation -- when Carl Pavano stayed out and finished off the White Sox 3-2.
Closer Jon Rauch, meanwhile, has pitched three times post-break: once in the ninth with a five-run lead when he had to be pulled in favor of Jesse Crain, once at the end of a blowout loss when he allowed four hits and two runs in an inning, and Saturday in a somewhat shaky but scoreless ninth with another five-run lead.
Rauch was everything the Twins could have expected (and more) in the first half of the season. But ever since he was pulled in favor of Crain on July 16, we've been wondering what would happen the next time the Twins needed a closer. We're still waiting ... and wondering.
STILL HATING ON BUTERA?