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Easy pickings? Not for Twins

The one-time AL Central leaders blow shot to feast on lowly Rays but say they're not going to panic.

By MIKE READLING

© St. Petersburg Times,
published August 14, 2001

ST. PETERSBURG -- Tropicana Field typically is the place struggling first-place teams go to get better. The stadium where three-game losing streaks turn into three-game winning streaks, one-game leads become four-game leads and visiting teams' frowns get turned upside down.

The only thing turned upside down this weekend was the Twins' share of the American League Central lead.

Minnesota crawled into the oasis known as the Trop having lost three of four, including two of three to the Indians, leaving the teams knotted atop the division.

The glare off the FieldTurf turned out to be nothing more than a mirage, however, as the Rays swept the four-game series. That detour left Minnesota 1 1/2 games behind Cleveland as they head to Jacobs Field for three games beginning today.

"We need to bring our "A' game with us or we don't have a chance," Minnesota manager Tom Kelly said. "It doesn't matter if we're playing the Indians, the Red Sox, the Blue Sox, the Yellow Sox or the team down the street on the Little League field. If we don't bring a better game it won't matter who we're playing."

What did in Minnesota was hitting. Or rather, lack of hitting.

The Twins were 1-for-31 with runners in scoring position and hitless in their last 27. Their 3 through 9 hitters Monday were 0-for-22 with seven strikeouts.

That doesn't mean there was panic in the visiting clubhouse.

"It's the same atmosphere," infielder Denny Hocking said. "The guys are playing cards and dominoes. The TVs are still on, the radio's still on. We've got 43 games to make up a game-and-a-half. That's pretty good. Stretches like this only make you stronger. As long as everyone in here understands that and everyone in here believes that, we'll be fine."

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