The debut of Target Field could not have gone much better for the Minnesota Twins.
Joe Mauer christened the field with a three hit game that was matched and surpassed by Jason Kubel who, also with three hits, claimed Target Field's first regular season home run.
After defeating the Boston Red Sox 5-2 in the Regular Season debut of Target Field, there are a few surprises with the 2010 version of the Minnesota Twins.
Tops among them: Tied for the American League lead in home runs.
Over the past decade, the Twins have only finished above the Major League average in home runs twice, and no higher than twelfth. At their current pace they are projected to hit more than 220 round trippers, eclipsing their high water mark of 172 set last season.
This has been accomplished with only one game at Target Field. With 80 more games on the field where the configuration is expected to help the predominate left—handed power hitting Twins, this seems more than reachable.
A "close" second on the list of surprises: Five for five in save opportunities for John Rauch.
When Joe Nathan went down needing Tommy John surgery, what originally appeared to be a devastating loss for the club, appears to safe in the hands of the Twins' new closer, Rauch.
Third on the list of surprises: Leading the league in wins.
On paper the Twins' opening schedule looked very daunting. With four games against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, where the Twins had not won a series since 2002, followed by a three game series at division rival Chicago, and finally with the Target Field debut against the Red Sox, without a day off, a .500 record would have been impressive.
Instead the Twins sit with a 6—2 record.
Of course we are only five percent of the way into the 2010 season and there is a very long way to go. Remembering the mantra of Tom Kelly, this is a marathon and not a sprint, and anything can happen.
Time will tell if the Twins, who were not three games over .500 last season until August, can maintain anything close to the impressive pace they have set.
So far all the pieces are fitting perfectly: The opening of a new ball park, the long term signing of the local home town hero and a great start to the season.
At this rate we may even see a Nick Punto home run, or a complete game by Francisco Liriano!
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