Major League Baseball

Heart of the Twins' batting order swings and misses again against Yankees

Published Oct. 10, 2010 10:12 p.m. ET

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NEW YORK -- It seems fitting the Twins' 2010 season ended in the Big Apple on Saturday night, given how the core of their batting order was rotten in this brief American League Division Series.

Their dreadful 6-1 loss at Yankee Stadium punctuated a three-game sweep in which Minnesota hit a paltry .216 with just six runs batted in in 97 at-bats -- from a lineup that finished third in the majors with a .273 average during the regular season.

Worse, they were 2 for 18 (.222) with runners in scoring position, including an 0-for-14 stretch, while the Yankees finished 9 for 23 (.391).

"I don't think we played bad. We just didn't hit well. That was the story of the series," said Michael Cuddyer, whose two-run homer in Game 1 was one of his two hits. "They got big hits when they needed it and we didn't."

Playing without slugger Justin Morneau for the second straight postseason left a gaping hole in the heart of the Twins' order. Their Nos. 3-4-5 hitters -- Joe Mauer, Delmon Young and Jason Kubel -- were a collective 7 for 32 (.219) with only one extra-base hit.

Designated hitter Jim Thome, who belted 25 home runs during the regular season, was 1 for 10 with three strikeouts and also stranded five baserunners. With no contract for next season, the 40-year-old slugger's lasting image in a Minnesota uniform might be getting called out on strikes in the ninth inning against Mariano Rivera.

No one has had a more miserable postseason experience than Kubel.

Hitless in seven plate appearances entering Game 3, Kubel twice flied out meekly and struck out against Yankees starter Phil Hughes before popping up with the bases loaded in the eighth inning on the first pitch from reliever Boone Logan.

In 28 career playoff plate appearances, Kubel is a ghastly 2 for 29 (.068).

"Yeah, it definitely doesn't get any easier as it keeps adding on. Makes it kind of tough," Kubel said. "They've got some good pitchers in there. They did a good job of getting out of those jams. We went out there and gave it our best. It just didn't work out."

Most disappointing was the performance of Mauer, the reigning American League Most Valuable Player and $184-million superstar who failed to deliver when the Twins needed him most.

He finished 3 for 12 -- all singles -- and struck out three times. Adding insult to his nagging left knee injury, Mauer threw wild trying to catch Curtis Granderson stealing second, and the Yankees center fielder later scored on a sacrifice fly by Brett Gardner.

His statistics in the clutch are troubling.

In 11 postseason games, the three-time AL batting champion and career .327 hitter is 12 for 44 (.273) with just one double and one RBI.

"Well, it's frustrating," he said. "The first couple nights the guys were making good pitches. If those three guys the way they did these first three games, they're probably going to do pretty well this postseason. Just frustrating."

Mauer played with a painful left knee after receiving a cortisone shot in late September. Manager Ron Gardenhire acknowledged his best hitter underachieved.

"His swing wasn't as good. He still hit some balls pretty hard," Gardenhire said. "Was he at 100 percent? No. But this time of year is anybody?"

The Twins will have all winter to ponder this and other familiar questions.

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