Major League Baseball

Twins shouldn't blame ump for loss

Published Oct. 11, 2009 2:47 a.m. ET

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Ken Rosenthal

You can't assume anything, no matter what Twins manager Ron Gardenhire suggested afterward in the interview room.




You can't assume that if Joe Mauer was standing on second base, Jason Kubel would have produced the same single to right field and driven him in with the go-ahead run.

I feel for the Twins, but my sympathy goes only so far.

The Twins benefited from plate umpire Randy Marsh's failure to call a hit-by-pitch on the Tigers' Brandon Inge in the 12th inning of their tiebreaker victory for the AL Central title.

And heaven knows, the Twins had their chances to beat the Yankees and tie the Division Series Friday night before falling in 11 innings, 4-3.

Don't get me wrong — I'm not excusing the blown call on Mauer's ball, the apparent double that was ruled foul by left-field umpire Phil Cuzzi.

Six umpires work postseason games instead of the usual four. The primary responsibility of the umpires working in left and right fields is to make accurate calls on balls hit down the lines.

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