Minnesota Twins Defeat Tampa Bay Rays: 5 Things to Take Away from the Series

Tom SchreierJul 7, 2011

The Minnesota Twins recently took two-of-three from the Tampa Bay Rays and currently sit eight games back from the Cleveland Indians in the AL Central.

The Twins won the first two games (7-0, 3-2), but dropped the third game 12-5 despite having a 5-5 tie going into the eighth inning.

"It was a ballgame that we, actually, played hard," said manager Ron Gardenhire after the third game. "Frankie kept us on the field a little too long, misfiring all over the place and never really got into a groove."

"We got the series win," said first baseman Michael Cuddyer. "Obviously, it would have been great to have the sweep, but that's a good team over there and coming in today and they were eight games over .500."

Minnesota travels to Chicago to take on the White Sox before the All-Star Break.

"It's always entertaining when you go there: Ozzie and the boys," said Gardenhire. "We have a good rivalry and it's in our division and it's right before the All-Star Break, so big ballgames."

The following are five things to take away from the series win against Tampa.

Tom Schreier is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes were obtained firsthand or from official interview materials from the Minnesota Twins.

5. Much Can Be Expected of the Table Setters

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Ben Revere was 3-13 with three runs, one RBI against Tampa and Alexi Casilla was 3-11 with three runs and walked twice.

Both players were pivotal in the series victory.

"We're just one of those scrappy teams," said Revere after the second game. "We don't have as much power, except for a couple guys. Me and Lexi [are] getting on and we're getting hitting from those big guys behind us."

Revere and Casilla need to keep it up in order for the team continue to win.

4. Matt Capps Needs to Sit

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While Joe Nathan continues to return to form and Glen Perkins emerges as a set-up man, Matt Capps is down-trending.

Capps has been torched in his last three save opportunities.

Perkins has been given the ball in the middle of his last two outings and Capps was booed loudly during the second game.

"I don't blame them," he said. "I'd boo me too."

Gardenhire still has faith in him.

"Capps is our closer," he said after the game. "We're trying to get him through it and it didn't work out. We'll deal with this in the next couple of days."

Capps needs to be shut down for a while.

3. Tsuyoshi Nishioka Can Hit

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Tsuyoshi Nishioka was 4-9 in the series with a run and two RBI.

"Everywhere he's ever been, he's always hit," said Gardenhire, who said he addressed a frustrated Nishioka after the second game.

"This is a different story for him. It's different pitching and he's seeing different people. He doesn't know this league and he's trying to get used to it."

Nishioka had a blast off of David Price in the first game—a double to right field—that got the hitting going for the Twins in a 7-0 rout.

"It was the big hit by Nishioka," said Cuddyer when asked how the team got to Price. "He took the fastball away and was able to get a big double.

"It obviously started the scoring off, but [also] told us 'We can get this guy today.'"

Expect the trend to continue as the Twins face the Central in the next few series.