Minnesota Twins: Reaction to Ben Revere's Catch, Valencia and Gardy's Ejections

The Twins endured a disappointing loss in the opening game of the Orioles series (4-1).

However, there are a few things to take away from the game.

Ben Revere made an amazing catch out in centerfield ("That's about as good as you're going to see," manager Ron Gardenhire said after the game), and Danny Valencia was ejected for the first time in his major league career.

Gardenhire went out in defense of his third basemen and was ejected minutes after Valencia entered the clubhouse.

The following are reactions on the Revere catch and the dual ejections.

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.

Gardenhire on Revere's Catch

"That may have been one of the best catches I've ever seen," said Gardenhire after the game, "considering he ran 50, 60 yards to catch the ball."

Gardenhire, who has managed the Twins since 2002 and joined the team in 1991, says that catch compares to ones made by Kirby Puckett and Torii Hunter.

"You're not going to see many catches better than that," he said.

Revere on Revere

"Just watching all the centerfielders that have played the game: Andruw Jones, Torii Hunter, all those guys, they've probably done that once," said Revere.

He said he was not surprised at all by the catch.

"I saw it all the way into my glove," he said. "I saw the wall and I bounced off."

Revere said teammates Michael Cuddyer (RF) and Jason Kubel (LF) were shocked he had tracked the ball down.

"I just saw Cuddyer and Kubel just stand there like," he made a wide-eyed, jaw-dropping expression. "Their jaws dropped."

He said he was fine ("It was just one of those deals—just 'Thank you Jesus'"), but expected to receive a call from his mother that night.

"I know my mom is going to be calling me up," he said, "seeing if I'm okay."

Revere continues to make solid plays in the field as Denard Span remains on the injured reserve.

The 23-year-old knows his role on the team and does not wish to take Span's roster spot (he lists Span as the most influential person in his life), but continues to make him more expendable with each play in the field.

Pavano on the Catch

"That was probably one of the best plays I've had behind me in my career," Pavano said.

The pitcher thought Revere had the ball all the way. "I thought he had a pretty good lead on it," he said, "just the way he was hovering around it."

"It kinda started going left a little bit and he followed it," he continued. "It was pretty impressive."

Pavano is currently 6-10 on the season. With Nick Blackburn leaving early in the Yankees series and Scott Baker on the DL, Pavano's role continues to grow as one of the few healthy, established starters in the Twins rotation.

Valencia on His Ejection

Valencia was upset with the officiating on three of his four at-bats. He went 1-for-4 with two strikeouts.

"It was a culmination of the whole entire game for me," he said. "I just got a little frustrated, let my emotions get the best of me out there."

Valencia, who had never even come close to being ejected before, said that he did not "curse or anything" and did not intend to earn the ire of umpire Hunter Wendelstedt.

"I shouldn't have said anything," he said. "It's my first, probably my last."

The third basemen said that he appreciated that Gardenhire came to his defense.

"I wasn't there to see it," said Valencia, "but it's nice when the manager has your back. It's a good feeling and I feel bad because he didn't deserve to be ejected either—at my expense."

If Valencia is suspended, the Twins become will short-handed. Infielders Justin Morneau, Tsuyoshi Nishioka and Alexi Casilla are all injured.

Ron Gardenhire on the Ejections

"Danny motioned to him, something about 'That's three tonight' or something like that," Gardenhire said after the game. "He got thrown out and I gotta go out there and defend a little bit."

Gardenhire has a history with umpire Wendelstedt, but he said things have cooled down between them.

"Hunter and I have actually got along very well," he said. "I was just a little frustrated and I don't have many players and I told him that. That's my fault, not Hunter's."

Unlike Valencia, this was not Gardenhire's first ejection. It was his sixth time this season.

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