Injury bug bites Twins
After a three-week road trip across Washington and Canada, the Glacier Twins are finally coming home, but not before injuries took two key players out of the lineup.
The Twins (16-24, 1-9) split pair of conference games Saturday with Medicine Hat, losing the opener 5-3 and rebounding later with a costly 5-3 victory.
Shortstop Wade Martinson went down in the sixth inning of the win after his throwing hand was stepped on. The metal cleats left a gash and he was taken to the hospital where he received 10 stitches. Kyler Blades replaced Martinson at shortstop, and Kyle Knox took over at second base.
"With only three weeks left in the season, it will be tough to get Martinson back," Twins coach Lindsay Fansler said.
Martinson was a key part of the Twins' infield and has come on strong at the plate.
Also in the game, catcher Cody Elek injured his throwing shoulder and will likely be out for a few weeks. Elek has been battling a loose shoulder all season, Fansler said, and the injury came to a head Saturday. Jeremy Nielson will replace Elek behind the plate.
Despite the injuries against Medicine Hat, Fansler was excited about the Twins getting their first conference win in two seasons.
Kyle Yogodzinski went all seven innings for the victory on the mound, and the Twins scored all of their runs in a potent third inning. With two outs, Carl Talsma led the charge with a 2-RBI single. Blades had three hits in the game.
On Sunday, the Twins traveled to Lethbridge, where they dropped two conference games.
The Twins were down by only two going into the fourth, but they allowed Lethbridge to score six unearned runs in that inning when two fly balls dropped in the outfield beneath a blinding sun.
"It's unfortunate to give up a big inning on a couple of plays that should have been outs," Fansler noted. "It's hard not to look back on that. There was tough sunlight in right field, but we felt those balls should have been caught."
The Twins made a comeback behind a 3-run homer from Dustin VonFeldt but fell short in a 12-10 loss. VonFeldt was 6-for-12 over the weekend.
In the nightcap, Lethbridge cruised to a 10-1 win after a five-run fifth inning.
"I think we saw the effects of injuries and the long weekend," Fansler explained.
The coach said the losses came down to timely hitting.
"I tell the team they have to play their best baseball to be in the game, and they have to give something extra to win," Fansler said. "In order to get over the hump, we need to see some of those hits."
The Twins hosts Lethbridge on July 5. The Sapa Johnsrud tourney is scheduled for July 6 and the Twins alumni game is July 3 with practice at 2 p.m. and the game at 4 p.m. All former players are invited.