Here's a preview from the Chicago Tribune of the upcoming series. The writer and two of the players quoted both manage to blame anything but the Sox for their losses against the Twins, or that the Twins might simply be a better team--although Jose Valentin somehow didn't get the memo.

CLEVELAND -- After the Bitch Sox and Minnesota Twins finish their four-game series this weekend, both teams still will have 120 games left on their schedules. But Sox shortstop Jose Valentin isn't buying the notion it's too early for the series to be important. "We have to do it right now," Valentin said. "We're going to play those guys 16 times. You can't think it's too early because by then it's almost over."

The Metrodome has been the Sox's House of Horrors the last three seasons, during which they have gone 7-21.

The Twins and Toronto Blue Jays are the only teams in the American League still playing on artificial turf, which can make for a distinct home-field advantage. The Sox won just two of nine games in the Metrodome last season and had their division title hopes shattered when they were swept in three games by the Twins in September.

"All they do is slap the ball around the field," pitcher Esteban Loaiza said. "When we were in Toronto, the ball was jumping and players were complaining how fast it was."

Valentin said the park has nothing to do with the Sox's troubles, pointing out that the Twins won two of three in Chicago last weekend.

"You have to play good and you have to play hard every time, especially against that team," Valentin said. "You can't give them too many opportunities and chances because they capitalize."

Wednesday was a prime example. Behind 5-2 in the ninth inning, the Twins beat Toronto 6-5 on a pinch-hit grand slam by Matthew LeCroy, the only bench player the Twins had available the whole game.

"I think maybe they just had good pitching those days," Willie Harris said of the Twins' dominance in Minnesota. "We can break out at any time with this lineup."

Loaiza believes Thursday's series opener could set the tone. "We have to show them we're a better club and we can win the division."

Posted by Batgirl at May 19, 2004 09:25 PM