Twins reliever Joe Nathan didn’t hold a 3-1 lead in the ninth inning of playoff game No. 2 against the Yankees on Friday night. The Twins eventually lost 4-3 in 11 innings, sending Minnesota home trailing 2-0 instead of being in a 1-1 tie series with home field advantage in the dome for games three and four. The Friday night loss was the key game as the Yankees closed out the best of five series with a win last night in the Metrodome.
Nathan didn’t produce on Friday night but he’s arguably the team’s most valuable player after catcher Joe Mauer, and the Twins are so out matched in personnel against the Yankees that this wasn’t a series Minnesota was likely to win. During the season Nathan saved 47 of the team’s 87 wins. His saves total was a career high and second highest in the American League as the Twins won the Central Division title by one game.
Late last week Nathan was recognized as Rolaids Co-Reliever of the Year in the American League along with the Yankees Mariano Rivera. The Yankees reliever is 40 years old which should give inspiration to Nathan, 34, that he can continue to be outstanding for several more years.
In that ninth inning on Friday night Nathan gave up a single to American League Most Valuable Player candidate Mark Teixeira and then a home run to all-time slugger Alex Rodriguez. That two-some is part of the best offense in baseball.
The Yankees had baseball’s best record this season, 103-59 and were 10-0 against the Twins during the regular season and playoffs. The Yankees are a consensus choice to win their first World Series since 2000. The Twins had the worst regular season record of the eight teams in the major league playoffs. It could be argued that there are seven or eight teams better than the Twins.
The Twins competed against the Yankees and also late in the season without half of their regular infield, plus an in-season rebuilt pitching staff. Would having third baseman Joe Crede and first baseman Justin Morneau, both power hitters, and pitchers like Kevin Slowey and Pat Neshek have positioned the Twins to beat the Yankees? We will never know but you can throw in another question, too. With a more complete roster would Nathan have even been in that situation on Friday night?