Twins at Toronto. Twins 6, Blue Jays 5.

The entry for today's game was originally going to be called "B-Team." For our starting line-up had exactly three starters in it, and otherwise was made up of bench players and call-ups and back-up call-ups. That, combined with the beaming Toronto sun (no, I'm not kidding) made it look like a spring training game. Only this isn't spring training; we have a slim division lead and don't want to lose two in a row to a sub-par team when we're going home to face the perfidious Bitch Sox this weekend. And in a spring training game, the real players would be available to pinch hit, but today our bench consisted of one hyperextended back, a pulled groin, and a hurt foot, the bench itself, and one Matthew "Big Country" LeCroy.

So when Juan Rincon failed to hold the game in the seventh, giving up a two-run bases-loaded double [OOPS, Make that a single!], it seemed doubtful that the Twins could pull off yet another spectacular comeback. This game never really felt in our hands. Lohse was more a victim of some Sketchy D than his own pitching--and this is why we need to sign Koskie again, not just because it would break Batgirl's husband's heart--but nonetheless the Twins were playing catch-up all day. Then Rincon opened the floodgates.

But Aaron Fultz—who is very, very, quietly making a nice season for himself-- promptly closed them, striking out Twin assassin Carlos "the Cat" Delgado to end the seventh, and holding the Jays in the eighth.

Which leads to the ninth. Last night, Jays' makeshift closer Terry Adams shut the door on us after we got the tying run to first. Today, not so much. A re-emergent Torii Hunter lead off the inning with a base hit. Michael Ryan then unceremoniously flied out, but Michael Cuddyer hit a solid single to right. Henry Blanco then dribbled the ball to short, a grounder which would have been an out if any normal man had been the runner, but thanks to the BLAZING SPEED of Henry "Hermes" Blanco, he was safe at first.

Blanco blazes into first base.

Then it was time for Gardy to use his bench. Not the actual bench, but the only viable player sitting on it. Pinch hitting for Alex Prieto, LeCroy strode up to the plate. It seemed that he would do something; after a sorry first week of the season, LeCroy has been doing very well offensively since he came off the DL-- despite looking as though his rehab routine involved one too many Twinkies.

Well, do something he did. Cheers could be heard from various offices in the BatHouse, cheers and pounding on various BatThings, and maybe some jumping up and cheering on various BatFloors. The BatKitties zoomed under the bed, and Matthew LeCroy zoomed around the bases! Going, going, gone—LeCroy's first homer of the season, his first career grand slam, and just a beautiful bit of clutch hitting to give the Twins the lead, the momentum, and the confidence going into the weekend.

The BatKitties still have not recovered.