Center fielder Carlos Gomez went 3-for-4 with a stolen base and two runs Wednesday, but the play after the stolen base left manager Ron Gardenhire scratching his head.
With two outs in the fourth inning, Gomez on second and catcher Joe Mauer at the plate with a 3-1 count, Gomez took off for third. An errant throw from White Sox catcher Toby Hall left Gomez safe at third, and when the speedy center fielder saw the throw get away from third baseman Joe Crede, he jumped up and headed for home. Hall blocked the plate well, and plate umpire Tim Timmons called Gomez out to end the inning. Replays made it clear Hall successfully blocked the plate, but it was unclear whether the catcher tagged Gomez before he was able to touch home.
Gardenhire left the dugout to argue the call but admitted he was more frustrated with Gomez's decision to steal and then to run home than he was with Timmons' call.
"Gomez just took off, decided he was going to run. Not a good play. Almost turned into a good play, but it really wasn't," Gardenhire said. "I told (Timmons) it looked like (Hall) didn't tag him until he was standing up on top of the plate. He did block the plate, but it was a close play. I was more concerned that (Gomez) took off with Joe Mauer at the plate with one strike."
Gardenhire said Gomez thought he saw the manager give him the green light to steal. When Gardenhire asked him what that sign was, Gomez said that Gardenhire -- clearly baffled when relaying the story to reporters -- turned his head toward home plate.
TWINS 4, WHITE SOX 3: Right-hander Nick Blackburn helped his weary bullpen by making it through seven innings, Dennys Reyes and Pat Neshek combined to strike out the side in order in the eighth, and Joe Nathan earned his ninth save in as many tries as the Twins swept Chicago in a two-game series. First baseman Justin Morneau's ground-rule double in the seventh drove in the winning run.
