JoyDir.com - SportingWriters

The Twins started their season without their All-Star catcher Joe Mauer who was left at Myers, Fla to undergo rehabilitation after having an inflamed sacroiliac joint. And it was the team’s goal to play and try their best to play without Mauer.
The team did not fail, they won their 8-3 victory in their game against the Rays and when Mauer will be back to join them in their next game, he will be in a team with a record of .500.
It is not that the team would rely on Joe Mauer alone but his presence on the team surely makes a whole lot difference. Having Mauer on the game means more confidence for the rest of the team because of the lesser pressure that is on them.
Their game without Mauer is something that tells everyone that they can make it. They were able to take advantage over how the Tampa bay team played their first inning. They scored with the infield hits, after a blooper and the wild pitches that Kazmir, the starter of Tampa Bay, made.
Having the base loaded with no outs yet, Kazmir threw a wild pitch, his first, and Jason Kubel is to bat which allowed Denard Span, who was on third base, to score. With another throw from Kazmir, the Twins is on the lead with a 4-0 score.
By the fourth inning, the second baseman of the Rays made two errors that allowed the Twins to score at 8-1 lead.
The game that the Twins played and won added to their confidence in winning the next games. In the absence of Mauer, they came to the realization that they can win, but still it would be better if Mauer would be there to add to their confidence. The team would be different and they play now for the wins.

Scott Olsen, a left hander of the Nationals is in his best this season. He helped in defeating the Phillies in a 4-1 game. Olsen was able to pitch 5 2/3 innings and had only one home run by Shane Victorino in the 1st inning. His manager was very pleased to see the performance of his player who commented that Olsen pitched a very good ballgame.
Olsen was able to get some outs with the style of his pitch but later had to adjust the pitch and throw fastballs more often. The Phillies were still able to adjust in the 4th inning, with one person out and bases are full, Ryan Zimmerman, the third baseman, had to make the play.
The team played and Chris Coste had the ball grounded near the 3rd base line, while Zimmerman backhanded the ball and passed it to Nick Johnson, the first baseman for one final out.
Their scores tied at 1. Elijah Dukes was singled at the center to drive Zimmerman. After three batters, Anderson Hernandez singled it to the right for Dukes to score. Another score was added when Hernandez who in the eighth doubled in Willie Harris. Hernandez’ batting average was then .304. Acta even commented that Hernandez is really doing good bats with confidence that was why he was placed at the eighth bat because of absence of the pressure on him.
The bullpen made the Phillies win in 13-11 victory and Acta decided to make changes on it. He made Kip Wells and Julian Tavarez, both veterans to be part of the bullpen-by-committee. They did great with what their plan.
Winning in a 4-1 game with the Phillies is not the end of their hardwork. According to Acta they will just be enjoying the triumph for about 30 minutes and then have their team get prepared for their next game- another game that the Nationals would want to win again.