Metrodome Roof Plays a Part in Game

The roof indeed played a part as it provided the Minnesota Twins with the advantage against the visiting Detroit Tigers. The Twins won with a 6-2 result recently, gaining the momentum they need from a gaffe made because of the Metrodome’s glaring rooftop. Tiger’s left fielder Don Kelly lost Orlando Cabrera’s hit as the sunlit dome ate up the ball, resulting in a miscalculation by Kelly. “Once it got above the lights, I lost it. I had no clue where it was. Obviously I didn’t pick it back up until it was really late,” said Kelly. The dome causes the light to shine toward the eyes of the players, adding an extra challenge to what is already a stimulating game. The Twins manager, Ron Gardenhire comments that the dome does figure into the game. “That’s the unfortunate part about the dome. It does play a part in the ballgame. We’ve seen it lots of times. That’s why I think people hate coming in here.” The game was Minnesota’s longest winning streak this season, amounting to six straight wins. The team only has four more regular season games on the site. “We wish we would have played like this more of the season, but better late than never,” commented by Michael Cuddyer as depending on their play on Sunday, the Twins now has the chance to move within one game of the Tigers. “We’ve given ourselves a chance. Hopefully we can play like this the next 14 games.” Denard Sparn commented that with a little bit of momentum, especially with the number of fans – 43,338, the largest since opening day – the team will break through and make something happen. “We definitely weren’t thinking something like that was going to happen,” he added. Tiger’s manager Jim Leyland was not too concerned about the dome’s obscured ball and is more focused on the offense that was falling behind. “If we don’t start getting some big hits and knocking some in and hitting some gap with men on, we’ll have problems,” he said, adding “But no, I’m not worried about it. It is what it is. That’s why you play the games.” The roof’s unexpected help combined with Twin’s concentration on the game proved to be a winning combination, as on the eighth inning, the team recovered from Verlander’s exceptionally good play. For the most part of the game, Verlander proved to be one of the best in the American League. “The guy (Verlander) is a stud” comments Cuddyer. “That’s what studs do, go back out there in the eighth with 100 and some pitches, and he says, ‘Either I’m going to win it or I’m going to lose it’. You’ve got to respect a guy like that, to be able to go out and dominate.”