MINNESOTA — About three hours before first pitch on Tuesday, Nick Gordon walloped a batting-practice gimme high into the cheap seats above right field, a blast so prodigious it got a reaction from his teammates surrounding the batting cage and some fans sitting nearby.
Big deal, right? It just proves that even the most lean and wiry infielder can put on a show in batting practice, against half-speed meatballs tossed by coaches.
Then he did it during the game, with the bases loaded, against a big-league pitcher whizzing 97-mph fastballs — and on an 0-and-2 count, no less. Gordon's fifth-inning grand slam capped a stellar, six-RBI day for the Twins' utility man, and a 10-5 victory over the Red Sox.
