"Matt Capps has 31 saves this season, five with his new team. But he also has two blown saves since joining the Twins on July 29.

Asked if that's indicative of the way he feels, the right-hander said, "You know, it's mid-August. I think there's a lot of people out here that are just little worn down, and a little tired, but it's that time of year.

"It's the playoff hunt. These games matter. The other teams are in mid-August, as well, so I think that's kind of irrelevant right now. We're out to compete and give the best you have each night; you go with that."

In 11 appearances with the Twins, Capps is 1-0 with a 2.45 earned-run average. The Twins eventually won both games in which he blew a save, including Tuesday night, when he was handed a 5-4 lead in the ninth. Alexei Ramirez tied it with a leadoff homer.

"I feel like I've thrown the ball well," he said. "Last night, I hung one pitch. Made one bad pitch. It was just bad all the way around; it wasn't the right pitch to throw in that situation, then whether it was good, bad or indifferent on selection, the execution was terrible. I feel like I can throw any pitch in any count, and if I execute it, it doesn't matter."

He later extricated himself from a bases-loaded jam by getting Paul Konerko to hit into a double play. With one out and runners at second and third, manager Ron Gardenhire ordered an intentional walk to Alex Rios, bringing up Konerko.

"I thought it was the right move," Capps said.

"(Konerko) put together a good at-bat and battled until I got him on that last one; he just rolled over it a little bit. I executed that pitch. I was trying to go down and away, and that's what it did, and we got out of it." "