Minnesota Twins News

Interest in Lilly about to pick up?
Comment
July 29
Foxsports.com
 
"If the Astros trade right-hander Roy Oswalt, they will be even more unlikely to move righty Brett Myers. And if the Astros won't trade move Myers, then Cubs lefty Ted Lilly will be the best starting pitcher left on the market -- assuming, of course, that there isn't a late rush on a mystery starter. Last July, that starter was the Mariners' Felix Hernandez. This year, it could be the Royals' Zach Greinke. But for now, Lilly would be the best known starter available. The Phillies' acquisition of Oswalt would end their interest in Lilly. But the Twins and Dodgers remain active on Lilly, the Mets and Tigers are on the periphery and other teams could enter the mix. The Twins are on Lilly's"
Denard Span's MLB-leading five pickoffs blamed on 'overthinking'
Comment
July 29
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"Denard Span has been picked off five times this season. On Tuesday night, he was picked off and caught stealing after singling to start the game. Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said Span's five pickoffs, the most in baseball through Tuesday (Tampa Bay's B.J. Upton was second with four), have teams aware of the leadoff hitter's newfound weakness. "What do you think the advance scouts are saying?" Gardenhire said. " 'Hey, you can pick this guy off. You throw over there two or three times in a row and you'll get him because he's always leaning.' " Gardenhire said "what's sad" is that on Tuesday night, Span wasn't going anywhere. With no steal sign given, he simply took a costly step in the"
Twins make a timely U-turn with 6-1 road trip
Comment
July 29
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"For days now, Ron Gardenhire has sat down at his desk before a game and encountered one blissful problem — filtering a roster full of startlingly alive bats into just nine starters. And, once those nine have been chosen, trying to arrange them into a lineup card that produces the most runs. In another delightful second-half shift, the problem that dogged the manager for so many days and nights this season never crept up during this weeklong stint. Not once during this road trip, in which the Twins went 6-1, did Gardenhire watch his starting pitcher crumble early in the game. The rotation flipped its road fate, the bullpen remained full and fresh, and the offense feasted on two of the worst"
Batters' eye gets darker paint job
Comment
July 29
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"After Twins players expressed concerns about the hitting background at Target Field, the club has slapped a couple coats of fresh paint on the batters' eye, the large wall behind the black spruce trees in center field. The paint job was done over the All-Star break. "We did repaint the batters' eye with a dark, flat coat," Twins General Manager Bill Smith said in an e-mail. "And it appears to have had positive results." Michael Cuddyer said he noticed a darker background when the Twins returned from the break to play the White Sox. He still has concerns that shadows and tress that sway with the breeze will be a bit of a problem. "It's the shadows and the shadows that the trees cast,""
Beating up on Royals, Orioles is a solid start
Comment
July 29
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"The Twins left Kauffman Stadium having accomplished everything they needed to do. The starting rotation has stabilized. The offense has revived. Bench players are relevant. They held off the Royals 6-4 on Wednesday to complete a three-game sweep and a 6-1 road trip. They also have won seven of their past eight games and are as confident as they have been all season. "The mood is definitely a lot lighter," Michael Cuddyer said. The last week saw full-throttle baseball from the Twins. "This is a time for the team to show what it's capable of," said lefthander Brian Duensing, who pitched six innings of two-run ball to get the victory Wednesday. "If we could just keep it going, it would be"
Twins have asked about Lilly ... but there's a hurdle
Comment
July 28
Foxsports.com
 
"The Twins have asked about Chicago Cubs left-hander Ted Lilly. Minnesota, however, is on Lilly's no-trade list, so it would be easier to deal him to other clubs. Lilly is owed about $4 million the rest of the season. It would require additional compensation for him to waive his no-trade to the Twins."
Minnesota Twins may stand pat at trade deadline
Comment
July 28
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 columnist Charley Walters
"It's starting to appear the Twins won't make a deal before Saturday's trade deadline. But all things considered, maybe that's all right. The Twins have endured J.J. Hardy, Orlando Hudson and Justin Morneau missing time with injuries, and with Joe Mauer and three starting pitchers underperforming. Yet they trail the Chicago White Sox by just one game in the AL Central Division. Players generally play as well as their histories. That should mean a resurgence by Mauer and starting pitchers Scott Baker, Kevin Slowey and Nick Blackburn. Hardy is back. Morneau is expected back before long. Hudson will be back. The Twins tried hard to trade with Seattle for Cliff Lee but weren't willing to give"
Francisco Liriano's newest best pitch for Twins: patience
Comment
July 28
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"Lost among the 20 hits, 19 runs and general gaudiness of the Twins' offense Monday night was the other side of each inning. The score showed what was happening for the Royals offense — that is, not much. But a score of 19-1 is more alarming for the first number than the one tucked after it. So Francisco Liriano's seven shutout innings, when he gave up only three hits and no walks, went largely unnoticed, and that was fine with the bashful lefty, especially because he was the beneficiary of all that run support. He pitched without pressure from the first inning on but did have one problem to work through. "He said early in the game, 'I don't have a good slider today,' and he pitched around"
Twins have big plans for young Infielder Alexi Casilla
Comment
July 28
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"The Twins still remember what Alexi Casilla did in 2008, when he burst onto the scene with a .281 batting average, .333 on-base percentage and 50 runs batted in as one of the team's most valuable table setters. They recall the flashes of brilliance on defense, the instinctive plays that dropped jaws and made highlight reels. And that's why, manager Ron Gardenhire said, the team has not and will not give up on the 26-year-old infielder. "We don't know what's going to happen during the winter, and the one chip that we have is Alexi Casilla. He can play, and he can play second base for us," Gardenhire said. "He's the chip that you don't want to let go of. There's been teams asking about him"
Cuddyer's bat heats up whenever he replaces Justin Morneau at first base
Comment
July 28
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"His knee wrapped in ice, his eyes heavy and his hands full, Michael Cuddyer limped to a table in the visitor's clubhouse Tuesday night, no doubt eager to collapse into a chair and eat some dinner. He'd just gone 3 for 5 with two runs scored, two batted in and a double, his own notable night wedged among a host of them in the Twins' 11-2 victory. He sat with three teammates, laughed and joked, playing the role he fits so comfortably, so perfectly — the "unsung hero," according to Carl Pavano, and unheralded MVP, according to manager Ron Gardenhire. "We were talking about Delmon Young and I said don't forget last year when (Justin Morneau) went down, (Cuddyer) did the same thing, (he) picked"
Casilla gets another chance
Comment
July 28
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"With second baseman Orlando Hudson on the disabled list, Alexi Casilla stands to get his most playing time since the first five weeks of last season. Casilla ended up making two trips to Class AAA Rochester last season as the Twins were upset with his mental lapses. And the club was willing to discuss trades involving Casilla during the offseason. But Twins manager Ron Gardenhire on Tuesday spoke highly of the versatile infielder. "I just want him to play and have fun and help out this baseball team,'' Gardenhire said. "He can do a lot of things. He's very talented and has a great attitude. I think he understands his role this year better than at the beginning.'' Casilla, batting .313 in"
Twins win as Valencia smacks the Royals with another four hits
Comment
July 28
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"Carl Pavano's 13 victories are the second-highest single-season total of his career, and the righthanded pitcher has won a whopping 18 games in only 33 starts with the Twins. So, naturally, the first question he was asked on Tuesday was about the sweetest show on grass -- the Twins offense over the past four games -- after their 11-2 rout of the Royals at Kauffman Stadium. "Everyone is having quality at-bats and there are guys stepping up,'' said Pavano, who has eight consecutive victories. "That's when teams really start playing well, when everyone contributes.'' The Twins have scored 47 runs and are batting .421 over their past four games. According to Twins director of baseball"
Twins hand Royals record loss
Comment
July 27
Kansas City Star
 
"A game as rare as the lopsided one the Royals and Twins played leaves both teams shaking their heads. "It's cyclical," said Twins first baseman Michael Cuddyer. "You have a streak where you can't get out, and you have a streak where you can't get a hit." Twins rookie third baseman Danny Valencia, who had a grand slam in the first inning, was asked whether he had ever been a part of a lopsided game like this. "Not many," said Valencia, 25, who also had two doubles, a single and a walk. "It's like college…it's nice to be on the winning part of that. I've definitely been on the losing side, and it's not fun." But the performance of Valencia, who became the first player in Twins history to hit"
Royals get run over by Twins in 19-1 loss
Comment
July 27
Kansas City Star
 
"There's bad. There's historically bad. And there's that island somewhere far beyond both where the Royals found themselves Monday night in a 19-1 loss to the Minnesota Twins at Kauffman Stadium. Oh, bubba, this was bad from the start, too. Zack Greinke gave up six runs in the first inning. Six. In the first inning. That matched a career worst for Greinke for any single inning. "It was bad," he said. "It was bad the whole time. Every fastball was hit hard." Rookie Danny Valencia's first career homer, a grand slam, capped the opening salvo. He became the first Twins player to hit a slam as his first career homer — at least since the franchise moved from Washington in 1961. Greinke permitted"
Delmon Young moves into Twins' cleanup slot with Justin Morneau still sidelined
Comment
July 27
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"Delmon Young has built his season mostly in the trenches of the batting order. He has started 48 games in the seventh spot of the lineup, 19 in the sixth and seven batting eighth. But Monday against the Kansas City Royals, with Justin Morneau still sidelined by his concussion, Young started as the Twins' cleanup hitter for the first time this season. "Delmon's been swinging great, so put him in the middle of it and see what happens," manager Ron Gardenhire said. "Everywhere he's been (in the lineup) he's hit. We're just trying to make sure we're getting him in the right RBI spots, because when he comes up he's driving them in." Young was 4 for 6 with two doubles in the Twins' 19-1 romp"
The hits just keep on coming for Twins in 19-1 rout of Royals
Comment
July 27
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"Just that one Danny Valencia swing, a history-making cut that sent his first big-league homer buzzing into the visitor's bullpen, would have been enough. The home run came with the bases loaded, giving the Twins a 6-0 lead against 2009 American League Cy Young winner Zack Greinke in the first inning and Valencia the distinction of being the first player in club history to make his first career homer a grand slam. That one outburst of offense would have been plenty of run support for Francisco Liriano's seven shutout innings and plenty of excitement as the Twins jumped and jostled and made their way to the dugout steps to wait as Valencia rounded the bases, the third baseman wading through"
Morales provides flexibility
Comment
July 27
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"Joe Mauer is the starter. Drew Butera is the backup. Jose Morales is the pinch hitter deluxe and third catcher. That's how the Twins will divide the catching duties now that Morales has been called up from Class AAA Rochester, where he was batting .280 with two home runs and 24 RBI. He replaces second baseman Orlando Hudson, who was placed on the 15-day disabled list because of a strained right oblique. Morales is 6-for-15 (.400) as a pinch hitter in the majors, which gives manager Ron Gardenhire late-inning options. "If I have Butera in a game and we want to pinch hit late in the game, I'll pinch hit,'' Gardenhire said. "We have another catcher to do that with, and I won't have to lose my"
Nineteen reasons to smile as Twins smash Kansas City
Comment
July 27
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"At the end of a historic night, Twins first baseman Michael Cuddyer -- one of the team's leaders -- had to sort through the numerical storm his team dropped on the Royals during a 19-1 victory at Kauffman Stadium and determine who deserved the usual postgame awards. There's a game ball and a game beer, er, beverage. Third baseman Danny Valencia, who became the first Twin to hit a grand slam for his first major league homer, and catcher Joe Mauer, who went 5-for-5 with a career-high seven RBI, got game ... beverages. The game ball? That went to Jason Repko, who went 2-for-5 but covered more ground than fertilizer as he made three excellent defensive plays in center field. "He played his"
Joe Mauer goes 5-5 with 7 RBI in Twins' 19-1 win over Royals
Comment
July 27
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"It all began with a blitz on reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Zack Greinke. His second pitch was hit for single by Jason Repko. His fourth pitch was a RBI triple by Alexi Casilla. His seventh pitch became a RBI single by Joe Mauer. His ninth was a double by Delmon Young. They were the first sprinkles of a storm. The Twins followed their plan to attack Greinke early in the count. Once they knocked him out of the game, the hits kept coming and coming until the Twins trashed Kauffman Stadium in a 19-1 laugher that was one of their most thorough beatings of the Royals ever. It was the most the Twins have scored against the Royals. The Twins set season highs in runs and extra-base hits (11) as"
Minnesota Twins dawdle as trade deadline nears
Comment
July 26
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 columnist Tom Powers
"Helllloooo. Howww issss itttt goingggg? You see, I'm approaching this column very deliberately, the way the Twins' front office approaches the trade deadline. Slowllllyyy, carefffulllyyy. Last season, general manager Bill Smith made a deal right at the deadline to bring shortstop Orlando Cabrera to the team. But it wasn't until after July 31 that he made his best moves: trading for Carl Pavano on Aug. 7 and Jon Rauch on Aug. 28. Cabrera is long gone. However, the Twins would be dead in the water without those two pitchers, especially Pavano, who has become the undisputed ace of the staff. Smith probably has made more good moves than bad ones, but he has been tardy more often than he has"
Twins starting pitchers regain winning touch against woeful Orioles lineup
Comment
July 26
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"When the Twins arrived at Camden Yards on Thursday, the starting rotation had won just three road games since June 1. They left Sunday afternoon with three road wins in four days. Before the starters went 3-0 with a 1.33 earned-run average in this 3-1 series victory over the Orioles, Carl Pavano owned all three of the rotation's road wins since June 1, making him the bright spot during a 3-12 run from the starting five. During that almost-two-month span, the group's ERA was a swollen and ugly 7.41 and the starters averaged barely more than five innings per outing over a stretch of 21 starts. Pitching against one of the worst teams in baseball, the starters found their footing, allowing"
Twins place Orlando Hudson on DL
Comment
July 26
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"The Twins placed Orlando Hudson on the disabled list because of a right oblique strain after Sunday's game, after the second baseman tested his sore side and couldn't swing left-handed. "That's a pretty awkward position, only play him against left-handers and then if they bring in a right-hander, he told me he could bunt left-handed," manager Ron Gardenhire said. "(Carl) Pavano said he's not that good of a bunter, so that made my mind up." Gardenhire weighed calling up Trevor Plouffe before deciding on Jose Morales. Having three catchers is an extravagance Gardenhire has long treasured, but the majority of Morales' work during his first stint with the Twins this season likely will come off"
Hudson goes on DL for a second time
Comment
July 26
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"Twins second baseman Orlando Hudson landed on the 15-day disabled list on Sunday because of a strained right oblique muscle -- although he tried all he could to stay on the active roster. Hudson ran in the outfield several hours before Sunday's game against Baltimore, then took some swings in the indoor batting cage as trainer Rick McWane and hitting coach Joe Vavra looked on. Hudson emerged from the cage and walked to the visitor's clubhouse with his head down. Hudson could hit righthanded but had trouble swinging lefthanded. "That's a pretty awkward position,'' Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "Play him against lefthanders and then if they bring in a righthander, he told me he could"
Twins subs sizzle in Baltimore heat to beat Orioles
Comment
July 26
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"Charm City was hardly that this week, with game-time temperatures of 92, 96, 99 and 96. The Twins, after winning three of four games here can call this place Slumpbuster City if they can take off from here and be the dominant team they were expected to be heading into the season. They spent four days replenishing lost fluids, repairing ERAs and reviving batting strokes off the worst team in baseball. They finished off a successful series with a 10-4 victory over the Orioles with a starting lineup that included only four players from Opening Day -- and none of their usual top four hitters. A split here would have been a disappointment in the middle of a stretch of games the Twins should"
Hudson goes on DL for a second time
Comment
July 26
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"Twins second baseman Orlando Hudson landed on the 15-day disabled list on Sunday because of a strained right oblique muscle -- although he tried all he could to stay on the active roster. Hudson ran in the outfield several hours before Sunday's game against Baltimore, then took some swings in the indoor batting cage as trainer Rick McWane and hitting coach Joe Vavra looked on. Hudson emerged from the cage and walked to the visitor's clubhouse with his head down. Hudson could hit righthanded but had trouble swinging lefthanded. "That's a pretty awkward position,'' Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "Play him against lefthanders and then if they bring in a righthander, he told me he could"
Lilly could be traded before weekend's over
Comment
July 24
Chicago Sun-Times
 
"With contenders struggling to find the right match for available starters Roy Oswalt and Dan Haren on the trade market, interest in Cubs left-hander Ted Lilly has stepped up dramatically and a trade could be completed by the end of the weekend, major-league sources said Friday. Lilly's trade value skyrocketed after he held the Houston Astros to one run in 7 1/3 innings Wednesday. His next scheduled start is Tuesday in Houston, and sources say the Cubs would like to complete a deal before that outing. The struggling New York Mets have shown the most interest in Lilly. The Detroit Tigers are also believed to be shifting their attention to Lilly after hitting a wall in talks with the Arizona"
Feel-good victory for Orioles
Comment
July 24
Baltimore Sun
 
"A night after channeling Earl Weaver and completely blowing his gasket on home plate umpire Bill Hohn, interim manager Juan Samuel sat calmly in front of a group of reporters and described his team's play with words that haven't been used in relation to the Orioles this season. "Flawless game by our club," said Samuel. "Everything was good." In their 3-2 victory over the Minnesota Twins in front of announced 19,013 at steamy Camden Yards, the Orioles got a strong seven innings out of Jeremy Guthrie and six clutch outs by the back end of the bullpen with closer Alfredo Simon securing the final three for his 14th save. The defense was sound with right fielder Corey Patterson making a diving"
Twins lose game, and possibly Hudson
Comment
July 24
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"A seemingly harmless fly ball hit by Orlando Hudson on Friday could wind up doing a lot of harm to the Twins' starting lineup. Hudson suffered a right oblique muscle strain during the third inning of the Twins' 3-2 loss to the Orioles and could land on the disabled list as soon as Saturday. Hudson dropped to the ground after hitting the fly ball and had to be replaced by Alexi Casilla, who was just activated from the disabled list himself on Thursday. "After I let [the bat] go, I felt it," Hudson said as he put on a backpack and left the clubhouse. Hudson, batting .287 with four homers and 27 RBI, will be checked out Saturday. "I'm hoping it is just a cramp," he said. "We'll see.""
To win at the head game, athletes turn to psychotherapy
Comment
July 24
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 columnist Amelia Rayno
"That pitch was terrible, Shooter Hunt would think to himself. Terrible. As the Twins minor leaguer stood on the mound, the expectant crowd waiting, a thousand thoughts ran through his mind. Most were negative jabs at himself for the two or three spots he had missed, and the pressure hung in the balance. The feeling would simmer. This is so bad, he'd think. Now the whole inning's going to be bad, and the season. I'll be out of baseball. I might as well dig my grave and die. The lights at Pohlman Field in Beloit, Wis., seemed brighter than just a dense cluster of florescent bulbs; shining on Hunt's forehead was the unforgiving glare of spotlight. But instead of digging his grave and jumping"
Twins eye future HGH tests
Comment
July 24
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"Blood testing for human growth hormone will be implemented during the rest of the season in the minor leagues, which makes it inevitable that the topic will come up during the next round of negotiations between major league players and owners over a new collective bargaining agreement. The current agreement expires in December 2011. Kevin Slowey, the Twins' union representative, indicated that it was logical for Major League Baseball to take the step to have minor leaguers tested for the controversial banned substance. "If we are going to start looking at it somewhere, that's where they are going to see how players respond to it, how teams respond to it," Slowey said. "That's something I'm"
Twins' Orlando Hudson appears headed to DL again
Comment
July 24
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"Ron Gardenhire has been down this road with Orlando Hudson before. This time the Twins manager won't be so generous. Hudson strained his right oblique muscle on a swing in the third inning of Friday night's 3-2 loss to the Baltimore Orioles. After hitting the ball, a flyout to center field, Hudson took a few steps down the first-base line and then started grabbing at his side and spinning around. He made his way to the ground slowly and writhed there while trainers came to his side. Alexi Casilla, fresh off the disabled list, replaced Hudson in the lineup and at second base and singled in his first at-bat since May 27. After the game, Gardenhire did not sound optimistic about Hudson's"
More teams pitching for Oswalt
Comment
July 24
Cincinnati Enquirer
 
"As the days get fewer to the July 31 trade deadline, the number of teams reported to be interested in acquiring Astros right-hander Roy Oswalt grows longer. Add the Dodgers, Yankees and Twins to the Cardinals and Phillies who have expressed a desire to add the three-time All-Star to their rotations for a second-half push. Who knows? Maybe the Reds could be quietly involved in trade talks with Oswalt, who can veto any deal. On Friday, Oswalt didn't rule out playing for any team, even the Reds, a team he pitches against tonight at Minute Maid Park as he tries to tie Joe Niekro's franchise record of 144 wins. "I haven't rejected anybody," said Oswalt. "I haven't told anybody no to any team.""
Tigers, Twins on Haren's no-trade list
Comment
July 23
Foxsports.com
 
"On Thursday, sources said five teams were involved in the pursuit of Arizona right-hander Dan Haren: the Yankees, Phillies, Cardinals, Tigers and Twins. For two of those clubs, acquiring Haren won't just be a matter of surrendering the necessary prospects and affording the remaining money on his contract. They will need to get his permission, too. Major league sources told FOXSports.com on Friday that the Tigers and Twins are among the teams on Haren's 12-team no-trade list. Haren's permission would also be required in the event of a trade to Cincinnati or Tampa Bay, sources say."
Joe Mauer plays batman
Comment
July 23
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"Joe Mauer returned to the Twins' lineup Thursday, but not behind the plate. The catcher batted third against the Orioles as the designated hitter, a lineup that manager Ron Gardenhire said had been planned for days. Gardenhire, back with the team after missing Wednesday's game to tend to a family matter, likes how Drew Butera and Carl Pavano work together, and with Pavano starting Thursday night in Baltimore, the Twins had the chance to give Mauer two days off from catching. With Butera behind the plate, Pavano shut out Baltimore 5-0. Mauer went 1 for 3 with a double, scoring the Twins' first run in a three-run first inning. Mauer was out of the lineup altogether Wednesday against"
Carl Pavano pitches fifth complete game in Twins' 5-0 victory
Comment
July 23
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"Months ago Carl Pavano made it his goal to stop stalling at 90 pitches, to work deeper than his 2009 average of six innings per outing. It's a challenge the right-hander met with gusto, a goal more convincingly achieved than even he could have imagined when he set it. But here he was again Thursday night, walking off the mound at the end of the ballgame, his fifth complete game of the season and second in as many starts in a 5-0 Twins win over the Orioles. However unlikely, 20 starts into the 2010 season, Pavano, 34, already has thrown three more complete games than he did in any other season. He has morphed, now almost two seasons removed from New York City, from mocked to masterful, an"
Twins' popularity sky high both at gate and on TV
Comment
July 23
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"The Twins already have passed the 3.15 million mark in total ticket sales for the inaugural season at Target Field, according to team President Dave St. Peter. To date, Twins attendance is up 44 percent over last season, easily the largest increase in the major leagues. That's not a surprise as they are the only team in a new stadium this year. The Colorado Rockies are the only other major league team with a double-digit increase from last year. Attendance around the major leagues as a whole is down 3 percent vs. a year ago. But the interest in the team extends beyond the turnstile count. Through the first 12 weeks of the season, the Twins have an average cable rating of 7.9 on Fox Sports"
Twins' Carl Pavano is completely in control in shutout of O's
Comment
July 23
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"Unexpected developments, good and bad, have dominated the Twins' season. They now salivate when Delmon Young is at the plate with runners on base. Joe Mauer (gasp!) hasn't felt good at the plate lately. But the stunner of all stunners was on the mound for the Twins on Thursday as righthander Carl Pavano kept turning the clock back to 2004 as the Twins beat the Orioles 5-0 at Camden Yards. The veteran stabilizer is the best thing going on a topsy-turvy rotation, because he has gone nine consecutive starts without a loss. Thursday, he improved to 12-6 while rolling to his second shutout of the year. Let that swirl around your brain for a few moments: Carl Pavano has five complete games, the"
Brian Duensing takes over Nick Blackburn's spot in Twins' starting rotation
Comment
July 22
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"As a throng of media converged on Brian Duensing on Wednesday afternoon, Nick Blackburn quietly dressed at his adjacent locker. The spotlight is now on his teammate, and maybe that's a good thing. Blackburn is working through some issues, and the starting rotation isn't usually the best place to do that. So Duensing moves to the rotation, and Blackburn — who signed a four-year, $14 million contract extension in the spring — moves to the bullpen for the first time since 2007. "I need to get stuff straightened away, and that's how it's going to happen," he said. "I'm going to keep working, and hopefully it turns around." Blackburn has had a confounding season. He was 5-0 with a 2.65"
Twins manager Ron Gardenhire out because of family matter
Comment
July 22
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"Ron Gardenhire was not on the bench for Minnesota's 6-0 victory over Cleveland on Wednesday, staying home instead to attend to a family matter. Scott Ullger served as manager as the Twins avoided a three-game series sweep while snapping the Indians' six-game winning streak. "It was a big win, especially with how hot they've been," said left fielder Delmon Young, who went 3 for 5 and drove in three runs. Young now has a team-high 67 RBIs. Coming into Wednesday's game, his 48 RBIs since May 21 were the second most in baseball behind Milwaukee outfielder Corey Hart's 50. It's unclear whether Gardenhire will be in Baltimore tonight for the Twins' game against the Orioles. No pain, no gain:"
Anthony Slama closing a game could become a familiar sight
Comment
July 22
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 columnist Tom Powers
"Anthony Slama is not nearly as scary looking as Jon Rauch. Of course, neither is Sasquatch. Instead, Slama is just mildly creepy looking thanks to his used-car salesman mustache. "He has a good-looking mustache," noted fellow reliever Matt Guerrier, who also looks as if he has a 1987 Plymouth with your name on it. Slama made his major league debut Wednesday against the Cleveland Indians and pitched a shutout inning, striking out two. Already there is speculation that Slama, the closer in Rochester, could wind up as the closer in Minnesota. Rauch has been fading. Whether he will rebound remains a mystery. But it's clear the Twins are a little goosey about putting him in right now. Rauch,"
Duensing's in, Blackburn's out of rotation
Comment
July 22
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"The Twins made their first rotation change of the season Wednesday, sending Nick Blackburn to the bullpen and replacing him with Brian Duensing. "The way I've been throwing, you almost had to expect something," said Blackburn, who is 7-7 with a 6.53 ERA. "They can't keep sticking me out there the way it's been going." Duensing, who is 3-1 with a 1.67 ERA in 39 relief appearances, will start Friday in Baltimore. Kevin Slowey needed a strong start Tuesday to keep his spot, and the Twins felt he delivered by holding Cleveland to three runs in 5 2/3 innings. The Twins hope Blackburn can regain his confidence in case Slowey or another starter falters. "I told [Blackburn], 'Don't take it as a"
Evolution of Liriano continues, with more pitches in his arsenal
Comment
July 22
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 columnist Patrick Reusse
"There is "pitching" and there is "throwing," and Francisco Liriano has not had a reputation for pitching his way out of trouble. As a four-month phenom in 2006, he overpowered difficult situations by throwing a 97-miles-per-hour fastball and an unhittable slider. As a helpful starter in the 2008 stretch drive, he tried to do the same with lesser versions of those pitches. As a member of the rotation for 4 1/2 months in 2009, he was a mess. On Wednesday, Liriano pitched his way through four threats in seven innings and was the hometown guy most responsible for a 6-0 victory over Cleveland that allowed the Twins to avoid the following: Being swept at home in a three- or four-game series by"
Young gets it done in clutch; Twins snap Cleveland's streak
Comment
July 22
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"With the game scoreless in the third inning, and the Twins' Drew Butera and Orlando Hudson hovering at second and first, the feeling of desperation Wednesday was almost palpable throughout the tense hum of Target Field. In a strikingly similar scenario as the previous night's disheartening loss, the team's No. 3 hitter strode to the plate, dug into the batter's box, and assumed the weight of a struggling team on his shoulders, whether he wanted to or not. This time, he swung for the fences. Down two strikes, including a shot that ricocheted off his left shin, Delmon Young -- replacing in the batting order a resting Joe Mauer, who bunted in a similar situation Tuesday -- launched a"
Indians' win streak ends at six with loss to Twins
Comment
July 22
Cleveland Plain Dealer
 
"It was a case of too much Francisco Liriano and not enough early fire from Jake Westbrook on Wednesday afternoon at Target Field. Those were the biggest moving parts in the Indians' 6-0 loss to the Minnesota Twins that ended their six-game winning streak. Not only was it their longest winning streak of the season, but it was the longest winning streak in club history following the All-Star break. Then again, did anyone really think the Indians were going to go 74-0 coming out of the break? The Twins won the game with four runs in the third inning off Westbrook. They sent nine men to the plate with Westbrook contributing three walks, one intentional. Westbrook was done in by the old"
Pitch counts tell a lot about Joe Mauer's hitting
Comment
July 21
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"If you think Joe Mauer isn't swinging at enough first-pitch strikes, Joe Vavra has a message for you. "It's more than you think it is," the Twins' hitting coach said. In fact, Vavra said, Mauer is swinging at more first-pitch strikes than ever. "I don't know if that's good, either," he said. Nevertheless, the reigning American League batting champion seems to be batting much of the time in what the experts call negative counts, whether he's swinging and not putting the ball in play or taking an early strike. "With Joe, it's more (about) him getting a feel for timing and seeing release points before he can base his decision on what he wants to do," Vavra said. Mauer hit .365 last season, a"
With his wrist mended, J. J. Hardy closer to being a force with the bat
Comment
July 21
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"J.J. Hardy isn't ready to declare himself back yet, but "I'm definitely closer," he said this week. That's very good news for a Twins team that was without its starting shortstop for 42 games in the first half of the season, the result of a surprisingly potent bone bruise in Hardy's left wrist. Since coming off the disabled list July 3, he has been in the lineup for 15 of 16 games and entered Tuesday night's game hitting .393 (11 for 28) in his previous 10 games. That streak has raised his batting average to .249, the highest it's been since May 4, the day he injured his wrist sliding into third base on a triple in a 4-3 victory over Detroit. When he went on the DL on June 6, he was"
Why did he bunt? Joe Mauer calls it the 'best play at the time'
Comment
July 21
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"Good idea or bad, Joe Mauer's decision to bunt with one out and the go-ahead run on second Tuesday night is an apt microcosm for a Twins season that continues to drift into severe disappointment. In the end, the run was stranded, and the Twins fell 4-3 for their second straight loss. The Twins had just scored two runs on RBI singles from Denard Span and Orlando Hudson to tie the score 3-3 in the seventh, and Mauer walked to the plate with runners at first and second and one out. On the first pitch from Cleveland lefty reliever Rafael Perez, Mauer laid down a bunt. It surprised everyone but never made it to the grass, and catcher Carlos Santana threw Mauer out at first. Span and Hudson"
Twins pitching breakdowns are popping up all over
Comment
July 21
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 columnist Tom Powers
"There rarely are any quick fixes in baseball. Most of the time, you just have to hold on tight and ride out the rough spots. Twins manager Ron Gardenhire is hanging on so tightly that his knuckles are white. The Twins got a decent performance out of Kevin Slowey on Tuesday night. And the way things had been going, who would have thunk it? But suddenly the bullpen is taking on water. The net result was that the Twins played just poorly enough to lose to the suddenly formidable Indians 4-3. Slowey entered Tuesday's game this close to being bounced from the rotation. (You can't see me, but I'm holding my thumb and forefinger very close together.) Gardenhire is knee deep in rotation woes. The"
Lip service to Pavano
Comment
July 21
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 columnist Jim Souhan
"Carl Pavano puts the "ace" in the phrase, "What's that on your face?" As the Twins' promising young pitchers have floundered, Pavano and his newly-grown, occasionally-mown mustache have become symbols of pitching excellence and grooming negligence. It is a problematic fad, akin to idolizing Prince. Just because you admire a guy doesn't mean you should wear purple sequins and high heels. Pavano's buddies want to be like him. They do not want to look like him. "Oh, God, no," shortstop J.J. Hardy said. I conducted a highly formal survey of Twins who have grown facial hair while Pavano has become the Twins' ace, asking the question, "If Pavano keeps pitching like this ..." "Then I'm sure he'll"
Rotation vs. Orioles has openings
Comment
July 21
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"With the Twins contemplating rotation changes, they tipped their hand a bit Tuesday with the pregame notes that get distributed to the media. Here's how the Twins listed their probable pitchers for this week's series at Baltimore: Carl Pavano (Thursday), TBA (Friday), Scott Baker (Saturday) and TBA (Sunday). Francisco Liriano will pitch Wednesday's series finale against Cleveland. The two unlisted starters were Nick Blackburn and Kevin Slowey. Twins manager Ron Gardenhire declined to say if Slowey was pitching for his job Tuesday, but he helped his case, leaving in the sixth inning with the bases loaded and the score tied 1-1. Jesse Crain gave up a two-run single to Shelley Duncan, and"