Tag: Nick Blackburn

Denard Span’s Trio of Triples Leads Way To Convincing Twins’ Win

Earlier today, I mentioned the Twins’ struggles in both the run scoring and run prevention departments. If this June slump continues for the rest of the season, Minnesota may struggle to eclipse the 75-win plateau. In order to get back on track, something needs to start working.

Going four-for-four with three triples last night against Detroit, Denard Span apparently got the memo.

Becoming just the third player in the past 30 years to hit three triples in a game, Span may have kicked off the long-awaited improvement that we’ve been banking on for weeks.

Before last night’s game, Span was hitting .275/.347/.367. The walk rate and on-base percentage are fine, but Span hasn’t been hitting the ball consistently or with nearly as much power as most would like.

Although Span’s ten total bases stole the national spotlight, starting pitcher Nick Blackburn’s strong outing deserves to be mentioned as well.

Typically an atrocious pitcher in the month of June, Blackburn has held true to form so far this season. Before last night’s start, Blackburn had an ERA over 12 in his June starts. After throwing seven strong innings while giving up four runs, that June ERA plummeted.

I’m still not convinced that Blackburn is capable of throwing league-average innings, but a few more starts like this would greatly ease my mind. Even with significant improvement, though, Blackburn is still the rotation’s worst starter and would be the odd man out if the Twins were to pursue a starting pitcher before the trade deadline.

Today’s rubber match against the Tigers will have a large influence on the Twins’ mood and momentum heading into the month of July. A series victory over the Tigers will give Minnesota some breathing room (albeit little) atop the AL Central, while a loss would do nothing to help remove this atmosphere of losing from the Twins’ dugout.

With Kevin Slowey (7-5, 4.79) on the mound while the Twins trot out a day-game lineup, though, I’m anything but confident.

 

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MLB 2010: Looking into the Minnesota Twins’ June Slump

Having lost six of their last seven games, the Minnesota Twins’ fast start has slowed considerably.

Though still six games above .500, the Twins are no longer at the top of the AL Central. While fans and media are jumping off the bandwagon left and right, Minnesota is trying desperately to find what’s ailing them and fix the problem.

 

Are the Twins being hurt because of a poor offense, or is the pitching doing them in? As is usually the case, Minnesota can attribute their drop in the standings to a combination of both offense and pitching.

 

Check out the table below for a quick run-down on the Twins’ struggles in June:

 

 

Runs scored per game

Runs allowed per game

Pythagorean record

Season average

4.6

4.06

90-72

June

3.96

4.56

70-92

 

 

In the 25 games the Twins have played in June this season, they have had a net loss of 1.14 runs per game. As you can see, if the Twins don’t burst from this slump and start scoring and preventing runs at a much better clip, they will have no chance of postseason contention.

 

But in order to break free from the shackles they currently find themselves in, the Twins will need to bank on a few key players finding their groove once again.

 

Justin Morneau, Joe Mauer, and Michael Cuddyer have lost an average of 159 OPS points in June. JJ Hardy and Orlando Hudson, Minnesota’s starting shortstop and second baseman, have combined to appear in just 15 games during the month of June.

 

As a team, the Twins have dropped 82 OPS points in the same month. Essentially, Minnesota hitters have transformed from Cody Ross to Christian Guzman.

 

Clearly, the offense has been an issue for the Twins. Luckily, most of these players will be unable to keep up this futility for too long, and should start slowly pulling themselves out of the mud.

 

Minnesota’s starting rotation, though, could be a bigger issue.

 

Francisco Liriano and Carl Pavano have been excellent for the Twins this year, but the other 60 percent of the rotation has been downright dreadful. Scott Baker, Kevin Slowey, and Nick Blackburn have combined to post an ERA of 7.17 in the month of June, which, at the major-league level, is laughable and simply unacceptable.

 

Still, a few of these rotation members should be able to get back on track before too long.

 

Blackburn, though, has sandwiched an outstanding May with a horrendous April and June. If the Twins were to acquire a starting pitcher before the July 31 trade deadline, Blackburn would be the one to go. And, let’s face it, replacing Blackburn’s innings with that of a league-average starter (or even Cliff Lee) would drastically improve the team.

 

Yes, the month of June has left Twins’ fans with a rotten taste in their mouths. The Detroit Tigers and Chicago White Sox have had very strong months, and are flying up the standings.

 

Chicago won 15 of 17 games at one point and are about to hold a mini-fire sale, though, and will inevitably fall back to third in the division. The Tigers will endure a tough month or two, as well, and the Twins will have an opportunity to re-gain some ground.

 

After all, baseball is a six-month sport.

 

Unlike football or basketball, one extended losing streak won’t derail a season. The Twins have plenty of time to address their needs, catch their breath, and engage in a dogfight with Detroit.

 

There’s no time like the present, and with the Tigers in town for a three-game series, the Twins need to take advantage.

 

We’ve hardly reached the do-or-die point in the season, but a series win against Detroit this week would do wonders to Minnesota’s attempts to break out of a funk.

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Bring Out The Brooms and Sweep Nick Blackburn Away

After getting swept by the Milwaukee Brewers, the Twins have definitely hit the lowest point of their season. The pitching was awful, and the offense matched that effort.

Again, Nick Blackburn couldn’t get out of the third inning, and the offense couldn’t muster a single run.

The Twins rewarded Blackburn with a four-year, $14 million contract that includes an $8 million option for 2014 in March of 2010.

That sounds okay, but after two seasons and going 11-11 with an ERA above four, was it really deserved? After all, Blackburn would likely be the fourth starter at best.

What has Blackburn done to prove his worth? Well, he has a respectable 6-5 record with an ERA jumping above 6.00.

Do we need to go into why wins are a stupid statistic to judge pitchers?

In his last five starts, Blackburn has gone more than 3.2 innings just once. In those starts, he has given up runs of five, five, two, eight, and five, respectively.

Those three five-run games were against the mighty Athletics, Mariners, and Brewers.

Wait, did I miss something? Last time I checked (literally 10 seconds ago), none of the above teams had a winning record. Heck, none of them are within six games of a winning record.

After a great May, Blackburn has done what no other pitcher in the majors has been able to do—give up 25 runs in five consecutive games while pitching less than 19 innings.

How long will we have to suffer watching Jessie Crainwreck and Nick Blackburn pitch when there are young arms itching to get some time in the Big Show?

Gardenhire finally sent Brendan Harris down to AAA today. Called up to take the place of Harris is outfielder Jason Repko. The AAA stud was hitting .281 with six homers and 28 RBI in 59 games.

Can Gardy follow suit to bring Anthony Slama and Kyle Waldrop to the majors?

Both pitchers have been tearing it up in Rochester with ERAs below 1.50 and WHIPs below 1.05.

The only thing negative I can say about Slama is that he walks a lot of people. In just 42 innings, Slama has walked 20 batters. On the plus side, he also has a K/9 rate of 10.04.

While Waldrop doesn’t have the overpower asset that Slama has, he’s been very consistent while allowing just three balls to reach the seats in over 50 innings.

What else do these guys need to prove? What have Blackburn and Crain proved that they can pitch in the majors in 2010?

The bullpen has been fantastic, except for Crain. The starting pitching has been respectable, except for Blackburn. The offense has been great, except for whomever is playing third base.

The Twins’ farm system is loaded with talent. It’s time to start bringing that talent up to see what they can do.

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MLB Trade Rumor: Cliff Lee Nearly Traded To Minnesota Twins, Injury Kills Deal

The Minnesota Twins are tired of running headlong into the buzzsaw that is the New York Yankees. This is the team that has beaten the Twins in the playoffs three separate times during the managerial reign of Ron Gardenhire.  

In their new 2010 Target Field, the Twins want to win the whole thing this season. They have a potent offense, led by three-time batting champion and 2009 MVP Joe Mauer and former MVP Justin Morneau.

They have the financial wherewithal with the new stadium and have upped their payroll already to $98 million, more than the Los Angeles Dodgers’. In addition, the Pohlad family, owners of the Twins franchise, are one of the wealthiest families in all of sports.

Yankees be damned!

Speaking with someone familiar with the situation (and verifying the initial conversation), the Twins traded for Cliff Lee last week, but the deal fell through. The primary player going to the Seattle Mariners, catcher Wilson Ramos , suffered a strained oblique during Saturday’s game. Ramos is expected to miss seven to ten days .

Ramos was not yet placed on the seven-day minor league disabled list, keeping the trade possible. Unless the Commissioner’s office signs off on the deal, players on the disabled list are usually ineligible to be traded. There must be an understanding that both teams know that player is on the disabled list.

The deal included Ramos, a Twins Major League-ready pitcher (believed to be left-handed reliever Brian Duensing ), and a low level minor league outfielder. The Mariners might be including a low level player, too.

Once Ramos gets clearance to play baseball again, this trade will again be made.

It appears that this deal heavily favors the Twins, as they would get one of the premier pitchers in baseball essentially for a young catcher their system sorely needs, a possible starting pitcher, and a filler.

If I were the Mariners, I would hold out (briefly, like a day) for 3B Danny Valencia , instead of the low level player, in addition to Ramos and Duensing.

This deal would give the Twins a very formidable starting rotation with Lee, Francisco Liriano, Kevin Slowey, Scott Baker, Carl Pavano, and Nick Blackburn.

Pavano, Baker, and Blackburn are without any type of innings limits. Slowey (91 innings pitched in 2009), and Liriano (138 innings pitched in 2009), are both coming off arm injuries and will likely be monitored for the rest of 2010.

In addition, Blackburn, who is signed through 2013 and is usually the team’s most reliable starting pitcher, has had a very off year so far. His record is a respectable 6-4, but with a 5.80 ERA. We all know, however, that the pitchers’ wins are more important.

The Twins staff already has five good starters, but Lee would fit in nicely in any team’s rotation. As I write this, Lee just finished up another complete game , beating the Chicago Cubs 8-1 with nine strikeouts and ZERO walks.  

It is Lee’s fourth complete game this season.

He is now 6-3 with a 2.39 ERA and a 0.912 WHIP. He has struck out 76 batters in 86.2 innings, and he has walked only four batters.

Dontrelle Willis walked seven hitters in only two-plus innings last night.

Ramos is a good, young catcher but is blocked by Joe Mauer, making him expendable. Ramos came up to the majors earlier this season when Mauer was hurt and hit .296/.321 OBP/.407 SLG/.729 OPS with three doubles and an RBI in limited time.

However, he is struggling with the bat in Triple-A Rochester, hitting only .218 with four homers and 18 RBI.

That positive Major League time gave the Mariners an idea that he can be a good starting catcher. In fact, Ramos could step into a starting role right away.

Duensing is a 27-year-old left-handed pitcher who was squeezed out of the Twins rotation in 2010. He started nine games last season, including this gem over the rival Detroit Tigers, which helped lead the Twins into the playoffs.

Duensing was 5-1 as a starter down the stretch last year for the Twins.

Even though he has been great as a reliever this season (2-1, 1.88 ERA, 0.812 WHIP), and really tough against lefty hitters (.122 BA), I do expect the Mariners to convert Duensing back to a starting pitcher.

It is not enough of a haul for the Mariners, especially well before the trading deadline and with Lee pitching so well right now.

The Mariners are basically giving the American League Central division title to the Twins.

And that is bad new for the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Angels, Texas Rangers, and any other possible American League playoff team which could face Lee in the 2010 playoffs.

 

 

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MLB Trade Rumors: Minnesota No Longer a Small Market

For as long as I can remember, the Twins have been a small market team. Rare were blockbuster trades or multi-year signings for the Minnesota teams of the past few decades.

All of that changed this season. With a new stadium expected to bring a revenue increase, and an owner who isn’t afraid to spend some cash, the Twins had one of their most expensive offseasons in franchise history. By bringing in JJ Hardy, Orlando Hudson, and Clay Condrey, as well as extending Carl Pavano and Joe Mauer, the Twins gave a clear message to their fans: We’re no longer a small market.

The Twins haven’t yet been able to show off this “large market mentality” during the Hot Stove season. With July 31 growing closer every day, Minnesota has begun to assert themselves as a possible destination for several trade targets. Could Cliff Lee, Roy Oswalt, or Dan Haren be wearing a Twins’ uniform on August 1?

Most fans don’t seem to think so. The Twins have been a small market team for eons, and a philosophical change isn’t something that can be accepted overnight. Minnesota has relied upon home-grown talent and frugality for a long time, and trading for a three-month rental seems a little far-fetched.

In reality, though, the Twins have correctly identified themselves as a large market team. (Or, at the very least, no longer a small market team.) The revenue is pouring in, and Minnesota is no longer burdened with financial handcuffs. If the Twins need to take on additional salary to fund a late-season playoff push, they will do so.

But in order to get Lee, Oswalt, or Haren, the Twins will need to be willing to part with something that could be worth more than just money: players.

This is where most fans get off the train. They, myself included, are much more willing to spend Minnesota’s money than they are to trade away players. It’s hard to blame us; trading away future value for a smaller amount of current value is never an easy thing to do. If the Twins wish to win their first World Series since ’91, though, they may be forced to make a few trades that appear lopsided.

For the sake of discussion, let’s say the Twins just traded Nick Blackburn, Wilson Ramos, and Bobby Lanigan for Cliff Lee. Most likely, the futures of Blackburn, Ramos, and Lanigan will hold much more value than three months of Lee (and the two compensatory prospects received). By looking solely at the numbers, that trade doesn’t make much sense. If Minnesota were to advance to the World Series, though, the loss of value would hardly be an issue.

For the Twins, the value of an added win is extremely high. The AL Central title will most probably come to the winner of a late-season dogfight, and Minnesota would gladly pay top-dollar for one additional victory. (Much more than, say, the Houston Astros would pay to improve their win total from 69 to 70.)

As Seth Stohs mentions in his blog entry this morning, the Twins need to walk the fine line between winning in 2010 and not crippling the team’s ability to compete in the future. Trading away two top prospects would hardly be a crippling blow to the Twins’ organization, though, and the few extra wins that a player like Lee would bring would be well worth the cost.

Now, for some trade predictions, in order of preference:

Minnesota gets: Dan Haren, SP
Arizona gets: Anthony Swarzak, SP, Jeff Manship, SP, and BJ Hermsen, SP

Minnesota gets: Cliff Lee, SP
Seattle gets: Nick Blackburn, SP, Wilson Ramos, C, and Bobby Lanigan, SP

Minnesota gets : Roy Oswalt, SP
Houston gets: Wilson Ramos, C, Anthony Swarzak, SP, Adrian Salcedo, SP

What do you think? Will the Twins make a trade before July 31, 2010?

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Nick Blackburn’s Stuff Disappears: Is He Done in 2010?

Nick Blackburn has always been tough to figure out. Finishing the last couple seasons with a “well-rounded” total of 11-11, he looks to be skidding into similar figures towards the end of June. 

But what worries me isn’t so much the new advent of suck, but it coming after a phenomenal month of May. Blackburn was 5-0 in May, winning all of his decisions. He pitched at least seven innings in every start, as well as starting off the month with a complete game.

With a 2.65 ERA during the month, Blackburn started out to 6-1 and looked like one of the best pitchers in the league. 

This month, Blackburn is 0-3 in four starts. Besides his great start in Atlanta where he got no run support, Nick lasted 3.2, 2.2 and 1.2 innings. Last night he all but imploded, giving up 8 runs to the fledgling Phillies. To add another hurtful statistic, Blackburn’s ERA for the month of June is a lofty 12.00. 

So what happened? Blackburn seemed to find something in May, and seemed to lose just about everything that made him successful during June. If he continues on the down-slide, is he worth being kept around?

I think the Twins should think about being shoppers before July 31st’s trade deadline and retool the starting rotation that remains consistently been inconsistent. 

But there might be hope: Something that really caught my eye is Blackburn’s month-by-month ERA. April ended at 6.85, May at 2.65 and June at 12.00. What could possibly make someone a completely different pitcher based on the month? (And don’t think I’m asking a ton of questions to reveal a genius answer, I have no clue.)

So here’s to July, Nick Blackburn. If it’s an every-other-month kind of thing, we’ll be sitting pretty.  

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Minnesota Twins-Oakland Athletics Series Preview June 4-6

Originally published at TwinsMVB.com .

Starting the season with low expectations and a very young team, the Oakland Athletics find themselves at the top of their division through the first third of the season.

In the Oakland Colosseum, the Athletics boast an impressive 19-8 record. As the Twins attempt to shake off a disappointing series with Seattle, the Athletics appear to be an intimidating foe.

 

Game One

Baker (5-4, 4.48 ERA) vs. Braden (4-5, 3.60 ERA)

As I’m sure you’re aware, Braden tossed the first perfect game of this historic 2010 season. Despite being forever plastered in the record books, though, Braden is not an elite pitcher. His BABIP is unusually low, which is why his FIP is higher than his impressive-on-the-surface ERA.

Braden has been an extreme fly-ball pitcher, and is very prone to the home run ball. He doesn’t strike out many opposing batters at all, though his fastball/changeup duo are noteworthy.

Baker, on the other hand, has fought off some tough luck so far this season.

His BABIP is a few points higher than his career average, which indicates a possible regression of opposing batters’ ability to keep their batted balls out of Minnesota gloves. Baker’s strikeout and ground ball rates are higher than last year, and he’s averaging just over six innings of work per start.

Twins fans have long been searching for an ace since Johan Santana was dealt away. Liriano hasn’t been able to fill the void, but so far this season, Baker has looked everything like an ace.

If Baker can step up and help the Twins finish off this tough road series on a good note, the unofficial designation of “staff ace” is his to lose.

 

Game Two

Liriano (5-3, 3.29 ERA) vs. Cahill (4-2, 3.02 ERA)

So far this season, few pitchers have been as lucky as Trevor Cahill. With a BABIP of just .222, he is sure to regress to the mean eventually.

Will it be against the Twins tomorrow night? Probably not.

Even so, Cahill has struck out opposing batters at one of the lowest rates in the league and walked around three per nine innings. He has been aided by an extremely good ground ball rate, as well as a great strand rate.

Liriano started the season off beautifully, but struggled for a brief three-game stretch before returning to his groove.

If you remove Liriano’s starts on May 8, 15, and 20 from his season total, his ERA drops to just 2.02. Even with the low ERA (which isn’t the best way to evaluate a pitcher), Liriano’s FIP is even lower. He has struggled through a very high BABIP of .349, striking out just over nine opposing batters per nine innings.

With five days of rest, Liriano’s ERA is 1.78. Unfortunately, Liriano will only get four days of R&R during this turn of the starting rotation, where he has an ERA of 5.76.

 

Game Three

Blackburn (6-2, 4.73 ERA) vs. Gonzalez (5-3, 3.68 ERA)

Fortunately, the Twins will be able to escape Oakland without being forced to find an answer for Brett Anderson. Instead, they will take on three young starters who boast very impressive ERAs and are currently riding lucky streaks.

Gonzalez has been able to limit baserunners at a great clip this year, with a WHIP of just 1.29. He hasn’t struck out many, though, and his strand rate is way above his career average.

Blackburn has been one of the more disappointing Twins’ pitchers this year.

He is currently dead last in the league in strikeouts per nine innings, and his walk and home run rate are both higher than last year. Blackburn’s ability to induce ground balls is up, but his stats don’t look to be aided by a BABIP regression anytime soon.

He has been able to provide the Twins with plenty of average innings, though—he’s averaged 6.42 innings per start so far this season.

 

It’s way too early to apply the “must-win” label to this series, but two or even three wins in Oakland could help the Twins prepare for a tough interleague stretch later this month.

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Twins-Yankees Series Preview 5/25-5/27

(Originally posted on TwinsMVB.com ) Another rematch against a team that we just can’t seem to beat.

After being swept in the season series against the Yankees last year and losing two of three to them in our first meeting this year, the Twins will be considered the underdog in this series, despite what the above numbers say.

Should the Twins fail to win this series against the Bronx Bombers, there will undoubtedly be people throwing in the towel on the season, citing the Twins’ inability to beat the “good teams” that they will be paired up against in the postseason.

That’s certainly an overreaction, but winning two of three in the Yankees’ first visit to Target Field sure would be nice.

Game One – Burnett (4-2, 3.86 ERA) vs. Baker (4-4, 4.88 ERA)

AJ Burnett has certainly been having a great season and was among the early favorites for Cy Young before he got rocked for six runs in just under seven innings a few days ago. Ignoring that last start, Burnett has been an above-average starter. He isn’t striking out his usual total, though, and he is giving up plenty of hits.

If an offensively potent team can string some hits together—like the Rays did last week—Burnett’s ERA may rise a few dozen points. On the face of things, it appears as if Baker is in his “start the season slow” mode.

With a relatively high 4.88 ERA, Baker is hardly pitching well enough to be considered the staff’s “ace.” As evidenced by his abnormally-high .343 BABIP and improved groundball rate, Baker may be on the cusp of a few lucky breaks.

Baker is striking out the most in his career, walking opposing batters at a very low clip, and has the 25th-lowest xFIP in baseball: 3.70.

Game Two – Pettitte (5-1, 2.68 ERA) vs. Liriano (4-3, 3.25 ERA)

Andy Pettitte has been the anti-Baker so far this year. Although his ERA and win/loss record is appealing, his xFIP is a much-higher 4.34, which testaments to his high walk rate, low strikeout rate, and low BABIP, all of which indicate a regression to the mean in the very near future.

Pettitte also has a very impressive 82.2 strand-rate, which simply isn’t sustainable over the course of a whole season.

After posting a 7.02 ERA over his last three starts, Liriano seems to have finally convinced people that he will never return to his pre-surgery form. Even with three less-than-desirable starts so far this year, Liriano’s intangibles have been right in line of what we expect: a solid strikeout rate and an average walk rate.

His almost complete aversion of the long-ball this year (he’s given up just two home runs all season) is also good to see.

Game Three – Vazquez (3-4, 6.69 ERA) vs. Blackburn (5-1, 4.50 ERA)

After dealing away a package centering around Melky Cabrera for Javy Vazquez, the Yankees are undoubtedly upset with their return. Vazquez, who finished fourth in Cy Young voting last season, is off to a terrible start with New York. His sky-high ERA is only slightly worse than the advanced stats claim, and hope can’t even be gleaned from his BABIP, which is maddeningly (at least for Yankees fans) normal.

Blackburn, on the other hand, has pitched worse than his ERA indicates. Striking out an extremely low 2.50 batters per nine innings (the lowest mark in baseball among qualified pitchers) and giving up far more than his fair share of home runs, Blackburn has been “off” this season.

His BABIP isn’t too far off line and he is inducing more groundballs than he usually does, which is what he needs to do to be successful in 2010. Against the mighty Yankees offense, I’m guessing a full return to his usually-reliable self isn’t going to happen.

This series will be the last time the Twins play the Yankees this season. While too much shouldn’t be read into a mid-May series, any matchup of two of the best teams in baseball is important.

Another series loss would leave an awful taste in Twins fans’ mouths, but a good showing could help spring-board a successful June for Minnesota.

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Minnesota Twins: Starting Pitching Responsible For Early Success

The old baseball adage is that pitching and defense wins championships. That being the case, the Minnesota Twins appear to be going in the right direction in 2010.

The starting pitching, led by Francisco Liriano, appears to be the strongest and deepest staff the Twins have had in ten seasons. Four of the starters have spent their entire major-league careers with the Twins. Liriano, Scott Baker, Nick Blackburn and Kevin Slowey have all been a part of the rotation since 2008.

They average four years of experience with an average age of 27. Baker is the elder statesman at 28, and is in his sixth season with the Twins.

In 2009 the Twins added Carl Pavano, who in his 14th major league season, adds a veteran presence to the rotation.

Comparing the success of the starting pitching in 2010 over the past ten seasons confirms that this is a strong staff. The starters are pitching deeper in games with an average of 6.33 innings per start—the third highest since 2000.

With two complete games already this year, the 2010 staff has more complete games than the 2001 staff and almost half as many as any team since 2007.  

Manager Ron Gardenhire and pitching coach Rick Anderson appear to have increased confidence in their starters, allowing them to go longer in their starts and throwing more pitches.

The starters have averaged 96 pitches per start while exceeding the 100-pitch count ten times already this season.

Liriano has thrown at least 92 pitches in every start and 123 against Cleveland in his last start. This many pitches is almost unheard of for a Twins’ pitcher.  

Gardenhire’s confidence was very much on display in a recent game against Detroit. With the Twins leading 3—2, he sent Blackburn out in the ninth allowing him to get the win and the complete game.

With Jon Rauch having converted eight of nine save opportunities, it could not have been due to lack of confidence in the first year closer.

The pitching staff is getting the job done. It is currently third in the AL in ERA at 3.60, and second in all of Major League Baseball with only 76 walks allowed.

Liriano, at one time considered for closer, has become the staff’s stopper with a 4-0 record and a 1.50 ERA. In three of five starts, Liriano has earned the victory following a Twins’ loss.  

If the starters can continue to pitch effectively and stay healthy, the Twins will cruise to another AL Central Division title and a great chance of getting past the divisional round of the playoffs.

Miscellaneous observations and questions:

  • After going seven for eight in his first two games Wilson Ramos has cooled to one for 11 the past three. What will the Twins do when Joe Mauer returns? Could one of these two end up playing third base, adding some power to the lineup?
  • With depth in the starting rotation and pitchers Jeff Manship and Brian Duensing appearing ready to join the rotation, is there a chance that Pavano will be playing for his sixth team?
  • How long will Twins’ fans have to wait for Justin Morneau’s first Target field home run?
  • When will Michael Cuddyer hit his first road home run?

 

 

 

 

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