Minnesota Twins Daily Clips

Monday, June 11, 2012

 Moments of glory series: Bobby Keppel's lone, historic Twins victory. Star Tribune (Rand) p. 2  Dempster wins by getting Twins to chase pitches. Associated Press (Campbell) p. 3  Hartman: Health concerns for Morneau subside. Star Tribune (Hartman) p. 4  Postgame: Bunting without the bunt sign. Star Tribune (Christensen) p. 6  Twins, Buxton deal appears close. Star Tribune (Christensen) p. 6  Twins are still cellar dwellers after loss to Cubs. Star Tribune (Christensen) p. 8  Souhan: One inning unravels Liriano. Star Tribune (Souhan) p. 9  : Liam Hendriks could start Saturday. Pioneer Press (Goessling) p. 10  Minnesota Twins, 'very close' to deal. Pioneer Press (Goessling) p. 11  Cubs 8, Twins 2: Dempster quiets Twins’ bats. Pioneer Press (Goessling) p. 11  Minnesota Twins shut down as Dempster and Cubs avoid series sweep. Pioneer Press (Goessling) p. 12  Twins offense on quite a lately. MLB.com (Bollinger & Garretson) p. 13  Hot offense meets cold as Twins welcome Phillies. MLB.com (Walker) p. 14  Sources: Twins close to signing Buxton. MLB.com (Bollinger) p. 15  Twins’ offense goes silent in loss to Cubs. MLB.com (Bollinger) p. 16  Twins offense, finally clicking, one of ’s best since mid-May. 1500ESPN.com (Sandell) p. 17  Notebook: Plouffe in control at the plate; Hendriks lights-out again. 1500ESPN.com (Mackey) p. 18  Dempster cools off hot Twins offense, Liriano sputters out in loss. 1500ESPN.com (Mackey) p. 21  Numbers game: How are born; how Twins will try to get them. 1500ESPN.com (Mackey) p. 22  Twins’ Hope Week a chance to give back. FSNorth.com (Mason) p. 25  Twins can’t complete sweep behind Liriano. Associated Press (Staff) p. 26  Clash of lowly records still best of baseball. FSNorth.com (Niesen) p. 27  Loss is just bump in road to recovery for Twins. FSNorth.com (Mason) p. 30  Hendriks could be added to Twins rotation. FSNorth.com (Mason) p. 31  Top Mentions p. 33

~ 1 ~

Moments of glory series: Bobby Keppel's lone, historic Twins victory

By: Michael Rand, Star Tribune- 6/10/12

The most enduring athletes in Minnesota history are well known. Names like Puckett, Killebrew and Tarkenton bring about images of long- term success. But what about those with local ties who only had a chance meeting with the big time? Here we remember their one victory, their one appearance -- their one moment. Today: Bobby Keppel's historic victory. Bobby Keppel made his major league debut in 2006, getting six starts for the woeful Royals. He contributed four of their 100 losses (without a victory), bounced to Colorado in 2007 for four relief appearances (still without a victory) and didn't pitch at all in the majors in 2008. He made his Twins debut June 27, 2009, finding himself in long-relief or mop-up duty in many of his first 36 appearances.

But what happened in his 37th appearance of the season instantly became a large part of one of the most famous games in recent Twins history, if not all-time franchise history.

The Twins and Tigers hadn't been able to determine an AL Central champion after 162 games. By the top of the 11th inning of Game 163, they were still deadlocked. The Twins had already burned through seven when they turned to Keppel, who got the final out of the inning.

After a scoreless bottom half, Keppel went back out for the 12th. The first batter that inning? None other than Clete Thomas, who made solid contact but was retired on a deep liner to center. After a walk, a single (with both runners advancing on the throw to third) and an intentional walk, the bases were loaded for Brandon Inge.

During the at-bat, a Keppel pitch appeared to graze Inge's jersey, which would have forced in the go-ahead run. Instead, it was simply ruled a ball. Inge's grounder later in the at-bat led to a forceout at home, and Keppel struck out Gerald Laird to get out of the inning unscathed. In the bottom half, of course, Carlos Gomez scored the winning run on Alexi Casilla's single, and the celebration was on.

A couple of months later, Keppel said this about the game: "What I remember the most is how relaxed I was, when everyone else was so nervous. I was thinking, 'What an awesome experience this is.' "

Get this: 1) It went down as Keppel's first major league victory. 2) It ended up being his only major league victory. 3) It ended up being, in fact, the last game he ever pitched in the majors.

If you're only going to get one victory, and you have to end your career sometime, what a way to do it.

~ 2 ~

Dempster wins by getting Twins to chase pitches

By: Dave Campbell, Associated Press- 6/11/12

In the last year of his contract with the languishing , Ryan Dempster is a prime candidate to be traded this summer.

Dempster was the one who was dealing on Sunday afternoon.

The right-hander further raised his market value with eight shutout innings, and the Cubs beat the Minnesota Twins 8-2 for their fifth win in the last 25 games.

"Whether it's making a start, getting in the lineup or coming out of the pen, you just have to try and make the most of those opportunities," Dempster said.

After an 18-start winless streak dating to last August 11, Dempster (2-3) won his second game this week, another gem for this Cubs team that brought the worst record in the majors into the series finale at Target Field. He scattered four singles, walked one, a batter and struck out six, three by , to stretch his scoreless streak to 15 innings.

"It's good he's going back to the National League, I guess, after a performance like that," said Mauer, who had never faced Dempster before.

Dempster lowered his ERA to 2.31 and handed the Twins just their third defeat in their last 12 games.

"It was a good way for us to end a not-so-good road trip," Dempster said.

Alfonso Soriano, who homered three times in the first two games of the series, hit another ball hard, a two-out in the first inning against Francisco Liriano (1-7). Left fielder Josh Willingham had trouble tracking the ball, turning back and forth in the bright sun until Soriano's drive glanced off his glove.

Soriano batted .316 with 12 RBIs and eight runs on this 10-game trip, and the Cubs won against a left-handed starter for only the third time in 16 tries this year. David DeJesus drove in three runs, and Reed Johnson and Starlin Castro scored three times each. Johnson reached base on 10 of 15 plate appearances this series.

"We scored some runs for him the second time in a row," Cubs Dale Sveum said. "That was good. He was pretty dominant again. It's been pretty much a phenomenal run he's had."

The 35-year-old has been the rock of the rotation for the reeling Cubs. He has allowed two runs or fewer in eight of his 11 starts and finished six or more innings 10 times. Dempster threw 38 of his first 47 pitches for strikes and dug deep when he did find trouble against a Twins team batting .302 with runners in scoring position since May 16 entering Sunday.

Justin Morneau grounded out with two runners on to end the first. Mauer struck out to finish the third with a man on third. bounced out to end the fifth with two on base.

"Assortment of pitches," was the assessment from Twins manager Ron Gardenhire. "We couldn't even figure out what one of `em was. Everybody kept asking."

The consensus was a high, he kept getting the Twins to chase. Ryan Doumit's sacrifice fly against Cubs James Russell in a non- situation in the ninth finally put the Twins on the board and Jamey Carroll tacked on an RBI double, but they were too far behind to mount a serious rally.

~ 3 ~

"We needed to go out with this off day coming and get some good self-esteem on the team," DeJesus said. "At least we can go off feeling, `Yes, we got the game.'"

Hartman: Health concerns for Morneau subside

By: Sid Hartman, Star Tribune- 6/10/12

Justin Morneau's recent contributions are a big reason the Twins have won four consecutive series, but at one time the 2006 American League MVP wondered if his concussion and other health problems might put an end to his career.

"[It can happen] in the middle of winter when you're not playing and you're sitting there wondering how long it's going to take or if it's ever going to get better," Morneau said. "But you just have to keep trying to stay positive, trying to find things to stay positive with and be able to go out there and play. If it's your time it's your time, and I've been lucky enough that I recovered and have been able to go back out there and hopefully it stays that way for the rest of my career."

Morneau said one thing that helped him to be positive was his friendship with former Wild defenseman Willie Mitchell, now a member of the Los Angeles Kings. Mitchell and Morneau are both natives of British Columbia.

"He kind of went through a lot of the same things I did," Morneau said. "He missed a lot of time with a concussion, and he was a guy that I really leaned on when I was coming back and vice versa, so he's a guy that I'm pretty close to."

That is one reason Morneau is pulling for the Kings to win the Stanley Cup.

"I really want to see good things happen for [Mitchell], and hopefully they can get it," said Morneau, who has played a lot of hockey and might have suffered some concussion problems doing that in the past.

As for his health now, Morneau said: "As close [to 100 percent] as you can be in the middle of a season. I'm feeling pretty good. The swing is starting to feel better. The most important thing is we're starting to win some ballgames and we're starting to play a lot better as a team. It's been a lot more fun recently than it was at the start of the year, that's for sure."

In the past 12 games, Morneau is hitting .273 with a homer, a and three doubles, along with nine RBI, five runs and five walks.

Earlier this season, Morneau was being used almost exclusively at designated hitter, for fear there would be more concussion problems if he got bumped or fell the wrong way. But that hasn't been a concern of late; in his past 23 games since coming off the disabled list, he has made 20 starts at first.

"I've been able to run out there and play and not have to think about it too much," he said. "It's been a lot better to be able to run out there and feel like you're contributing even when you're not hitting.

"But that other stuff [with concussions] is kind of out of my control. It's something that the doctors have told me that I shouldn't have to worry about, but you never know. I just take it day by day and just enjoy every day that I get to go out there. ...

~ 4 ~

"Every day, I think we all realize that we're lucky that we get to put on the Minnesota Twins uniform and just go out there and compete and try to win ballgames."

Morneau reported that the wrist he had surgery on has felt fine. "It's responded well since I had the cortisone shot in there and had the little time on the DL, which we were trying to avoid but unfortunately I had to do, but right now it's looking like it was the right thing to do," he said.

Tough hitting lefties

Morneau is hitting only .105 against lefthanders this year while hitting .326 against righties. He knows that awful number against lefties has to come around; for his career, he is a .252 hitter vs. lefties and .295 vs. righties.

"Searching for solutions right now. It's something that I kind of know what I'm doing," he said. "I'm just having trouble correcting it."

Specifically, he said: "I have to stay on the ball a little bit more and start using the whole field. I think I'm just pulling off a little bit and missing some pitches I'd usually be hitting. I just have to keep the faith and keep grinding it out and keep working on it.

"I'm in the cage hitting off the machine and I'm doing things and just trying to get it back to where I feel comfortable and where I want to be. I expect that to turn around. I know what the numbers are, I know they're not very good. I definitely want to improve on that, and when I do that it will be even better."

Missed goals

Losing to Eden Prairie with a state baseball tournament berth on the line was tough enough on the Minnetonka High School baseball team.

But Wednesday's loss was also heartbreaking since the Skippers had dedicated the season to one Dave Bigham, wearing his DWB initials on their hats all season. Bigham was a family man who died at the young age of 41 because of a heart attack in February. Many Minnetonka players had been coached in their younger days by Bigham, a man they really looked up to.

Bigham, whose son Wynn plays for the Skippers, had been a great force for Minnetonka athletic programs after being a hockey and baseball player in Mankato and being drafted out of high school by the Twins. Bigham also played hockey for the St. Paul Vulcans.

Jottings

• Twins General Manager Terry Ryan said Byron Buxton, the outfielder the club took with the second overall pick of the draft, was top on the team's draft board for the past nine months. "We would have taken Buxton if we had the first pick in the draft," Ryan said. Buxton will be in town this week.

• Josh Willingham was largely viewed as a replacement for after the former Twins star signed with the , and so far this season Willingham is outperforming Cuddyer offensively. Cuddyer is hitting .272 with seven home runs, 38 RBI, 21 doubles and 31 runs scored. Willingham is hitting .289 with 11 homers, 41 RBI, 18 doubles and 35 runs for the Twins.

• Former Twins closer Joe Nathan told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram he is keeping a close eye on how Stony Brook is doing in the NCAA baseball tournament. Nathan attended the school, which is also the former home of University of Minnesota President Eric Kaler. Speaking of Nathan, he lowered his ERA to 1.82 after a scoreless inning with a Sunday against San Francisco, his original team. He now has 29 strikeouts in 24 2/3 innings to go along with 12 saves for Texas.

• Gophers TJ Oakes, drafted in the 11th round by Colorado, signed this weekend for a $100,000 bonus and will leave school for the minor leagues. He reports Monday to Pasco, Wash., and the Tri-City team of the Northwest League. The pitching there is former major leaguer Dave Burba, who in 1992 spent time with the Giants' Class AAA Phoenix team, where his pitching coach was Todd Oakes -- TJ's father and the current Gophers pitching coach.

~ 5 ~

Postgame: Bunting without the bunt sign

By: Joe Christensen, Star Tribune- 6/10/12

The Twins have been a little bunt happy lately, and the results have been mixed.

Manager Ron Gardenhire said today was another example where players aren’t getting the bunt sign; they’re bunting on their own. ’s third-inning sacrifice bunt (with the Twins trailing 1-0) probably should have been dragged down the first-base line, since the Cubs had Ian Stewart playing in, anticipating the bunt, Gardenhire said.

By the seventh inning, the Twins were down 4-0, doing nothing against Ryan Dempster. led off with a bunt single, as Stewart tried grabbing the ball with his bare hand but dropped it. Brian Dozier tried to follow suit with another bunt, but Stewart was playing in again and turned that into an easy out. Gardenhire said if Dozier’s going to bunt in that situation, “It’s got to be a really good bunt, and that wasn’t a good bunt.”

People might read that and think Gardenhire should take the decision out of his players' hands, dictating every move from the bench. That's how it works in college baseball, but not in the big leagues. Gardenhire always says he doesn't want his players to be robots. At this level, teams count on their players to have a good feel for the game. Sure, the Twins will give the bunt sign in obvious sacrifice situations, but not today in the seventh inning.

So what was Dozier thinking? Maybe he remembered last Sunday in Cleveland. Looking back at that day's play-by-play, the fourth inning against Justin Masterson started with two bunt singles -- one by Dozier and then one by Plouffe -- that led to a run. Nobody was questioning all the bunting that day.

* The Twins caught a break later in the seventh inning today when Cubs Starlin Castro mishandled a bouncer from Drew Butera for an error. Plouffe reached third, and as the ball bounced away from Castro, third-base coach Steve Liddle sent Plouffe home. Castro made the Twins pay, retrieving the ball in time to throw out Plouffe at the plate.

Easy to second-guess that one -- Plouffe would have been on third base with one out -- but in the heat of the moment, with a split-second to decide, I can see why Liddle took the chance.

* The Twins are off Monday before playing host to and the Phillies on Tuesday. Here are the pitching matchups:

Tuesday: Nick Blackburn (2-4, 7.75 ERA) vs. Kyle Kendrick (2-5, 4.44) Wednesday: P.J. Walters (2-1, 4.42) vs. Cole Hamels (8-3, 2.93) Thursday: Scott Diamond (5-1, 1.61) vs. Joe Blanton (5-6, 5.40)

Twins, Buxton deal appears close

By: Joe Christensen, Star Tribune- 6/10/12

The Twins have had some tough negotiations with first-round picks over the years, but they are already close to signing Byron Buxton, the No. 2 overall pick in last week's draft, his agent confirmed Sunday. ~ 6 ~

Buxton is scheduled to fly to Minnesota on Monday and take his physical Tuesday. The sides are expected to continue talking Monday, and agent Al Goetz said those talks are "just formalities." A Twins official also said the sides were close to a deal.

Three years ago, the Twins didn't get first-round pick signed until moments before the mid-August deadline. The deadline has been moved up to July 13, but the Twins look like they will beat that by a month.

Baseball's recommended slot bonus for the No. 2 pick is $6.2 million, but the No. 1 overall pick, shortstop Carlos Correa, agreed to a $4.8 million bonus with the Astros, well below the $7.2 million slot. Goetz declined to say how Buxton's deal will compare to the slot number, but he talked about how excited the outfielder -- who won a Georgia state championship this month for Appling County High School -- is to begin his professional career.

"He's a special kid; I can tell you that," Goetz said. "You guys are going to love him."

The Twins have signed 12 of this year's picks, including second-rounder Mason Melotakis, fourth-rounder Zach Jones and sixth-rounder Andre Martinez. They are also making progress with Jose Berrios (supplemental round, No. 32 overall), among others.

Hendriks coming soon?

Liam Hendriks had a dominant performance for Class AAA Rochester on Saturday, firmly establishing himself as the favorite to join the Twins starting rotation for Saturday's start against Milwaukee.

Hendriks held Indianapolis (Pirates) to three hits over 8 2/3 shutout innings, with two walks and 10 strikeouts.

"The outfielders did not field a ball," manager Ron Gardenhire said. "I don't know if I've ever heard that before. Pretty good."

Gardenhire said no decision has been made about Saturday's start, mentioning as another possibility. Cole De Vries has to spend 10 days in the minors after his recent demotion, and he gave up six runs over two innings Sunday in his return to Rochester.

Hendriks threw 124 pitches against Indianapolis, so the extra rest would probably help him heading into Saturday's start. After going 0-2 with a 9.00 ERA in four starts for the Twins earlier this season, Hendriks is 5-0 with a 1.94 ERA in seven starts for Rochester.

When the Twins promoted De Vries ahead of Hendriks last month, the team said it didn't believe Hendriks was commanding his fastball well enough.

"You could see, he was lost the last outing that he had up here [April 15]," Gardenhire said. "He was screaming at himself in the dugout, and basically, he needed to take it easy and go down and get some confidence. Right now it sounds like he's got it. We'll see."

Diamond note

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Scott Diamond's 1.61 ERA is the lowest ever for a Twins rookie through seven starts in a season. The previous low was Francisco Liriano's 1.64 ERA in 2006.

Diamond opened the year at Rochester, going 4-1 with a 2.60 ERA in six starts.

"This is a good story," Gardenhire said. "Go down and get it done and be the guy, and that's what he did."

~ 7 ~

Souhan: One inning unravels Liriano

By: Jim Souhan, Star Tribune- 6/10/12

Unless he learns how to cloak his fastball with stealth technology, Francisco Liriano might never step onto a mound with a better chance to dominate an opponent than he had on Sunday at Target Field.

He faced a terrible Cubs team and a lineup weaker than the Wi-Fi you steal from your neighbor. The day was hot, reminiscent of Liriano's youth in the Dominican Republic, and Liriano was working in one of baseball's most notable pitchers' parks.

Liriano had his personal and psychotherapist behind the plate, Drew Butera. His team was playing its best baseball since last June, and he had two consecutive strong starts atop his heavily whited-out résumé.

Given all of those advantages, Liriano dominated for five innings.

And failed to complete the sixth.

Liriano once was known as Frankie Franchise. Now he's Francisco Futility.

He failed as a starter for a team that begged him to be its ace, failed at the beginning of a contract season, when most athletes experience season-long adrenaline surges, and then he failed in relief. Reinstated as a starter for no reason other than that deportation would have seemed harsh, Liriano teased once again, allowing only one earned run in 12 innings against Oakland and Kansas City, two teams weaker than O'Doul's.

Sunday offered Liriano a chance to pound another lineup softer than a bean-bag chair, and he continued his dominance, allowing only one run in the first five innings. That one run was the result of a hard-hit ball that Josh Willingham could have caught in deep left field.

Through five, Liriano had allowed only three baserunners and had walked only one Cub.

He started the sixth by walking Reed Johnson and giving up a double to Starlin Castro, putting runners on second and third.

David DeJesus scored one run with a grounder to second. Liriano allowed the next with a wild pitch, his second of the game.

Liriano intentionally walked Soriano, struck out Jeff Baker, then threw the wild pitch and gave up a double to Joe Mather. Twins manager Ron Gardenhire popped quickly out of the dugout and called in Brian Duensing.

"I was happy with the way he threw the ball," Gardenhire said. "Just that one inning got out of hand. Frankie threw the ball really good."

Gardenhire has no choice but to handle Liriano with oven mitts. The Twins need him to either help them win, or to increase his value.

Gardenhire chose to emphasize Liriano's five strong innings. Those who have watched Liriano's career collapse the past two seasons should have trouble ignoring his free fall in the sixth.

He entered the sixth having thrown only 63 pitches. Six batters and two outs later, he had thrown 89.

Liriano was supposed to be the Twins' ace. More than a third of the way through his contract year, he is 1-7 with a 6.45 ERA. The Twins didn't give him much of a chance to win Sunday, but better control in the sixth would have kept the game competitive.

If Liriano was 4-4, the Twins would be tied with Detroit for third place in the AL Central. Instead, they remain in last place in a division so weak it might be relegated to the Northwoods League.

"I'm happy with Frankie's performance as far as throwing the ball," Gardenhire said. ~ 8 ~

Liriano has a 2.55 ERA in his past three starts, striking out 23 in 17 2/3 innings. He has bonded with Butera and calmed his delivery. Sunday, he cruised through five, then reverted to his broken-water-sprinkler delivery, making Butera dance like an extra in a Western whose shoes are being peppered by bullets from a Colt 45.

Liriano is no fun to criticize. He seems shy and insecure. He's quiet and polite. He's also wasting considerable talent, damaging his team and his career.

He has got about seven weeks to help the Twins contend, or help them find him a new home. As he proved for five innings, he is capable of controlling his pitches. As he proved again in the sixth, he is not always capable of controlling himself.

Twins are still cellar dwellers after loss to Cubs

By: Joe Christensen, Star Tribune- 6/11/12

Two weeks of good baseball put the Twins in position to do something Sunday that they hadn't done in six weeks -- climb the standings.

The fourth-place Royals lost again, so with one more victory over the lowly Cubs, the Twins could have vacated the American League Central basement for the first time since April 29.

But Cubs veteran Ryan Dempster wasn't having it. The righthander blanked the Twins for eight innings, easily outpitching Francisco Liriano, as Chicago cruised to an 8-2 victory.

The Twins are 9-3 in their past 12 games and have won their past four series, so their disappointment was tempered.

"Not a good day for us," manager Ron Gardenhire said. "Basically the story was Dempster. He pretty much shut us down."

The Cubs (20-40) went 2-8 on their road trip to San Francisco, Milwaukee and Minnesota, with Dempster notching both victories, his first two of the season. At this point, he is really auditioning for other teams, with Chicago almost certain to move him before the July 31 nonwaiver trade deadline.

Dempster is 2-3 despite a 2.31 ERA. He also has 10-and-5 rights -- 10 years in the majors, five with the same team -- so he can veto any deal, but it's doubtful he would balk at the chance to pitch for a contender again.

"I just tried to go out there and battle against a really hot team; they're swinging the bats really well," Dempster said after holding the Twins to four hits. "We were able to put some more runs on the board and avoid a sweep, and we're able to enjoy the plane ride home."

Dempster came in averaging the seventh-worst run support in the National League (3.14 runs per nine innings), but the Cubs grabbed a first- inning lead when Alfonso Soriano lined a two-out RBI double that glanced off left fielder Josh Willingham's glove.

Liriano (1-7) settled into a nice rhythm for the next four innings, but Chicago stretched the lead to 4-0 in the sixth. Liriano issued a leadoff walk to Reed Johnson before Starlin Castro doubled to right field. Liriano was one strike from escaping the inning with the score 2-0, but he bounced a slider to the dirt against Joe Mather for a wild pitch, scoring Castro from third base. Mather followed with an RBI double, and Gardenhire turned to his .

~ 9 ~

"I was happy with the way [Liriano] was throwing the ball," Gardenhire said. "He gave us a chance. We just did nothing offensively."

This start wasn't as encouraging as Liriano's previous two, but his ERA over his past three outings is 2.55. He seemed especially frustrated with the wild pitch, which bounced away from catcher Drew Butera.

"Yeah, I was trying to overthrow that one right there," Liriano said. "I was trying to make sure I didn't hang any pitches because I've done that before late in the game."

The Cubs pulled away against the Twins bullpen, scoring two runs against Jared Burton and two against Anthony Swarzak. The Twins finally got on the scoreboard with a pair of unearned runs against James Russell in the ninth.

"It got out of hand a little there at the end," Gardenhire said. "But a good series. You win two out of three, we have to take it. We had a chance to sweep it, but they actually played a lot better than we did today."

Minnesota Twins: Liam Hendriks could start Saturday

By: Ben Goessling, Pioneer Press- 6/10/12

Right-hander Liam Hendriks, who has a 152/3-inning shutout streak at Triple-A Rochester, could return to the majors on Saturday and start for the Minnesota Twins against the , manager Ron Gardenhire said Sunday, June 10.

Gardenhire said the Twins haven't made a decision about a starter for Saturday's game, but they can't recall Cole De Vries from the minors until Sunday, which means Hendriks seems all but certain to get the start. If that happens, the 23-year-old would get a chance to right himself after an ugly start to the season.

He had four starts with the Twins at the beginning of the season, and after allowing one run in six innings his first time out, Hendriks couldn't make it through the sixth again. In his final start on May 2, he walked off the mound after 21/3 innings, screaming at himself in the dugout after allowing six runs on nine hits.

The Twins kept Hendriks in the minors after a couple of strong starts there in May, resisting the urge to bring him back until he got better command of his fastball.

"Everybody said the same thing," Gardenhire said. "They set up outside, he throws it inside. They set up inside, he throws it outside."

But Hendriks struck out 10 in 82/3 innings on Saturday, allowing just three hits. And more impressively, he didn't give up a fly ball.

"I don't know if I've ever heard that before," Gardenhire said. "Pretty weird. Pretty good."

Hendriks would go a week between starts if the Twins call him up to start on Saturday. But because he threw 124 pitches in his last start, he could use some extra rest, Gardenhire said.

~ 10 ~

Minnesota Twins, Byron Buxton 'very close' to deal

By: Ben Goessling, Pioneer Press- 6/10/12

Outfielder Byron Buxton, whom the Twins landed with the No. 2 pick in last week's MLB draft, is "very close" to a deal with the team, according to two people close to the situation.

Buxton will arrive in Minnesota on Monday, June 11, with a physical scheduled for Tuesday, and a deal could be announced in the next few days.

The 18-year-old, whose speed and athleticism made him the Twins' choice with their highest draft pick since they selected Joe Mauer in 2001, likely will start his career with the team's rookie ball affiliate in the Gulf Coast League. He could take another step to Elizabethton, the Twins' more advanced rookie league affiliate, by the end of the year.

Buxton hit .513 for Appling County (Ga.) High School, finishing his high school career with an 18-strikeout game to help his team win a Georgia state championship. ranked him the top player in this year's draft, and Twins scouting director Deron Johnson had targeted Buxton since last summer.

His deal likely will be in line with the one the Houston Astros gave top pick Carlos Correa last week. The Puerto Rican shortstop got a $4.8 million signing bonus Friday.

Cubs 8, Twins 2: Dempster quiets Twins’ bats

By: Ben Goessling, Pioneer Press- 6/10/12

RECAP: The Twins' bid for their 10th win in 12 games, and a sweep of baseball's worst team, ended with a thud on Sunday, June 10.

Francisco Liriano gave up three runs in the sixth inning after allowing just one in the first five innings, and Ryan Dempster threw eight shutout innings as the Cubs rolled to an 8-2 win at Target Field. It was just the Cubs' fifth win in 25 games.

Liriano was sharp early for the third consecutive start, striking out five batters through five innings, but started the sixth with a walk and a double. He threw a wild pitch later in the inning before giving up another double to Joe Mather that ended his day.

MEANING: After scoring 46 runs in their previous seven games, the Twins were bound to cool off, and they did so on Sunday against Dempster, whose 2.31 earned-run average is the third-best in the National League. They'll try to get back on track against the struggling Phillies on Tuesday.

ETC.: Joe Mauer went 0 for 4 with three strikeouts; it was his first game with three or more strikeouts since July 12, 2009, when he fanned four times against the White Sox.

UP NEXT: vs. Phillies, 7:10 p.m. Tuesday, FSN, KSTP-AM 1500

~ 11 ~

Minnesota Twins shut down as Dempster and Cubs avoid series sweep

By: Ben Goessling, Pioneer Press- 6/11/12

The peculiarities of interleague play -- with hitters trying to size up pitchers they've seldom faced -- certainly have helped the Twins before. They entered Sunday, June 10, with the fourth-best all-time interleague record of 152-117, and they'd won 42 of their past 56 interleague games at home.

And after starting this season 10-26, the Twins have dressed up their record with the help of National League teams; they had won four of their first five interleague games, with Scott Diamond getting a pair of those wins against the Brewers and the Cubs.

But on Sunday, as they looked to move within nine games of .500 for the first time since April 29, the Twins ran into a bad combination: a veteran starter in the middle of an all-star season against whom they had little experience. And Ryan Dempster used the situation to carve them up.

The Chicago Cubs right-hander allowed just four hits and a walk in eight shutout innings as Chicago's offense broke out against starter Francisco Liriano before feasting on the Twins' bullpen. The Cubs won 8-2, just their fifth victory in 25 games, and left town having slightly deflated the Twins.

"He was tough today," said Twins catcher Joe Mauer, who struck out three times in a game for the first time since July 12, 2009. "I've never seen him before. It's good he's going back to the National League, I guess, after a performance like that today. He had pitches moving everywhere."

Dempster has humbled plenty of National League lineups this season; he has the third-best earned-run average in the NL at 2.31, and he was coming off seven shutout innings against the Brewers, who see him as often as any team in baseball. But the Twins hadn't faced him since 2006, and only three players -- Jamey Carroll, Ryan Doumit and Josh Willingham -- had ever faced him, none with more than moderate success.

Dempster used that lack of familiarity to burn the Twins on Sunday, throwing an effective slider and a split-fingered fastball that looked so much like a changeup, the hitters were consulting each other in the dugout to figure out what it was.

"Everybody kept asking and kept jumping on it," manager Ron Gardenhire said. "He really threw the ball very well and shut our offense down."

The 35-year-old took away whatever chance the Twins had to mount a comeback after Liriano slipped up in the sixth inning.

He had allowed only one run through the fifth, striking out five batters in that time with the same sharp slider he'd shown in his past two starts. But he gave up a walk and a double to start the sixth, threw a wild pitch and allowed another double to Joe Mather that put the Cubs up 4-0.

The Twins' only two runs came in the ninth inning, after Dempster had left the game.

They will attempt to get back on track Tuesday against the Phillies, a team plagued by injuries after five straight NL East championships. The Twins have played well enough in the past two weeks to carry some confidence forward, too; they had scored 46 runs in their previous seven games, finally getting enough solid pitching to make their offensive effort count and taking some of the tarnish off their record with wins over NL teams and weak AL opponents.

But Dempster had them guessing all day on Sunday, and their run had to stop for at least a day.

~ 12 ~

"There wasn't a lot of life in our dugout, and that was because of him," Gardenhire said. "He kept us off the basepaths and made a lot of big pitches."

Twins offense on quite a run lately

By: Rhett Bollinger and Jordan Garretson, MLB.com- 6/10/12

MINNEAPOLIS -- The Twins offense has been among the best in baseball since mid-May, ranking second behind the White Sox in runs scored dating back to May 16.

Entering Sunday, the Twins had scored 123 runs in 22 games while the White Sox ranked first with 132 runs in 22 games.

It's been a marked turnaround, as the Twins had scored the second-fewest runs in baseball through May 15.

Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said a big reason for the improvement has been the production of players in the middle of the lineup, such as Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau and Josh Willingham, while others such as Jamey Carroll, Denard Span and Ben Revere have been getting on base at a good clip. Trevor Plouffe is tied for third in the Majors in homers with eight over that same span.

"They've got plenty of at-bats in the Major Leagues, so it's up to the table setters to get on for them," Gardenhire said. "And they've done a good job of that, rolling over from the bottom to the top with Jamey Carroll getting on like 33 or 34 percent of the time.

"And Plouffe is swinging good. It's good to see them roll over with Span and Revere getting on base an awful lot, too."

It's also helped that the Twins are hitting .302 with runners in scoring position since May 16, after hitting just .229 in those situations leading up to that date.

"We just didn't do that well with runners in scoring position, but now we're getting these guys in," Revere said. "We're having a lot better approaches with runners in scoring position. So if we keep that up, we can be a good team."

Hendriks may get call to start Saturday MINNEAPOLIS -- Liam Hendriks may start for the Twins next weekend.

Thursday's optioning of Cole De Vries to Triple-A Rochester left a vacant spot in the Twins' rotation. Monday's off-day means they don't have to find an immediate replacement, but the Twins are currently without a scheduled starter for their home game against Milwaukee on Saturday.

Hendriks appears the mostly likely candidate after another impressive outing for Rochester on Saturday, with 8 2/3 shutout innings against Indianapolis, allowing just three hits while striking out 10.

"Hendriks threw the ball really well last night," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "The outfielders did not field a ball. I don't know if I've ever heard that before. That's pretty good."

Hendriks struggled in four starts with Minnesota earlier this season, going 0-2 with a 9.00 ERA. The right-hander has rebounded since being sent back to Rochester, posting a 5-0 record and a 1.90 ERA in seven starts.

 46 wins  38 wins "He was lost," Gardenhire said. "The last outing that he had up here, he was screaming at himself in the dugout. He needed to take it easy. Go down and get some confidence. Right now, it sounds like he got it." ~ 13 ~

Gardenhire also mentioned Jeff Manship as a candidate to start. The 27-year-old has allowed one run over 3 1/3 innings in three relief appearances for the Twins. De Vries is not eligible to return Saturday because the Twins must wait at least 10 days after sending him down to call him back to the Major League roster.

"We don't know yet for sure," Gardenhire said. "We were just talking about possibilities."

Revere riding hot streak at the plate MINNEAPOLIS -- Ben Revere has been one of the hottest hitters in baseball since being recalled from Triple-A Rochester on May 17, as he ranks seventh in the American League in batting average since his callup.

Revere, who was batting .273 before being optioned to Rochester on April 15, has hit .342 over his last 19 games.

The outfielder is now batting .330 with five doubles, two triples, and eight stolen bases in 25 games this season.

"I feel a little bit more comfortable," said Revere, who hit .267 with a team-high 34 stolen bases in 134 games as a rookie last season. "I'm seeing pitches I want and seeing the ball a lot better. I'm finding the right holes.

"Every hitter can say they're more comfortable when that happens. But it's just one of those things where everything is going my way and hopefully it'll keep going."

Hot offense meets cold as Twins welcome Phillies

By: James Walker, MLB.com- 6/10/12

They hit a speed bump in their last game against the Cubs on Sunday, but the Twins start a three-game Interleague series on Tuesday against the Phillies at Target Field with an offense that is one of the hottest in the Majors.

The Phillies, meanwhile, continue to languish in last place in the National League East standings, but manager still holds out hope that his team can rebound and become a semblance of the team that won the past five NL East championships.

Sunday's 5-4, 10-inning loss to the Orioles was the eighth defeat in nine games for the Phillies, who left 10 runners on base and went 3-for-11 with runners in scoring position.

Nevertheless, Manuel was taking the old chin-up approach after the game.

"You got to keep going," Manuel said. "We've always rebounded by the end of the season. We're thinking about winning."

The Twins have scored the second-most runs in baseball dating back to May 16, with their 125 runs trailing only the White Sox (141).

Cubs right-hander Ryan Dempster slowed them down on Sunday, shutting them out for eight innings in an 8-2 Cubs victory.

~ 14 ~

One of the biggest reasons for the Twins' recent success is finding some stability in their batting order.

It had been in flux for most of the season, and manager Ron Gardenhire has used 18 different position players this year.

But, in the process, numerous players have developed better consistency, making Gardenhire's job easier in setting his lineup.

The middle of the order, with Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau, and Josh Willingham, has been particularly reliable.

"I like to be able to print pretty much the same lineup," Gardenhire said. "It's a nice thing. And if you take a guy like Mauer out, you can move Willingham and Morneau up. It's a pretty good situation to have. We've got a little flexibility and some kids who are playing well off the bench. So we've got a good flow going."

Phillies: Kendrick to start • Right-hander Kyle Kendrick (2-5, 4.44 ERA) will start on Tuesday for the Phillies. Kendrick, 27, allowed five runs on four hits and five walks in 5 2/3 innings last Wednesday against the Dodgers. He struck out six.

• Hunter Pence was 2-for-4 with two RBIs in Sunday's loss to the Orioles. He's hitting .281 with 38 RBIs.

• Left fielder Juan Pierre also was 2-for-4, raising his average to .322, and also scored two runs.

Twins: Blackburn makes another start • Nick Blackburn (2-4, 7.75 ERA) will make his second start on Tuesday since returning from a stint on the disabled list with a strained left quad. He fared well in his return last Wednesday in Kansas City, allowing two runs on five hits in five innings for his second victory of the season.

• Mauer, still working his way back to top form after an injury-marred 2011 season, was the DH on Sunday and was hitless in four at-bats, leaving his batting average at .302.

Worth noting • Sunday's loss snapped the Twins' three-game winning streak, but they still have won nine of their last 12 games and appear to be rebounding from a bad start, when they lost 15 of their first 20 games and 26 of their first 36.

Sources: Twins close to signing Buxton

By: Rhett Bollinger, MLB.com- 6/10/12

MINNEAPOLIS -- Outfielder Byron Buxton, the No. 2 overall selection in this year's First-Year Player Draft, is headed to the Twin Cities on Monday and is scheduled take a physical on Tuesday, according to two sources with knowledge of negotiations.

~ 15 ~

Both sources also indicated there is optimism that a deal will be reached this week.

It is unknown, however, if Buxton will sign at or below 's recommended slot bonus of $6.2 million. Shortstop Carlos Correa, taken by the Astros as the No. 1 overall pick, signed below slot value at $4.8 million last week.

Buxton, 18, is expected to begin his professional career in the Gulf Coast League with the chance to move up to Rookie-level Elizabethton (Tenn.) by the end of the season.

The five-tool outfielder hit .513 with three homers, 17 doubles and 35 RBIs in his senior season at Appling County (Ga.) High School.

Buxton also went 10-0 with 154 strikeouts over 81 innings as a pitcher, including an 18-strikeout performance to clinch his high school's first state title.

The Twins had him ranked atop their Draft board since last summer, according to scouting director Deron Johnson.

Twins’ offense goes silent in loss to Cubs

By: Rhett Bollinger, MLB.com- 6/10/12

MINNEAPOLIS -- It has been the offense that has carried the Twins over the last three weeks, but it simply wasn't there on Sunday against the Cubs.

Minnesota entered the game having scored the second-most runs in baseball dating back to May 16, and it was a big reason they had the fourth-best record in the Majors at 14-8 over that stretch.

But the Twins saw their three-game win streak come to an end, as they were shut down by Ryan Dempster in an 8-2 loss to the Cubs at Target Field.

The veteran right-hander tossed eight scoreless innings and simply out-pitched left-hander Francisco Liriano to end Chicago's four-game losing streak.

"It was not a good day for us," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "The story of the day was Dempster. He pretty much shut us down with an assortment of pitches. We couldn't even figure out what one was because it kept jumping at us. He really threw the ball well and shut us down."

Dempster gave up just four hits and a walk, while striking out six, including Joe Mauer a season-high three times.

"I just try to go out there and battle against a really hot team -- they're swinging the bat really well," Dempster said. "We were able to put some more runs on the board and then some more runs and avoid a sweep and we're able to get on the plane ride and enjoy the ride home."

Liriano, meanwhile, pitched well himself until it unraveled in a three-run sixth inning. ~ 16 ~

The Cubs scored a run in the first inning on a two-out RBI double by Alfonso Soriano off the glove of Josh Willingham.

But Liriano cruised through the next four innings before running into trouble in the sixth. Reed Johnson led off with a walk before Starlin Castro promptly doubled. David DeJesus brought home a run with a groundout before the Twins opted to intentionally walk Soriano.

Liriano was able to strike out Jeff Baker, but then threw a wild pitch to allow Castro to score from third before giving up an RBI double to Joe Mather to score Soriano.

"I walked a guy and it seems like every time I walk a guy he comes around to score," Liriano said. "And Castro is a good hitter -- I made a good pitch -- but he just hit it the other way. Then the wild pitch and the couple walks got me."

That it was it for Liriano, who ended up surrendering four runs on four hits over 5 2/3 innings with six strikeouts.

So while his pitching line wasn't great, it was still an improvement from the way he was pitching to start the season, when he was demoted to the bullpen after posting a 9.45 ERA in his first six starts.

Since returning from the bullpen on May 30, Liriano has a 2.55 ERA in three starts with 23 strikeouts in 17 2/3 innings.

"The last two starts he's had good success and confidence with what he's doing," catcher Drew Butera said. "So I think once you gain some of that, he picked up the pace and continued with that."

The Cubs added two insurance runs in the eighth against reliever Jared Burton, who didn't aid his cause with a throwing error to second base while attempting to turn a potential . Baker brought home the first run on a sacrifice fly and Darwin Barney added an RBI single.

The Cubs added two more runs in the ninth on a two-run double by DeJesus before the Twins scored their two runs in the ninth inning on a Ryan Doumit sacrifice fly and a Jamey Carroll RBI double against reliever James Russell.

The loss was just Minnesota's third over its last 12 games, as the club has still won four straight series.

"It got a little out of hand there but it's still a good series," Gardenhire said. "We took two out of three so we have to take it. We had a chance to sweep it but they played a lot better than we did today."

Twins offense, finally clicking, one of baseball’s best since mid-May

By: Nate Sandell, 1500ESPN.com- 6/9/12

MINNEAPOLIS -- Though still 10 games from reaching the .500 mark, the Minnesota Twins are undergoing an offensive awakening and with it has come a steady stream of wins.

~ 17 ~

The Twins remain the American League's worst team, with a 24-34 record. But they have strayed far from that identity in recent weeks.

An 11-3 thumping of the Chicago Cubs on Saturday was the latest scoring barrage for the Twins, who are winners of nine of their last 11 games. Since May 16, the Twins have averaged 5.6 runs per game -- second in the MLB behind the Chicago White -- posting a 13-8 record in that span.

"This is really deadly right now. It's deadly," upstart outfielder Ben Revere said of the Twins' offense.

Along with an up-and-down pitching rotation that is starting to experience moments of clarity, consistent production from Revere and slugger Josh Willingham has been the catalyst for the Twins' current revival.

After being recalled from Class Triple-A Rochester on May 17 for the second time this season, Revere, armed with a more level-headed approach, has been one of baseball's best hitters, with a .346 average and .372 on-base percentage. Willingham has been equally impressive - 17 hits and 14 RBI's in his last 12 games -- as he continues on a career-best pace.

Revere and Willingham haven't been alone. As Saturday proved, the Twins have the ability to find offensive prowess throughout its lineup. Trevor Plouffe, who has found a new level of confidence in his swing, knocked in four RBIs as six Twins batters tallied two hits or more off the woeful Cubs pitching staff.

"I'm just getting myself into some better counts and swinging at strikes," Plouffe said. "It's the pitcher's job to get you to chase (pitches) and earlier in the season I was doing that, but I've been able to work the count more and get into those hitter's counts."

Scoring at a high rate is essential for the Twins, given that their starting rotation is still prone to a letdown. The Twins have won only seven games this season when scoring four runs or less.

If the rotation can stabilized at a passable rate, the Twins' offensive burst has made their prospects of making it back to .500 sizably less improbable than they were a month ago.

Notebook: Plouffe in control at the plate; Hendriks lights-out again

By: Phil Mackey, 1500ESPN.com- 6/10/12

MINNEAPOLIS -- No job was safe in April and May as the Minnesota Twins tumbled double-digit games below .500 right out of the gate.

That's why Luke Hughes was designated for assignment. That's why -- a two-year starter at third base -- was optioned to Triple-A Rochester. And that's why Jason Marquis, who signed a $3 million contract this offseason, was sent packing after a handful of bad starts.

On May 8, Trevor Plouffe was hitting just .103/.286/.205 with one , and it would be a lie to say he was a defensive asset at the time -- like a Jamey Carroll, for instance.

But the Twins stuck with him, in large part because Plouffe was out of minor league options.

~ 18 ~

One month later and Plouffe has become one of the Twins' most dangerous power threats. Since May 8 Plouffe is hitting .256/.297/.593 with eight home runs, five doubles and 15 RBIs playing mostly at third base.

His batting average (.208) and on-base percentage (.293) on the season still leave a lot to be desired, but Plouffe's .472 ranks third on the team behind Josh Willingham (.567) and Justin Morneau (.513).

Perhaps most telling is Plouffe's Isolated Power (ISO) ranking -- slugging percentage minus batting average, which essentially isolates a hitter's doubles, triples and home runs. If Plouffe qualified for the batting title his .264 ISO mark heading into Sunday would rank 16th among all hitters.

Plouffe said they key to his recent hot streak has been taking a better approach at the plate.

"Just getting myself into some better counts and swinging at strikes," Plouffe said. "I think that's a big part of hitting in general, getting into those counts and not chasing pitches. It's the pitcher's job to get you to chase those, and earlier this season I was doing that."

In 140 trips to the plate this season Plouffe has found himself ahead 2-0 in the count 22 times and behind 0-2 in the count 29 times, although that ratio has improved over the last month. By comparison, Joe Mauer has been ahead 2-0 on 55 occasions while falling into an 0-2 hole 40 times.

Of Plouffe's 26 hits this season only one has gone to straight right field. Eight of his nine home runs have gone to left field and one to center field. Since the beginning of last season more than 54% of Plouffe's batted balls have gone to straight left field according to scouting reports provided by Inside Edge.

Despite those numbers, manager Ron Gardenhire isn't ready to say Plouffe, 25, is a dead-pull hitter quite yet.

"I just know that he's definitely up there looking to drive a baseball," Gardenhire said. "He works awfully hard at shooting the ball the other way and driving the ball the other way. That probably helps him once he gets into the game. His bat is staying in the zone a lot longer than it used to. ...

"It looks like he's not missing his pitch when he gets it a little bit more now."

Throughout the early stages of his minor league career Plouffe showed some home run power -- 49 home runs in his first 2,873 plate appearances (or about nine per season) -- but nothing like what he has delivered the past two years in Rochester and now in the big leagues.

"It takes time. Early in your career you try to cheat to that (inside) pitch a lot," Plouffe said. "For me, I've seen a lot of guys, such as Josh Willingham, the way he just focuses on staying up the middle and using the big part of the field. He just reacts for that pitch in. It's not about looking for it and turning on it. It's about knowing that you're going to get to it and staying up the middle, and that's helped me a lot. ...

"Before, I would look for that pitch and pull off it, and it would set me up for off-speed away. But right now I'm just trying to stay up the middle and react."

It's working. And the Twins' patience with Plouffe seems to be paying off.

Hendriks impressive again

Twins decision-makers wanted Liam Hendriks to correct certain mistakes that he wasn't getting away with in the big leagues.

It appears he may have done that.

Hendriks, in his seventh start for Triple-A Rochester on Saturday, pitched 8 2/3 scoreless innings against Indianapolis. He struck out 10, walked two, allowed three hits, and most impressively he did not allow any fly balls to the outfield. ~ 19 ~

This masterpiece came on the heels of seven scoreless innings in his last start.

The Twins need a fifth next Saturday against Milwaukee, and it's likely Hendriks -- with his 1.94 Triple-A ERA -- will get the call.

"After throwing a 124 pitches with Hendriks you've got to look at it," Gardenhire said. "A couple of days is probably not a bad thing. It would be a week before he started if we decided to go that route."

Gardenhire said Hendriks' fastball command is what the Twins have been watching closely.

"Everybody said the same thing, he (wasn't) commanding his fastball. They set up outside, he throws it inside. They set up inside, he throws it outside. ...

"When he was up here he was misfiring pretty good. You could see him, he was lost. The last outing he had up here he was screaming at himself in the dugout and basically he needed to take it easy. Go down and get some confidence. Right now it sounds like he's got it. We'll see. We'll make a decision in the next week, decide what we want to do here. If he's the guy he's the guy. We like him. We know he can compete. We know he can do some things. Hopefully he's regrouped enough and he can help us. If that's the case then we'll decide to call up him."

Diamond sets record

With six shutout innings on Saturday, Scott Diamond lowered his ERA to 1.61 after his first seven starts. According to the Elias Sports Bureau that 1.61 mark is the lowest for any Twins rookie in his first seven starts of the season since the team arrived to Minnesota in 1961.

Of course, Diamond started seven games last year, but his innings total was low enough that he still qualifies as a rookie in 2012.

Twins sign 10 picks

The Twins have now signed 10 of their 43 draft picks:

LHP Mason Melotakis (2nd round) RHP Zack Jones (4th round) LHP Andre Martinez (6th round) LHP Taylor Rogers (11th round) RHP Alex Muren (12th round) OF Jake Proctor (14th round) 1B D.J. Hicks (17th round) OF Jonathan Murphy (19th round) IF Joel Licon (25th round) 3B Bryan Haar (34th round)

~ 20 ~

Dempster cools off hot Twins offense, Liriano sputters out in loss

By: Phil Mackey, 1500ESPN.com- 6/10/12

MINNEAPOLIS -- Dominated by Ryan Dempster, the Minnesota Twins were unable to complete a three-game sweep of the Chicago Cubs on Sunday at Target Field.

The skinny

The Twins offense has been sizzling lately, but Cubs right-hander Dempster delivered a bucket of cold water on Sunday in Chicago's 8-2 victory.

Dempster, who entered the game with a 2.59 ERA, held the Twins scoreless on four hits in eight innings, striking out six and walking only one.

After reaching base via hit or walk a combined 43 times in Friday and Saturday's games, the Twins reached only seven times via walk or hit on Sunday.

"Not a good day for us," manager Ron Gardenhire said. "Basically the story was Dempster over there. He pretty much shut us down. An assortment of pitches. We couldn't even figure out what one was. Everybody kept asking as he was jumping on us. He really threw the ball very well and shut our offense down."

Francisco Liriano looked much sharper than his line indicated -- four earned runs on four hits and three walks in 5 2/3 innings. Liriano struck out six and induced 14 whiffs on 40 swings (35%) and coasted through the middle innings after allowing an RBI double to Alfonso Soriano in the first.

But the Cubs touched him for three runs in the top of the sixth inning, courtesy of two walks (one intentional to Soriano), doubles by Starlin Castro and Joe Mather and a wild pitch that led to a run.

Despite the rough inning Liriano said, "Everything's getting better," Liriano said. "I've been locating pitches better. I think I'm throwing more strikes, making better pitches than before and just getting ahead in the count better. ... That's the good thing about it."

The Twins threatened in the bottom of the seventh when Trevor Plouffe led off by beating out a bunt single. Two batters later, with Plouffe on second base and one out, Drew Butera hit a chopper to the backhand side of shortstop Starlin Castro, who had the ball deflect off his glove into shallow left field. Third base coach Steve Liddle waved Plouffe around third, but Castro's throw home made it in plenty of time.

The Cubs tacked on two more in the eighth off Jared Burton on a sac fly by Jeff Baker and an RBI single by Darwin Barney. They also added two more in the ninth off Anthony Swarzak on a two-RBI double by David DeJesus.

A sac fly by Ryan Doumit in the ninth off James Russell broke up the shutout. Jamey Carroll added an RBI double shortly after.

Turning point

The leadoff walk issued by Liriano to Reed Johnson in the sixth inning set the table for the Cubs to put up a crooked number.

"Every time I walk a guy it seems like he scores," Liriano said.

Numbers game

4: Consecutive series victories for the Twins. ~ 21 ~

28-11: The Twins' record in interleague games since 2006.

3: Strikeouts for Joe Mauer, which marks just the fourth time in his career he has struck out three times or more in a game.

Health report

Joe Mauer said he will play through some discomfort with his bruised thumb. "It's good enough, "Mauer said. "It's pretty sore, but it's good to get back into the line-up after last night."

On deck

Monday: Off day Tuesday: vs. Phillies, 7:10 p.m. RHP Nick Blackburn (2-4, 7.75) vs. RHP Kyle Kendrick (2-5, 4.44) Wednesday: vs. Phillies, 7:10 p.m. RHP P.J. Walters (2-1, 4.42) vs. LHP Cole Hamels (8-3, 2.93)

Numbers game: How strikeouts are born; how Twins will try to get them

By: Phil Mackey, 1500ESPN.com- 6/10/12

Disclaimer: Numbers Game is a place where we dive a little deeper into stats, trends, sabermetrics, and basically make peoples' heads explode.

MINNEAPOLIS -- To put it simply, the Minnesota Twins entered last week's draft looking for more velocity and more strikeouts, particularly from starting pitchers.

The team began discussing putting more emphasis on drafting, and acquiring, harder-throwing pitchers last season -- as opposed to strike- throwing contact guys, although general manager Terry Ryan said the team has always kept an eye on the dart-throwers.

"Actually every time we sit in that draft room we talk about taking power pitchers," Ryan said. "Anybody is looking for power pitchers. If you look at drafts, there are very few power pitchers that throw 95, 96, 97. ... Anybody that's in that mid-90's range is going to be sought-after."

Despite the efforts of fire-balling relievers Jared Burton and , the Twins pitching staff ranks last in the majors this season with 5.8 strikeouts per nine innings.

Since Johan Santana left five seasons ago only three pitching staffs have tallied fewer strikeouts than Minnesota -- the Pirates, Orioles and Indians.

What makes a strikeout pitcher?

According to Ryan, "a combination" of things -- not just velocity.

"Velocity you're looking for, but also location. Maybe setting it up a little bit with some other complementary pitch. But there isn't anybody out there that's just going to be able to throw 95, 96 and think they're going to strike out a bunch. Hitters will just sit on the fastball. ...

"The guys that have high strikeouts, they strike you out with a fastball, they strike you out with a slider, they strike you out with a curveball, ~ 22 ~

they strike you out with a change. It doesn't matter if you're left or right-handed."

From 2008 to 2011, 199 starting pitchers threw at least 200 total innings. For the purposes of this experiment, we'll look at those 199 pitchers and pull two groups:

1.) The 63 starting pitchers with low strikeout rates (5.7 strikeouts per nine or fewer) 2.) The 51 starting pitchers with high strikeout rates (7.7 strikeouts per nine or more)

Using MLB's Pitch F/X data we can find correlations between "stuff" and strikeouts. What type of pitch repertoires lead to more strikeouts?

The differences between strikeout and contact pitchers can be subtle.

Average Velocity

Pitchers with low K rate Pitchers with high K rate

Four-seam fastball 89.0 mph 92.0 mph

Two-seam fastball 88.2 mph 90.6 mph

Slider 82.4 mph 83.7 mph

Curveball 76.1 mph 77.8 mph

Changeup 81.7 mph 83.7 mph

Starters who tally more strikeouts generally throw everything harder. Francisco Liriano (92.3 mph) is the only current Twins starter whose average fastball sits above 91 mph. Prior to landing on the disabled list, Carl Pavano's average fastball sat just below 87 mph. P.J. Walters (88.6) and Scott Diamond (89.6) don't throw particularly hard either. Neither did Jason Marquis (89.1).

Average Usage

Pitchers with low K rate Pitchers with high K rate

Four-seam fastball 39% 48%

Two-seam fastball 8% 7%

Cutter 4% 4%

Sinker 9% 2%

Slider 12% 15%

Curveball 8% 11%

Changeup 15% 11%

Starters who tally more strikeouts throw more four-seam fastballs, fewer sinkers, and -- perhaps surprisingly -- more breaking pitches.

Average difference in velocity

Pitchers with low K rate Pitchers with high K rate

Fastball to slider -6.9 mph -8.3 mph ~ 23 ~

Fastball to curve -12.9 mph -14.3 mph

Fastball to changeup -7.5 mph -8.3 mph

Starters who tally more strikeouts tend to have wider spacing between pitch velocities. Anthony Swarzak -- not necessarily considered a strikeout pitcher -- actually has a 9-mph difference between his fastball and changeup as a starter this season, and a 10-mph difference between his fastball and slider. Liam Hendriks also exhibited what we'll call strikeout spacing.

Average pitch movement

Pitchers with low K rate Pitchers with high K rate

Fastball More downward movement -

Slider - More downward movement, more sweep

Curveball - More downward movement

Other observations

• Both types of pitchers, on average, hit the strike zone an equal amount -- 47% of the time.

• Pitchers who tally more strikeouts also tend to -- on average -- induce fewer groundballs -- 43%, as opposed to 45%.

• Changeup movement doesn't affect strikeout rates as much as changeup velocity relative to the fastball.

Are the Twins doing it right?

To be honest, it's hard to say, because high school and college pitchers are usually so underdeveloped, especially their off-speed stuff.

But drafting pitchers who throw harder is a good first step.

No. 32 overall pick J.O. Berrios, an 18-year-old right-hander, throws a fastball that sits "in the 93-95 mph range," per Baseball America. Some scouts have seen him touch 97-98. He also throws "a sharp, 80-81 mph slider and shows the makings of a solid changeup with fading action."

These attributes all seem to fit in with starting pitchers who average at least 7.7 strikeouts per nine innings. Probably more.

Berrios of course needs to develop against professional competition, which means learning how to work in the strike zone, command each pitch, keep his arm healthy, etc.

After Berrios, the Twins drafted a handful of hard-throwing relievers that they hope to convert to starters -- at least some, or most of them.

No. 42 overall pick , 21, throws anywhere from 92 to 96, but most of his innings came out of the bullpen in college. Second-round pick, 21-year-old left-hander Mason Melotakis, threw a fastball that sat 94-96 mph for three innings during "a heavily scouted outing" on May 4, per Baseball America, which is "typical of his velocity at his best." Word is his off-speed stuff needs work. Second-round pick J.T. Chargois, 21, operated in the mid-90's as a reliever in college. So did fourth-round pick Zack Jones.

Eighth-round pick Christian Powell threw 90-93 as a starter at the College of Charleston. Baseball America says his breaking ball is "not an out pitch right now."

~ 24 ~

"If they possess two or three pitches we're going to give them an opportunity to start," Ryan said.

"If they've got the arm action, the body and the delivery to be starting, we're going to move them to the rotation."

Twins’ Hope Week a chance to give back

By: Tyler Mason, FSNorth.com- 6/9/12

MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Twins organization believes in giving back to the community, which is why the team will take part in its second annual Hope Week, beginning Sunday.

Each day for the following week, Twins players, coaches and front office staff will be out in the Twin Cities community, volunteering their time to make a difference, whether it be through raising funds or simply spending a few hours with those less fortunate. The events begin Sunday with Justin Morneau's fourth annual Casino Night, which raises funds for Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis.

"Casino Night was something we kind of built Hope Week around because it had been going on for a while," said Bryan Donaldson, the Twins' director of community affairs. "It's been very successful. Every year, it has grown."

The rest of the week will be followed with various activities — some of which will be a surprise for the participants. Pitchers Carl Pavano and Nick Blackburn, along with the Twins Wives Organization, will be leading the "Hang With the Majors" event Monday at Toby Keith's Bar and Grill in St. Louis Park, with players serving as guest bartenders. The proceeds go to the Minnesota Military Families Foundation and the Wounded Warrior Project.

Since joining the Twins in 2009, Pavano has been instrumental in giving back to the community, Donaldson said.

"I think he understands what it means to be a major league baseball player and why it's important to give back to the community," Donaldson said. "I think he has a passion for it, too. He really wants to do his part, not only in our community but in his home community and other places. He and his wife, Alissa, have really stepped up. They are our leaders in the community."

On Tuesday, manager Ron Gardenhire, Twins alumni and current coaches and players will visit with veterans at the VA Hospital in Minneapolis. They'll sign autographs and take photos with the veterans.

"Gardy likes that a lot," Donaldson said of Gardenhire, who was raised in a military family.

The week will culminate Friday during a "Field Day for the Kids" event, where the players will get to interact with children at Target Field before Friday's game. According to Donaldson, the Field Day event had 100 percent player participation last year. Throughout the week, each of the players will all do their part at the various events.

Donaldson said the , who have held a similar week of events for the past four years, inspired the idea for the Twins' version of Hope Week. Now, the goal is for more teams to follow suit.

"We want to expand it throughout Major League Baseball where every team takes a week and gives back," Donaldson said. "It's kind of working that way. We feel that if we focus a whole week on giving back to the community, volunteering in the community and raising funds that it puts a big spotlight on it for that week and also will spur our fans to go out and volunteer in their own community."

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Twins can’t complete sweep behind Liriano

By: Staff, Associated Press- 6/10/12

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Francisco Liriano took another loss.

But the Minnesota Twins didn't mind too much. They saw another credible performance from their most mercurial pitcher, at least, despite the lopsided defeat.

Ryan Dempster further raised his trade value with eight shutout innings, pitching the Chicago Cubs past the Twins 8-2 on Sunday.

After an 18-start winless streak dating to last August 11, Dempster (2-3) won his second game this week, another gem for this Cubs team that brought the worst record in the majors into the afternoon. He allowed four singles, walked one, hit a batter and struck out six, three by Joe Mauer, to help the Cubs win for only the fifth time in their past 25 games.

"It seemed like he had everything going today in my at-bats," Mauer said.

Dempster lowered his ERA to 2.31 and handed the Twins just their third loss in the past 12 games.

Alfonso Soriano, who homered three times in the first two games of the series, hit another ball hard, a two-out double in the first inning against Liriano (1-7). Left fielder Josh Willingham had trouble tracking the ball, turning back and forth in the bright sun until Soriano's drive glanced off his glove.

Soriano batted .316 with 12 RBIs and eight runs on this 10-game trip, and the Cubs won against a left-handed starter for only the third time in 16 tries this year. But Liriano retired 13 of the next 14 batters after that to lock with Dempster in a legitimate duel of could-be-dealt-soon pitchers until faltering in the sixth and failing to complete that inning.

"Everything's getting better," Liriano said, adding: "I'm throwing more strikes and making more pitches."

Like Dempster, Liriano is in the final year of his contract for a non-contending team, though his erratic performance earlier this season and last will make it harder for the Twins to gain quality prospects in return.

The 35-year-old Dempster, however, has been the rock of the rotation for the Cubs. He has allowed two runs or fewer in eight of his 11 starts and finished six or more innings 10 times.

Dempster threw 38 of his first 47 pitches for strikes and dug deep when he did find trouble against a Twins team batting .302 with runners in scoring position since May 16 entering Sunday. Justin Morneau grounded out with two runners on to end the first. Mauer struck out to finish the third with a man on third. Ben Revere bounced out to end the fifth with two on base.

"He throws the ball where he wants it," said third baseman Trevor Plouffe, one of three players who tried to bunt against Dempster for a change of pace. "He doesn't leave too much over the plate."

After two strong starts in his return to the rotation, Liriano regressed a bit but was still in fine form for most of his appearance. He gave up four hits, four runs and three walks in 5 1-3 innings to leave with a 4-0 deficit, but he struck out six and could've matched Dempster's scoreless streak had a ball or two bounced another way.

The leadoff walk to Reed Johnson, who started the game with a single, cost him badly in the sixth.

"Every time I walk a guy," Liriano sighed, "it seems like he scores."

Starlin Castro followed with a sharp double, David DeJesus drove in a run with a groundout and Joe Mather's RBI double prompted the ~ 26 ~

pitching change by Twins manager Ron Gardenhire.

"He made some really good pitches. To their credit they fouled some pitches off," catcher Drew Butera said. "They did a good job in that inning of making him throw and making him execute pitches more than he had to."

Indeed, his fastball was on target and his slider was sharp. It just wasn't enough.

"Just keep running him out there. He's got a great arm. He can give you an opportunity to win a ballgame," Gardenhire said.

Ryan Doumit's sacrifice fly against Cubs closer James Russell in a non-save situation in the ninth finally put the Twins on the board, and Jamey Carroll tacked on an RBI double. But Dempster put them in too big of a hole.

"There wasn't a lot of life in our dugout. That's because of him," Gardenhire said.

NOTES: The Twins need another starter in six days, and Gardenhire said RH Liam Hendriks could be called up from Triple-A Rochester. Hendriks, who started the season in the rotation before being sent down in May, struck out 10 in 8 2-3 shutout innings for the Red Wings on Saturday. ... Willingham's 12-game hitting streak ended. He's one of only two players in the majors this year with two separate such streaks of 12 games or more. San Francisco's Angel Pagan is the other.

Clash of lowly records still best of baseball

By: Joan Niesen, FSNorth.com- 6/10/12

MINNEAPOLIS — On June 15, 2001, the Twins traveled to Wrigley Field for a weekend series. They arrived in Chicago the best team in the AL Central, second-best in the league, boasting a 41-23 record. The Cubs were nearly as good, on top of the NL Central by a six-game margin, their 38-25 record worse than only the Diamondbacks in the NL.

The Cubs swept the Twins that weekend, back when Sammy Sosa was known for power rather than a corked bat and was seven years from becoming an Angel. It was Tom Kelly vs. Don Baylor. It was before the Twins slipped behind the Indians and missed the playoffs, before the Cubs blew that six-game lead and fell to third in their division.

It was good baseball — good teams, good ballpark, good fans.

This weekend? This wasn't that.

This weekend began as the AL's worst team against the NL's second-worst. This was a combined 41 wins and 72 losses going into Friday. But somehow, it almost didn't matter. Somehow, a feeling of hope lingered at Target Field. A packed ballpark can do that. Summer heat can, too, and a home team that had won seven of its last nine games going up against a visitor with just four wins in its last 22 chances.

The Budweiser Clydesdales showed up. There were still children with missing teeth on the Jumbotron, and a proposal, too. That salty, oily odor of hot dogs wafted through the stadium as always, and fans clamored for autographs at batting practice. Kids toted their gloves, even in seats far from where a ball might travel, and begged to eat ice cream out of plastic mini-helmets.

We like to think that this is so unique, each team and each experience, but some things in baseball can't help but be universal. They're the best parts of the game, the reasons we still show up. In shadows of the concourses, we close our eyes, and we're anywhere. Baseball can be ~ 27 ~

separate from place, from team, even from season in those moments.

Sometimes that helps, especially in series like this Twins-Cubs matchup. Looking at the calendar a month ago, it would have been hard not to predict a mediocre series at best. This was never going to be that weekend in 2001, but it had the chance to be more than just the trappings of summer baseball. It would never validate either team, not when the opponents were so weak. But it could push the Cubs' struggles to a new, dooming level. It could kill the Twins' momentum or extend it. Or it could mean nothing, just mediocre baseball, a hot dog and a beer.

It came close to being a statement for the Twins. It did. It came so close to being the second sweep in four series, to showing that the Twins could win with both bats and arms. It came close to a complete, confidence-inspiring effort.

Then Sunday happened, and with that final pitch, the Twins fell just short, extending their hope without fully validating it. Now, it's easy to see which moments mattered and which everyone will forget. It's easy to say that the Twins wrote the series off as an accomplishment before they stepped on the diamond Sunday. But in real time, they were just moments.

It was ugly sometimes, beautiful in other instances. It was hot. It was windy. It couldn't help but be fun.

FRIDAY

4:57 p.m.: Twins manager Ron Gardenhire ambles into the dugout for his pregame talk.

"Chrysler, a lot of people today," he said. "Cubbies. Big following."

Gardenhire is sweating profusely. This is the first home series that will feel like real summer baseball, every game. What better time to start talking about turnarounds, now that it's a little sticky, a little past the point of writing off early-season struggles?

"We hope to (continue the turnaround)," Gardenhire said. "We've got to come home and do it on the field. We can talk about it all we want. We feel better about ourselves. We've been playing better. A lot more confidence."

5:04 p.m.: Cubs manager Dale Sveum looks tired. His grey stubble gives him a worn, up-all-night-worrying look. He can't sympathize with the Twins, he says, not when they've been winning. He's worried about the Cubs. He's worried about Alfonso Soriano as the designated hitter. Good DHs are players who are accustomed to it, who do it a lot, he said. Soriano is not one of them.

Sveum talks about minor league prospects, about struggles. There are more of those questions when you're losing. When he gets a second to breathe, he looks around at this ballpark his Cubs have yet to play in.

"This is a nice place."

6:49 p.m.: A fan with a jersey crosses into the ballpark. That's No. 34, not to be confused with 30, Travis Wood, the Cubs' starter tonight. Wood retired May 18, perpetually baby-faced and not yet old, but people still wear his jerseys. When you're the Cubs and you haven't made it to the playoffs since 2008, you do things like that.

7:19 p.m.: A "let's go Cubbies" chant begins. These fans travel. They're louder than they should be, on the road and with this lineup on the field.

8:15 p.m.: Chasing a popup, Minnesota first baseman flips into the camera well, the messy and accidental acrobatics of a 230- pound man. Even Cubs fans in Section 320, the woman in a Ryan Theriot T-shirt and the man in an Aramis Ramirez jersey, gasp and clap.

Theriot (now with the Giants)? Ramirez (with the Brewers) ? They don't let go of players easily, these Cubs fans.

9:43 p.m.: Soriano hits an upper-deck bomb to left field. It's his second homer of the night and gives the Cubs a 7-6 lead. Sveum's worries about his DH seem wildly off base.

10:48 p.m.: Minnesota’s Josh Willingham singles in the bottom of the 10th, driving in Darin Mastroianni to win the game 8-7. There are ~ 28 ~

fireworks, a cluster of screaming and handshakes between first and second base. TC Bear wanders lackadaisically through the infield waving a Twins flag, perhaps the least-excited being in the stadium.

"He's been pretty good for us, pretty much from day one," Gardenhire said of Willingham after the game. "He's swinging good and playing pretty good. So yeah, we feel good."

It was long, too long, and messy. But in an exhausted, almost delirious way, it was good.

11:04 p.m.: Brian Dozier is wearing a shirt that says "go big or go home" at the most appropriate time. Willingham's 2-year-old son, Ryder, toddles around the clubhouse clutching a Popsicle. As his father talks, Ryder hits him with a black plastic coat hanger. The kid doesn't have a clue what's going on, not even an inkling that he's living a child's dream. If he somehow remembers this in five, 10 years, he'll realize that his dad's walk-off single, regardless of the Twins' record or opponent, is pretty close to baseball at its best. It's an ending that sticks with people, regardless of how harrowing the game might have been. All that is so easily forgotten.

"Good night to have a bad one," Twins starter P.J. Walters said.

SATURDAY

2:23 p.m.: A Ryan Doumit fourth-inning double down the first-base line scores Joe Mauer and pushes the Twins' lead to 3-0. It's inches from being foul. ... Two weeks ago, it would have been. But baseball is a game of margins, of bounces and tweaks, and right now the Twins are shading away from terrible.

2:43 p.m.: Five runs later, the fourth inning is over, and the Cubs are buried under an 8-0 deficit. A walk around the concourses tempers the false significance of that lead, though. This might look like a Twins' turnaround, like the closest thing to perfection Minnesota's lineup can yield, but it's two games. It's one blowout, and even that isn't over yet. Twins fans aren't screaming about playoffs; in fact, many seem more concerned with their nachos. Cubs fans aren't streaming out of the stadium en masse. They're not crying. One man in a Cardinals jersey does look particularly elated, though, and he'd likely stay that way until the 11-3 Twins' win, an almost foregone conclusion.

4:24 p.m.: "We fight, but we don't (do) nothing to win," Soriano said after the game. "We are working hard to get better, but we've lost our confidence."

4:33 p.m.: When asked if he feels something building in the Twins clubhouse, Scott Diamond, who pitched six shutout innings, can't help but smile. It's one of those smiles that athletes try to hide, as if they shouldn't be happy in such a pure, childlike sense. But Diamond, even against the Cubs, even on a losing team, was.

"We're trying to work series by series, and I think we've already accomplished that for this one," Diamond said. "Right now, we're working for a sweep."

It's harder to sweep when a team feels it's already accomplished what it wanted to.

SUNDAY

10:32 a.m.: Gardenhire reclines in his office, a mural of Twins photos and newspaper covers on the wall behind him. There's the newspaper cover of his first win as a manager, Opening Day 2002. There's Kirby Puckett celebrating, another newspaper announcing Johan Santana's 2004 Cy Young Award. They're all reminders of better times, success.

Then there's his calendar, right there in the middle of it all and two months behind. According to that calendar, it's still April, the month when the Twins went 6-16. According to the calendar, this fledgling turnaround has yet to happen.

Time to turn the page.

2:06 p.m.: An hour in, Target Field is still waiting for the Twins' bats, already responsible for 19 runs and 32 hits this weekend, to come alive. The Cubs fans who hid behind their silence on Saturday are getting feisty, cheering like it's a novelty just to clap. ~ 29 ~

3:08-3:18 p.m.: This is when four runs becomes a troubling deficit for the Twins. In the seventh inning, Plouffe, after reaching on a single, is tagged out at the plate after a Starlin Castro fielding error. In the next half inning, Twins pitcher Jared Burton botches a throw to Dozier on a fielder's choice, loading the bases for the Cubs. Two more runs, and the lead widens.

4:04 p.m.: A man in a Cubs jersey with the name "Taco Loco" on the back catches a Denard Span foul ball that was inches from giving the Twins their third and fourth runs of the ninth inning. Taco Loco is very excited. Seconds later, Span flies out. Game over, 8-2.

4:14 p.m.: After the game, Sveum seems relieved. He's ready to go home, he says, after a road trip that brought the Cubs just two wins in three series.

Sveum won, but it's Mauer who's talking about confidence a half hour later.

"Obviously today was a tough one, but you've got to realize that we won the series and keep moving forward," the Mauer said. "Guys, going into the off day, you try to remind them of that, come back and win another series."

So what was this? This was 114,849 fans and two Twins wins. It was 39 runs and four errors. It was the AL's worst team remaining as such, the Cubs barely resisting becoming the NL's worst at weekend's end. In the record books, that's all it was.

This might seem huge now, the two wins and the final, one-sided loss for the Twins, but a weekend is just a flurry of bats and throws among the millions in a season. The Twins flirted with a bigger statement, with significance beyond just statistics, but Sunday destroyed it.

Winning the series, the Twins are saying they're changing. To sweep would have been to scream it, and when you're buried under an April and May like the Twins, you need to be screaming.

Loss is just bump in road to recovery for Twins

By: Tyler Mason, FSNorth.com- 6/10/12

MINNEAPOLIS — Sunday's 8-2 loss to the Chicago Cubs was one of just a few speed bumps on what had otherwise been a pretty impressive ride for the Minnesota Twins.

After taking the first two games this weekend from the visiting Cubs, Minnesota pulled to within 10 games under .500, a mark it hadn't been at since April 30 when the Twins were 6-16. It's been a slow, steady climb from the American League Central cellar since then, and that climb is still far from over.

But including this weekend's series against Chicago, Minnesota has done what it's needed to do in order to inch toward the .500 mark, and that's take advantage of struggling opponents. Prior to Sunday, the Twins had won nine of their last 11 games, dating back to a three-game sweep against Oakland at the end of May. Their only two hiccups during that stretch were a 7-1 loss to Derek Lowe and the Indians and a 1-0 loss to Bruce Chen and the Royals.

After sweeping the Athletics, the Twins took two of three on the road from both Cleveland and Kansas City before coming home to face the Cubs. Now, after winning four series in a row, Minnesota's clubhouse has more confidence than it did after being swept at home by Detroit on May 27, which dropped the Twins to 15-32.

~ 30 ~

"Obviously, today was a tough one, but you've got to realize that we won the series and keep moving forward," said Twins catcher Joe Mauer, who was 0-for-4 against Cubs starter Ryan Dempster, including three strikeouts. "Guys going into the off day (Monday), try to remind them of that and come back and try to win another series."

Added manager Ron Gardenhire: "A good series. You win two out of three, we have to take it."

The Cubs visited Target Field for the first time in the park's three-year history, and they brought with them a 19-38 record, one of the worst in baseball (along with the Twins). Something had to give when these two teams with sub-.500 records met.

After winning the first two by finals of 8-7 and 11-3, the Twins missed their chance to earn their second three-game sweep of the season. Starter Francisco Liriano gave up four runs in 5-2/3 innings and wasn't backed with any run support as his offense couldn't solve Dempster. Minnesota didn't score until the ninth inning when it already trailed 8-0.

Following the loss, though, there was music playing in the Twins' clubhouse, something usually reserved for a victory. It was a more calming reggae mix, however, as opposed to the usual hip-hop that accompanies Minnesota's wins. After many of the Twins' losses earlier in the year, the locker room would be filled with silence, save for a few muffled conversations. Perhaps it was a sign that the mood of the clubhouse is slowly being lifted as the team gains more confidence in itself.

"We're definitely confident. We think we're swinging the bats pretty well, pitching well," said third baseman Trevor Plouffe. "We're confident. We have two more series in this home stand and we're looking to keep on this (series) winning streak."

After Monday's day off, Minnesota will welcome the , who have sputtered in June and have now lost eight of their last nine games heading into Tuesday. Perhaps the Twins can catch yet another reeling team at just the right time.

"They're a pretty good team coming in. We feel confident though," Plouffe said. "It doesn't matter really to us who's on the other side. We're just going to go out and play our game."

Considering how poorly the Twins started the 2012 season, it's somewhat amazing to consider they're 8-1/2 games behind the first-place White Sox. They're also not far from leapfrogging the Royals to move out of last place in the division.

In order to keep gaining any traction, Minnesota's focus is now winning series. It begins again Tuesday with the Phillies.

"It's not going to be an easy series. They're going to come here, and then follow it up with Milwaukee, another really good baseball team that I know they're going through some scuffles too, but they can swing the bat," Gardenhire said. "Not an easy couple of series coming up, but you've got to be ready for them. Hopefully we'll keep on our roll and play good baseball."

Hendriks could be added to Twins rotation

By: Tyler Mason, FSNorth.com- 6/11/12

MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Twins' recent schedule has allowed the team to roll with a four-man rotation lately, but it's likely they'll add a fifth starter for Saturday's game against the Milwaukee Brewers.

And it's likely that the pitcher they add will be right-hander Liam Hendriks. ~ 31 ~

Hendriks began the season in the rotation but was optioned to Triple-A Rochester after going 0-2 with a 9.00 ERA in his first four starts. Since joining the Red Wings, however, Hendriks is 5-0 with a 1.94 ERA. In his last start Saturday, he went 8 2/3 innings and didn't allow a run. He gave up just three hits and struck out 10.

According to Twins manager Ron Gardenhire, Hendriks did not allow a fly ball out in Saturday's start. His recent strong performance likely helped spur a promotion back to the majors.

"We were just talking about possibilities. Hendriks threw the ball really well (Saturday) night," Gardenhire said. "We like him. We know he can compete. We know he can do some things. Hopefully he's regrouped enough and can help us if that's the case."

Gardenhire added that right-hander Jeff Manship is also an option for Saturday's spot start. Manship was recently recalled from Triple-A but has pitched in the bullpen since his call-up. Manship has made six starts in his limited time with the Twins since 2009.

"We'll get that figured out," Gardenhire said of Saturday's start. "We've got a day off tomorrow then probably regroup, come back Tuesday and start looking at it, when we need to get a bullpen session done and all those things or take Manship and prepare him. We could go either way."

In his seven starts with Rochester, Hendriks has struck out 42 batters and walked 13 in 46 1/3 innings. He had just nine strikeouts and four walks in his four starts with the Twins.

"When he was up here, he was misfiring. You could see him. He was lost," Gardenhire said of Hendriks. "The last outing that he had up here, he was screaming at himself in the dugout. He needed to take it easy here, go down and get some confidence. Right now it sounds like he's got it. We'll see. We'll make a decision next week, see what we want to do here."

Thome returns to Minnesota: Former Minnesota slugger Jim Thome will return this week to Target Field, the site of some of his most memorable home runs in recent years. Thome and his Philadelphia Phillies will begin a three-game series Tuesday against the Twins, for whom Thome hit 37 home runs in two seasons.

"He's excited to come back," Gardenhire said of Thome, who hit his 600th career home run last season. "He looks forward to his time here in Minnesota. Hopefully we'll be able to get him out and not let him run around the bases."

Thome spent the 2010 season and most of 2011 with the Twins before he was dealt to Cleveland just prior to the trade deadline. He returned to Target Field last year as a member of the Indians, and it was clear he was still loved by fans and his former teammates.

"I still keep in touch with him. I know he's excited to come back to Minnesota," said Twins catcher Joe Mauer. "He almost feels like he's one of ours. Great guy. He isn't going to take it easy on us, I know that. It'll be fun to see him."

Thome hit his first home run of the season on Saturday. Through Sunday, the 41-year-old Thome is batting .242 with four RBI in 17 games. He spent time on the disabled list this year with a lower back strain.

Twins ink 10 of 43 picks so far: Prior to Sunday's game, the Twins had signed 10 of their 43 picks from the 2012 draft to contracts, including second-round pick Mason Melotakis and fourth-round pick Zack Jones, who were both at Target Field on Friday.

Other signed picks include: LHP Andre Martinez (6th round); LHP Taylor Rogers (11th round); RHP Alex Muren (12th round); OF Jake Proctor (14th round); 1B D.J. Hicks (17th round); OF Jonathan Murphy (19th round); IF Joel Licon (25th round); and 3B Bryan Haar (34th round).

Rosario is Minor League Player of the Week: Beloit Eddie Rosario was named the Twins' Minor League Player of the Week for the week of June 2-8. The 20-year-old Puerto Rico native batted .450 with a home run, three doubles and three RBI in five games this week with the Snappers.

~ 32 ~

It's Rosario's second time earning the weekly honors, as he was also the Twins' Minor League Player of the Week on July 1 of last season. Prior to Sunday, he was batting .397 with seven homers, 39 RBI and 20 doubles in 60 games with Low-A Beloit.

TOP TWITTER POSTS TO @TWINS

Rachel Barth @Doodle11Got tickets for Wednesday's @Twins game! Excited to see #JimThome back at #TargetField

Sydney Byro @SydneyByroUgh, all of these people going to @twins games make me jealous. I cannot wait to finally go.

Eric Dahlager @BisonTauOne of lifes pleasures, watching your son get the game winning hit! @Twins @ESPN #YouthBaseball

Tara Smith @Tara_ChristineRT @Twins: Justin Morneau's annual Casino Night to benefit juvenile arthritis. #TwinsHopeWeek is officially underway. http://pic.twitter.com/kbYs9wuI

Sandra Sandlie @SandraSandlieSad loss for the @Twins but was an awesome day for outdoor baseball!!!

Jeremy Priem @PriemachineEnjoyed the @twins game w/ the fam, and of course got completely burnt. #aloe

Paul Matzke @Ibar_The_WiseThe @Twins just keep winning series.they will be back in it come allstar break

Alison Scheid @AllyBird82Thank you @Twins for the free t-shirt! #tweetyourseat

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