Doing the Little Things Wrong

Twins 5, Brewers 7

The Twins had the chance to begin this series just like the home series against the Brewers: with an insurmountable crooked number in the 1st inning. The first 6 batters reached, scoring 3 and leaving the bases loaded for Danny Valencia. I fear he may have punched his ticket back to Rochester when he popped up on the 1st pitch. Chris Narveson had already walked 2, hit a batter, and gone to a few full counts, nearly 30 pitches into his outing without recording an out. He was utterly on the ropes, and there was no reason not to let the AB develop a little bit before swinging. Even Delmon Young took a pitch before lining his single to LF. Narveson was able to strike out Nick Punto and retire Scott Baker, and the Twins had to settle for 3. Valencia's rash AB sparked a string of 10 straight outs for Narveson, who was able to complete 5 IP.

Coming off one of the best starts of his career, Baker struggled to keep his pitches down. It finally caught up to him in the 4th, when the first 4 batters reached on 3 XBH. He couldn't quite escape without yielding a 2-out, RBI H to the pitcher just fair down the LF line. He allowed 1 more 2-out H in the 6th, leaving him with 5 ER on 9 H in 6 IP with 7 K. He's got to be more consistent if he's going to realize his potential as a top-of-the-rotation starter. Alex Burnett was touched for a HR for the 2nd time in 3 appearances, pushing his ERA over 3.00.

The Twins made it interesting in the 8th when Young delivered yet another big 2-run 2B. But the rally fizzled from there. The tying run came to the plate in the 9th, but Justin Morneau struck out to end the game.

Twins 3, Brewers 5

This was one of the worst all-around games of the season, though Francisco Liriano is largely blameless. He struck out 7 and allowed only 2 H that reached the OF in the air. His lone transgression was a 1-out BB to Rickie Weeks after he was ahead 0-2 - Liriano delivered 4 straight pitches up and away. Weeks immediately came around to score on a 2B past Michael Cuddyer, for the first time showing off his lack of range at 3B.

The problem in this game was the Twins' failure to convert ground balls into outs. The crucial 2-run rally in the 4th that put the Brewers ahead to stay started with a 2-strike bunt single from Carlos Gomez. Then an IF "H" to Punto that could have been called an out at 2B and could have been scored a FC. A soft single to RF, then a 2-out, ground ball single just past a diving Orlando Hudson to bring home 2 R.

In the 6th, Gardy made a decision I did not like: he pulled Liriano with 2 men on so that Jim Thome could PH. At that time, it was a 1-R game, Liriano had just struck out Ryan Braun and Casey McGehee, and he was at 77 pitches - likely on his way to 7 IP and another QS. The bullpen had thrown just 2 IP in the last 3 days, but the next 2 starters were the struggling Nick Blackburn and Kevin Slowey, who hasn't been reliable about pitching deep into games. To needlessly ask them to pick up 2 extra innings in this game didn't seem smart, especially since none of them are as good at pitching as Liriano. No, he wasn't going to continue that rally, but the Twins still had 3 more innings and at least one more trip through the order in front of them. Why go for broke so early?

The Twins gave away a R in the 7th when Brian Duensing walked 2 (1 intentional) and hit a batter around a failed GIDP chance thanks to an error from Punto. Braun hit with the bases loaded and beat out another potential DP to allow the 4th R to score. A 5th came home in the next inning, when Jeff Manship, the weakest pitcher on the staff, saw a walk come around to score on another 2-out H just past Cuddyer.

In the top of that inning, Young was on 1st with 2 out and the pitcher's spot due up. Gardy was forced to send up Matt Tolbert as the tying R, since Thome was already burned. Young took off for 2nd and was caught stealing to end the inning. About that:

• It wasn't like Tolbert was going to hit into a DP with 2 out;
• If Young scores on a single, the Twins are still behind;
• If Tolbert makes the last out, Joe Mauer is guaranteed to hit in the 9th, and Morneau can hit as the tying run if anyone gets on;
• By leaving the pitcher's spot standing at the plate, Young forced Gardy to replace another player (in this case, Punto), weakening his defense.

In short, I don't get it. Anyway, Tolbert walked leading off the 9th, getting Mauer to the plate with 2 out. He doubled, and Morneau once again came up as the tying run, and once again struck out to end the game.

Twins 0, Brewers 5

Now the Twins were in the position of having to beat the Brewers' best pitcher with Blackburn. No one would have beaten Yovanni Gallardo on this day, as he didn't allow a baserunner until the 6th and finished with a CG shutout with 12 K and 0 BB.

Blackburn didn't keep the Twins in the game for long. In the 3rd, he allowed the 1st 5 batters to reach on 2 2B, 2 HR and a BB. He is helpless when he doesn't get a low strike called early in the count. The Brewers appeared to be looking for the pitch down and away as well, jumping all over it for several sharp H. Blackburn was knocked out after 3.2 IP, allowing 5 ER on 6 H, 3 BB and 2 K. Much better than his last start, but still woefully bad.

Each Twins OF made an E in the series. They looked sloppy in the field and defensive on the mound. For me, this was the worst series of the season. It stings especially because it comes off the elation of the Phillies series, which might have propelled the Twins into a positive stretch that could have put some daylight between them and the Tigers and White Sox. Instead, they fell horribly flat. They've been milling around .500 for over 40 games now. I think it's time to shake things up.

Notes:

• The first order of business should be to take Blackburn out of the rotation. He hasn't been able to complete even 4 IP in 4 of his last 5 starts. His peripherals for those games have been disconcerting: 18.2 IP, 38 H, 6 HR, 9 BB, 9 K. It's nice to see the K/9 coming back into the mid 4.0's, but the HR and BB are a disturbing sign. More and more of the hits he's allowing have been screaming line drives. The guy needs to work on some things, and the rotation of a contending team isn't the place to do it.
• Due to the excellent work he did in the rotation in the 2nd half last year and his strong performance out of the bullpen this year, Brian Duensing should be given the opportunity to take Blackburn's spot. His mop-up job this afternoon (3.1 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 3 K) got him up to 47 pitches. Give him the start against the Tigers next Tuesday with a 60-65 pitch count. With Liriano pitching the night before, the bullpen should be reasonably well-rested and able to pick up whatever innings Duensing leaves them. He could be stretched out to 100 pitches by the start of the 2nd half.
• Pat Neshek gave up a bunch of runs last night, but a couple of the hits were swinging bunts, and a couple more were grounders. Ugly numbers, but nothing to get too upset about.
• You can get upset about Glen Perkins, though. He got torched again for 6 ER on 8 H and 4 BB in just 3.2 IP. In 14 GS for Rochester, he's at 66.2 IP, 98 H, 12 HR, 22 BB and 53 K, for an 8.10 ERA and 1.80 WHIP. He's absolutely done, and should be taken off the 40-man roster immediately. Make a little room for Anthony Slama - somebody the Twins might be able to use this year.

Kryptonite

Twins 15, Brewers 3

The Twins came back from their road trip on a 3-game losing streak. During those 3 games, they had allowed the opposing starters to amass 24 IP while issuing only 3 BB. They took out all their aggression on poor Dave Bush, who retired just 1 of 10 hitters while walking 2 and allowing more runs than the Twins had accumulated in the previous 3 games combined. The Brewers brought 13 pitchers to this series, and quickly ran out. The Twins eventually led 15-0.

Nick Blackburn continued his low-strikeout sorcery, taking a shutout into the 8th before it was broken up on a long HR by our old buddy, Carlos Gomez. He stood at the plate, admiring his handiwork, flipping his bat in Joe Mauer's face. He couldn't help himself. He's a knucklehead. Give me the quiet, solid contributions of Denard Span and JJ Hardy every time.

Speaking of Hardy, he wasn't able to come off the DL in time to face his former team, so the Twins brought up Trevor Plouffe to start at SS. He followed in the footsteps of Luke Hughes and Wilson Ramos by getting a H in his first MLB PA, not to mention assists from the first 2 hitters of the game. By the end of the series, he had failed to get a hit in 3 opportunities with the bases loaded. He's gonna fit right in around here.

Twins 8, Brewers 7 (12 innings)

Yes, the bases loaded. It became apparent to me over the course of the weekend that the Brewers were employing a bold new defensive strategy vs. the Twins. Analysis of the season statistics to this point revealed that the Twins are at their absolute worst (hitting under .170) when the sacks are full. So, every time the Twins got somebody on base, the Brewers' pitchers would immediately load the bases, whether by serving up a BB, H or HBP, it didn't matter. Sure, there were a couple of RBI BB and some SF, but just the one H in that situation all weekend.

Pop quiz: who was worse in the 9th inning, Ron Mahay or Jon Rauch? For me, it Rauch by a mile. Mahay didn't record any outs, but at least the 2 guys who put the ball in play against him put it on the ground. Rauch came in with the bases chucked (no problem for the Brew Crew!) and it went: booming 2B, sharp single, line-out (thanks for saving my giant butt with a diving catch, Alexi Casilla!) DP, BB, booming 2B off the wall in LF. Holy crap, he sucked. But hey, the Twins are 2-0 in games in which he's blown a save.

Corey Hart had an awesome weekend. A couple of HR and some terrific, game-saving catches in RF, including a sprawling catch against the wall to rob Delmon Young of the would-be game-winner with, guess what, the bases loaded in the bottom of the 10th. The only time he really screwed up was when he sent his throw well up the 3rd base line, allowing Mauer to come home easily with the game-winning R on a SF. Because the Twins can't get a hit with the bases loaded.

Twins 3, Brewers 4

Seriously, like Superman next to kryptonite, seeing the bases loaded takes hitters who would have swung the bat with authority with runners at the corners and brings them, sobbing, to their knees, trying to pull their batting helmets even further down over their heads. Milwaukee's decimated pitching staff, forced to shuffle it's intended spot starter when he was used extensively in extra innings on Saturday, gave up 11 H, 5 more BB (that made 23 for the series) and a HBP. But for all those baserunners, the Twins could only muster 3 R.

The non-beneficiary of that futility was, once again, Carl Pavano. He gave up a couple of HR, but was otherwise his usual, steady self, completing 8 IP while allowing a total of 8 baserunners. I consider that a QS. If 3 ER in 6 IP is quality, then 4 ER in 8 IP is even more quality. The ERA is the same, and those extra 2 IP are really valuable. Thanks, Pavano. I hope you didn't pull all your hair out.

Next up: the Yankees, and the Twins really need to win this series. Not just to prove that they can split with the defending champs. This Yankees team is really beat up, and has been forced to insert enough bench guys that I think the Twins will have to be considered the stronger lineup for this series. If they can't win against these Yankees, it's never gonna happen.

Notes:

• Jason Kubel might want to get hip to the fact that opposing pitchers aren't going to give him fastballs in hitters counts. I've seen so many occasions this season in which he's been wildly out in front of a changeup that drifts under the strike zone, helping the pitcher out by turning a ball into a strike. If he's looking for a changeup ahead 2-0 on Saturday, the Twins win that game in 9 innings.
• Young had a really nice series, going 5 for 13 with a 2B and 5 RBI, plus 2 BB against 2 K. And it could have been 6 for 13 with 6 RBI had the RF been a little shorter. His game-tying ground-rule 2B in the 9th zipped over the left fielder's head, then his bid to win the game sailed to the wall in the RF corner. Power to all fields.
• Gardy threw away Jim Thome when he PH him with 1B open and Nick Punto on deck. That's an automatic IBB. He obviously preferred to have Punto hit with the bases loaded over Plouffe. I can't say I agree with that. If it had been Alexi Casilla on deck, that's different. He's got a knack for those walk-off hits.
• Brendan Harris has been really lousy this year. It's becoming apparent that his poor numbers in 2008 were not a fluke, but rather a portent of things to come. He's steadily sinking into Mike Lamb territory, and should be just as much a candidate for DFA as Jesse Crain.
• Ben Revere had a pretty sick weekend for AA New Britain. His season line now stands at .327/.400/.392 with 17/21 SB, good enough for the top 6 in the Eastern League in BA, OBP and SB. Sell high, Bill Smith!

Mmmmmmm, Cheese

Twins 11, Brewers 3
Twins 6, Brewers 2
Twins 6, Brewers 3

After a discouraging 1-6 road trip, it's nice to come back to home, sweet Dome. The Brewers hadn't lost a series in weeks, but were easily taken apart by the Twins' offensive juggernaut. Led by Joe Mauer (5-8, 2 HR, 3 BB, 5 RBI), Justin Morneau (6-10, 3B, HR, 7 RBI), Michael Cuddyer (5-11, 3B, HR, 2 BB, 5 RBI) and Joe Crede (4-10, 2 HR, 3 RBI), the middle of the order didn't miss a beat despite losing Jason Kubel to a swollen knee for the series. Cuddyer thrillingly gave the Twins their second cycle of the season, Morneau capped the series with the Twins' 4th grand slam of the year, and Mauer surpassed his HR production from all of 2008 in just his 22nd game.

Even better than the continuing onslaught from the hitters was the performance of the Twins' starting pitching. Kevin Slowey lasted into the 8th inning, Scott Baker lasted into the ninth, and Anthony Swarzak completed seven shutout innings. It was a most auspicious major league debut for Swarzak, who has been pitching very well ever since being promoted to Rochester. With Glen Perkins struggling in his outings prior to being placed on the DL, I wouldn't be so hasty about sending Swarzak to the bullpen when Perkins returns. We'll see how the next couple of starts go, but Swarzak has a higher upside than Perkins, who could actually do the Twins a lot of good as a middle reliever.

Now, bring on the Red Sox. I've been hoping for weeks that the Twins would get another chance at Brad Penny. He was lucky that they didn't destroy him in the 2nd half of that double-header in April - so many balls were hit hard and to the deepest parts of Fenway Park. The way the Twins are swinging right now, they're going to tear Penny apart if he brings the same stuff he had on that day.

I Wish They All Could Be Interleague Games

Twins 5, Brewers 0

That's a song by the Beach Boys, right?

I can't remember the last time the Twins had any trouble in Interleague Play. Generally, they finish up at least a few games over .500. This year, as in 2006, they wound up with the Majors' best interleague record at 14-4. According to Blyleven's California math, that makes the team 2 games under .500 vs. the AL. Since that's who they'll be playing from here on out, they'd better do something about that.

Today's game was a pleasure to watch on so many levels, but I have to start with Kevin Slowey. In his last start, he was just as good, but he had trouble finishing guys off, allowing a lot of foul balls that lengthened ABs and got him over 90 pitches in just 6 IP. Today, his stuff and location was just a bit better, and those fouls turned into harmless fly balls and strikeouts. He did a great job of moving his fastball around and hitting his spots, only using his secondary pitches about 25% of the time. This was his 2nd career CG, and first career shutout. It leaves him with a string of 16 consecutive scoreless innings. Over his last 4 outings, he's thrown 29 IP, 19 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 24 K for a 0.93 ERA and 0.72 WHIP. He's quickly finding himself at the big-league level, and should be a steady performer for the remainder of the season.

Everybody in the lineup got at least 1 H today, except for Brendan Harris, who managed to get himself called out looking at three straight pitches in the same spot on the outside corner in the 3rd. When is he going to start trying to protect that part of the zone?

Ben Sheets looked awesome early. Thanks to a couple of double plays, he faced the minimum through the first 3.2 IP, throwing 43 pitches to that point with 5 K. When Alexi Casilla flailed at his curveball for strike 3, it was Sheets' 5th K in a span of 7 hitters. But the next 3 hitters changed the game with their superior patience at the plate. With Cuddyer heading to the DL, Jason Kubel moved up to the #5 spot, putting the Twins' 3 most disciplined hitters in a row. After quickly falling behind 0-2, Joe Mauer worked sheets to 2-2 before getting a curveball a little up that he could pull into the RF corner for a 2-out 2B. Justin Morneau followed with a 5-pitch walk. Kubel also hung in there after an 0-2 start, battling to 2-2 before getting a curveball up that he could serve into LF for an RBI single. Those 3 ABs cost Sheets 20 pitches, getting him off the CG track he'd been on early.

Brian Buscher led off the 5th with a hit similar to Kubel's, and scored 2 outs later when Carlos Gomez grounded one just inside the bag at 3rd for an RBI 3B. It was only Gomez' 2nd XBH in the past 18 games, so he was overdue for one to find a gap. In the 6th, after Kubel walked, Delmon Young pounced on a hanging curveball for his 2nd HR of the season. It was great to see him open up and pull a ball like that. Finally, it was nice to see Mike Lamb get a hit in the 7th - it was his first start since June 13. He came around to score when Brewers RF Corey Hart failed to hold on after diving for Casilla's drive in the gap; it fell for a 2B.

With their stupendous interleague run over, the Twins must now turn their attention to a difficult stretch of games before the All-Star break. They finish up this home stand with 3 games each vs. Detroit and Cleveland, then travel to Boston for 3 and Detroit for 4. The Tigers are charging up behind the Twins, so these head-to-head games will be an important test to see if the Twins can keep a division power in their rear-view mirror.

Denard Span will join the team in place of Cuddyer beginning tomorrow. I think this is long overdue. He should be given the opportunity to start in CF tomorrow night vs. RHP Armando Galarraga - Gomez hasn't had a day off in a while anyway. I'd like to see Span get every opportunity to prove that he belongs in the leadoff spot for the Twins, as Buscher has been able to do at 3B. This is the first step in upgrading the team for the 2nd half.

The Streak is Dead

Brewers 5, Twins 1

Oh well, the streak had to end some time, and I have to admit that it's sort of a relief that it's over. I've heard so many people saying, "Don't tinker with the lineup, it's all working right now." And it was - mostly. But as I pointed out earlier, the flaws in the current Twins roster will prevent them from being serious contenders, no matter how many wins they could string together against struggling NL teams. Now that the streak is over, I hope the front office will feel free to tinker away.

Look no further than the man on the mound tonight. This was your average Livan Hernandez game: 7 IP, 5 R, 4 ER, 7 H, 4 BB, 5 K. Usually he'll allow a couple more hits and a couple fewer walks, but the resulting 5.14 ERA and 1.57 WHIP are pretty much right on the money. The Brewers had a terrific game plan against him tonight, exhibited from the first 3 batters: lay off the stuff on the fringes of the zone, and wait for something to tail back over the plate, going up the middle or the other way when you swing. Ricky Weeks drew a lead-off walk after falling behind 0-2 because he wouldn't chase out of the zone. JJ Hardy got a pitch to drive into left-center, Ryan Braun got one to drive into right. Just like that, the Twins were down 1-0.

In the 2nd, Mike Cameron drove a ball to the wall in right-center (despite his bat exploding in the process), and the Twins helped the Brewers out by trying to pick him off: he took 3rd when Livan's throw hit him and rolled into short CF. He was able to score though the next two hitters failed to get the ball out of the infield.

I've got to give Livan credit for adjusting his game plan after being smacked around in the 3rd. In that inning, he again allowed a lead-off walk, then a 1-out walk to Prince Fielder. Corey Hart drove a double to RF, scoring one. They intentionally walked Russell Branyan, then Bill Hall drove the first pitch he saw to the gap in right-center for a 2-RBI 2B. At that point, Livan had thrown 2.1 IP, allowing all his runs on 4 BB and 5 H (3 2B). From then on, he allowed only 2 H in 4.2 IP with 4 K. He started throwing his fastball inside more to the heavily right-handed lineup. I wish he'd been pitching like that out of the gate.

I think the game turned in the bottom of the 2nd, when the Twins had a golden opportunity to show themselves, the fans, and the Brewers that this was going to be another night of comebacks for them. After Jason Kubel drew a 1-out walk, Delmon Young promptly lined a single to right. Brian Buscher then worked the count to 3-1, got caught half-swinging at a pitch that was probably ball four, then struck out swinging at a pitch that was definitely ball four. Brendan Harris also battled to 3-2 before swinging and missing at ball four in the dirt.

What a different game it would have been had those two elected not to swing at those pitches! Manny Parra was already at 40 pitches after 2 IP - what if he were at 40 pitches with only one out in the 2nd, the bases loaded, having just walked in a run? I'm not saying that Gomez or Punto would have continued the inning based on the swings they had tonight, but I doubt Parra or his manager would have had the confidence to keep going through 7 IP. Psychologically, the lead wouldn't have seemed quite as big all night, especially knowing that Parra was vulnerable. Considering that Parra allowed 6 BB in his last start, it should have been part of the Twins' game plan to make him throw as many pitches as possible. It could have been 6 BB again tonight had Buscher and Harris been a bit more patient.

It was tough to expect a win tonight with Casilla and Cuddyer both suddenly out of the lineup with finger injuries. It sounds like Cuddyer's might be fairly serious, meaning a Span call-up might be in the offing. If that happens, I think he should be given the opportunity to supplant Gomez as Buscher has supplanted Mike Lamb. Just put him in the lineup, watch him play well, put him in again. On the bright side, Kubel's performance tonight vs. LHP (1-2, HR, 2 BB) should ensure that, even if he's not playing in the field, his bat should be in the lineup no matter from what hand the pitcher throws.

Anyway, now we can soberly look at the team not as a magical winning machine, but as a club that, while seriously contending, has some serious deficiencies to correct. Not hitting lefties very well, for example. The pieces are available to sell, the needs should be clear. Let's make some moves, Mr. Smith!

10 in a Row

Twins 7, Brewers 6

A fine comeback for the Twins, and the winning streak reaches 10 games. Both of those elements were missing from last year's disappointing season. There were several times last summer when the Twins would rattle off a few wins (2nd-half sweeps of Oakland and Baltimore come to mind) and I'd think, "at last, they're going to get rolling." Then they would backslide as quickly as they'd surged.

It's hard to imagine a winning season without a long winning streak taking place at some point. They had the 11-gamer and two 8-gamers in 2006, the 11-gamer in September 2003, the 15-gamer in 1991. Subtract those winning streaks, and those Twins teams were only a few games over .500 - with the streaks, they were pennant winners. A period of over a week in which just about everybody is playing well, and they're getting the breaks as well.

While it was routine for the 2006 Twins to recover from early deficits, last year's team rarely showed so much life. So it's most encouraging to see the team continue to battle against one of the better teams in the NL after falling behind by 3 runs. It's been almost expected for the Twins to come back and score in the half-inning after falling behind, and it happened again last night. Our starter was chased after 4.2 IP, and we came right back and chased their pitcher after 4.2 IP, narrowing the gap to just 1 run. The way things have been going, 1 run is no concern at all.

Nick Blackburn was pretty dreadful last night, so dreadful, in fact, that I'm not worried in the slightest, though this makes 2 starts out of 4 in which he's been beaten up pretty badly. All 6 R he allowed came on 4 HR; other than that, we're looking at 5 H and 5 K in 4.2 IP. He came into the game having allowed 7 HR in 15 GS cover 93 IP - that's a guy who knows how to keep the ball in the yard. So I look at last night's results and clearly see a fluke. His fastball was out of control: when he could get it to sink, he couldn't throw it over, and when he threw it over, it didn't sink. Dick and Bert made much of how he'd thrown just 89 pitches in 16 days prior to the game last night, and sinker-ballers tend to have trouble when they've had too much rest. I'm sure he'll be back to business as usual when he faces the Tigers on Wednesday.

What is it that happens to Joe Mauer at the plate when he comes home? He was already hitting about .100 points higher and over .200 points of OPS better at home when this week began. He went 1-9 in San Diego, but last night was 2-4 with a BB, 2B, HR, and his 2 outs were a fly to warning track in CF, and a liner to second. Glad he'll be home for the next 9 days. He now has 3 HR in June, about the number I figured he'd hit every month, leaving him with 15-20 by the end of the season. He'll really have to pick up the pace to meet those numbers now.

Alexi Casilla continued to show why he's ready to stick in the big leagues. He worked the count to 3-1 before turning on his 4th HR, followed Gomez' inning-opening bunt single with one of his own in the 3rd, then made a spectacular diving stop on a Prince Fielder grounder in the hole. Two of those plays weren't friendly to his finger, and he's day-to-day with a middle-finger sprain of his left hand. Those are the ones that can really nag a baseball player, so I hope Punto can fill in ably for a few days while Casilla gets better.

Another big win for the bullpen, as Brian Bass, Matt Guerrier and Joe Nathan combined for 4.1 IP, 0 R, 3 H, BB, 4 K. Bass looked particularly good, getting 2 K in his 2.1 inning stint. He's doing a good job of keeping his stock relatively high. Guerrier had to walk somebody (of course), although I thought the ump could have wrung him up on the 2-2 pitch.

Livan Hernandez vs. Manny Parra tonight in a battle of pitchers with 1.61 WHIPs. Hopefully the offense can do enough damage to make up for the starter again tonight.

Go Young

Twins 10, Brewers 2
Twins 9, Brewers 4 (12 innings)
Brewers 4, Twins 2

The road trip that began with a 4-game sweep in the unquenchable hell-fires of the South Side ended rather well this weekend with a series win vs. the Milwaukee Brewers. After being absolutely immolated by the Sox (12.12 ERA, 4.1 IP/start) to culminate a string of 11 games without a quality start, the starters have been quality in 5 of the last 6 games, including all three this weekend. It should come as no surprise to anyone that the pitcher who failed to deliver a quality start was none other than veteran "innings-eater" Livan Hernandez. Kevin Slowey (age 24), Glen Perkins (25) and Scott Baker (26) all did what Livan could not - they went at least 6 IP while keeping the team in the game.

Slowey was brilliant on Friday night, facing just one hitter over the minimum through 6 innings. 4 of the 5 hits he allowed were for extra bases, so eventually he gave up some runs, but he finished 8 IP with only 2 ER allowed. I hope this illustrates that Slowey is an actual Major League pitcher: in his last 7 starts, he's gone 5.2, 5.2, 6, 9, 6, 3 and 8 IP. Which game doesn't belong? Of the 8 starts in which he didn't get hurt, he's come within 1 IP or 1 ER of a quality start in 7 of them. His WHIP is at 1.14, tops among Twins starters with at least 8 starts. His K/BB ratio is 35/7. He's allowed 9 HR, most of them in his final inning of work, so he has an important adjustment to make in order to survive his 3rd trip through the order. But it's a relatively minor one for the International League's best pitcher of 2007. He'll be one of the steadiest members of this rotation for the remainder of 2008 and years to follow.

Perkins backed up his solid outing on Monday with another on Saturday. He got touched for 3 ER on 8 H (including a tremendous HR from Ryan Braun - but there's really no shame in that), but walked only one while striking out 6. I feel pretty comfortable for the most part when I see that he's going to start a game. He should get better as the year goes along.

Scott Baker looked solid in his two starts on the road trip. The 2-run HR by Mike Cameron spoiled his afternoon yesterday, but he tied his career high in Ks (4 in one inning!) and otherwise matched Perkins' line against a team that had been swinging the bats very well coming into the series. I'm even more confident when he's on the mound than Perkins.

Nick Blackburn, age 26, not seen in this series, is averaging 6.1 IP over the 13 starts in which he wasn't hit in the face with a line drive. I'm feeling pretty good about him, too, though he's the true rookie in the rotation. So it does not please me to see that he will skip his turn in order to rest some sore muscles. I was rather hoping they'd be skipping the old man, Livan, age 33 (or so). Though his former team, the Washington Nationals, are dead last in the Majors in runs and OPS, I don't know that Hernandez will be able to stop them. Please, Bill Smith, get him off the team soon!

The Nats aren't a great pitching team either, so hopefully the offense will be able to keep Livan in the game. I'm definitely looking forward to having the team back home, where they are above .500, and where Joe Mauer has an OPS about .200 points higher. Throw that in with the steady hitting of Justin Morneau and some occasional table-setting wonders from Carlos Gomez and Alexi Casilla and things could get interesting. It was great to see Delmon Young go 6 for 10 over the weekend, though he still needs to calm down a bit out there. Brain Buscher had a terrific re-introduction at 3B - I wonder if Lamb's job is in trouble?

The best part of the weekend for me, other than the pitching, was the performance of Jason Kubel. He went 5 for 13 with 1 walk, and 2 of his hits were HR, giving him 4 on the road trip. He looks fantastic at the plate, showing no inclination to chase bad pitches early in the count. Basically, he looks like the guy who was the Twins' best hitter during the second half of last season. Through the first half of June, he's hitting .325/.426/.700 with a 6/7 K/BB ratio. Yummy!

The Twins weren't playing particularly well when the road trip began, but the White Sox would have beaten just about anybody the way there were playing a week ago. Having weathered what will likely prove the most brutal stretch of games this year, the Twins are still in second place, just 4.5 games back. As the GM continues to trim the under- and non-performers from the roster, I feel good about where the Twins are right now. They have an excellent chance of being a better team in the second half.