Category: Dailies

Perkins set to make debut: Twins at White Sox 8/11

By: Kelly Thesier/MLB.com

Twins

(64-49)

Denard Span, CF

Orlando Hudson, 2B
Joe Mauer, C
Delmon Young, LF
Michael Cuddyer, 1B
Jason Kubel, DH
Danny Valencia, 3B
Jason Repko, F

J.J. Hardy, SS

Pitching: LHP Glen Perkins

(season debut)

White Sox
(63-50)

Juan Pierre, LF
Alexei Ramirez, SS
Alex Rios, CF
Paul Konerko, 1B
Carlos Quentin, RF
A.J. Pierzynski, C
Dayan Vicieido, DH
Omar Vizquel, 3B
Gordon Beckham, 2B
Pitching: LHP John Danks (11-8, 3.30 ERA)
 

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Tied with 50 games to go: Twins vs. White Sox 8/10

By: Kelly Thesier/MLB.com

CHICAGO — After spending a week on vacation, I’ve rejoined the Twins in Chicago and what a time to get back on the beat.

With 50 games left in the season, the Twins and White Sox are tied atop the American League Central division and they’re set to begin a stretch of six games against each other in 10 days. In addition to those games, the two clubs will face each other only one more time — a three-game set in Chicago on Sept. 14-16.

So there is a lot on the line when these two teams face each other starting tonight.

As for news, manager Ron Gardenhire said that Justin Morneau did not travel to Chicago to join the team for batting practice as he decided to stay away from everything here and work out back at Target Field. He also reiterated that there was no setback. Morneau was scheduled to work out in the Twin Cities again today, although Gardenhire didn’t have an update since the workout wasn’t taking place until the afternoon.

Glen Perkins has joined the team in Chicago and will start Wednesday’s contest against the White Sox. A roster move will be made after the game, although it looks like infielder Trevor Plouffe will be headed back to Triple-A Rochester since Gardenhire said Alexi Casilla (ankle) was available for tonight’s contest.

Jim Thome’s family held a surprise 40th birthday party for him in Chicago on Monday night. Thome’s birthday isn’t until Aug. 27 but it was a chance for his current teammates along with other friends from the Chicago area to celebrate the big day.

And in a story that’s already on the website, the Twins have signed a two-year extension with ESPN 1500 to be their
metro-area radio affiliate. So the partnership will continue through at least the 2012 season.

Twins

(63-49)

Denard Span, CF

Orlando Hudson, 2B
Joe Mauer, C
Delmon Young, LF
Jason Kubel, RF
Michael Cuddyer, 1B
Jim Thome, DH
Danny Valencia, 3B

J.J. Hardy, SS

Pitching: RHP Scott Baker

(9-9, 4.70 ERA)

White Sox (63-49)

Juan Pierre, LF
Omar Vizquel, 3B
Alex Rios, CF
Paul Konerko, 1B
Mark Kotsay, DH
Alexei Ramirez, SS
Carlos Quentin, RF
Ramon Castro, C
Brent Lillibridge, 2B
Pitching: RHP Freddy Garcia (10-4, 4.54 ERA
 

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A little baseball on Trade Deadline day: Twins vs. Mariners 7/31

By: Kelly Thesier/MLB.com

MINNEAPOLIS — Most of the focus today in baseball has been centered around the 3 p.m. CT non-waiver Trade Deadline.

But the Twins do have a big matchup against the Mariners tonight as well. They’ll face Felix Hernandez who is 4-3 with a 2.56 ERA in 10 career starts against the Twins.

Here are the lineups:

Mariners
(39-65)

Ichiro Suzuki, RF
Chone Figgins, 2B
Casey Kotchman, 1B
Russell
Branyan, DH
Franklin Gutierrez, CF
Michael Saunders, LF
Josh
Bard, C
Matt Tuiasosopo, 3B
Jack Wilson, SS
Pitching: RHP Felix Hernandez (7-7, 2.86 ERA) 


Twins

(57-46)

Denard Span, CF

Alexi Casilla, 2B
Joe Mauer, C
Delmon Young, LF
Jim Thome, DH
Michael Cuddyer, 1B
Jason Kubel, RF
Danny Valencia, 3B

J.J. Hardy, SS

Pitching: RHP Kevin Slowey

(9-5, 4.76 ERA)

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Trade Deadline passes

By: Kelly Thesier/MLB.com

MINNEAPOLIS — Today’s 3 p.m. CT non-waiver Trade Deadline has passed and it appears that the Twins did not make any additional moves, having already acquired closer Matt Capps late on Thursday night.

In addition to seeking bullpen help, the Twins had also been on the lookout for a starting pitcher. The rumor mill was quiet on Saturday in regards to the Twins, although the common thought in the days leading up to the deadline was that prices for starting pitchers were too high for the Twins.

Of course this doesn’t mean that the Twins are done making moves to help the club down the stretch. While the non-waiver deadline has passed, teams still have an opportunity to acquire players in August. But deals involving
players on the 40-man roster cannot be made unless the players have
already cleared waivers. In other words, the player must be offered to
the other teams in reverse order of the standings, and if he is claimed
by one of the teams, he cannot be traded. The club that placed the
player on waivers can either withdraw the request and keep the player,
let the player go to the claiming team, or work out a trade with the
claiming team.

Last year the Twins were one of the busiest teams in August– acquiring Carl Pavano and Jon Rauch in waiver trades while signing reliever Ron Mahay to a contract after he was released by the Royals.

We’re scheduled to speak with Twins GM Bill Smith a little later this evening so I”ll have more later.

Capps joins new teammates — Twins vs. Mariners 7/30

By: Kelly Thesier/MLB.com

MINNEAPOLIS — Matt Capps has arrived at Target Field and he spent over 10 minutes right before batting practice speaking with the local media. By all accounts he seemed like a great guy and one who will fit in well in the Twins clubhouse.

Capps is wearing No. 55 and when asked about his entrance music, Capps said he’s never actually chosen it himself. But since he was pitching well with the Nationals’ choice of “The Final Countdown” by Europe, it’s likely that he’ll keep that here at Target Field as well.

Lots of roster moves here today, which I blogged about earlier. To make room for Capps, the Twins optioned right-hander Nick Blackburn to Triple-A Rochester. The move should allow Blackburn to pitch more and hopefully get himself back on track.

Nick Punto was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left hamstring and the Twins recalled infielder Trevor Plouffe to take his spot on the roster.

Justin Morneau was at Target Field today and took some light swings off a tee for the first time since suffering a concussion on July 7. Morneau said things have been progressing, albeit slower than he’d like. He’s still trying to work through not having any lingering effects later in the day after he’s done some activity. So there is still no exact timetable for him to return as he said they’ll take it “day by day.”

Oh yeah, and there is a game tonight too as the Twins host the Mariners for the start of a three-game series here.

Here are the lineups:

Mariners (39-64)

Ichiro Suzuki, RF
Chone Figgins, 2B
Casey Kotchman, 1B
Russell Branyan, DH
Franklin Gutierrez, CF
Michael Saunders, LF
Josh Bard, C
Josh Wilson, 3B
Jack Wilson, SS
Pitching: RHP Doug Fister (3-6, 3.56 ERA) 


Twins

(56-46)

Denard Span, CF

Alexi Casilla, 2B
Joe Mauer, C
Delmon Young, LF
Jason Kubel, RF
Michael Cuddyer, 1B
Jim Thome, DH
Danny Valencia, 3B

J.J. Hardy, SS

Pitching: RHP Scott Baker

(8-9, 5.00 ERA)

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Twins roster moves for Friday

By: Kelly Thesier/MLB.com

MINNEAPOLIS — The Twins made a flurry of roster moves on Friday afternoon, opening up a spot for new closer Matt Capps as well as placing infielder Nick Punto on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left hamstring.

To clear room on the roster for Capps, the Twins optioned right-hander Nick Blackburn to Triple-A Rochester. Blackburn had been pitching in the bullpen since he was replaced in the rotation by left-hander Brian Duensing. The move to the Minors should give Blackburn more of an opportunity to pitch and get himself back in form, including mentally.

Shortstop Trevor
Plouffe was promoted from Rochester to take Punto’s roster spot. Punto injured his left hamstring in the eighth inning on Wednesday during a lunge at first base following a bunt base hit.

Twins acquire Matt Capps

By: Kelly Thesier/MLB.com

MINNEAPOLIS — The Twins have acquired closer Matt Capps and cash from the Nationals in exchange for catching prospect Wilson Ramos and left-handed pitching prospect Joe Testa.

Capps, 26, has 26 saves and a 2.74 ERA for the Nationals this season. He
has around $1.3 million remaining of his $3.5 million salary and will be under the Twins control for 2011 as an arbitration-eligible player.

The deal helps to bolster the Twins’ bullpen, which recently lost one of its late-inning options when Brian Duensing was moved into the rotation. Capps will likely fill the role of closer, under the assumption that manager Ron Gardenhire decides to move Jon Rauch back into a set-up role.

Ramos, who had been labeled as the Twins’ No. 2 prospect, was batting .241 with five home runs and 30 RBIs for Triple-A Rochester this season. Ramos had been considered to be the Twins’ best trade chip since Spring Training when the club signed Joe Mauer to an eight-year, $184 million extension. Ramos was a late scratch from Rochester’s lineup on Thursday night, fueling further speculation that a trade was in the works.

Will the hits keep coming? — Twins vs. Royals 7/28

By: Kelly Thesier/MLB.com

KANSAS CITY — The Twins offense has been producing absurd numbers over the last four games and even Michael Cuddyer had to laugh when he was told last night that the club had 72 hits in the stretch of four contests.

Cuddyer’s reaction is no surprise considering that according to the Elias Sports Bureau, the Twins are only the third team in the last 100 years to score 10-or-more runs and have at least 19 hits in three consecutive games (others were Giants in 1933 and the Pirates in 1928).

The 72 hits are also the most the Twins have had in a four-game stretch in club history. The previous record for hits over four games was 62 from June 16-19, 2003.

But more importantly, the Twins enter the final game of this seven-game roadtrip with a 5-1 record having picked up series wins against two teams they clearly needed to beat. It already is a tremendous roadtrip and a sweep over the Royals today would certainly only help that.

Left-hander Brian Duensing will make his second start today. Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said that Duensing should be able to throw around 85 pitches, although that will depend on how he fares as it’s expected to be in the mid to upper 90s today in Kansas City with the heat index.

Jim Thome is 9-for-26 (.346) with three home runs in his career against Royals right-hander Brian Bannister but he is not in the lineup today. Gardenhire said that he thinks the hotel beds in Kansas City have bothered Thome’s back, so the club will give him a day of rest and the hope is he’ll be feeling better when the team returns to action on Friday at home against the Mariners.

Twins

(55-46)

Denard Span, CF

Alexi Casilla, 2B
Joe Mauer, C
Delmon Young, LF
Jason Kubel, DH
Michael Cuddyer, 1B
Danny Valencia, 3B
Jason Repko, RF

Nick Punto, SS

Pitching: LHP Brian Duensing
(3-1, 1.69 ERA)

Royals
(42-58)
Scott Podsednik, LF
Willie Bloomquist, RF
Billy Butler, 1B
Jose Guillen, DH
Wilson Betemit, 3B
Mike Aviles, 2B
Rick Ankiel, CF
Brayan Pena, C
Yuniesky Betancourt, SS

Pitching: RHP Brian Bannister (7-9, 5.73 ERA) 

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Blackburn to ‘pen and Duensing to the rotation

By: Kelly Thesier/MLB.com

MINNEAPOLIS — The Twins addressed their struggling rotation on Wednesday, moving Nick Blackburn to the bullpen temporarily and shifting left-hander Brian Duensing into Blackburn’s spot in the rotation.

Twins acting manager Scott Ullger announced the move
before Wednesday’s afternoon game against the Indians. Manager Ron Gardenhire was
tending to a family matter and was not at Target Field.

The move is considered temporary and will allow the Twins to give
Blackburn a mental break. Duensing, who has a 1.67 ERA in 43 relief innings, will start Friday in Baltimore against the Orioles.

Blackburn is not the only starter to be struggling of late, but his troubles have perhaps been the most pronounced. After going 6-1 with a 4.28 ERA through the first two months of the season, Blackburn has been unable to produce similar results. In his last nine starts, Blackburn is 1-6 with a 9.88 ERA and 11 home runs allowed. Opposing teams are hitting .378 over that stretch with a .426 on-base percentage.

Trying to avoid the sweep: Twins vs. Indians 7/21

By: Kelly Thesier/MLB.com

Indians (39-54)
Asdrubal
Cabrera, SS
Jayson Nix, LF
Carlos Santana, DH
Jhonny Peralta, 3B
Matt LaPorta, 1B
Shelley Duncan,
RF
Trevor Crowe, CF
Jason Donald, 2B
Chris Gimenez, C

Pitching: RHP Jake Westbrook (6-5, 4.67 ERA)

Twins

(49-45)

Denard Span, CF

Orlando Hudson, 2B
Delmon Young, LF
Jason Kubel, RF
Michael Cuddyer, 1B
Jim Thome,
DH

J.J. Hardy, SS
Nick Punto, 3B
Drew Butera, C

Pitching: LHP Francisco Liriano
(7-7, 3.76 ERA)

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