2011 Minnesota Twins

Records vs. Other Teams (italics are teams against which the Twins have finished the season series):

AL East (overall: 9-22)

NY Yankees: 1-3

Boston: 2-5

Toronto: 1-5

Tampa Bay: 3-6

Baltimore: 2-2

AL Central (overall: 24-23)

Detroit: 3-9

Chicago: 7-4

Kansas City: 8-5

Cleveland: 6-5

AL West (overall: 13-14)

Texas: 5-3

LA Angels: 2-4

Seattle: 2-3

Oakland: 4-4

NL Central (overall: 2-4)

Milwaukee: 2-4

NL West (overall: 6-6)

Arizona: 0-3

Los Angeles: 2-1

San Diego: 3-0

San Francisco: 1-2

Total Record: 54-69

April 1^st: Blue Jays 13, Twins 3

Disaster.  There’s no other way to describe game 1 of 162 of the 2011 Minnesota Twins season.  Carl Pavano was annihilated for 8 runs (7 earned) and 3 homers over just 4+ innings, the offense was anemic, and the defense killed the team in the 1^st inning, on the way to 13-3 beatdown loss in Toronto to open the 2011 campaign.  After Jays CF Rajai Davis led off with an infield single, he immediately took off to steal 2^nd on the first pitch… but Pavano had him picked off.  Davis got in a rundown… and Pavano couldn’t make the tag, and was safe back at first.  The floodgates soon opened, as the following sequence happened: single, double steal, walk, HBP (1-0 Jays), sacrifice fly with all runners tagging (2-0), another sac fly (3-0), and an error on new Twins 2B Tsuyoshi Nishioka (4-0).  After tidy 2^nd and 3^rd innings, Pavano got tagged for a 2-run homer in the 4^th and back-to-back solo homers in the 5^th before finally, mercifully, being removed with the Twins in an 8-0 deficit.  Jeff Manship came in but didn’t fare much better, walking 2 and allowing those 2 runners to score on a triple by newest Twins killer J.P Arencibia, who also homered twice and drove in 5 runs (oh, did I mention he’s their #9 hitter?).  The Twins managed just 2 hits against Jays starter Ricky Romero before breaking through with 3 runs in the 7^th (though just 1 was earned).  The Twins managed 8 hits for the game, but only Alexi Casilla’s RBI double went for extra bases.  1B Justin Morneau made his long-awaited return to the lineup and went hitless in 4 at-bats (though did hit a deep fly ball to the right-field track), and Glen Perkins and Kevin Slowey each threw a shutout inning in relief.  The Twins look for considerable improvement in Saturday’s 2^nd game of the season, sending Francisco Liriano to the hill for his first start of the new season.

Record: 0-1

April 2^nd: Blue Jays 6, Twins 1

Same story, different day.  Francisco Liriano battled hard but was unable to get through 5 innings, and the anemia of the Twins offense did not even remotely improve, managing just 1 hit in a pathetic 6-1 loss to the Blue Jays as the Twins begin 2011 with an 0-2 start.  Liriano lasted just 4 1/3 innings and allowed just 4 hits, but walked 5 in giving up 4 runs and taking the defeat.  Liriano was down just 2-1 when he departed with 2 runners aboard, but Kevin Slowey couldn’t quell the damage, as an infield hit and a 2-run double stretched the Jays’ lead to 5-1.  The Twins only run came without the benefit of a hit, as Tsuyoshi Nishioka walked leading off the 4^th, stole 2^nd, and scored following 2 groundball outs to tie the game at 1-1.  But the only Twins hit came on a one-out single by Denard Span in the 6^th, and yet the team still managed to ground into 2 double plays.  Once again, it was a shoddy performance all the way around, as the offense has yet to get any kind of traction early this season.  Another tidbit of note: Matt Capps made his season debut in the 8^th inning and struggled, allowing 3 hits and a run before retiring the side.  Now 12-30 against Toronto since the beginning of the 2006 season, the Twins seek to avoid a sweep and get in the win column for the first time in 2011, and Nick Blackburn, he of the 3^rd-lowest spring ERA (1.76), looks to help the Twins achieve that first win in Sunday’s series finale.

Record: 0-2

April 3^rd: Twins 4, Blue Jays 3

Wow, that was not easy.  But finally, the Twins breakthrough in the 2011 season, barely hanging on to defeat Toronto 4-3 to salvage the final game of the 3-game series and avoid the sweep.  Nick Blackburn got the start and capitalized on his strong spring, firing 5 2/3 strong innings to win his 1^st decision of the season by allowing just 1 earned run (2 total) on 6 hits.  Danny Valencia got the Twins on the board in the 3^rd inning by hitting the 1^st Twins homer of the year.  After the Jays answered with an unearned run (aided by Nishioka’s 2^nd error of the season), the Twins put together 4 singles and a walk to score 2 runs in the 5^th and take a 3-1 lead.  Matt Tolbert and Tsuyoshi Nishioka had the run-scoring hits, their 1^st RBI of the season.  Blackburn gave up a bomb of a homer to bomb-hitting Jays RF Jose Bautista, but was able to escape the 6^th with the lead.  Jose Mijares walked the 1^st 2 batter of the 7^th with the Twins clinging to a 3-2 lead, but following a sacrifice bunt, Matt Capps allowed neither runner to score, getting a comebacker to the mound and a fly out to escape trouble.  Glen Perkins set down the Jays in order on 15 pitches in the 8^th, and Denard Span greeted former Twin Jon Rauch with a towering home run to right, his 1^st of the year, giving the Twins a much-needed insurance run.  And they would need it, as Joe Nathan struggled in his return to the mound following Tommy John surgery last year.  Nathan allowed a lead-off single, a 1-out double, a sacrifice fly, and 2 walks before finally retiring the side, as 1B Adam Lind grounded out to Mike Cuddyer at 1^st to end the game and strand the bases loaded.  From one house of horrors to another, the Twins now head south to the Bronx to take on the dreaded Yankees for a 4-game series.  Scott Baker makes his 2011 debut in Monday’s series opener.

Record: 1-2

April 4^th: Yankees 4, Twins 3

Death, taxes, and the Yankees pwning the Twins.  A pair of 2-run homers in the 1^st 2 innings put the Twins a 4-0 hole they couldn’t emerge from, as they fell to New York 4-3 in opening game of the 4-game series in the Bronx.  Scott Baker got the start and struggled early, allowing 4 runs on 3 hits and 2 walks in the first 2 innings.  But he continued to battle, giving up just 2 hits and 2 walks over his final 4 innings of work and kept the Twins in the game (and I give him a lot of credit for continuing to fight like he did and saving the bullpen for another day).  The offense rallied for a pair of runs in the 4^th against Yanks starter Ivan Nova, as Jim Thome’s 2-out, 2-run double cut the Yankee lead in half.  Tsuyoshi Nishioka came through with a 2-out RBI double in the 5^th to get Minnesota to within 4-3.  But the Twins offense failed to push the tying run across, with Delmon Young’s double play grounder killing a potential rally in the 6^th.  Young did have a big inning-ending catch in left field to end a Yankee threat in the 4^th, but alas, the Yankee hex on the Twins once again prevailed.  The Twins try to get back in the win column and even the series in Tuesday’s second game, sending Brian Duensing to the hill for his first start of 2011.

Record: 1-3

April 7^th: Twins 5, Yankees 4, in 10 innings

Another day, the same result…. OH WAIT!! FALSE!! WHAT HAPPENED?!  A game that started and figured to end predictably, did not, as the Twins improbably rallied from a 4-0 8^th inning deficit to stun the Yankees 5-4 in 10 innings behind a 4-run game-tying 8^th inning.  Brian Duensing got the start and threw a similar game to Scott Baker the night before: allowing 2 home runs in the 1^st 2 innings, seeming on the brink of being removed, then staying in, battling and saving the bullpen.  Duensing did Baker one (inning) better, lasting 7 strong innings.  He allowed 4 runs on 4 hits and a walk in the 1^st 2 innings, then only 2 more hits and 1 more walk the rest of the way, keeping Minnesota within striking distance.  And this time, the Twins capitalized.  After a dismal 2-hit showing through the first 7 innings against C.C. Sabathia, the rally began against Rafael Soriano in the 8^th.  Danny Valencia led off with a 5-pitch walk, then after Justin Morneau’s pinch-hitting appearance ended in a fly ball out to right, Jim Thome also pinch-hit and drew a walk.  Denard Span singled to load the bases, and after Tsuyoshi Nishioka struck out, Joe Mauer drew the 3^rd walk of the inning from Soriano to get the Twins on the board.  Following a pitching change, Delmon Young blooped a fly ball to right that Yanks RF Nick Swisher couldn’t quite get to, and with 2 outs (and a 3-2 count), all 3 Twins baserunners were off on the pitch, and all 3 scored as the Twins somehow had tied the game at 4-4.  Matt Capps threw 2 innings in relief to pick up his 1^st victory of the season, getting the Twins to the 10^th inning, where they would rally once more.  Span drew a leadoff walk, and Nishioka this time came through with a single to right, advancing Span to 3^rd.  And this time, Mauer was allowed to flex his MVP muscles, singling past a drawn-in infield to amazingly put Minnesota into the lead at 5-4.  And also uncharacteristically, closer Joe Nathan had a rather easy time in the bottom of the inning, throwing 17 pitches but retiring New York in order to close out his 2^nd save in as many chances to begin the 2011 season.  Hoping to capitalize on the awesome momentum following Tuesday’s fantastic win, the rotation turns over, and former (and vilified) Yankee Carl Pavano returns to his old haunt to face his former team in the 3^rd game of the series.  UPDATE: Wednesday's game was rained out, and a makeup date hasn't been scheduled. Francisco Liriano will make his regularly-scheduled start on Thursday in the finale of the series in New York, while Pavano will start the home opener on Friday.

Record: 2-3

April 7^th: Yankees 4, Twins 3

The Twins endured a painful loss on Thursday afternoon, literally and figuratively.  Francisco Liriano couldn’t hold a slim lead in the middle innings to lose his 2^nd straight start to open the season, and Tsuyoshi Nishioka suffered a broken fibula trying to finish a double play in the 7^th inning, as the Twins dropped the rubber game of the rain-shortened 3-game series by a final of 4-3.  Liriano was consistently tested by the patient Yankee lineup and lasted only 5 innings, throwing 30+ pitches in a 3-run Yankee 4^th inning that saw a 2-1 Twins lead become a 4-2 deficit.  He allowed a total of 4 runs on 4 hits and 3 walks while striking out 5 for the game.  The Twins offense failed to take advantage of some early wildness by Yanks starter A.J. Burnett, beginning the 2^nd inning with consecutive walks but failing to score.  In the 4^th, Minnesota put together 3 doubles and 2 runs, as Justin Morneau, Jim Thome, and Jason Kubel each collected 2-baggers as the Twins took a brief 2-1 lead.  But Liriano couldn’t keep the lead, walking leadoff hitter Alex Rodriguez after getting ahead 1-2, and eventually allowing an RBI double to Andruw Jones.  A groundout and cheap Texas league single netted New York 2 more runs, and their pitching took over from there.  Alexi Casilla did manage to manufacture a run in the 7^th inning by himself, reaching on a hit-by-pitch, stealing 2^nd and going to 3^rd on a throwing error, then scoring on a groundout to get the Twins within a run at 4-3.  But a botched double play ended up costing Nishioka a healthy leg, and he figures to miss a lot of the season with the injury.  Joe Mauer singled to lead off the 8^th, but didn’t even advance, and all-world Yankee closer Mariano Rivera set the Twins down in order in the 9^th to close out the Yankee win.  Jeff Manship and Dusty Hughes did combine for 3 innings of shutout relief work, providing a nice rest for the rest of the ‘pen.  Following a difficult 2-4 road trip to being the year, the Twins finally head home to start their 2^nd season in Target Field to being a 3-game series against the Oakland Athletics.  Carl Pavano makes his 2^nd consecutive home opening start, with a little added rest following Wednesday’s rainout in New York.

Record: 2-4
 

April 8^th: Twins 2, Athletics 1

It only took 8 innings (and just 4 hits and 2 ground-into-double-plays), but the Twins offense finally came alive before it was too late against A’s lefty Brett Anderson, putting together a late rally to slip past Oakland 2-1 in the opening game of the 3-game series.  Carl Pavano shut down the Oakland lineup over 8 dominant innings, and was finally rewarded with his 1^st win of the young season, allowing only a single run on 4 hits.  That run probably should not have happened, as it was scored without the benefit of a hit (walk after getting ahead 0-2 in the count, stolen base, errant throw on the stolen base attempt resulting in an error, and a sacrifice fly).  But it did not come back to bite Minnesota, as a 4-hit rally put 2 runs on the board in the 8^th.  Danny Valencia singled with 1 out, and went to 3^rd one batter later on Jason Kubel’s pinch-hit single.  Denard Span delivered a game-tying RBI single, and $184 million man Joe Mauer followed with a go-ahead RBI single of his own to put the Twins in front at long last.  Joe Nathan pitched around a 1-out single in the 9^th to lock down his 3^rd save as many chances and close out the Twins win.

Record: 3-4

April 9^th: Athletics 1, Twins 0

Where, oh where, has the offense gone?  Despite holding Oakland to 1 run for the 2^nd consecutive game, the Twins were saddled with a frustrating 1-0 defeat, courtesy of yet another anemic offensive performance.  Nick Blackburn gave the Twins everything he had, allowing only an unearned run on 5 hits over 6 solid innings, but took his 1^st loss of the year.  Why?  A common theme: shoddy defense (Alexi Casilla’s cheap throwing error on what should have been an easy inning-ending throw to 1^st allowed the only Oakland run to score), and pathetic hitting (0-for-5 with runners in scoring position, including a 1^st-and-3^rd, no-out chance in the 5^th that was wasted).  If this team is going to improve, it MUST throw and catch the ball better in the field, and score more runs (2^nd-lowest scoring offense so far in the season).

Record: 3-5

April 10^th: Athletics 5, Twins 3

The slow start to the 2011 season continues, as Minnesota’s offense scuffled once again as the team dropped their 3^rd consecutive series, and the finale against Oakland by a final of 5-3.  Scott Baker got the start and pitched well until the 6^th, when he allowed 3 straight hits to start the inning and 3 more runs.  His final line was 4 runs, 7 hits, 2 walks, 5 strikeouts, and a loss, as he is now 0-2 this season.  Baker may have fared better if he’d received any support from his offense, but alas he did not, despite Manager Ron Gardenhire installing Michael Cuddyer at 2^nd base and putting all of his big bats in the lineup.  The offense only came through 1 time in 6 at-bats with runners in scoring position, grounded into another double play, and had a potential rally derailed on a bone-headed play made by 3B Danny Valencia in the 5^th.  Down 1-0, Jason Kubel doubled leading off the inning, and one batter later, Valencia singled him to 3^rd.  But Danny V rounded the bag too far, and was tagged out following a short run-down.  The mistake snowballed into the following inning, as the wheels came off during the 4-run A’s rally that knocked out Baker and wasn’t even remotely tempered by reliever Jeff Manship (walk, sac fly, double).  The Twins did manage to put 3 runs on the board in the 8^th, capped by a 2-run 454-foot bomb of a home run by Jim Thome, the 590^th of his illustrious career.  But the offense was retired listlessly in the 9^th to finish the game, and Minnesota fell to a disappointing record of 3-6.  Following a much-needed off-day, the Twins hope to return to form, and remain home to welcome the upstart Kansas City Royals (6-3) into town for an abbreviated 2-game series.  Brian Duensing gets the start in Tuesday night’s opening game.

Record: 3-6

April 12^th: Twins 4, Royals 3, in 10 innings

Now walk it off, walk it off… Danny Valencia’s bases-loaded RBI single in the 10^th gave the Twins the opportunity to take their first walk-off victory of the season on Tuesday night, overcoming a late gaffe by starter Brian Duensing to sneak past Kansas City 4-3 to open the brief 2-game set at Target Field and improve to 2-0 in extra-inning games.  Duensing threw 6+ solid innings before unraveling in the 7^th, carrying a 3-2 lead into the frame having allowed just 2 runs on 6 hits through 6 innings of work.  But following an infield single, Duensing fielded a sacrifice bunt attempt, but airmailed the throw over Luke Hughes covering the base, allowing the runners to gain 2^nd and 3^rd.  Another infield hit tied the game at 3-3 at knocked Duensing out of the game.  Fortunately, Jose Mijares came on to pick up a strikeout for the first out of the inning, and then the man I affectionately call the “Firefighter”, Matt Capps, followed Mijares and induced a pop up and a strikeout to put on the fire and keep the game tied at 3-3.  Joe Mauer’s sacrifice fly following a couple of singles gave the Twins a rare lead at 1-0, and after the Royals rallied to take a 2-1 lead, the Twins rallied right back, as Hughes picked up a huge bases-loaded 2-run single to put Minnesota back in front.  The Twins were coasting until the near-disastrous 7^th inning, but lights-out bullpen work by Capps (1 2/3 innings), Joe Nathan, and Dusty Hughes (one inning apiece) gave the offense a chance to rally once more in the 10^th.  Delmon Young singled with one out, Michael Cuddyer walked to advanced pinch-runner Jason Repko to 2^nd.  Jason Kubel got ahead on Royals reliever Robinson Tejeda at 3-1 then hit a towering fly ball to right-field that appeared as though it was heading to the upper deck.  Somehow, however, the ball stayed in the park, but was dropped on the warning track by Royals RF Jeff Francoeur.  But the precocious young third baseman assured his Twins would go home happy, lacing a 1-2 fastball to the right of Francoeur for the game-winning hit.  The series concludes with a 12:10 CT matinee tilt, as Francisco Liriano gets the start looking to help the Twins sweep the brief series.

Record: 4-6

April 13^th: Royals 10, Twins 5

Jeez.  It just keeps going from bad to worse with this Twins team, as they continue to find new ways to lose and showed off a new way in Wednesday’s 10-5 loss to Kansas City.  This time it was a lack of adjustments (as well as some bad luck), as the Royals blew up a close game with a 6-run, 8-hit 4^th inning after 3 hitless innings but starter Francisco Liriano.  Only 1 of the 8 Royal hits was of the extra-base variety, as they simply dinked-and-dunked there was to a big inning.  Announcer Roy Smalley made a note of saying much of the damage Kansas City hitters were doing was on Liriano’s breaking pitches, while his fastball was causing them problems.  Alas, catcher Drew Butera and Liriano failed to quell the damage and the Twins found themselves in a 6-1 hole.  The Twins’ offense nearly blew the game open in the 1^st inning, beginning the game with 3 straight singles and a run.  But after 2 pop-ups and a walk, Michael Cuddyer took a called 3^rd-strike to end the inning and prevent what could have been a much-larger inning.  Undaunted by the deficit, Minnesota charged back with a rare big inning in the 5^th, rallying back with 4 runs on 6 hits, including RBI hits by Jason Kubel, Justin Morneau, and Delmon Young.  But they could not get over the hump, and the Royals came right back against Liriano and reliever Glen Perkins, chasing the former with a leadoff walk and hitting an RBI double off the latter for a 7-5 lead.  The floodgates then opened in the 9^th against Dusty Hughes, who was greeted by his former team with 3 runs on 3 hits before Jeff Manship came in to finish the inning.  The defense committed 2 more bone-headed errors as well, as this Twins team simply has not put for any semblance of consistent effort so far in the young 2011 season.  After a disappointing 2-3 homestand, the Twins head right back on the road for a pair of 4-game series, beginning Thursday night against a fellow struggling team, the Tampa Bay Rays.  Carl Pavano gets the start in the opener.

Record: 4-7

April 14^th: Rays 4, Twins 3, in 10 innings.

From bad to worse.  A bad day in Twins Territory turned into an utter disaster, as the Twins followed the news of All-Star catcher Joe Mauer going on the disabled list by losing on a walk-off home run, 4-3 the final in Tampa Bay.  Carl Pavano got the start and threw an absolute gem, shutting out the light-hitting Rays lineup over 8 innings and giving up just 4 hits and 2 walks while striking out 7, his highest total since striking out 8 Orioles on May 6 of last year.  And a 2-run, 4-hit Twins rally in the 6^th had given Pavano a 2-0 lead he had held all game.  But he was not given the chance to complete the game, a decision which Ron Gardenhire and the Twins would later regret.  Joe Nathan came on to try and lock down his 4^th straight save to begin the season, but failed, allowing a double, walk, and 2-run game-tying double before retiring the side as they game headed to extra innings tied at 2-2.  Miraculously, Matt Tolbert singled with 2 outs, advanced to 2^nd on a passed ball, and scored on an RBI single by Danny Valencia to give the Twins a 3-2 and be in position to give Nathan the win.  But Matt Capps, who had dominated all season up until this point, allowed a single before Johnny Damon launched a 1-0 2-seam fastball low-and-away into the bleachers in right field, sending the Twins to their 4^th defeat in their past 5 games.  The diagnosis of Mauer was bilateral leg weakness, which ESPN injury expert Stephania Bell describes as a “very unusual” injury.  Apparently the leg injury has been caused by overcompensating for nagging pains in his upper body, including his shoulder and elbow.  Needless to say, this is a troubling injury at best for Minnesota, and the Twins will be hard pressed to compensate for his absence in the mean time.  Some guy named Steve Holm was called up in Mauer’s stead, and Mauer as of now is just expected to miss 2 weeks.  We’ll see.  As for the remaining team on the field, game 2 of the series in Tampa resumes Friday night, and Nick Blackburn gets the start looking to continue one of the few stellar beginnings to the 2011 season that Minnesota has had thus far.

Record: 4-8

April 15^th: Rays 5, Twins 2

Yet another solid start by the starting pitcher was undermined by complete anemia by the offense, as the Twins went down listlessly against the Rays, losing 5-2.  Nick Blackburn got the start and allowed just 3 hits over the first 5 innings, but his team led just 1-0 on an RBI double by Danny Valencia in the 5^th. But it all unraveled for Blackburn in the 6^th, as he would allow 3 singles, 2 doubles, and 3 runs, and would take a groundball off his foot (although he would be okay).  Blackburn began the 7^th and gave up a 2-run homer before he was finally removed, and was saddled with his 2^nd loss of the season.  The Twins had their chances to score, but another 0-for-5 performance with runners in scoring position would loom large as the team took their 5^th loss in 6 games.

Record: 4-9

April 16^th: Rays 4, Twins 3

At what point is enough, in fact, enough?  Joe Nathan blew his 2^nd save in 3 games, and the Twins decided enough was enough, pulling Nathan from the closer role following Saturday afternoon’s disastrous 4-3 defeat in Tampa.  For the 3^rd consecutive game, the Twins starter pitched brilliantly for a number of innings.  This time it was Scott Baker, who allowed just 1 run on 4 hits over 7 innings with 6 strikeouts, and positioned the Twins to finally get the victory they’ve craved for several days now.  But the lack of offense once again but the bullpen in a compromised position, and the group failed to hold the slim lead.  Jason Kubel hit a rare Twins homer in the 2^nd inning, his first of the season and the fourth for the team (last in the majors), giving Minnesota a 1-0 lead.  The teams traded runs in the 3^rd inning, as each team put together 2 singles to give themselves a chance to score a run on an out (the Twins on a double play, the Rays on a sacrifice fly).  And Denard Span’s RBI triple, the 1^st triple of the season for the Twins, gave his team a 3-1 lead in the 5^th.  Matt Capps came on to try to rebound from blowing a save his previous time out, but allowed a run on 2 hits in the 8^th as the margin was cut to 3-2, and setting the stage for another crushing Twins defeat.  Nathan, who clearly hasn’t looked right or had his best stuff all season, was taken deep on just his 2^nd pitch by do-it-all Rays 2B Ben Zobrist, a mammoth home run to right field that tied the game at 3.  Nathan followed that up by allowing 2 consecutive walks before inducing a fly out for the first out of the inning.  He was replaced by lefty Jose Mijares, who wouldn’t fare much better.  Mijares struck out the first batter he faced, but then handed out a 3^rd free pass in the inning to load the bases for eternal Twins tormentor Johnny Damon.  And predictably, Damon singled to right for his 2^nd walkoff hit of the series and send the Twins back to the hotel in even more agonizing pain.  Desperate for a victory, Brian Duensing takes the hill in Sunday’s finale as Minnesota hopes to avoid a 4-game sweep.

Record: 4-10

April 17^th: Twins 4, Rays 2

What?! A win? A real win? For the first time in 9 days, a great start by the starting pitcher didn’t go to waste, as newly-installed closer Matt Capps saved the game for Brian Duensing as the Twins salvaged the finale of the 4-game series by a final of 4-2.  Duensing fired 7 strong innings on the team’s season-high 111 pitches, allowing just 2 runs on 7 hits while striking out 5, continuing the run of strong starting pitching for Minnesota, and this time actually emerging as the winning pitcher.  It hasn’t been easy getting any run support, and for the 15^th consecutive game to open the season, the Twins scored 5 runs or fewer.  But it was enough on Sunday afternoon, as Jason Kubel got the Twins started with a solo home run in the 4^th inning to tie the game at 1.  The game threatened to get away from Duensing in the bottom of that same inning, but Duensing pitched around an RBI triple to limit the damage to just 1 run.  And the offense took advantage of some shoddy Tampa Bay fielding in the 5^th, with Michael Cuddyer doubling to lead off the inning, and backup catcher Steve Holm singling and advancing to 2^nd on an errant throw back into the infield.  Jason Repko, making his first start of the year, singled in Cuddyer to tie the game, then stole 2^nd and advanced to 3^rd on a throwing error by the catcher, with Holm scoring to give Minnesota a 3-2 lead.  Matt Tolbert followed with an RBI triple, as the ball was misplayed by Rays RF Ben Zobrist, and the Twins extended the lead to 4-2.  Duensing had little trouble over his final 3 innings, and the Twins turned to a new set-up man, converted-starter Glen Perkins.  Perkins struggled at the outset of the inning, allowing a walk and a single to put the tying run aboard.  But Zobrist bounced into a 6-4-3 double play, capping a rare day of stellar glove work for this Minnesota team.  Capps got his first chance as interim closer until Joe Nathan’s effectiveness returns, and made the most of it, hitting one batter but retiring the final 2 on just 3 pitches, finishing off a direly-needed Twins victory.  Hoping to continue the newfound momentum, Minnesota flies north to Baltimore for a 4-game series with the free-falling Orioles, losers of 7 straight games.  Francisco Liriano searches for his first start of the year of more than 5 innings, getting the start in Monday night’s opening game.

Record: 5-10

April 18^th: Twins 5, Orioles 3

The first winning streak of the year!  Two in a row!  Francisco Liriano was effectively wild in winning his first decision of the year, and former Oriole Jim Hoey came on to rescue him out of a difficult situation in the 7^th inning, as the Twins put together their first set of back-to-back wins of the season, outlasting Baltimore 5-3 in the opening game of the 4-game series.  Liriano threw a solid first 6 innings, having control issues (5 walks) but not paying for it (just 2 hits) as the Twins carried a 3-2 lead into the 7^th.  But he ran into problems in the 7^th, allowing 2 solo home runs and a single before departing.  Jose Mijares came on to retire one batter on a fielder’s choice groundout (Danny Valencia made a nice play at 3^rd before nearly throwing the ball away, but Matt Tolbert made a GREAT fielding play at 2^nd to save an error, and probably the game), but then hit the next batter.  This set the stage for Hoey, who fashions a 97-98 MPH fastball and unleashed it against the flailing O’s.  Hoey, called up yesterday before the game in place of the demoted Jeff Manship, retired the final batter of the 7^th to escape the jam, then retired the helpless opposition in order in the 8^th to preserve the 3-2 margin.  Drew Butera was the offensive MVP of the night, giving Minnesota a 2-0 lead with a 2-run 2^nd inning double, then adding a key insurance run with an RBI single in the 9^th.  Danny Valencia grounded out to score Delmon Young following Young’s single and a double Michael Cuddyer for a 3-0 Twins lead in the 4^th, and the final run scored on a wild pitch in the 9^th.  Matt Capps allowed the 3^rd solo homer of the night in the 9^th before finishing off the Twins’ victory, his 2^nd save of the year.  Carl Pavano gets the start in Tuesday’s 2^nd game of the series as the Twins go for their 3^rd win in a row, weather permitting (there are thunderstorms in the forecast).

Record: 6-10

April 19^th: Orioles 11, Twins 0

Three letters sum up Tuesday night’s Twins performance: L. O. L.  As in laugh out loud, at the pathetic effort given across the board.  Carl Pavano failed to get out of the 5^th inning, and the Minnesota offense managed just 6 hits, getting shut out 11-0 in the 2^nd game of the series, as the O’s finally ended their 8-game losing streak.  Pavano allowed 8 runs (7 earned) on 8 hits and a season-high 3 walks, and never really had a chance to begin with, given the complete lack of run support without either Justin Morneau (flu) and Joe Mauer (flu/leg weakness – DL).  Joe Nathan pitched the 8^th inning but didn’t fare much better, getting tattooed for a 3-run Vlad Guerrero home run.  A couple of bright spots: Michael Cuddyer went 2-3 with a walk to raise his average to .250, and newly-recalled reliever Eric Hacker made his major league debut and threw 2 shutout innings in place of the demoted Alex Burnett, as the Twins continue to search for answers in their remade bullpen.  With the series tied at a game apiece, Minnesota turns to Nick Blackburn in Wednesday night’s 3^rd game of the series.

Record: 6-11

April 20^th: Orioles 5, Twins 4

A home run derby broke out at Camden Yards, and not in a good way.  A pair of Nick Blackburn sinkers didn’t sink and ended up in the outfield bleachers, and once again the Minnesota offense was thwarted in their comeback attempt, as a 5-1 deficit was too much to overcome in a 5-4 loss in Baltimore in the 3^rd game of the series.  Blackburn’s back tightened up late in the game, but not before he pitched a decent 7 innings, allowing 5 runs on 7 hits while striking out 4 on just 88 pitches.  But the two homers were killers, putting the Twins in a deep whole they couldn’t crawl out of.  Michael Cuddyer’s solo homer leading off the 2^nd inning gave the Twins a brief 1-0 lead, but they did not score again until Danny Valencia’s seeing-eye 2-run single in the 6^th cut the Birds’ lead to 5-3.  Valencia’s RBI single in the 8^th got Minnesota another run closer, but Luke Hughes flied out to end the frame.  And O’s closer Kevin Gregg made quick work of the 8-9-1 hitters of the Twins in the 9^th on 12 pitches, with Denard Span’s long drive to the outfield caught on the warning track by O’s CF Adam Jones to end the game.

Record: 6-12

April 21^st: Twins 3, Orioles 1

The Twins finally didn’t lose a series for the first time in 2011, salvaging a split of the 4-game series behind a dominant effort by Scott Baker as the Twins took the finale by a final of 3-1.  Baker threw 7 shutout innings, holding a baffled Oriole lineup to just 4 hits while striking out staff-high 9 batters to win his 1^st decision of the season.  Jim Thome got Minnesota on the board with his 591^st career home run for a 1-0 Twins lead.  Thome added to the lead with an RBI single in the 6^th, and Michael Cuddyer hit his 2^nd homer of the series (and season) to cap the Twins scoring in the 8^th.  The O’s got on the board against Jose Mijares and former Oriole Jim Hoey in the bottom of the inning, as a walk by the former came around to score on a double and single by the latter.  But Glen Perkins was able to retire Luke Scott to end the inning, and Matt Capps pitched around a 2-out single to close out his 3^rd save.  Friday night’s home game against Cleveland was postponed due to rain (a very fortuitous event for the Twins), and the game will be made up in July or September.  Brian Duensing gets the start in Saturday’s afternoon tilt, should it be played, as the weather system may continue into game time.

Record: 7-12

April 23^rd: Twins 10, Indians 3

It only took 20 games, but finally, the Twins scored more than 5 runs in a game.  For the first time all season the Twins seemingly played a perfect game, executing hit-and-runs brilliantly, displaying strong instinctual base-running, and adding in power as well, demolishing Cleveland 10-3 to open the abbreviated 2-game series at Target Field.  Brian Duensing was only once challenged as the game went on, allowing just 1 run on 5 hits over 7 strong innings to win his 2^nd decision of 2011.  The great execution of the Twins offense began in inning #3, as Alexi Casilla dinked an 0-2 pitch to left for a 1-out singling.  Denard Span followed with a seeing-eye single to the vacated 2^nd base position with Casilla on the move during the hit-and-run play, as he advanced to 3^rd.  Jason Repko beat out an infield single to put the Twins on the board at 1-0, and Jason Kubel doubled in both runners, with Repko beating out the throw to the plate to cap the 3-run outburst.  The Twins answered the lone Cleveland run off Duensing with a 2^nd 3-run inning, with the same cast of characters.  Casilla and Span singled, and Repko laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance both runners.  Kubel was intentionally walked to bring up 2006 AL MVP Justin Morneau, whom Tribe manager Manny Acta must have thought was a little rusty.  All Morneau did was single home 2 runs to extend Minnesota’s lead to 5-1.  Michael Cuddyer’s fielder’s choice ground out brought in Kubel, and the Twins lead 6-1.  The rout was on in the 6^th, as Repko and Kubel added an RBI single and sac fly respectively to extend the lead to 8-1, and Danny Valencia added a little icing to the cake with a 2-run blast in the 8^th, his 2^nd of the year to cap Minnesota’s scoring.  Dusty Hughes gave up a 2-run homer before retiring the side in the 8^th, and Joe Nathan looked like his old self in an effortless 1-2-3 9^th inning to finish off Minnesota’s decisive win.  The Twins look for a sweep of the 2-game set in Sunday’s finale, and send Carl Pavano to the mound to avenge a terrible previous start.

Record: 8-12

April 24^th: Twins 4, Indians 3

Well how about that, a 3-game winning streak.  The stellar starting pitching continued for Minnesota, as Carl Pavano threw 7 solid innings, and he was rewarded in the end with a late offensive rally, as the Twins surged past Cleveland to sweep the rain-shortened 2-game series and win the finale 4-3.  Pavano allowed all 3 earned runs in the 4^th inning on 2 walks and 3 hits, including a 3-run homer that was overruled and became a 2-run double.  This was a HUGE play in the game, as Pavano was able to get through the inning without allowing that 4^th run to score, and dominate the rest of the way.  Aside from that one troublesome inning, Pavano allowed just 3 hits, earning his 2^nd win on the season.  The Twins jumped out on top in the 3^rd inning, as Alexi Casilla and Denard Span began the inning with singles.  Two batters later, Jason Kubel singled to right.  But Casilla ran through 3^rd-base coach Steve Liddle’s stop sign at 3^rd, and was gunned down by Indians RF Shin-Soo Choo at the plate for the 2^nd out.  Fortunately, Justin Morneau followed with a booming 2-run double to left-center for a 2-0 Twins lead.  Choo would also throw out Morneau trying to score from 2^nd on a subsequent base hit by Michael Cuddyer, so despite a 5-hit inning, the Twins had just 2 runs to show for it.  This loomed large heading into the bottom of the 7^th, as the Twins still trailed 3-2, before Casilla led off the inning with a single on an 0-2 pitch.  Span’s routine ground ball to 2^nd was booted by former Twin Orlando Cabrera, and both runners were safe.  Jason Repko sacrificed the runners ahead, and Kubel followed by crushing a ball just shy of the right-field fence for a go-ahead 2-run double and a 4-3 lead.  Glen Perkins, Jim Hoey, and Jose Mijares pitched around a walk and a gift lost-the-ball-in-the-sun single to post a scoreless 8^th, and Matt Capps gave up a 2-out double before recording the last out to save his 4^th game of the season.  The Twins will enjoy an off-day at home in the Twin Cities before welcoming the Tampa Bay Rays to town for a 3-game series.  Francisco Liriano gets the call for Tuesday night’s opening game. NOTE: Tuesday's game was rained out, and the game will be made up as part of a doubleheader on Thursday. The starters remain the same for Wednesday night.

Record: 9-12

April 27^th: Rays 8, Twins 2

The mess that is Francisco Liriano did not even remotely improve on Wednesday night, as he lost his 4^th decision of the season already in deplorable fashion, with Tampa Bay crushing Minnesota 8-2 in the opening game of the time-constrained 3-game series.  Liriano had nothing working for him; he was crushed in the 1^st inning, allowing 4 runs on 5 hits before recording even a single out in the game, essentially ending the game before it even started.  After settling down briefly, he gave up a single and walked 2 to load the bases to begin the 4^th, ending his evening.  All 3 runs would score, as long reliever Eric Hacker walked two more as well as a sacrifice fly, finishing the line on Liriano: 6 hits, 7 runs, 4 walks, and 4 strikeouts.  The only offense the Twins could muster was an RBI single by Jason Kubel in the 3^rd (extending his hitting streak to 9 games), and an Alexi Casilla sacrifice fly in the 7^th.  After those initial struggles, Hacker settled down to pitch the Twins into the 7^th inning and allow only an unearned run.  The Twins bullpen will be challenged on Thursday, as they get set to make up Tuesday’s rainout with a split day-night doubleheader.  Nick Blackburn gets the start in the 12:10 CDT matinee 1^st game, while Anthony Swarzak gets the call from Class AAA Rochester and takes the hill in the 7:10 CDT finale.

Record: 9-13

April 28^th, game 1: Rays 15, Twins 3

It’s amazing how that nice 2-game series against Cleveland looked for Minnesota this past weekend, because it’s has been quickly forgotten given the debacle of the past 48 hours.  After a frigid beatdown in Wednesday night’s opening game, the Twins quickly were dismissed again by Tampa Bay, this time allowing 8 RBI to a single player in a 15-3 annihilation in the opening game of the day-night split doubleheader.  Nick Blackburn did exactly what the Twins could not afford him do, nor what anyone ever expects from him: be wild.  Blackburn walked 4 batters, something he can never do and compete in majors, as he simply does not have the stuff to strike out major-league hitters.  Blackburn also allowed 8 hits in just 3 1/3 innings, leading to 7 runs.  But only 5 of those runs were earned, as his defense committed 2 more errors behind him.  Alexi Casilla mishandled an in-between hop leading to an eventual run, and Rene Tosoni, making his major-league debut in left field, also misplayed a ball leading to a 2^nd unearned run.  In the end, the results for Tampa’s offense were staggering, 19 hits, only 6 extra-base hits with 3 of them being triples, and an 8-RBI day from 2B Ben Zobrist.  The Rays scored in 7 of the 9 innings, and torched the Twins bullpen for 8 more runs following Blackburn’s departure, including 3 each allowed by Jim Hoey and Jose Mijares, while Dust Hughes’ ERA now sits at 7.84 following his 2 runs given up.  Minnesota trailed 7-0 before Michael Cuddyer muscled a fly ball threw the chilling temps for his 3^rd homer of the year in the 4^th, while Tosoni made up for his earlier error with his first major-league RBI, and Luke Hughes added another RBI to cut the Rays lead to the nail-biting score of 13-3.

Record: 9-14

Game 2: Rays 6, Twins 1

The only positive the Twins could take from another lopsided loss was that at least their starting pitcher didn’t allow any first inning runs (the Rays had scored 4 and 2 runs respectively in the first 2 games of the series).  Alas, spot-start call-up Anthony Swarzak fared only marginally better, allowing 5 runs on 8 hits over 5 1/3 innings, but at least was able to give the Twins a start into the 6^th inning.  In the end, the story was once again the utter lack of offense, as Minnesota’s offense didn’t collect its first hit against Rays starter Jeff Niemann until the 7^th inning, and only got 2 hits and 1 run against him in his 7 innings of work.  Another pathetic performance by a last-place team.  And now this last-place team heads out on the road for a 9-game road trip, beginning with 3 games against the upstart Royals in Kansas City.  Scott Baker looks to stem the tide of terrible starting pitching and deliver a solid start in Friday night’s opening game.

Record: 9-15

April 29^th: Royals 4, Twins 3

Well, this looks familiar.  The slumping Twins just continue to slump, with no hope in sight, and Friday night’s loss was particularly unseemly as Minnesota got a look at the team they used to be in an extremely disappointing 4-3 loss to open the 3-game series in Kansas City.  Scott Baker took the hill and gave the Twins the quality start they desperately needed (6 1/3 innings, 2 runs, 8 hits, 1 walk, 2 K’s), but once again went unrewarded as the offense scored fewer than 6 runs for the 24^th time in 25 games this season.  The Twins found an unexpected power source as Luke Hughes hit his 1^st homer of the year and 2^nd major league homer for a brief 1-0 lead in the 5^th.  Danny Valencia broke a 1-1 tie in the 6^th with a 2-run double for a 3-1 Twins lead, but he was later caught stealing home, preventing what could have been a bigger inning.  This game would be decided in the bottom of the 8^th inning, however, with Minnesota clinging to a 3-2 lead.  Alex Burnett, just recalled from Class AAA to help an ailing bullpen, had just survived the 7^th to keep Minnesota in the lead, and started the 8^th by striking out the leadoff batter.  But then he allowed a double, and that runner went to 3^rd as a sharp ground ball bounced off SS Alexi Casilla’s glove for an infield hit.  The speedy Jerrod Dyson came on to pinch-run at 1^st, promptly stole 2^nd, and on C Drew Butera’s errant throw that went into center field, the tying run scored, and Dyson, one of the fastest players in baseball, ended up a 3^rd.  And of course he would score, as Casilla ranged far to his right to make a catcher on a looping line drive by the next better, but made a terrible off-balance throw back into the infield that had no chance of getting Dyson at home.  The offense went down meekly in order to end the game in the 9^th, saddling Minnesota with its 4^th consecutive loss.  Brian Duensing looks to get things turned around in Saturday’s 2^nd game of the series.

Record: 9-16

April 30^th: Royals 11, Twins 2

And so ends a forgettable April with a game indicative of how the month went overall for the Twins, as the bullpen completely self-destructed in an 11-2 defeat in Kansas City.  The game started out on a promising note, as the first 3 batters reached on a walk, single, and walk.  But Justin Morneau grounded into a double play, scoring the first run for Minnesota, but killing what could have been a bigger rally.  The Twins got a second run on a throwing error in the inning… and that’s it.  Brian Duensing got the start for the Twins and looked great for 7 innings, giving up 3 runs on 8 hits while walking 2 and striking out 6, but simply didn’t get the run support to succeed as Kansas City took the lead in the 7^th following a leadoff triple and sacrifice fly.  After his departure, the wheels came off.  Joe Nathan came on and promptly allowed a leadoff double.  He nearly pitched out of trouble by inducing a pair of pop ups, but was removed after an intentional walk and a hit-by-pitch.  Jose Mijares allowed an RBI single to the one batter he faced, and Jim Hoey let in a bases-loaded walk.  Then the play of the game: ground ball to short, fielded by SS Matt Tolbert, the throw to first… dropped by Morneau.  Two more runs scored on the play, and the subsequent batter, Alex Gordon, hit a 3-run homer.  A single and double brought in the 8^th run of the inning before the side was finally retired.

May 1^st: Royals 10, Twins 3

April apparently has lasted into May, as the team fared no better in their first May game, getting swept out of Kansas City following a 10-3 beatdown defeat, their 6^th in a row.  The Twins proved definitively that they did not belong on the same field as the Royals, getting outhit 15-5, committing yet another error to give the opponent an unearned run (thanks, Alexi Casilla), and botching a rundown in the 5^th.  Watching the game, it didn’t seem like Carl Pavano pitched all that badly, as his sinker seemed to be sinking effectively.  But it wasn’t fooling any Royal, as they pounded him for 12 hits and 7 runs (6 earned) over 5 1/3 innings, and did not strikeout a single batter, which is indicative of pretty much every Twins pitcher.  Pavano even took his frustration out in the dugout after he was removed from the game, slamming a bat repeatedly against an unidentified object.  The offense simply has no chance to compete right now either, scoring just 3 runs against Royals starter Luke Hochevar.  One bright spot for Minnesota was the first homer of the season for Justin Morneau (and his first since July 6 of last year), while Casilla made up for his defensive shortcomings with a pair of triples, the first knocking in the 1^st run for the Twins, and he scored the other Twins run in the 7^th following his 2^nd triple.  The Twins’ fatigued bullpen was once again battered, as ex-Royal Dusty Hughes gave up a 3-run homer in the 8^th to put the final nail in the coffin.  Following yet another direly-needed off-day, Minnesota heads north to Chicago to visit their struggling rival for a brief 2-game series, in a battle of the two teams with worst records in the American League.  Francisco Liriano gets the start, and may be pitching for his spot in the rotation, in Tuesday night’s opening game.

Record: 9-18

May 3^rd: Twins 1, White Sox 0

Baseball, like life, works in mysterious ways.  It’s a place where the highly improbable can become reality.  And on Tuesday night, the seeming impossible became real, as Francisco Liriano, he of a 1-4 record and a 9+ ERA, threw the 7^th no-hitter in the history of the Minnesota Twins in a 1-0 victory on the South Side of Chicago against the rival White Sox.  Liriano was effectively wild, throwing 123 pitches and walking 6, but to manager Ron Gardenhire’s credit, he stuck with his struggling former ace, and Liriano completed the unlikeliest of phenomenal performances (and also got the benefit of a missed call in the 8^th).  Liriano entered the game a complete disaster: 1-4, 9.13 ERA, 23.2 innings, 27 hits, 18 walks, 18 K’s, 1.901 WHIP, 1.00 K/BB.  And that’s why the game of baseball is so beautiful: you just never know what’s going to happen.  Offense remains a major concern for Minnesota, as only Jason Kubel’s 1-out solo homer, his 3^rd of the year, prevented the Twins from nullifying Liriano’s 9-inning no-hitter with a shutout 9 innings of their own.  But on this night, Liriano (and the stellar defense behind him) wasn’t to be denied, as the scuffling White Sox offense mustered nary a threat against the Dominican lefty all chilly night long.  The Twins look to sweep the brief 2-game set in Chicago in Wednesday’s matinee, with Nick Blackburn looking for a bounce-back performance after last week’s debacle against Tampa Bay.

Record: 10-18

May 4^th: Twins 3, White Sox 2

The positive momentum following Tuesday night’s no-hitter was built upon on Wednesday; as the Twins held on to sweep the 2-game series on the South Side of the Chicago, winning the final 3-2.  Nick Blackburn got the start and once again struggled with his control (4 walks), but held the Sox lineup to just 4 hits and 1 run over 6 2/3 innings to win his 2^nd game of the season.  The Twins offense jumped on Sox starter John Danks early for a 1^st inning run thanks to a leadoff Denard Span walk and a Jason Kubel RBI single.  After Chicago tied it in the 3^rd with a solo homer, the Twins took advantage of a failed defensive execution by the Sox defense on a bunt attempt to score a pair of runs in the 6^th.  Span singled to begin the inning, and Matt Tolbert reached on the aforementioned Sox miscue.  Justin Morneau flied out to deep right, with both runners tagging up and advancing (a strong baserunning play the Twins have been missing throughout this season).  Kubel’s sac fly put the Twins back in front 2-1, and after Michael Cuddyer was intentionally walked, Rene Tosoni had a rare RBI hit; singling back up the middle for a key insurance run the Twins would later need to finish the win.  Jose Mijares recorded the final out of the 7^th to strand a pair of baserunners, and Glen Perkins retired the first batter in the 8^th.  He would then allow a double and a walk before he was removed for closer Matt Capps.  Capps allowed a sacrifice fly before inducing an inning-ending pop out to strand the tying run and preserve the Twins 3-2 lead.  Capps would run into a bit of trouble in the 9^th as well, giving up a 1-out single and then hitting the following batter.  But he closed out the win thanks to a couple of fly outs, his 5^th save of the season.  Following Thursday’s off-day, the Twins look for a modicum of success at vaunted Fenway Park against the Boston Red Sox.  Scott Baker gets the start in Friday night’s opening, hoping to lead the Twins to their first win in Boston since the final game of the 2007 season.

Record: 11-18

May 6^th: Twins 9, Red Sox 2

A rare duo of feats was achieved by the 2011 Minnesota Twins, perhaps just as rare as the no-hitter attained by Francisco Liriano this past week: a 3-game winning streak, and a beatdown victory.  Scott Baker stymied the potent Red Sox lineup over 8 stellar innings, and the offense exploded for 9 runs, the 2^nd most this season and only the 2^nd time the team has scored more than 5 in a game this season, as Minnesota blew out Boston 9-2 for the 1^st win at Fenway Park since the end of the 2007 campaign.  Baker faced just 5 batters over the minimum and allowed just 7 hits and 2 runs, walking 1 and striking out 8 to improve to 2-2 this season.  Trevor Plouffe made his 2011 debut in style, homering in his 1^st at-bat in the top of the 1^st for an early 1-0 Twins lead.  It was the beginning of a long and ineffective night for Sox knuckleballer Tim Wakefield, and a drama-filled night as well.  The Twins began the 2^nd inning with a walk and 2 singles by Michael Cuddyer, Danny Valencia and the recently-recalled Ben Revere.  A weak fly out and a strikeout later, and Boston was on the verge of a escaping the bases-loaded jam without any damage.  But Denard Span was able to scoot a single past 1B Adrian Gonzalez for a 2-RBI hit, and that’s when the fun started.  Wakefield was subsequently called for a balk that scored Revere from 3^rd for a 4-0 Twins lead, and manager Terry Francona took umbrage with the call, and was ejected, but not without thoroughly chewing out the umpiring crew.  A pair of solo homers brought Boston within 4-2, but they would get no closer, as the Twins plated 4 runs in the 5^th, following a 2-run double by Valencia and a 2-run fielding error by SS Jed Lowrie as the Twins took an 8-2 lead.  A 2^nd balk by reliever Alfredo Aceves netted the Twins their 9^th run in the 6^th, more runs than Baker would need.  Joe Nathan finished the win with a scoreless 9^th, walking one.  Minnesota returns to the field for a Saturday matinee at Fenway in the 2^nd game of the series, and Brian Duensing gets the call.

Record: 12-18

May 7^th: Red Sox 4, Twins 0

Now that looks familiar.  The Twins offense with at least 3 replacement-level starters was held in check by a Red Sox pitcher that had been struggling prior to the day’s game, and a rain delay ended Twins starter Brian Duensing’s day after just 2 innings (though he still took the loss) in a 4-0 defeat in Boston in the 2^nd game of the series.  Michael Cuddyer singled twice and Justin Morneau provided the other Twins hit as the Twins mounted little resistance to starter Clay Buchholz and the Sox bullpen.  A bad decision led to the 1^st Boston run in the 1^st inning, as Jed Lowrie, hitting .412 against lefties this season, came up to bat with runners on 2^nd and 3^rd and 2 outs, and then coaxed a 3-1 count from Duensing.  Rather than filling the empty base, Duensing elected to pitch to Lowrie, who singled in the 1^st Sox run.  Following a 2-hour, 7-minute rain delay, Kevin Slowey made his returned from the Disabled List and fired a strong 4 1/3 innings, allowing 1 run on 6 hits to keep Minnesota in the game.  Glen Perkins also picked up a pair of strikeouts against the only 2 batters he faced, but Alex Burnett’s struggled continued with 2 runs and 3 hits allowed in the 8^th to put the game out of reach.  Carl Pavano takes the hill in Sunday’s 3^rd game of the series.

Record: 12-19

May 8^th: Red Sox 9, Twins 5

Unbelievable.  3 errors?!  Come on Twins, it’s tough enough to win games with offense and pitching, now you have showcase terrible defense to lose games?  Despite getting staked to a 3-0 lead before throwing a pitch, Carl Pavano, re-signed to a 2-year, $16.5-million contract in the offseason to be the stabilizing veteran in an otherwise youthful rotation, quickly gave the runs right back in a 9-5 Twins defeat in Boston.  Things looked good early, as the Twins jumped all over erratic Sox starter Daisuke Matsuzaka in the 1^st, compiling 3 singles, a walk, and 2 stolen bases en route to 3 runs, the big blow being Danny Valencia’s 2-run base hit.  But Pavano allowed 1 run in the 2^nd and 4 more in the 3^rd, including 5 hits, a walk, and a stolen base, and to add to the misery, C Drew Butera committed a throwing error.  Valencia led off the 4^th with a solo homer that was reviewed and upheld to pull Minnesota to within 5-4, but they would get no closer, as Boston would get a solo homer from 1B Adrian Gonzalez in the 5^th on his 29^th birthday, then add another insurance courtesy of a 2^nd throwing error, this time on 2B Alexi Casilla.  In total, Pavano would go 5 innings and surrender 7 runs, all earned despite the errors, on 10 hits without a strikeout.  His record and ERA now stand at 2-4 and 6.64.  Boston tacked on 2 more unearned runs against Jose Mijares in the 7^th thanks to a fielding error by newbie LF Ben Revere.  Jason Kubel added the final run for Minnesota with an 8^th-inning RBI single, but it wouldn’t be nearly enough.  The Twins look for a split of the 4-game series in ESPN’s televised finale on Monday night.  Francisco Liriano’s scheduled start was pushed back a day due to the flu, so Nick Blackburn will make use of last week’s extra off-day and get the start on regular rest.

Record: 12-20

May 9^th: Red Sox 2, Twins 1, in 11 innings

The Rochester Red Wings… er… the Minnesota Twins were stymied again on Monday night, completely flummoxed by a pitcher in the midst of a nice comeback year in an eventual 2-1 extra-inning defeat in Boston as the Twins dropped the final 3 games of the series after winning the opener.  Nick Blackburn got the start for Minnesota and had success against a Boston lineup still getting its sea legs, holding the Sox to just 1 run despite 7 hits and 3 walks over 6 1/3 innings.  But he was still in position to lose the game, as the Twins were dominated by Sox starter Josh Beckett and finished the game with just 1 hit in 9 tries with runners in scoring position, leaving 10 men on base in the process.  That one RISP hit scored the only Minnesota run of the game, a 2-out 8^th-inning RBI single by Jason Kubel against closer Jonathan Papelbon, tying the game at 1-1 and getting Blackburn off the hook for the loss.  But some perplexing roster decisions by manager Ron Gardenhire would go a long way toward losing the game for the Twins, as the game went to extra innings and the Twins simply didn’t have the horses to gut out the win.  Kubel was lifted for pinch-runner Alexi Casilla, who later hit with 2 runners on and 2 outs in the 11^th and grounded into a force out.  Justin Morneau also was removed for pinch-runner Rene Tosoni in the 11^th, as the Twins’ transformation into the Red Wings was complete.  After an outstanding 1 2/3 innings from Glen Perkins that included a pair of strikeouts, and an additional 2 shutout innings from Jose Mijares, Jim Hoey was anything but stellar.  He was able to retired J.D. Drew despite a hard-hit line drive hit right at Ben Revere in left field, but he followed that with a walk, and a booming double off the wall by the struggling Carl Crawford.  The baserunner, SS Jed Lowrie, caromed all the way around the bases to steal the win for Boston.  Desperate for some home cooking, Minnesota finally returns to Target Field on Tuesday night, as the Twins welcome Detroit to town for an abbreviated 2-game series.  Francisco Liriano makes his first start since last week’s no-hitter in Chicago in the opening game.

Record: 12-21

May 10^th: Tigers 10, Twins 2

Well, that was forgotten quickly.  Francisco Liriano’s bid to tie Johnny Vander Meer’s major-league record with back-to-back no-hitters was ended early and emphatically by division rival Detroit, who scored 2 runs in 4 separate innings in a 10-2 rout of Minnesota in the opening game of the series at Target Field.  Liriano departed after just 3 innings due to lingering flu symptoms, having allowed 4 runs, 3 hits, and 3 walks and dropping to 2-5 this season.  A 64-minute rain/hail delay didn’t slow down Detroit’s offense, whose onslaught was led by Victor Martinez’s 2 doubles, 2 runs, and 4 RBI.  Brian Duensing, rested after just 2 innings this past Saturday thanks to a rain delay in Boston, fared no better in relief, allowing 2 runs on 3 hits and 4 walks in just 2 innings.  Alex Burnett and Jim Hoey also took turns allowing 2 runs apiece.  The highlight of the game belonged to young Rene Tosoni, who hit his 1^st major league home run in the 5^th off Tigers starter Rick Porcello.  But the Twins trailed 6-0 at the time, and 8-1 by the time Luke Hughes drove in the only other Twins run with a 7^th-inning RBI double.

Record: 12-22

May 11^th: Tigers 9, Twins 7

It just keeps getting more depressing by the day.  For an organization that takes so much pride in its pitchers’ control and limiting walks, the Twins continue to be frustrated by the departure of this stinginess, as Twins pitchers walked 8 Tigers en route to a demoralizing 9-7 defeat.  Despite scoring more than 5 runs in a contest for just the 3^rd time this year, Minnesota just could not stop the onslaught of Detroit hits and runs, aiding their cause with the aforementioned free passes.  Scott Baker got the start and walked a season-high 5 to go with 6 hits over just 4 1/3 innings, leading to 5 Tiger runs and the end of his streak of 4 consecutive quality stars (though he did compile 6 K’s).  But his teammates didn’t let down for him, as the seeds of a comeback were laid.  A pair of doubles by Justin Morneau and Michael Cuddyer tied the game at 1 in the 2^nd, and Jason Kubel came through with a 2-out RBI single to put Minnesota in front 2-1.  Baker flopped over the next 2 innings as the Tigers tied and passed Minnesota with a 3-run 5^th, but undaunted, the Twins rallied in the 7^th.  A pair of walks set the stage, and 2B Luke Hughes’ booming double scored Rene Rivera to pull the home team within 5-3.  And just 3 pitches later, the lead was Minnesota’s, as Jason Kubel annihilated a 1-1 fastball from lefty Daniel Schlereth for a go-ahead 3-run blast, his 4^th of the year, as the Twins led 6-5.  But closer Matt Capps, who came on with the tying run at 1^st and 1 out in the 8^th, promptly allowed a go-ahead 2-run homer to SS Johnny Peralta, immediately putting the Twins down 7-6.  Unfailingly, Minnesota rallied once more, as pinch-runner Ben Revere tore around the bases on Matt Tolbert’s RBI double to score the tying run in the 7^th.  But Denard Span failed to bring Tolbert in from 3^rd with less than 2 outs, and the blow proved to be fatal, as Capps flopped again in 9^th.  3B Brandon Inge’s drive to center with a man on 1^st just got over the head of Span in center, and Inge ended up at 3^rd with a go-ahead RBI triple.  He would score as the Twins were caught napping on the Tigers’ successful suicide squeeze attempt to provide the game’s final margin.  The Twins receive another off-day on Thursday before the Blue Jays invade Target Field.  Carl Pavano looks to snap out of his funk and deliver the Twins a good start in Friday’s opening game.

Record: 12-23

May 13^th: Blue Jays 2, Twins 0

Even the return of a power-hitting outfielder wasn’t enough for the Twins.  Delmon Young made his return to the lineup on Friday night, but alas it was not triumphant, as he and his fellow hitters were stymied from start to finish by Toronto lefty ace Ricky Romero in a yet another shutout defeat, this time a 2-0 loss in the opening game of the series at Target Field, their 6^th straight defeat.  Carl Pavano battled through a tough 5 1/3 innings and required 115 pitches to do so, but held the Jays scoreless despite 7 hits and 3 walks.  Alex Burnett rescued Pavano from a 2-on, 1-out jam in the 6^th, but was the pitcher of record when Jim Hoey allowed the go-ahead single in the 7^th following Burnett’s allowed single and walk.  The best hitter on the planet right now, Jose Bautista, added a solo homer, the 1^st of 5 homers he would hit in the series and provide a key insurance run for Toronto.  Minnesota managed a meager 4 hits against Romero, and Michael Cuddyer struck out with 2 runners on to end the game against Jays closer Frank Francisco.

Record: 12-24

May 14^th: Blue Jays 9, Twins 3, in 11 innings

The game may have gone into extra innings, but it was pretty clear which team didn’t belong on the same field as the other on Saturday afternoon.  Another bullpen implosion led to 6 Blue Jay runs in the decisive 11^th inning as Toronto turned a tie game into a laugher in a 9-3 victory over Minnesota in the 2^nd game of the series, the Twins’ 7^th consecutive loss.  Nick Blackburn got the start and was outstanding once again, pitching into the 8^th inning and piling up a career-high 8 strikeouts while only allowing 3 runs on 5 hits and 2 walks.  But after recording the first 2 outs with the Twins up 3-2 in the 8^th, an infield single and an RBI triple off the glove of CF Denard Span tied the game for Toronto, ending Blackburn’s day in a no-decision.  The Twins put together a walk, 2 singles, an error, and a sac fly to erase a 1-0 Jays lead and take a 2-1 lead of their own in the 1^st inning, and Michael Cuddyer broke a 2-2 tie in the 6^th with a leadoff homer, his 4^th of the year.  But the lead didn’t last, the offense couldn’t add on or re-take the lead following the Jays tied the game, and the wheels fell off in the 11^th.  A total of 4 pitchers were used, 3 of them that couldn’t even record a single out.  Glen Perkins walked the leadoff batter, and then all-world Jays RF Jose Bautista crushed a fastball off of Jim Hoey to put the Toronto in the lead.  But the Jays were far from done.  Hoey walked the next two batters, and was removed for Jose Mijares, who would allow a 2-run double, single, and 2 walks without recording an out.  Alex Burnett finally came on to retire the side, but not before the incredible Jays 11^th inning was completed: 6 runs, 4 hits including a 2-run homer, and 4 walks.  Not the finest inning for the Twins staff.

Record: 12-25

May 15^th: Blue Jays 11, Twins 3

Mark it eight, dude.  That’s 8 straight losses and counting for what has become a truly pathetic baseball team, and there’s no end in sight.  After getting 2 excellent starts to begin the series, Brian Duensing completely unraveled, departing after just 3 innings in an 11-3 beatdown defeat at the hands of the Blue Jays, who completed the sweep in decisive fashion.  Duensing allowed 7 runs on 8 hits, including a mammoth home run to the most dominant player in the game right now, Jose Bautista, in dropping his 3^rd decision of the year and seeing his ERA increase to 4.61.  Kevin Slowey didn’t fare much better, allowing 4 more Toronto runs on 5 hits, though he did overcome any lingering shoulder soreness by throwing the final 6 innings of the game for Minnesota.  The Jays had hung 8 runs on the Twins before Minnesota finally got on the board, on a bases-loaded walk in the 4^th inning, the final of 3 free passes Jays starter Brandon Morrow would surrender in that frame.  But naturally, the Twins would score no more than that single run.  New starting shortstop Trevor Plouffe and Justin Morneau each knocked in runs with RBI doubles in the 5^th, but the Jays immediately responded with a 3-run 6^th.  The best player on the field was easily Bautista, who followed his homer off Duensing with 2 more off Slowey, including a 2^nd-deck shot to right field, just the 3^rd homer of his career hit to right.  The reeling Twins, fresh off an 0-5 homestand, now depart to the west coast for a 7-game trip, beginning Monday night in Seattle.  Scott Baker looks for a rebound after struggling his last time out against Detroit.

Record: 12-26

May 16^th: Mariners 5, Twins 2

Nine and counting.  Minnesota dropped its 9^th straight game, its longest losing streak in recent memory, looking utterly pathetic in a 5-2 loss in Seattle to open the brief 2-game series.  Scott Baker did all he could to keep his team in the game, but allowed a pair of 6^th inning solo homers as Seattle extended their lead to 4-0 behind ace rookie Michael Pineda.  Baker would allow 4 runs on 7 hits and 2 walks while striking out 8 to drop to 2-3 for the season.  Offensively, there was just nothing to get excited about; the Twins didn’t take a walk and managed just 3 hits against the vaunted Pineda.  The 2-run Twins 9^th inning was possibly even more pathetic, as both runs were scored via a pair of Mariner errors.  That’s about all there is to say about this game.

Record: 12-27

May 17^th: Twins 2, Mariners 1

And for the second straight year after five straight losses, the Twins win on my birthday!  This time it was a pitcher’s duel, as Francisco Liriano had a rare dominant start and defeated Felix Hernandez and the Mariners 2-1 to split the brief 2-game series at Safeco Field and snap the team’s 9-game losing skid.  Liriano struck out a season-high 9 Mariners, and more importantly, walked just 1 batter while allowing 3 hits and 1 run and looking like his vintage self in winning his 3^rd decision of the year and lowering his ERA to 6.12.  Michael Cuddyer drove in a pair with a 2-out 2-run single in the 1^st inning – and that was all Liriano would need.  Of the 3 hits allowed by Liriano, 2 came in the 5^th as Seattle scored their lone run.  But Liriano struck out Chone Figgins to leave 2 runners aboard in the inning, and the Mariners wouldn’t approach a run the rest of the game.  Glen Perkins mowed down the M’s in the 8^th, and Matt Capps had the benefit of an advantageous out call in the bottom of the 9^th to survive and pick up his 6^th save of the season.

Record: 13-27

May 18^th: Twins 4, Athletics 3, in 10 innings

A winning streak?! Trevor Plouffe’s 10^th inning sacrifice fly pushed the Twins past the A’s in the opening game of the short 2-game series by a 4-3 final, as Minnesota won back-to-back games for the first time since winning 3 straight 2 weeks ago.  Carl Pavano allowed just 1 earned run on 6 hits over 7 solid innings of work, but was victimized by a Plouffe throwing error in the 2^nd which burned Minnesota for a pair of unearned runs and gave Oakland a brief 2-1 lead.  Still, Pavano was in position for the victory until allowing his only earned run in the 6^th that tied the game at 3-3.  The Twins took an early lead in the 1^st as Jason Kubel’s double and Justin Morneau’s clutch RBI single gave the team a 1-0 lead.  After the Plouffe error, Minnesota came right back against A’s starter Brandon McCarthy, as Plouffe delivered a 2-run single to score Alexi Casilla and Denard Span for a 3-2 Twins lead.  It was a game of double plays after that, as both teams hit into 2 twin killings each.  Glen Perkins continued his stellar pitching with 4 outs in relief of Pavano, and Joe Nathan pitched out of a 2-on, 1-out jam to escape the 9^th and eventually be the game’s winning pitcher.  Delmon Young began the rally with a pinch-hit single, then advanced to 3^rd on a critical throwing error by A’s 1B Daric Barton, who tried to force him at 2^nd on a sacrifice attempt by Casilla.  After Span’s weak groundout, Plouffe lifted a fly ball deep enough to right to score Young with the go-ahead run.  Matt Capps came on and retired the A’s in order to close out the win.  Minnesota looks for a sweep of the short series in Thursday’s matinee finale, and send Nick Blackburn to the hill in pursuit of his 4^th straight quality start.

Record: 14-27

May 19^th: Twins 11, A’s 1

Well, that was long overdue.  The Twins turned in their highest scoring output of the season, scoring double figures in runs for just the 2^nd time this year, in support of Nick Blackburn as Minnesota blew out Oakland 11-1 to sweep the short 2-game series.  Blackburn’s sinker was working beautifully over his 7 innings of work, as the A’s managed just a single run on 5 hits as Blackie won his 3^rd game of the year.  The Twins put together single runs in the 1^st and 2^nd innings as Jason Kubel’s RBI single and C Rene Rivera’s first home run in 5 years gave Minnesota a 2-0 lead.  Justin Morneau doubled the margin with a 5^th-inning 2-run homer (just his 2^nd of the year), and after Oakland got on the board in the 7^th, the floodgates opened in the 8^th against the A’s ‘pen.  The Twins put together 6 hits and a walk, capped by a Trevor Plouffe 3-run blast, to score 6 runs and blow Oakland out of the water.  Delmon Young added a run-scoring single in the 9^th to provide the final 11-1 score.  Recently-added journeyman Phil Dumatrait and recently-recalled Anthony Swarzak each completed an inning of work to close out the convincing victory.  Winners of a season-high-tying 3 straight games, Minnesota heads south to the desert for an interleague matchup with the Arizona Diamondbacks, their first matchup with the snakes in 3 years and their first trip to Arizona in 6 years.  Brian Duensing takes the hill in the Friday night opener.

Record: 15-27

May 20^th: Diamondbacks 8, Twins 7

A pitcher’s duel became a slugfest, and once again it didn’t matter.  A 2-1 Twins lead in the 7^th inning turned into a 4-run deficit, and when the Twins seemingly had a comeback in order, the door was slammed on them, as Minnesota lost game 1 of the Desert series in Arizona by a final of 8-7.  Brian Duensing got the start and looked great over the 1^st 6 innings, permitting the Snakes to just 1 run on 3 hits over that span.  Minnesota held a 2-1 lead at that point on the strength of solo homers by Michael Cuddyer and Trevor Plouffe.  But it all unraveled in the 7^th, as Arizona began the inning with a homer, double, and 2 singles to take a 3-2 lead.  Glen Perkins nearly pitched out the jam, retiring 2 hitters and intentionally walking a batter.  But 3B Ryan Roberts lined a 1-2 pitch into the left-center gap to clear the bases and extend the Arizona lead to 6-2.  Jason Kubel’s 2-run triple drew the Twins within 6-4, but the D-Backs immediately answered with 3 hits and 2 runs against Kevin Slowey to re-extend their lead to 8-4.  Minnesota wasn’t done, however, as Danny Valencia began the rally with a solo homer.  Delmon Young singled and scored on a Drew Butera double, and 3 consecutive walks later, the Twins had the bases loaded, 1 out, and their #3 and #4 hitters coming to the plate down by just 1 run.  But Kubel struck out, and Justin Morneau’s scalding line drive turned into a game-ending groundout to 2^nd.

Record: 15-28

May 21^st: Diamondbacks 9, Twins 6

Another night, another bullpen meltdown.  It just keeps getting worse for Minnesota’s boys of summer, who blew a 3-run 8^th inning lead and dropped their 2^nd straight in the desert, this time falling victim to a go-ahead grand slam in the 9-6 loss.  Scott Baker got the start and was effectively wild, limiting Arizona to 3 runs on 4 hits and 3 walks while striking out 7, but lasted just 5 innings due to a high pitch count (109 pitches).  This once again created a downward spiral on the bullpen, who failed to hold the lead despite a rare scoring explosion (the 3^rd consecutive game the Twins have scored more than 5 runs), and horrendous defense by the home team (Arizona committed 5 errors to Minnesota’s zero).  Danny Valencia continued his torrid hitting with a solo homer in the 2^nd (his 5^th of the year and 2^nd in as many games) for a 1-0 Twins lead.  The Twins broke a 1-1 tied in the 5^th by getting an unearned run, Jason Kubel added to the lead by matching Valencia with his 5^th homer of the year in the 6^th, and Valencia added an RBI single later in the inning as Minnesota extended its lead to 4-1.  Back came the Diamondbacks with 2 runs in their half of the 6^th, but the Twins got those runs right back thanks to a wild sequence in which Danny Valencia singled, 2 runs scored, and 2 Arizona errors took place on the play as the Twins led 6-3 heading into the bottom of the 8^th.  But after Phil Dumatrait and Alex Burnett pitched out of trouble in the 6^th and Joe Nathan took care of Arizona in the 7^th, Nathan, Glen Perkins and closer Matt Capps let the game slip away in the home half of the 8^th.  After Nathan and Perkins each allowed singles to open the inning, manager Ron Gardenhire didn’t mess around, inserting Capps into the game, but it didn’t make a difference, as Capps allowed a 2-run double and a bunt single.  One out and one single later, 2B Kelly Johnson stepped up and hit a rocket off a 94-mph Capps fastball for a grand slam, the decisive blow in the 6-run D-Backs frame.

Record: 15-29

May 22^nd: Diamondbacks 3, Twins 2

Just when the team had been building some momentum, they are swept out of the desert.  Daniel Hudson dominated the weak-hitting Twins lineup over 8 strong innings, out-dueling the suddenly ascending Francisco Liriano, as Arizona swept Minnesota and won the finale by a final of 3-2.  Liriano is beginning to look a little better, allowing 10 baserunners (6 hits, 4 walks) but just 2 runs over 6 solid innings of work.  But it was not enough to pull out the win, as once again, his run support was limited.  Liriano actually drove in the 1^st Twins run with an RBI groundout following a Delmon Young single and Rene Rivera double.  And Young’s leadoff homer in the 7^th tied the game at 2-2.  But Ben Revere, playing in center field in place of Denard Span (getting a day off), misplayed a fly ball into a double and fielding error, allowing the go-ahead runner to advance to 3^rd.  That run would score one batter later, and the Twins would lose by that final.  Winners of a league-low 4 home games in a league-low 15 attempts, Minnesota finally returns to the friendly confines of Target Field for a 6-game homestand beginning Monday night against the hot Mariners (who have won 5 straight).  Carl Pavano, fresh off 2 strong starts, gets the start in the opener.

Record: 15-30

May 23^rd: Mariners 8, Twins 7, in 10 innings

Wow, Twins.  You really outdid yourselves (again) this time.  Leading 7-4 heading into the bottom of the 8^th, the Twins ‘pen choked yet another game away, as manager Ron Gardenhire continues to overwork his closer and put Matt Capps in for multiple innings save chances, and the Mariners capitalized with 4 runs over the 8^th/9^th/10^th innings to rally past Minnesota and win the opener 8-7.  Carl Pavano got the start and settled in after a rough first 3 frames, allowing all 4 runs on 6 hits and 1 walk over that span but no runs and just 3 more hits over his final 4 innings of work.  He gave the Twins the opportunity to get the win, as the offense turned a 4-1 deficit into a 7-4 lead thanks to the bat of an old friend.  Jim Thome made his return from a 3-week DL stint in style, crushing a pair of 2-run homers, numbers 592 and 593 of his illustrious career.  Denard Span got the Twins on the board with a leadoff homer in the 1^st, and Thome’s first blast pulled the Twins within 4-3 in the 4^th.  Span later singled home the tying run in that same inning, and Delmon Young capped a 2-out 5^th inning rally with an RBI single for a 5-4 Twins lead.  Thome’s 2^nd round-tripper came in the 7^th, and the Twins looked ready to coast home for the victory.  But once again it was the defense that let Minnesota down, as Joe Nathan allowed a 1-out single, and another Mariner reached via a Trevor Plouffe miscue at shortstop.  An RBI single and groundout scored 2 Seattle runs, but Capps was able to record the final out of the inning and keep the Twins in front 7-6.  But a leadoff single came back to haunt Capps in the 9^th, as rookie Carlos Piguero singled home that runner to tie the game.  Everything fell apart against Anthony Swarzak in the 10^th, as he allowed the first 2 hitters to reach on singles.  A sacrifice bunt and intentional walk followed, leading to former Twin Luis Rodriguez delivering a sacrifice fly to score the go-ahead run for Seattle.  The Twins had their chance in the bottom of the 9^th, as Alexi Casilla walked to bring up Thome one last time.  But Seattle reliever Jamey Wright appeared to intentionally throw at him, and the pitch missed Thome but got away from the catcher, advancing Casilla to 2^nd.  No longer with the incentive to pitch to Thome, he was intentionally walked, but Jason Repko, a late-inning defensive replacement and just activated off the DL along with Thome, failed to deliver the winning hit, grounding out to short to end the inning.  Losers of 4 straight, the Twins desperately look to improve on their dismal 4-12 home record in the 2^nd game of the series.  Nick Blackburn looks to continue is impressive roll (4 straight quality starts) on Tuesday night.

Record: 15-31

May 24^th: Twins 4, Mariners 2

It has been decided: for Minnesota to win a baseball game, their porous bullpen must not appear for the entire game.  Nick Blackburn went the distance for the 5^th time in his career, throwing a career-high 127 pitches in the process, and limiting Seattle to 2 runs (both on a 2-run homer in the 4^th) on 7 hits without a walk and 6 strikeouts as he evened his record at 4-4.  Denard Span led the bottom of the 1^st off with a triple and later scored on an RBI single by Jason Kubel for a 1-0 Twins lead, and Matt Tolbert perfectly executed a suicide squeeze in the 3^rd to add to the lead following Alexi Casilla’s double and sacrifice to 3^rd by Span.  Casilla later made a key defensive play, throwing out a runner at home to keep the score tied in the 7^th, and the Twins seized the momentum in the bottom half of the inning.  Rene Rivera and Casilla each singled with one out and Rivera scored the go-ahead rather unconventionally, on a balk by M’s starter Doug Fister.  Span followed with an RBI double, and the Twins had surged to a 4-2 advantage.  Blackburn carried the team the rest of the way, running out to the mound to a standing ovation in the top of the 9^th inning.  Despite needing 18 pitches in the 9^th, manager Ron Gardenhire never went out to get his tall, lanky sinkerballer, and the Twins were rewarded.

Record: 16-31

May 25^th: Mariners 3, Twins 0

Now that’s more like it.  The Twins offense regressed back to the season’s norms thus far against lefty Erik Bedard, dropping the finale of the 3-game set at Target Field to Seattle by a final of 3-0.  Brian Duensing got the start for the Twins and stymied the Seattle offense over 7 solid innings, but the 7 baserunners he allowed (3 hits, 4 walks) translated into 3 runs for the Mariners, whose 3 hits will all of the extra-base variety (double, triple, homer).  Contrast that with the Twins, who managed just 6 singles and one walk against Bedard, and finished 0 for 5 with runners in scoring position.  On a positive note, Joe Mauer, Tsuyoshi Nishioka, and Jose Mijares are all inching their way back to rehab assignments and are  on the road to recovery, and Michael Cuddyer’s hip injury doesn’t look severe enough for him to be placed on the Disabled List.  The Twins will take Thursday’s day off to host a memorial service for the late Harmon Killebrew at Target Field, and return to the field Friday night for a 3-game series against former Twin Torii Hunter and the Los Angeles Angels.  Scott Baker gets the start in the opener.

Record: 16-32

May 27^th: Angels 6, Twins 5

Are you serious?  This is just getting ridiculous now.  The league’s worst bullpen was at it again on Friday night, blowing a 5-0 lead after 7 dominant innings from Scott Baker and choking away a game the Twins had in hand in a demoralizing 6-5 defeat in the opener game of the 3-game Target Field series against the Angels.  Baker allowed just 6 hits while striking out 6, throwing 55 pitches and recording 5 strikeouts over his first 3 innings but pitching much more economically over his final 4 innings of work (41 pitches).  It looked like a great night for Minnesota, as Alexi Casilla collected 3 extra bases, 2 runs, and an RBI, including an RBI double to score the Twins’ 1^st run in the 1^st inning, and a triple and the Twins’ 2^nd run in the 3^rd on Jason Kubel’s RBI single.  Kubel drove home 2 more runs with a single in the 5^th, and Morneau capped the Twins’ scoring with a scorching single off the wall in right to score Casilla after his 2^nd double.  But everything unraveled in the 8^th, beginning with a single and a walk allowed by Alex Burnett.  Dusty Hughes was greeted with a 1^st-pitch 3-run homer, and just like that the score was 5-3.  Hughes would allow a single before departing, and Jim Hoey was called upon to stem the tide.  All he did was allow a double, and RBI infield single, and a game-tying sacrifice fly, finally recording the 1^st out of the inning.  He induced 2 groundball outs to end the inning, but the momentum had shifted.  Minnesota nearly capitalized on an almost catastrophic near-misplay by the Angels in the 8^th.  Danny Valencia walked on 4 pitches to lead off the inning, and Drew Butera sacrificed him to 2^nd.  After a hard line-drive by Denard Span was run down in the outfield, Casilla lifted a routine fly ball to right-center field.  CF Peter Bourjos and former Twin RF Torii Hunter nearly let the ball fall between them, as it caromed off each of them before Hunter caught it, just before hitting the ground.  And of course, the Twins would lose the game, as Bourjos showed off his wicked speed with a leadoff triple and would score on a base hit one batter later.  The Twins tried to make some noise against flame-throwing Angels closer Jordan Walden, who hit 100 mph on the gun repeatedly but allowed a pair of 2-out singles to Michael Cuddyer and Trevor Plouffe.  Delmon Young fell behind 0-2 before taking 3 balls and fouling off a couple of 100-mph heaters, but failed to bring in the tying run, flying out to Hunter to end the game.  Hoping to put aside the crushing defeat quickly, the Twins turn to Anthony Swarzak in Saturday’s 2^nd game of the series, taking the place of Francisco Liriano, who was scratched with a sore shoulder.

Record: 16-33

May 28^th: Twins 1, Angels 0, in 10 innings

Make that a 2-0 Twins record when Nick Rust is in attendance at their games in the 2011 season.  The Year of the Pitcher Part II continued at Target Field on Saturday night, as spot starter Anthony Swarzak matched ace Jered Weaver over 8 dominant innings, and the Twins enjoyed a walkoff victory by defeating the Angels 1-0 in the 2^nd game of the series.  Swarzak took a no-hitter into the 8^th inning, keeping the Los Angeles lineup flummoxed all night long, and finishing with just 1 hit allowed over his 8 innings of work on 105 pitches.  But Swarzak was unable to pick up his first 2011 victory, as Weaver was every bit as good, allowing just 2 hits and 2 walks while striking out 7 Twins over 9 innings and 128 pitches.  Weaver also got the benefit of a terrible missed call in the bottom of the 6^th, as Denard Span was called out on a pickoff throw at 2^nd base even though he was clearly safe, leaving to manager Ron Gardenhire’s ejection.  Fortunately, the Twins undeterred, and mounted the winning rally against the Angels’ ‘pen in the bottom of the 10^th.  After Jason Kubel struck out to open the inning, Justin Morneau laced a base hit to center.  Following a pitching change, Michael Cuddyer singled to left to advance pinch runner Jason Repko to 2^nd.  Delmon Young’s soft liner bounced into center for a hit, but Repko could only advance to 3^rd, as he had to retreat to 2^nd to avoid being doubled off the bag if the ball was caught.  That set the stage for Danny Valencia, who was hitting against a 5-man infield look for LA with just 2 outfielders.  Fittingly, Valencia hit a high and deep fly ball to right over the head of former Twin Torii Hunter, the same man who caught the ball to end the Angels’ win the previous night, to bring in the lone run of the game and win it for Minnesota.  Carl Pavano takes the hill as the Twins look to win their first 3-game series of the season in Sunday’s final game of the series.

Record: 17-33

May 29^th: Angels 6, Twins 5

And so we’ve reached Memorial Day, and the season is already all but over for the Minnesota Twins.  And on Sunday, despite a 13-hit effort against a pitcher with a sub-2.5 ERA, despite 8 solid innings from a struggling starter, the Twins went down in defeat once again, leaving the tying and winning runs on base in the bottom of the 9^th to lose the finale of the 3-game series 6-5 to Los Angeles.  Pavano got the start and gave up 10 hits and 5 runs (4 earned), and the unearned run came courtesy of a pair of throwing errors by the left side of the infield during a 3-run Angels 3^rd.  Jason Kubel’s RBI gave the Twins an early 1-0 lead, and Justin Morneau hit an RBI single in the bottom of the 3^rd to draw Minnesota to within 3-2.  An Angels 5^th inning run was countered with a Twins 7^th inning run (an Alexi Casilla groundout).  LA tacked on a pair of insurance runs, one each in the 8^th and 9^th innings, which proved to be the difference against the struggling Twins offense.  Minnesota mounted a rally against closer Jordan Walden in the 9^th, but fell just short, just as they did Friday night.  Matt Tolbert walked to lead off the inning, stole second, and scored on a Denard Span RBI single.  Casilla walked to put the tying run on base, and after Kubel struck out, Morneau laced his 2^nd RBI single of the day to score Span and advance Casilla to 3^rd.  But the comeback wasn’t to be, as Michael Cuddyer flew out to center to end the game for the Twins.  Despite having played 9 more games on the road than at home so far this season, Minnesota now embarks onto a 9-game road trip to 3 AL Central rival cities, beginning Monday afternoon for a matinee opening game in the Motor City against Detroit.  Nick Blackburn gets the start, looking for his 6^th consecutive quality start.

Record: 17-34

May 30^th: Tigers 6, Twins 5

Boy, it’s hard enough for the Twins to win games on their own; now the umpires have turned against them too?  The Tigers scored the go-ahead run in the bottom of the 8^th on a controversial fan interference call, rallying from a 5-3 deficit to tip the Twins 6-5 in the opening game of the series.  Nick Blackburn got the start and saw his streak of 5 straight quality starts come to an end, as he allowed 5 runs on 7 hits over 6 innings of work.  Blackburn was just one out away from extending the quality start streak, but was served up a 2-run game-tying homer to Victor Martinez that tied the game at 5-5 in the 6^th.  After falling behind 3-0, the Twins charged back into the lead, following a Michael Cuddyer RBI single in the 4^th with 4 runs in the 5^th.  The 1^st 5 Twins of the inning reached base (double, RBI single, walk, bunt single, RBI single), and Justin Morneau’s sac fly put the Twins ahead 4-3.  Cuddyer capped the outburst with his 2^nd RBI single in as many innings, but that would be all Minnesota would score.  Jim Hoey and Phil Dumatrait combined to pitch out of a bases-loaded, nobody-out jam in the 7^th to keep the game tied, but a poor umpiring call cost the Twins a run, and eventually the game, in the 8^th.  After recording the 1^st 2 outs, Alex Burnett allowed a single.  That runner would come all the way around to score, despite the ball going into the stands.  The umpires rule that fan interference occurred, but the runner was allowed home plate, though it appeared the runner should have been stopped at 3^rd.  Manager Ron Gardenhire pleaded his case to the umpires, but to no avail, and was tossed by the 3^rd-base umpire.  The offense was retired meekly in order in the top of the 9^th, with left fielder Don Kelly making a diving catch to rob Jason Repko to end the game.  Repko had entered the game in place of the injured Jason Kubel, who left the game in the 6^th after jumping to try to catch Martinez’s eventual homer, landing awkwardly and twisting his ankle.  He is listed as day-to-day with the bum wheel and may miss a couple of games, adding insult to injury in what is already a scoring-challenged offense.  The Twins and Tigers return for Tuesday night’s night game, with Brian Duensing getting the call for Minnesota.

Record: 17-35

May 31^st: Tigers 8, Twins 7

A 3-0 lead?  Not enough.  A total of 7 runs? Nope.  After allowing a demoralizing 6-run 5^th inning, the Twins battled back for a 7-6 lead in the 7^th – only to allow single runs in the 7^th and 8^th innings, as Detroit rallied past them to take game 2 of the series by a final of 8-7.  Brian Duensing got the start and threw the ball great over the game’s first 4 innings, scattering a meager 3 hits – and then the wheels fell off in the 5^th.  Detroit piled up 6 runs on 3 singles, 3 doubles, and a costly Matt Tolbert throwing error.  Still, the Twins got a very positive development with the return of the bat of Justin Morneau, who homered to extend Minnesota’s lead to 3-0 in the 3^rd, then followed that up with a 2-run shot in the 7^th to put the Twins ahead 7-6, just his 3^rd and 4^th home runs of the season.  But Jose Mijares allowed the 1^st 2 runners to reach base in the 7^th, leading to the tying run scoring on a sacrifice fly.  Phil Dumatrait then took over but couldn’t prevent Detroit from taking the lead, as the infield failed to field a sacrifice bunt in the bottom of the 8^th, leading to the go-ahead sacrifice fly.  A pair of Twins reached base in the 9^th, but Minnesota failed to tie the game.

Record: 17-36

June 1^st: Tigers 4, Twins 2

Make that 9 straight wins for the Tigers over the Twins, and a 3-game sweep.  Rick Porcello out-dueled Scott Baker, and the Twins managed just a 2-run homer from an unlikely source, losing their 4^th game in a row and leaving Detroit following a 4-2 defeat.  Baker threw 6 good innings, allowing 4 runs on 7 hits and 3 walks while striking out 5, but Porcello was better.  Only Drew Butera’s 2-run 7^th-inning homer prevented the Twins from being shutout, at the offense compiled an 0-for-6 mark with runners in scoring position and left 11 runners on base.

Record: 17-37

June 2^nd: Twins 8, Royals 2

How can you keep this man out of the rotation?!  Anthony Swarzak dazzled again, holding the Royals lineup to 2 runs on 7 hits over 6 solid innings, following up on his brilliant performance his last time out and this time being rewarded with the victory as the Twins ended a 4-game losing skid with an 8-2 victory in Kansas City.  It was a balanced effort offensively for Minnesota, as all but one Twin had at least 1 hit, and 6 different players contributed RBIs.  A throwing error paved the way for a 6-run 3^rd inning as the Twins iced the game early.  Michael Cuddyer doubled home the go-ahead run, then scored on the aforementioned error.  A wild pitch and 3 more RBI singles later, and the Twins held a commanding 7-1 lead.  The bullpen had a rare good outing as well, as Jose Mijares, Alex Burnett, and Matt Capps each pitched a shutout inning to close out the victory.  The Twins look to take the 2^nd game of the series behind the right arm of Carl Pavano.

Record: 18-37

June 3^rd: Twins 5, Royals

You can’t stop them; you can only hope to contain them!  Carl Pavano fired a complete-game, 112-pitch effort, Michael Cuddyer homered, and Denard Span added a double and a triple as the Twins defeated Kansas City 5-2 for their… wait for it… second straight victory!  Pavano gave up 9 hits and 2 runs while walking just 1 and striking out 4, improving to 3-5 this season.  Span’s 2-out, 2-run double in the 2^nd got Minnesota on the board, and Cuddyer’s 6^th (team-leading) blast of the year extended the lead to 3-0 in the 3^rd.  Span actually was thrown out trying for an inside-the-park homer in the 4^th, and Kansas City rallied for their 2 runs in the bottom of the inning.  But Pavano struck out Melky Cabrera to end the threat, and those 2 runs were eventually answered by the Twins offense.  Drew Butera provided those 2 tallies, with an RBI double in the 6^th, and a sacrifice fly in the 8^th, while Pavano stymied the Royals the rest of the way.  Looking to continue the momentum, Nick Blackburn looks to restart his quality-start streak, taking the hill in Saturday’s 3^rd game of the series.

Record: 19-37

June 4^th: Twins 7, Royals 2

Twins fans have been known to transform Kansas City’s Kauffman Stadium into Target Field South, and they lived up to that billing for the 3^rd consecutive night, giving their team rousing ovations with continuing improved play as the Twins defeated the Royals for the 3^rd consecutive time, their last victory going via a final of 7-2.  Nick Blackburn got the start and got back on track, limiting Kansas City to 2 runs on 7 hits, but departed after just 5 innings due to a stiff back.  He should be fine; we’ll know more on Sunday.  Despite featuring a lineup that would only impress a Class AAA manager (both Justin Morneau and Denard Span sat with minor injuries, moving Ben Revere to the leadoff spot, Michael Cuddyer into the #3 hole, and Danny Valencia to cleanup), the offense responded with a strong effort against KC starter Luke Hochevar.  Alexi Casilla drove in the Twins 1^st run in the 3^rd inning with his 2^nd of 4 hits on the night, yet Minnesota trailed 2-1 entering the top of the 6^th.  Revere and Casilla reached on singles, advanced on a groundout, and advanced again on a 2^nd groundout, with Revere scoring the tying run.  Delmon Young’s swinging bunt singled plated Casilla with the go-ahead run, and the Twins piled on from there, beginning the 7^th with 4 consecutive hits and 3 insurance runs, knocking out Hochevar in the process.  Michael Cuddyer capped the strong offensive showing with his team-leading 7^th home run of the season in the 9^th, and the resurgent Twins bullpen continued their stellar relief work, as Anthony Slama, Phil Dumatrait, Jim Hoey, Alex Burnett, and Jose Mijares combined to allow just 1 hit and 4 walks with 4 strikeouts over the game’s final 4 frames.  Looking for an improbable 4-game road sweep, Minnesota sends Brian Duensing to the mound in the final game of the series.

Record: 20-37

June 5^th: Twins 6, Royals 0

Now THAT’S the Brian Duensing I remember.  Duensing snapped a personal 5-decision losing streak with 8 shutout innings, and he got plenty of offensive help as well, as the Twins completed a 4-game sweep of the Royals with a 6-0 pasting in the finale of the series.  Duensing allowed just 6 hits and 1 walk while striking out 4 to pick up his 3^rd win of the season.  Jason Repko was the hitting hero of the day for the Twins, capping a 3-run 1^st inning outburst with a 2-run single, and driving home the 4^th run of the game in the 6^th with another single.  Delmon Young added an RBI hit of his own in the 1^st, and Matt Tolbert capped the strong offensive showing with a 2-run 9^th inning triple to add a little icing to the cake for Minnesota.  Suddenly amidst some newfound momentum, the Twins travel northeast to Cleveland for a battle with the division-leading, but skidding, Indians.  Scott Baker gets the start in Monday’s season opener.

Record: 21-37

June 6^th: Twins 6, Indians 4

Well would you look at that; the Twins are playing the sound fundamental baseball we’ve grown accustomed to seeing over the past 10 years.  And it’s been paying dividends, as the team has now put together a 5-game winning streak, their latest a 6-4 win in Cleveland.  Scott Baker got the start and overcame some 1^st inning struggles to throw 7+ innings and allow 4 runs (3 earned) on 9 hits, while not walking anyone and striking out 5, to recapture the success he’d had earlier in the year and win his 3^rd decision of 2011.  After the 1^st 3 Cleveland batters reached, a line-drive double play got Baker out of trouble, and Matt Tolbert, who’d turned that DP, came through with a clutch 2-out 2-run single to tie the game at 2-2 in the 2^nd.  The Twins then put the 1^st 4 runners on base in the 5^th, including Drew Butera’s safety squeeze bunt that netted the go-ahead run, to score 3 runs and take a 5-2 lead.  Delmon Young’s blooped RBI double answered a Cleveland solo homer, and the Twins led 6-3 heading to the bottom of the 8^th.  Manager Ron Gardenhire continues to limit his porous bullpen’s work as much as possible, and ordered Baker back out to the mound in the 8^th, but a single and hit-by-pitch knocked Baker from the game as the tying run came to the plate against Jose Mijares.  Mijares appeared to have coaxed a 5-5-3 double play off the bat of Indian catcher Carlos Santana, but the ball was ruled foul.  Fortunately, a couple of pitches later, the Twins turned a 6-63 double play; with SS Alexi Casilla stepping on 2^nd himself and gunning a strong throw to 1^st to complete the DP.  A second missed call by the umpire prompted the 4^th Tribe run to score, as Michael Cuddyer was charged with an error.  But Alex Burnett came on to record an inning-ending strikeout, and Matt Capps settled down to pitch around a leadoff walk and record his 8^th save of the season, and 1^st since May 18.  Looking for their 6^th straight win, Minnesota welcomes back Francisco Liriano to the rotation after missing 2 starts with shoulder soreness.

Record: 22-37

June 7^th: Indians 1, Twins 0

Well, that’s baseball.  Despite only allowing a single unearned run, Francisco Liriano was a hard-luck loser, as the Twins reverted to their punchless ways in a 1-0 defeat in Cleveland that snapped their 5-game winning streak.  Liriano went just 5 innings after missing his previous 2 starts, but limited Cleveland to just a single 4^th-inning run on 3 hits while walking 3 and striking out 7, was unable to prevent his record from dropping to 3-6 this season.  Cleveland catcher Carlos Santana doubled leading off the 4^th, then advanced to 3^rd on a bobble by Delmon Young.  He would score on a groundout for the other run of the game.  On the other side, young Carlos Carrasco’s sinker was working to perfection all day long, as he controlled the Twins offense to the tune of 3 hits and 1 walk over 8 1/3 innings while striking out 6.  Ben Revere singled and advanced to 2^nd in the 9^th, but was left stranded as Michael Cuddyer took a controversial game-ending strike 3 call to end the game.  Looking to restart a winning streak and take the series, Carl Pavano gets the start in Wednesday’s matinee series finale.

Record: 22-38

June 8^th: Twins 3, Indians 2, in 10 innings

What could have turned into a demoralizing loss earlier in the year became a victory.  The Twins of April and May would have folded under the pressure of blowing a lead, but not this bunch, as Minnesota overcame a 2-out game-tying home run off Matt Capps in the 9^th to plate the winning run in the 10^th in a 3-2 win in Cleveland.  Carl Pavano got the start and made just 1 mistake over 7 strong innings, as only a 6^th-inning solo homer would hurt his team amongst the 7 hits he allowed on 110 pitches.  But Pavano was unable to be the winner, as Capps allowed a solo homer to native Minnesota Jack Hannahan to tie the game at 2-2.  Ben Revere was the hitting hero, singling in the 1^st Twins run in the 3^rd, and then following a Drew Butera 2-out double in the 10^th with a run-scoring double of his own.  Justin Morneau provided the other Twins run with a 6^th-inning RBI double, and Phil Dumatrait pitched around a 2-out double in the 10^th to record his 1^st major-league save.  After completing a 6-4 road trip by winning 6 of the final 7 games, Minnesota finally returns home for its longest homestand of the year, a 10-game schedule beginning with a 4-game series against the defending AL champion Texas Rangers, who are still winless at Target Field (0-6 last season).  Nick Blackburn gets the start in Thursday night’s opening game.

Record: 23-38

June 9^th: Twins 5, Rangers 4

The hot streak continues, and this time it took a little walkoff magic to make it happen.  Alexi Casilla’s 2-out RBI single in the 9^th lifted the Twins past Texas for their 7^th win in their past 8 games.  Nick Blackburn once again threw out a strong performance, scattering 10 hits over 7 1/3 innings, but was unable to pick up the victory, as an 8^th-inning solo homer by Nelson Cruz tied the game at 4-4.  He also was the victim of a pair of unearned runs, as his own throwing error, as well as a fielding error by 3B Danny Valencia, opened the door for a 2-run Texas 5^th inning.  Aside from that inning, the teams traded homers, as Delmon Young’s 2^nd inning solo homer (his 2^nd of the season) answered that of Josh Hamilton in the 1^st.  And Michael Cuddyer’s 2-out 3-run blast in the 5^th, his 8^th, gave the Twins a 4-1 lead.  But the outcome was still in doubt until the 9^th, as Alex Burnett and Chuck James overcame a pair of hits allowed by Jose Mijares to leave the bases loaded in the 8^th, and James and Jim Hoey combined for a spotless 9^th, setting the stage for the final inning rally.  Luke Hughes led off the inning with a ground-rule double, but was unable to advance following a pair of outs and a walk.  But Casilla drove a slider down and in from lefty Arthur Rhodes into the left field corner for the game-winning hit, and the Twins went home happy.

Record: 24-38

June 10^th: Rangers 9, Twins 3

And finally, after 7 straight losses, the Rangers have a victory at Target Field.  Brian Duensing’s night ended after just 2 innings, as Texas threw a touchdown on the board in the 2^nd inning against him.  Texas piled up 6 hits and a walk to score 7 runs, aided by a crushing Alexi Casilla fielding error that added 4 unearned runs to the mess, as Duensing dropped his 6^th decision of the year.  Rangers starter C.J. Wilson pitched judiciously from there, allowing 3 runs on 8 hits over 7 strong to defeat the Twins.  The highlight of the night was the bullpen-saving effort delivered by Anthony Swarzak, who threw 6 innings in relief of Duensing and keep the rest of the Twins’ arms fresh for the remainder of the series.

Record: 24-39

June 11^th: Twins 8, Rangers 1

Well, that was over quickly, and revenge is a sweet dish.  After a 7-run inning effectively won the game for Texas the previous night, Minnesota returned the favor, dropping 5 1^st-inning runs on the Rangers and sending starter Colby Lewis to the showers in the 2^nd to back starter Scott Baker in an 8-1 Twins win.  Baker shut down the Rangers, going the distance and giving up just 5 hits and 1 run while striking out 7 to even his record at 4-4 and lower his ERA to a strong 3.55.  The Twins jumped all over Lewis early, scoring 5 runs without the benefit of an extra base hit, compiling 5 singles, 2 walks, and a wild pitch for a 5-0 lead.  Alexi Casilla’s torrid hitting continued, as he doubled to lead off the 2^nd, stole 3^rd, and scored the 6^th run of the game on Delmon Young’s RBI single to knock Lewis from the game.  Casilla added a run-scoring single in the 4^th, and Young completed his strong hitting effort with an RBI double in the 8^th to put Minnesota ahead 8-0.  Baker lost the shutout in the 8^th, but he had plenty of run support to coast to the victory.

Record: 25-39

June 12^th: Twins 6, Rangers 1

Drama ensued once more at Target Field, as Francisco Liriano flirted with history, but was ultimately undermined by his own team’s efforts in a 6-1 victory as the Twins took 3 of 4 from the AL West-leading Texas.  Liriano took a perfect game into the 7^th, but lost it on a Luke Hughes fielding error (it was a tough play, but given the situation, an error was the right call).  And he still had his no-hitter into the 8^th.  But it was a bit rusty in the 8^th, no doubt in large part due to the Twins’ 5-run 7^th inning explosion to ice game.  But the story of the game was Liriano, who looked like his vintage 2006 self, dominating with his biting slider to strikeout a season-best-tying 9 Rangers and giving up just 1 run on 2 hits in winning his 4^th game of the year and lowering his ERA by a half-run to 4.67.  A Luke Hughes RBI single gave the Twins a 1-0 lead in the 1^st, but the score remained 1-0 until the 7^th, as Rangers starter Matt Harrison cruised along.  But once again the depleted Twins lineup stepped up.  A nonchalant defensive error by SS Elvis Andrus opened the floodgates, the run of the inning scored on that error.  Alexi Casilla is an unstoppable force at the moment, as he delivered an RBI single to raise his average to .263 (it was once at .175).  Michael Cuddyer then delivered the decisive blow, launching his 9^th homer of the year to double the Twins lead to 6-0.  All that time off clearly affected Liriano, who fell behind 3B Adrian Beltre 3-0 before losing his no-hitter on Beltre’s single.  Still, Liriano overcame the lone run scoring against him to finish the 8^th, and Alex Burnett retired the side in order to complete the victory.  A much-deserved off-day greets Minnesota on Monday, and the team returns to Target Field for a matchup with the rival Chicago White Sox beginning Tuesday night.  Carl Pavano, on a recent run of success, looks to continue that success in the opening game of the series.  NOTE: With Tuesday's rainout, both starters are pushed back to Wednesday's game. The rained out game's makeup date has not yet been announced.

Record: 26-39

June 15^th: Twins 4, White Sox 1

Rainout?  What rainout?  Despite having his start pushed back a day, Carl Pavano was unaffected by the minor inconvenience, throwing a complete game and allow just a single run and scattering 6 hits en route to his 4^th victory of the season in a 4-1 Twins victory.  Pavano’s ERA sits at a season-best 4.20 following the stellar performance, as the Twins won for the 10^th time in their last 12 games.  Alexi Casilla’s incredibly run of hitting success continued, as his RBI double gave the Twins a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the 3^rd inning.  Following a walk to Michael Cuddyer, the two baserunners pulled off a double steal, and Delmon Young brought in both runners with a 2-run single for a 3-0 lead.  Pavano coasted along, allowing the only Sox run in the 6^th, but recording a double play in the inning to pitch out of trouble, one of four double plays the Twins would turn in the game.  Cuddyer stole a career-best 3 bases against the Gavin Floyd-A.J. Pierzynski battery, and scored the final Twins run in the 8^th inning on a Danny Valencia RBI double.  The insurance run proved crucial, as the Sox put a pair of runners in scoring position with nobody out in the top of the 9^th.  But a strikeout, lineout, and groundout finished off the Sox in the 9^th as the Twins took the opening game of the series.

Record: 27-39

June 16^th: Twins 1, White Sox 0

Including the game on May 21^st, 2009, the Twins are 28-7 against the White Sox.  This includes their latest victory, Thursday’s 1-0 triumph, led by an 8-inning shutout effort by Nick Blackburn and timely defense behind him.  Blackburn scattered 7 hits while also pitching around 2 errors (including one of his own) and inducing a pair of double plays as he won his 6^th decision of the year, and now holds a stellar 3.16 ERA.  Mark Buehrle, an eternal Twins nemesis, was just one pitch from equaling the effort of Blackburn, but alas, Michael Cuddyer’s 2^nd inning home run, his 10^th of the year, was all the offense the Twins would need.  Matt Capps pitched around a leadoff single with a pair of strikeouts to pick up his 9^th save of the year, as the Twins have now won 11 of their past 13 games, rolling right into the favorable part of the schedule: interleague.  Minnesota’s 10-game homestand concludes as interleague play begins, as the San Diego Padres come to town for a weekend series.  Brian Duensing gets the start in Friday night’s opening game.

Record: 28-39

June 17^th: Twins 6, Padres 5

The ballyhooed return of Minnesota’s chosen one was a victorious one on Friday night, as Joe Mauer drove in the first Twins run in his first at-bat in two months as Minnesota took game 1 of their interleague series with San Diego, hanging on for a 6-5 win, their 12^th win in their past 14 games.  Brian Duensing got the start and finally looked like the Duensing of old, permitting the Pads to just  2 runs on 7 hits and 1 walk over 6 solid innings while striking out 5 to pick up his 4^th win of the season.  San Diego got off to a horrific start in the 1^st inning, leaving 2 men in scoring position in their half, and then having what might have been their worst defensive inning of the season.  The Padres committed 2 throwing errors, and a passed ball in the frame, and after Mauer’s RBI single, Michael Cuddyer’s ground-rule double scored him for a 2-0 Twins lead.  Prior to that the Pads had thrown out Ben Revere trying to steal 3^rd, but the 2^nd out of the inning didn’t come until after Danny Valencia crushed his 6^th homer into the 2^nd deck in left field, and the Twins had exploded for a 5-0 lead.  A 3^rd Padres error led to the 6^th Twins run, as Jason Repko singled with 2 outs in the 4^th, advanced to 2^nd on a throwing error, and scored on Revere’s RBI single for a 6-1 lead. The Friars battled back, getting that run back in the 5^th and answering Valencia’s homer with Ryan Ludwick’s 3-run shot in the 7^th off Alex Burnett, and the Twins’ lead was cut to 6-5.  But Glen Perkins, also making his return to the roster on Friday night, pitched around a leadoff single in the 8^th to keep the Twins in front, and Matt Capps had little trouble in the 9^th as he picked up his 10^th save of the season.  The teams return to the field on Saturday night, and Scott Baker takes the mound for Minnesota.

Record: 29-39

June 18^th: Twins 1, Padres 0

What kind of craziness is this?!  For the 2^nd time in 4 games, the Twins won a game by a final of 1-0 … with both runs scoring on a solo home run … and both homers came in the 2^nd inning.  Amazing, thy name is baseball.  This time it was the stellar pitching of Scott Baker that carried the day, as he lasted a strong 8 innings and shutout the Padres on just 4 hits while striking out a season-best 10.  The victory was Baker’s 5^th of the season, and his ERA sits at an outstanding 3.24.  Danny Valencia’s 2^nd home run in as many games, his 7^th of the season, was the only run the Twins could muster, but it proved to be enough.  Both teams struggled with runners in scoring position (San Diego 0-for-7, Minnesota 0-for-8), and a leadoff triple by Chris Denorfia was wasted.  And in the end, a 2^nd-inning solo homer was the difference in the game, the Twins’ 6^th in a row and 13^th in 15 games.

Record: 30-39

June 19^th: Twins 5, Padres 4

Uh oh, they’re starting to get that look in their eye…   The never-say-die Minnesota Twins pulled out another improbable victory on Sunday afternoon, rallying from 3-1 down to walk off with a 5-4 victory on Drew Butera’s game-winning RBI single.  Francisco Liriano got the start, but after 3 excellent innings, he began to unravel a bit.  An Alexi Casilla solo homer, his 1^st of the year, gave Minnesota a 1^st inning lead, but it didn’t last, as San Diego put 3 and 4 hits together in the 4^th and 5^th innings, respectively, scoring 1 and 2 runs for a 3-1 edge.  Liriano lasted 7 innings with a final line of 8 hits, 3 earned runs, 2 walks, and 8 strikeouts, but it wasn’t until the bottom of the 7^th that his team gave him an unlikely lead.  Friars starter Dustin Moseley had sailed into the inning having allowing just one other hit besides Casilla’s homer, but Michael Cuddyer changed that with a leadoff double.  After a Delmon Young flyout, Luke Hughes grounded a ball down to Pads 3B Chase Headley, who threw the ball past 1B Jesus Guzman and into right field.  Cuddyer stopped at 3^rd and Luke Hughes took 2^nd on the error, with Moseley departing the game.  Mike Adams, who came into the game with a league-best 0.62 WHIP and a 1.17 ERA that ranked 3^rd, induced an RBI groundout off the bat of Tsuyoshi Nishioka, and was 1 strike from preserving a 3-2 Padres lead.  But pinch hitter Rene Tosoni, hitting for Rene Rivera, grounded a double down the right field line to plate Hughes with the tying run.  Tosoni would then score the go-ahead run on Matt Tolbert’s RBI double, and the Twins had taken a 4-3 lead.  The margin would be brief, however, as Glen Perkins nearly pitched out of a bases-loaded jam before failing to cover first base on a ball hit to Hughes, and the tying San Diego run would score.  Perkins recorded a strikeout to prevent further damage and keep the game tied, and Alex Burnett retired the side in order in the 9^th, setting the stage for the 9^th inning rally.  Delmon Young led off the frame with an infield single, then went to 2^nd on Hughes’ sacrifice bunt.  After an intentional walk to Nishioka, Butera, who had come on to catch after Rivera was lifted for the pinch hitter Tosoni, hit a ground ball that caromed off the glove of Headley at 3^rd and past former Twin Jason Bartlett at short and into left field. Young scampered around 3^rd and scored easily, setting off the celebration that capped the Twins’ 7^th consecutive victory and 14^th in 16 games.  After a tremendously successful 8-1 homestand, the Twins will enjoy an off-day before embarking on a 6-game road trip that takes them to the Bay Area for a matchup with the defending World Series champion San Francisco Giants.  Carl Pavano gets the start in Tuesday night’s opening game.

Record: 31-39

June 21^st: Twins 9, Giants 2

Ya know, when the starting pitcher has an 8-run lead before throwing a single pitch in a game, his life was made a lot easier.  Such was the case on Tuesday night, as Carl Pavano’s offense obliterated Giants starter Madison Bumgarner for 8 runs on 9 hits in the 1^st inning while Pavano took over from there during an easy 9-2 win in San Francisco to open the 3-game series, the Twins’ 8^th consecutive win and 15^th in 17 games.  Pavano allowed just 2 runs on 9 hits over 8 economical innings to even his record at 5-5 for the season and lowering his ERA to a nice 4.05.  The game was effectively over before the top half of the 1^st inning was concluded, as the Twins began the game in the following fashion: single, double, RBI single, RBI double, RBI single, RBI double, 2-run single, double, strikeout (by Pavano), 2-run double.  If you’re counting, that‘s 5 doubles, 4 singles, 8 runs, and 2 hits by Ben Revere – all in a single inning.  Poor Bumgarner was removed after just 25 pitches, and Pavano held the porous Giants lineup in check all night to coast to the victory.  Minnesota’s offense didn’t score again until Alexi Casilla took a low-inside slider out into the right-field bleachers for his 2^nd homer of the year, and Jose Mijares set the Giants down in order in the 9^th to finish the victory as the Twins continue their ascent toward the top of the division, trimming a 16.5-game 1^st place deficit on June 1^st to just 6.5 games today.  Looking for victory #9 in a row, the Twins send Nick Blackburn to the hill in Wednesday’s 2^nd game of the series.

Record: 32-39

June 22^nd: Giants 5, Twins 1

You know what they say about all good things…  A well-pitched game was marred by sloppy defensive play on both sides, but Ryan Vogelsong proved stronger than Nick Blackburn on Wednesday night, as the Giants ended the Twins’ 8-game winning streak with a 5-1 victory to even the series at a game apiece.  Blackburn lasted just 6 innings while surrendering just 4 hits, but 3 walks contributed to the losing effort, as well as a costly error by Alexi Casilla that caused 1 of the 3 Blackburn runs allowed to be unearned.  The story of the night was Vogelsong, however, who has been a revelation for the Giants after being out of the league the last 4 seasons.  Only Tsuyoshi Nishioka’s RBI single in the 7^th prevented the shutout, as Vogelsong’s ERA now stands at 1.86 following a 7-inning, 4-hit, 1-run effort in his victory over the Twins.  Minnesota’s defense really let them down as well, as Danny Valencia, Casilla, and Nishioka all committed errors, leading to a pair of unearned San Francisco runs.  In the rubber game of the series, the Twins send Brian Duensing to the mound to face the shaggy-haired 2-time NL Cy Young award winner, Tim Lincecum.

Record: 32-40

June 23^rd: Giants 2, Twins 1

When a former Cy Young award winner comes out to play, and has all his fun little toys along with him, it makes for a very long day for the opposition.  The opponent on this day was the Minnesota Twins, who had no fun of their own flailing away against Tim Lincecum in a hard-fought 2-1 loss in the final game of the series.  Lincecum had all his pitches working on Thursday afternoon, and it showed in his final line of 7 innings, 3 hits, 0 runs, 2 walks, and 12 strikeouts.  Brian Duensing opposed him and didn’t pitch all that badly himself, lasting 6 2/3 innings and allowing 6 hits and 1 run while walking 2 and striking out 5, but wasn’t nearly as sharp, as he flirted with danger repeatedly, including walking Lincecum and pitching out of a bases-loaded jam in the 5^th.  A pair of hits led to Miguel Tejada’s RBI groundout in the 2^nd, and the next run wasn’t scored until back-to-back hits led to the 2^nd Giants run in the 8^th inning against Glen Perkins.  Michael Cuddyer did his part to help the Twins offense, doubling twice among his 3 hits and following Alexi Casilla’s leadoff walk with an RBI double in the 9^th to draw Minnesota to within 2-1.  But he was left stranded there, as Delmon Young chased a slider for a strikeout, Danny Valencia lined out to left, and Luke Hughes bounced into a fielder’s choice, as Giants 3B Pablo Sandoval made an ill-advised attempt to chase down Cuddyer from behind as he tried to get back to 2^nd base, but was able to dive and tag out Cuddyer before he could reach the base safely, as the Giants narrowly escaped with the victory.  The 2-stop road trip ends in Milwaukee for the Twins, and Scott Baker looks to end his team’s 2-game losing streak in the Friday night opener.

Record: 32-41

June 24^th: Brewers 4, Twins 3

During their 15-2 run that ended earlier this week, the Twins had considerable trouble scoring runs, relying on their speed guys to get on base and manufacture runs.  Even that has become a chore for Minnesota, and their weak bullpen blew another game on Friday night in a 4-3 defeat in Milwaukee, their 3^rd in a row following 8 straight wins.  Scott Baker got the start and ended up taking his 5^th loss of the year, allowing 4 runs on 8 hits while walking 4 and striking out 4 over 6 2/3 innings, but it was that final out in the 7^th that proved elusive and crushing to the Twins’ hopes of victory.  Baker was handed a 3-2 lead in the 6^th following a 3-run blast by Danny Valencia (his 8^th of the year), but got no other support, departing with 2 outs in the 7^th and runners on 1^st and 3^rd.  Jose Mijares was tasked with retiring the vaunted Prince Fielder, but promptly fell behind in the count at 3-0.  He got 2 fastballs across to run the count full, but was unable to get a 6^th fastball by Prince, who laced a double in the right field corner to score both runners and put Milwaukee ahead 4-3.  The Twins didn’t get a baserunner over the final 2 innings, and Valencia’s tater was the only Twins hit with runners in scoring position for the game in 7 tries.  Another huge concern: Joe Mauer’s batting average is now down to a meager .186 after an 0-for-4 effort, and is 3-for-25 since returning from the disabled list last week.  Game 2 of the series features a pair of Latino hurlers, as Twins lefty Francisco Liriano faces Brewers righty Yovani Gallardo.

Record: 32-42

June 25^th: Brewers 11, Twins 1

Add injury to insult on Saturday night, as the Twins were way more concerned with the health of Delmon Young than they were the final score of an eventual 11-1 blowout defeat in Milwaukee in the 2^nd game of the series.  A fly ball off the bat of Brewers SS Yuniesky Betancourt sent Young back to the wall, and as leaped for (and missed) the ball, his ankle got caught against the frame of the scoreboard at the base of the wall, and he immediately crumpled to the ground as the ball caromed away, resulting in an inside-the-park home run.  It was diagnosed as a sprain and x-rays were negative; Young will have an MRI on Monday back in the Twin Cities to determine further damage, but it didn’t look like too devastating an injury.  Only Ben Revere’s RBI single in the 2^nd, which actually gave Minnesota a 1-0 lead, prevented the shutout, while Francisco Liriano got hammered for 6 runs, 5 earned, on 8 hits while walking 2 and striking out 3 over just 3 2/3 innings.  The bullpen didn’t fare much better, as Anthony Swarzak and Phil Dumatrait combined to allow 4 more runs, and Joe Nathan was greeted with a solo homer in his 1^st appearance since May 23.

Record: 32-43

June 26^th: Brewers 6, Twins 2

It’s been quite a reversal of fortune over the last 5 games for Minnesota, who have now lost 5 straight games after winning 15 of 17, dropping the finale of the series in Milwaukee by a final of 6-2 as the Brewers swept the series.  Carl Pavano got the start and carried a 1-0 lead into the 5^th, thanks to a Danny Valencia triple and subsequent Jason Repko RBI single for a 1-0 lead.  But it all unraveled in the 5^th, as LF Ryan Braun’s 2-run homer off Pavano broke a 1-1 tie.  A pair of RBI doubles in the 6^th helped knock Pavano out of the game after 6 innings after he had allowed 5 runs on 8 hits, as he lost his 6^th decision of the season.  Jim Thome made his 2^nd pinch-hitting appearance since his return from the disabled list and laced an RBI single in the 7^th, but it wasn’t nearly enough as the Twins went down meagerly to take their 5^th consecutive defeat following an 8-game winning streak.  Desperately looking to get back on track, the Twins return home for a 9-game homestand that closes out interleague play, and begin a 3-game set against the LA Dodgers on Monday night.  Nick Blackburn gets the start in the opener.

Record: 32-44

June 27^th: Dodgers 15, Twins 0

In baseball, you’re going to have your good nights, and your not-so-good nights.  The latter fit the bill pretty fairly for Minnesota on Monday night, as the return to their home ballpark did them no favors in an incredible 15-0 decimation at the hands of the Dodgers in the opening game of the series.  Nick Blackburn got the start and was completely shelled, lasting just 4 1/3 innings (his shortest start since April 28) and giving up 8 runs (7 earned) on 12 hits as he took his 6^th loss of the year and saw his ERA rise by nearly half a run in a single start.  The bullpen fared no matter, as Anthony Swarzak, Phil Dumatrait, and Jose Mijares combined to allow 7 more runs on 8 hits, as the Dodgers singled an amazing 18 times among their 24 hits, along with 2 doubles, a triple, and 3 solo homers.  The highlight of the night was probably the shutout inning thrown by Matt Capps in the 9^th, as LA scored in 7 of their 9 innings of batting, with no more than 3 runs scored in any inning.  The team also threw in 3 errors just for good measure, to top off one of the most disastrous nights in recent franchise history as the team lost their 6^th consecutive game.  Offensively, the team managed just 4 hits, with the highlight being Joe Mauer’s double that raised his average back over .200 at .206.  Hoping for better luck in the 2^nd game of the series, Brian Duensing takes the hill on Tuesday night.

Record: 32-45

June 28^th: Twins 6, Dodgers 4

Tuesdays seem to be good to the Twins.  Having not won a game since the previous Tuesday (6 straight losses), the Twins offense came out strong against Dodgers starter Ted Lilly, and Luke Hughes’ tie-breaking 2-run homer in the 5^th carried Brian Duensing and the Twins to a 6-4 victory to even the series at a game apiece.  Brian Duensing lasted just 5 innings while allowing 4 runs on 4 hits and 4 walks and striking out 4, but Hughes’ blast gave him his 5^th win of the season.  Duensing’s offense staked him to a 3-0 lead after just 2 innings, as Joe Mauer’s 1^st inning RBI single scored Ben Revere with the first run.  Revere then chipped in with an RBI single of his own, then capped the 2^nd with the Twins’ 3^rd run, stealing 2^nd (his 8^th stolen base of his short season) and scoring on Alexi Casilla’s 2-out double.  The teams traded runs in the 4^th as Jason Repko stole 2^nd after being hit by a pitch and scored on Rene Rivera’s RBI single, but the Dodgers struck for a game-tying 3-run 5^th inning, as Duensing allowed a solo homer, allowed a couple of walks, then surrendered a 2-run single to RF Andre Ethier.  But Hughes’ 2^nd homer of the year followed a Danny Valencia single to put the Twins back in front, and the bullpen took over from there.  Alex Burnett induced a double play to escape trouble in the 6^th, Jason Repko helped Glen Perkins finish a scoreless 7^th by throwing a runner out at the plate, Joe Nathan pitched around a runner on 1^st to fire a shutout 8^th, and Matt Capps gave up a pair of walks before retiring Casey Blake to end the game and save his 12^th game of the season.

Record: 33-45

June 29^th: Twins 1, Dodgers 0

Wednesday was a nice bounce-back end to the series for the Twins, who appear to have righted the ship, at least for now.  Scott Baker’s 7 1/3 shutout innings proved just enough for victory, as Ben Revere’s leadoff triple and Tsuyoshi Nishioka’s RBI groundout were all the scoring the Twins would need to complete a 1-0 victory and take the series.  Baker struck out 9 and scattered just 6 hits and 1 walks, while throwing a season-high 119 fastballs, as he won his 6^th game of the season, lowered his ERA to a staff-best 3.15 (and 18^th-best in the AL), and continues to prove with each start that he is the ace on the Twins’ staff.  The Nishioka groundout was just the 1^st of 10 plate at-bats the Twins had with runners in scoring position that did not result in a base hit, but Baker limited LA to just 2 of those chances, of which they also produced no hits.  Glen Perkins struck the best 2 Dodger hitters (RF Andre Ethier and CF Matt Kemp) in succession to close out the 8^th (the most significant plays in the game), and Matt Capps pitched around a 2-out single to finish off his 13^th save of the season.  Following a day off on Thursday, the Twins look for revenge against their border rivals from Milwaukee, who swept the Twins out of Miller Park last weekend.  Francisco Liriano gets his rematch with Yovani Gallardo in the Friday night opener.

Record: 34-45

July 1^st: Twins 6, Brewers 2

Welcome home, Big Jim.  You were sorely missed.  And please, stay healthy, okay big fella?  Jim Thome’s 3-run blast in the bottom of the 1^st inning got the Twins off and running, and Francisco Liriano tossed 7 solid innings, as the Twins waited out a 2-hour rain delay and downed the Brewers 6-2 to open the 3-game series, and also ending a 7-game losing streak against their border rivals.  Liriano limited Milwaukee to just 2 runs on 4 hits and 2 walks while striking out 7, winning his 5^th game of the year and lowering his ERA to 4.76.  Thome’s 3-run homer capped a 2-out rally and outshone the solo shot from former Twin Carlos Gomez in the 1^st, and a gaffe by Brewers 1B Prince Fielder turned a pair of walks to lead off the inning into a pair of unearned runs in the 5^th as the Twins took a 5-2 lead.  Joe Nathan, looking more and more like his old self, set down the Crew in order in the 8^th, and Danny Valencia provided the icing on the cake with a 2-out RBI single to score the Twins’ final run.  Glen Perkins’ 1-2-3 9^th finished off the Twins’ 3^rd straight win.  Carl Pavano looks for a considerably better outing than he had last weekend against these same Brewers, taking the hill in Saturday’s 2^nd game of the series.

Record: 35-45

July 2^nd: Brewers 8, Twins 7

I’ve never been one to blame a single player on a loss.  I’ve always defended players, saying things like “It’s a team sport” and “you win together and you lose together.”  And I hate to deviate from this conviction, but on Saturday night, you can’t help but think that closer Matt Capps was more responsible for the defeat than anyone else.  Carl Pavano’s 7 1/3 inning effort was wasted as his Twins blew a 7-0 lead, with 4 runs scoring against Capps in the 9^th inning as the Brewers rallied to rip the heart out of their border rivals, stealing victory from the jaws of defeat in a 8-7 dagger into the heart of Minnesota.  Pavano was stellar out of the gate, allowing just 2 hits over the first 4 innings as his offense built him a commanding 7-0 lead.  Danny Valencia began a stellar hitting night with an RBI single in the 1^st, then followed Michael Cuddyer’s 11^th homer of the season with his 9^th as the back-to-back jacks had Minnesota ahead 3-0 after 3 innings.  The floodgates then opened against Brewers lefty Chris Narveson in the 5^th, as 6 consecutive Twins reached base with 2 outs in the inning.  Alexi Casilla doubled, Joe Mauer walked, and Cuddyer, Valencia, Luke Hughes, and Jason Repko each drove in runs with RBI singles as the Twins broke the game wide open.  But Milwaukee was undeterred, scoring their 1^st run in the 5^th, then getting a 2-run homer from Nyjer Morgan in the 6^th (the lead runner had reached base on Danny Valencia’s 9^th error of the season).  Morgan tripled and scored in the 8^th, but Glen Perkins came on to record the final out of the 8^th on a strikeout as carried a 7-4 lead into the 9^th.  Somehow, 7 runs and 14 hits proved not enough, as the Minnesota offense produced exactly 0 hits over their final 5 innings of batting, with 2 runners reaching base via walk and both being thrown out stealing.  Capps couldn’t get anybody out in the 9^th, allowing the first 3 batters to reach on singles.  Following a pop out, Rickie Weeks’ deep drive to center was tracked down by CF Ben Revere to get the Twins 1 out away from victory.  But the pest of the night, Morgan, had one more bullet in his gun, lacing the first pitch from Capps just above the glove of Cuddyer in right and off the wall, scoring both baserunners to tie the game.  And just as improbably, it was backup catcher George Kottaras, who came on for former Twin Carlos Gomez (who had come in for defensive purposes in relief of all-star Ryan Braun),who laced a 1-2 pitch into center for the go-ahead base hit, and Milwaukee had taken an 8-7 lead.  Closer John Axford set the Twins down in order quickly and quietly, striking out Jim Thome on a high fastball to end the game.  Fortunately for Twins Territory, its just one game, and the team will be right back at it on Sunday afternoon.  Nick Blackburn gets the start, hoping to quickly recover from his worst start of the season his last time out.

Record: 35-46

July 3^rd: Twins 9, Brewers 7

Revenge is a dish best served cold, and revenge was served upon the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday afternoon.  After ripping the heart of Twins Territory the night before with a stirring 8-run rally to erase a 7-0 deficit, the Brewers received the comeuppance one day later, as the Twins methodically pulled back from a 6-1 4^th inning deficit – taking advantage of some shoddy Brewer defense in the process, to rally past Milwaukee 9-7 to take the finale and the 3-game series at Target Field.  Jim Thome’s 595^th career homer gave the Twins a brief 1-0 lead, but it was short-lived.  Nick Blackburn got the start and was rocked once again, allowing 6 runs on 6 hits in just 4 innings, including a 5-run Milwaukee outburst in the 4^th inning that gave them their convincing lead.  Undeterred, backup OF Rene Tosoni delivered a 3-run blast in the bottom of the inning, pulling Minnesota back to within 2 with just his 2^nd career homer.  Michael Cuddyer’s RBI single was answered by Rickie Weeks solo homer, and the Brewers still held their 2-run cushion heading into the 7^th.  Cuddyer once again justified his All-Star selection, delivering his 2^nd consecutive clutch 2-out RBI single to bring Minnesota to down just 1 run.  Following a Jim Thome walk to load the bases, Danny Valencia laced a go-ahead 2-run single to left, and the Twins netted an additional run as LF Mark Kotsay misplayed the ball into an error.  Joe Nathan’s stellar bullpen worked continued, as he threw his 3^rd straight 1-2-3 inning in the 8^th, but Matt Capps struggled once again in the 9^th.  Having blown a 3-run lead the night before, Capps was not allowed to finish the 9^th after he recorded just 1 out while allowing 2 singles.  Fortunately, Glen Perkins came on to strike out Prince Fielder and pinch hitter Casey McGahee to close out the Brewers and seal the comeback win.

Record: 36-46

July 4^th: Twins 7, Rays 0

The revenge theme continued on Independence Day Monday, as the Twins took a small measure of vengeance against the pesky Tampa Bay Rays in a thorough 7-0 beatdown in the opening game of the 3-game series.  Undaunted by his team’s 1-6 record against Tampa this year, Brian Duensing took the hill and threw an utterly dominant performance.  He threw a complete game shutout, scattering 6 hits and 4 walks while striking out 7 to win his 6^th decision of 2011 and lower his ERA to 4.25.  The Twins offense took advantage of some rare wildness from Rays ace lefty David Price, as a pair of singles and a walk to Matt Tolbert loaded the bases for Tsuyoshi Nishioka, who doubled home 2 runs for an 2-0 lead.  Ben Revere tacked on 1 more with an RBI groundout, and Michael Cuddyer added to his All-Star candidacy with a 3^rd-inning solo homer, his 12^th blast of the year as the Twins led 4-0.  After needing a pair of double plays to escape trouble in the early innings, Duensing was money the rest of the way, and Danny Valencia came through for the 2^nd straight game, this time delivering a 3-run homer of his own in the 8^th, his 10^th of the season, to provide the final margin.  Looking to continue the positive momentum of a great comeback followed by a fantastic starting pitching performance, Scott Baker takes the mound on Tuesday night hoping to maintain his ace status on this Twins team, while facing Rays ace righty James Shields.

Record: 37-46

July 5^th: Twins 3, Rays 2

A nail-biting victory was a bittersweet one, as the Twins defeated the Rays for the 2^nd consecutive night by a final of 3-2, but lost starter Scott Baker to a mild right elbow strain in the process.  Baker was lights out during his time on the mound, allowing only an unearned run on 3 hits while walking 1 and striking out 3 to lower his ERA to 3.01, but lasted just 5 innings thanks to the elbow soreness.  Fortunately, the rest of his team backed him up just fine.  Ben Revere singled to lead off the 1^st, advanced to 3^rd on Alexi Casilla’s double and scored on a groundout for a 1-0 Twins lead.  Revere and Casilla each scored in the 3^rd on a single by Michael Cuddyer that was misplayed into an error by Rays RF Matt Joyce, handing Baker a 3-0 lead.  Following Baker’s departure, Phil Dumatrait recorded 5 outs before allowing a base hit, and Alex Burnett pitched around his errant pickoff throw to retire the final batter in the 7^th.  Joe Nathan’s resurgence continued, as he allowed a rare hit but pitched around it to retire the side in the 8^th.  But Matt Capps’ struggles remain unimproved, as he once again failed to finish the 9^th.  His first pitch was tattooed for a home run by CF B.J. Upton, and the next batter singled.  Following 2 deep fly ball outs, another singled knocked him from the game.  Glen Perkins was called upon for the 2^nd time in 3 games, and succeeded in getting LF Johnny Damon to bounce out to short as Tsuyoshi Nishioka made a nice play to just barely get the out at first to end the game.  Baker is scheduled to be reevaluated on Wednesday, as Twins Territory anxiously awaits the results.  The rest of the team returns to the field on Wednesday afternoon for the matinee finale of the series, and Francisco Liriano gets the start as the Twins seek the sweep.

Record: 38-46

July 6^th: Rays 12, Twins 5

The bullpen issues continue to rear their ugly head, as this time it was Alex Burnett that blew up the Twins’ chances for victory.  The Twins overcame Francisco Liriano’s struggles and 2-0 and 5-2 deficits to forge a tie heading into the 8^th inning, but Burnett flopped in the 8^th inning, allowing 4 runs in an eventual 12-5 beatdown defeat as the Rays salvaged the finale of the series and avoided the sweep.  Liriano failed to even go 5 innings, surrendering 5 runs on 6 hits while walking 4 and hitting 3 batters over just 4 1/3 innings, while his ERA jumped back over 5 to 5.06.  Still, his offense battled for him, with Michael Cuddyer supplying a bulk of the comeback effort.  Cuddyer’s 2-run single countered a 2-run Tampa homer to tie the game at 2-2 in the 3^rd.  Liriano’s unfortunate day was just beginning, however, as he immediately hit the 1^st batter of the next inning.  Two walks and two RBI singles later (the latter being controversial due to a bobble by 3B Danny Valencia), and the Twins were down 2 runs again.  The Rays tacked on 1 more in the 5^th on another 2 hits and a walk, and Liriano’s day was done.  Anthony Swarzak cleaned up the mess, and the Twins offense rallied back once more in the bottom of the inning.  A Tsuyoshi Nishioka single and 4-pitch Alexi Casilla walk put runners on 1^st and 2^nd.  With 2 outs, Jim Thome delivered a dying quail of a single to left, landing just in front of the diving left fielder and skidding behind him, scoring both runners and pulling the Twins to within 5-4.  The Twins nearly tied the game, but after back to back singles by Valencia and Rene Tosoni, Thome was thrown out trying to score from second on the latter hit, and the Rays kept the lead.  Swarzak completed a 1-2-3 6^th, and he, Jose Mijares, and Burnett combined to shutout the Rays and leave 2 runners aboard in the 7^th.  This set up Cuddyer for more heroics, as he sent the 2^nd pitch he saw off Juan Cruz just to the right of the left field bleachers and into the bullpen, his 13^th homer of the year, tying the game at 5-5.  But the rally would end there, beginning with an innocent 1-out infield single.  The next batter walked, and Evan Longoria laced a single to left to plate the go-ahead run.  The Rays then executed a suicide squeeze to perfection to add an insurance run, and a 2-run homer followed to put the game out of reach at 9-5.  And just for a little icing on the cake, Longoria capped a 2-out 9^th inning rally with his 11^th home run of the season, a 3-run shot of Phil Dumatrait.  The loss concludes an otherwise successful 6-3 homestand for the Twins, who now head south to Chicago to end the 1^st half of the 2011 season.  Carl Pavano gets the start in the Thursday night opener of the 4-game series.

Record: 38-47

July 7^th: Twins 6, White Sox 2

Worked like a charm, and there was never any doubt (I’m saying that tongue-in-cheek, of course).  Day one of the Joe-Mauer-to-first-base experiment worked exceedingly well for Minnesota, as Mauer made several sparkling plays at his new position to support Carl Pavano in a 6-2 Twins win on the South side of Chicago to open the 4-game series.  Pavano’s only blemish all night long was a 2-run 5^th inning homer, as he allowed just 2 runs on 6 hits while walking 2 and striking out 4 thanks to a dive-bombing change-up that netted plenty of ground ball outs.  Mauer’s first chance came in the bottom of the 1^st, as he turned a line drive into an unassisted double play.  He later made a fabulous pick of a poor throw by Danny Valencia to save an error as well.  Offensively, Mauer got the Twins off and running early, with an RBI single that scored Ben Revere after Revere’s infield single, 11^th stolen base in 14 chances, and advancing to 3^rd on a fly ball out.  Tsuyoshi Nishioka drove in Valencia with the Twins’ 2^nd run on the 2^nd inning, and scored himself on Revere’s RBI hit for a 3-0 lead.  In the 4^th, Revere followed a pair of singles with his 2^nd RBI single of the night and 3^rd in the game, scoring Nishioka with the 4^th run.  And Mauer added another RBI single for Minnesota, with Revere scoring an additional run on Sox 1B Paul Konerko’s brain fart error.  Pavano allowed a single right after the home run, but settled down to retire the next 7 batters and 10 of the final 11 he would face.  Glen Perkins set down the Sox in order on just 9 pitches in the 8^th, and Matt Capps finally looked like his old self in retiring Chicago on 8 pitches in the 9^th.  Winners of all 5 meetings against the White Sox this year and 29 of the last 36 overall, the Twins send Nick Blackburn to the hill to keep the momentum going.

Record: 39-47

July 8^th: Twins 8, White Sox 5

Not sure what it is against these White Sox, but for these Twins, there is no inning too improbable, and no deficit too large to overcome, and Minnesota proved it once again on Friday night.  Despite a very shaky beginning of the night for Nick Blackburn, Blackie settled down to pitch 5 just-effective-enough innings to win his decision of the year, and Luke Hughes capped a 6-run Twins rally with a go-ahead 3-run homer, carrying the Twins past Chicago 8-5 in the 2^nd game of the series.  Blackburn was hit hard once again for 5 runs and 10 hits, but all 5 runs and 6 of those hits came in the 1^st inning.  Michael Cuddyer had given the Twins an early lead by scoring Joe Mauer with an RBI single, but the Sox led 5-1 after one inning thanks to 2 singles, 3 doubles, and a mammoth 2-run homer by the struggling Adam Dunn.  But in typical Twins fashion against the Sox, Minnesota was undaunted by the sudden turn of events, and began their rally by loading the bases in the 3^rd and scoring a run on a Danny Valencia sac fly to cut the deficit to 5-2.  And then the game turned in the 4^th, as Sox starter Gavin Floyd completely fell apart.  He allowed a pair of singles with 1 out, and after a wild pitch, hit Mauer to load the bases.  Michael Cuddyer laced a single to center to cut the lead to 5-3, and after Valencia struck out, Rene Tosoni worked the count full before lining a 2-run single of his own to left, tying the game at 5-5 at knocking Floyd out of the game.  Reliever Will Ohman fared no better, as Hughes worked to a full count before driving an inside fastball into the left field bleachers, and the Twins had taken an improbable 8-5 lead.  Even after the shaky first inning, Blackburn allowed 7 baserunners over the next 4 innings (4 hits, 2 walks, 1 hit-by-pitch), but somehow survived thanks to a double play and 4 strikeouts, with 2 of those K’s coming on the final 2 batters he would face.  An offensive spectacle quickly turned into a battle of the bullpen, as both teams were shut out the rest of the way.  The Twins averaged a baserunner per inning over the final 5 innings yet couldn’t score, but their own bullpen was equally as successful.  Phil Dumatrait pitched around 1-out single to throw a scoreless 6^th, Alex Burnett set the Sox down in order in the 7^th, Joe Nathan followed suit in the 8^th, and going against his proclamation from earlier in the week, manager Ron Gardenhire turned to Matt Capps in the 9^th in a save situation, and Capps had little trouble retiring the Sox’ 2-3-4 hitters in order to pick up his 14^th save in 20 chances.  Despite the hitting display that had taken hold earlier in the game, and despite all but 2 hitters combined between the 2 teams recording base hits (25 total for the game), neither team scored a run over the final 5 innings, and the Twins’ relief corps retired the final 11 Sox hitters they would face.  Winners of the 1^st 2 games of this series, all 6 in 2011 against Chicago, 9 straight dating back to last year, and 30 of 37 since May 21^st, 2009, Minnesota turns to Brian Duensing to keep the streak going in Saturday’s 3^rd game of the series.

Record: 40-47

July 9^th: White Sox 4, Twins 3

Well, that’s baseball.  You can’t win ‘em all.  At least that’s what Twins fans are telling themselves after a tough, hard-fought effort turned into a disappointing 4-3 defeat as the White Sox finally beat the Twins for the first time in the 2011 season.  Brian Duensing was brilliant over his 7 innings of work, holding the Sox to 2 runs on 5 hits, but was not quite able to hold on for the victory.  His offense overcame a 1^st inning Sox solo homer with a pair of unearned runs in the 3^rd inning using the Twins’ patented small-ball offense of the past, thanks to a Sox error, a Tsuyoshi Nishioka bunt single, a Jason Repko sacrifice bunt, a Ben Revere RBI groundout, and an Alexi Casilla 2-out RBI single.  Duensing and Chicago starter Mark Buehrle would duel into the 8^th, with the Sox getting a pair of singles and a sacrifice fly to tie the game at 2-2 in the 6^th.  Small ball produced the Twins’ 3^rd run in the 8^th, as Repko singled in the infield, went to 2^nd on a sac bunt, advanced to the 3^rd on a passed ball (that broke the hand of Sox catcher Ramon Castro), and scored on Casilla’s go-ahead sacrifice as the Twins re-took the lead at 3-2.  But the bullpen, a liability for much of the season, failed to come through in the final 2 innings of the game.  Glen Perkins hit the first batter he faced (lefty speedster Juan Pierre), and after a sacrifice fly and intentional walk, Perkins retired the anemic-hitting Adam Dunn on a foul fly ball out to right, with Pierre tagging up and heading for 3^rd.  With runners on 1^st and 3^rd and 2 out, Joe Nathan came on to face RF Carlos Quentin, who tied the game on a single to center thanks to Nathan’s poorly located inside fastball on a 1-2 pitch.  After the Twins went down in order against former Twin Jesse Crain in the top of the 9^th, another former Twin, A.J. Pierzynski, doubled off Twins lefty reliever Jose Mijares to lead off the Sox’ half of the frame.  Mijares was able to retire the next 2 hitters on fly ball outs, but walked Pierre and was replaced by Alex Burnett.  And Burnett allowed the game-winning RB single to SS Alexei Ramirez, and the Sox had their first victory of the season against Minnesota, and snapped a 9-game losing streak to the Twins overall.

Record: 40-48

July 10^th: Twins 6, White Sox 3

Ah yes, a return to normalcy.  After a disappointing defeat the previous day, Minnesota got right back to their winnings ways against their Chicago rivals, getting an outstanding spot start from Anthony Swarzak in a 6-3 victory that enabled Minnesota to enter the All-Star break with a series win of 3 out of 4 games on the South side of Chicago.  Swarzak held the White Sox to 1 run on 4 hits over 6 solid innings while walking 2 and striking out 5 to even his record at 2-2 and continue to prove his worth as the fill-in starter for the surging Twins.  The offense got off to a slow start against Sox starter Jake Peavy, but mounted a 2-out rally in the 4^th inning for a pair of runs thanks to back-to-back walks, a Drew Butera RBI single, and a run-scoring double by Jason Repko.  A close game was broken open in the 5^th, beginning with 2 singles by Alexi Casilla and Joe Mauer.  Michael Cuddyer brought in the 1^st run, and 2 more singles by Danny Valencia and Rene Tosoni netted another run.  Tsuyoshi Nishioka brought in the final run with a groundout that turned into a double play, but Valencia scored prior the final out being recorded.  The Sox didn’t surrender without a fight, charging back for their lone run off Swarzak in the 6^th and 2 more against Alex Burnett in the 7^th.  But Glen Perkins quieted the Sox by retiring the final 2 batters in the inning and pitching around a leadoff single to pitch a scoreless 8^th, and Casilla added an insurance run by tripling and scoring on a wild pitch.  Matt Capps closed out the victory for his 15^th save in 21 chances, and despite leading the league in blown saves, seems to have regained his closer spot with the Twins.  And so the 1^st half the season comes to an end, with Minnesota trailing division leader Detroit by 6.5 games, and looking up at 3 teams overall in division.  Yet having gone 24-11 since their rocky 17-37 start, the Twins have inspired hope amongst their fanbase.  And with a favorable schedule (11 more home than road games the rest of the way, and just one make-up road game against the AL East) as well as several returning starters to the lineup (Denard Span, Jason Kubel, Delmon Young), Minnesota certainly has reasonable chance at 3-peating as division champions.  After the 3-day break that sends Michael Cuddyer to Phoenix for the All-Star festivities, the Twins return to Target Field for a 12-game homestand, all against AL Central foes.  Kansas City is up first, and the Twins will wait until later in the week to decide who will start the opening game of the 2011 season’s 2^nd half. Update: Francisco Liriano will get the start in Thursday's opening game of the 2011 second half.

Record: 41-48

July 14^th: Twins 8, Royals 4

Welcome back to the majors, Trevor Plouffe! After crushing Class AAA pitching to the tune of a 1.019 OPS, Plouffe played well enough defensively to justify a call-up to the big leagues, and he celebrated his promotion and subsequent placement into the starting lineup with a 2-run homer on a 2-strike pitch that gave the Twins the lead in the middle innings and helped lead to an 8-4 win over Kansas City to open the 2^nd half of the 2011 season.  Francisco Liriano got the start and somehow got through 7 strong innings, though he was very erratic in the 1^st inning, and got no favors from his defense.  A Tsuyoshi Nishioka fielding error led to an extra out in the 1^st inning, and with the bases loaded, a run-scoring wild pitch was compounded into a Joe Mauer throwing error that allowed a 2^nd unearned run to score.  But somehow, Liriano would allow just 1 more run the rest of the night, and 2 walks and 7 hits overall, to pick up his 6^th win of the season.  And that’s because his offense waited out Royals starter Bruce Chen, who struggled with his control all night long and could not get away with the amount of runners he allowed to reach base.  The Twins left 6 runners on base after 4 innings, but were undeterred, pulling off a 4-run rally to overcome a 3-run deficit in the 5^th, all with 2 outs.  Michael Cuddyer took a 2-out walk, then scored the Twins’ 1^st run on Danny Valencia’s double to the right field corner that landed just inside the foul.  Delmon Young also returned to the lineup in strong fashion, hitting the 2^nd of 2 doubles to left to drive in Valencia and cut the deficit to 3-2.  And next was Plouffe, who belted a 1-2 floating slider just inside the left field foul pole for his 1^st homer of the year and putting the Twins ahead 4-3.  Liriano pitched around a leadoff double in the 6^th and caught the final out of the inning on a line drive right back at him, and followed that with a perfect 7^th, paving the way for his offense to break open the close game.  Young singled and Plouffe walked, then advanced on a sacrifice by Luke Hughes.  Nishioka walked to load the bases, Ben Revere drove in a run with a walk of his own, and Alexi Casilla was hit by a pitch to add another run to the Twins’ tally.  Joe Mauer capped the story with a clean 2-run single to center, and the Twins had a comfortable 8-3 lead.  Jose Mijares pitched around a pair of walks with 2 strikeouts in a scoreless 8^th, and Phil Dumatrait allowed a run on 2 hits before closing out the 4-run Twins win.  And now, winners of 10 of their past 13 and within the closest margin to .500 since May 6^th, Nick Blackburn gets the start on Friday night, looking to recapture his own personal momentum after 3 consecutive rough starts (13.1 innings, 18 ER, 29 hits, 3 home runs, .433 BAA, 1.144 opposing OPS).

Record: 42-48

July 15^th: Royals 2, Twins 1

Dagger.  That would pretty eloquently describe what happens when you steal defeat from the jaws of victory, and that feat was achieved Friday night as the Royals ripped the guys out of the Twins and their fans in a 2-1 Royals win.  Nick Blackburn got the start and looked like his old self, shaking off 3 consecutive dismal performances to throw 7 shutout innings, limiting Kansas City to 4 hits and 2 walks while striking out 3.  He also picked off LF Alex Gordon off first base in the 4^th inning, which proved huge as the next hitter, Billy Butler, would double to left (and subsequently be stranded there).  But his strong outing went for naught, as the Twins offense was stymied by Luke Hochevar all night.  Ben Revere singled leading off the 3^rd, stole 2^nd, went to 3^rd on a groundout, and scored on a 2-out wild pitch to score the Twins only run, and later was left at 3^rd after tripling with one out in the 6^th.  This was another huge play in the game, as Matt Capps was given only a 1-run cushion in the 9^th inning, following another dominant 9^th-inning effort from Joe Nathan.  Capps walked CF Melky Cabrera on 4 pitches, but was able to rebound to record  a groundout and a flyout, bringing KC to their last out.  But youngster 1B Eric Hosmer swung through a Capps fastball, and then got one right down the middle that he launched to straightaway center field, and over the head of Revere, for a go-ahead 2-run homer.  The Twins attempted to mount a rally in their half of the 9^th against eternal nemesis Joakim Soria, with Jim Thome leading off with a single and pinch-runner Matt Tolbert advancing to 3^rd on a 1-out single by Delmon Young.  But Luke Hughes’ bouncer back to Soria resulted in Tolbert’s being thrown out at home, and Tsuyoshi Nishioka grounded out to shortstop to end the backbreaking loss.  Hoping for a quick rebound, Minnesota sends the ever-steady Carl Pavano to the mound in Saturday’s 3^rd game of the series.

Record: 42-49

July 16^th: Twins 4, Royals 3

Following Friday night’s crushing defeat, the closer situation was revisited, and on Saturday night, the change was apparent.  After pushing the go-ahead run across in the 8^th, Joe Nathan, not Matt Capps, was given the opportunity to close out the victory, and Nathan did not disappoint, recording his 5^th save of the year and 251^st of his career in a 4-3 Twins win over Kansas City.  Carl Pavano got the start and was his usual steady self, allowing 3 runs on 6 hits while walking 1 and striking out 3 in 7 innings of work.  But he did not figure in the final decision, as the Twins could not tack on any insurance after taking an initial 3-0 lead.  Minnesota jumped on Royals starter Jeff Francis early, thanks to the usual suspect, CF Ben Revere.  Revere used his speed to beat out an infield hit, went to 2^nd on a groundout, stole 3^rd (his 13^th steal), and scored on Joe Mauer’s ground ball out.  But the Twins weren’t finished, as Michael Cuddyer singled on scored on Delmon Young’s RBI double (Young hit 7/15 with 4 doubles in the Kansas City series overall).  Drew Butera’s 2^nd homer of the year, a solo homer in the 4^th, put the Twins up 3-0, but after a 2-run homer and RBI groundout in the 5^th and 6^th innings respectively, Kansas City had forged a tie.  That is, until the 8^th inning, when Michael Cuddyer capped a back-to-back-to-back singles rally with a run-scoring hit to plate Alexi Casilla with the go-ahead run.  Glen Perkins struck out a pair of Royals amidst a shutout 8^th to pick up his 1^st victory in relief this season, and Nathan pitched around a single and stolen base in the 9^th to hold off KC and help the Twins pick up the win.

Record: 43-49

July 17^th: Twins 4, Royals 3

Nope, that’s not a misprint.  It wasn’t easy, but the Twins escaped Sunday with a victory of an identical score as the previous game, in a game that was nothing like Saturday’s.  Brian Duensing struggled early but battled through 6 1/3 innings to even his record at 7-7, allowing 3 runs on 7 hits, 2 of those runs coming on a 2-run homer in the 7^th just prior to his departure.  The Twins offense scuffled against young Royals starter Felipe Paulino, striking out 8 times against the giant right-hander.  But a single, sacrifice bunt, and intentional walk to Joe Mauer, Jim Thome came on with 2 outs, and took a hanging slider out into the upper deck bleachers in right-center, his 596^th career home run, giving the Twins a 4-1 lead.  Alex Burnett relieved Duensing and stranded the tying run on 1^st base on 2 1^st-pitch groundouts, Glen Perkins retired the Royals in order in the 8^th, and Joe Nathan needed just 9 pitches to achieve the same feat, saving his 6^th Twins win of the season.  And now, trailing the first place Cleveland Indians by just 5 games, Minnesota welcomes the Tribe to town, with the 4-game series beginning with a day-night double header on Monday afternoon.  Scott Baker was placed on the Disabled List with a tender elbow, so Anthony Swarzak was moved up to start the 12:10 CDT opener, while lefty Scott Diamond’s contract was selected from Class AAA Rochester, and Diamond will make his major-league debut in the nightcap.

Record: 44-49

July 18^th, Game 1: Indians 5, Twins 2

Scott Baker was sorely missed on Monday afternoon, as Anthony Swarzak couldn’t adequately fill his shoes in a 5-2 Twins defeat to Cleveland.  Swarzak was overall in his 6 innings of work, with 5 of them netting zero Cleveland runs.  But a four-batter stretch of the 3^rd inning proved costly, beginning with an Alexi Casilla throwing error.  A pair of singles later, the Indians had their first run, and they promptly added 3 more, thanks to a 3-run homer from All-Star shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera.  Those would be the only runs Swarzak would allow, on a total of 6 hits, but that would be enough to lose the game.  This was due to the effective pitching of spot starter David Huff, whom the Twins’ bats struggled against all game long, picking up 5 hits and 2 walks but no runs against the lefty while striking out 5 times.  Only Michael Cuddyer’s 2-run 9^th inning homer (his 14^th homer of the year) prevented a shutout, and Matt Capps allowed a solo homer in the 9^th as his mound issues continued.

Record: 44-50

July 18^th, Game 2: Indians 6, Twins3

Déjà vu, all over again.  A depressing opening game of the doubleheader carried into the nightcap, as the Twins offense had no answer for Fausto Carmona in a meek 6-3 loss as the Tribe swept the twinbill.  Lefty Scott Diamond made his major league debut and kept the Twins ahead 1-0 for much of the game, nearly completing 5 shutout innings.  But Cleveland put together 3 hits and a walk with 2 outs in the 5^th to take a 2-1 lead.  Joe Mauer’s 3^rd-inning RBI single had given the Twins the lead, and Danny Valencia’s 11^th home run of the season tied the game at 2-2 in the 6^th.  But Diamond allowed a go-ahead solo homer in the 7^th, Valencia’s 12^th error aided Cleveland in tacking on one more in that inning, and Chuck James surrendered 2 more runs in 9^th to put the game out of reach.  Trevor Plouffe got the Twins one run closer with his 5^th homer in the year, but it wasn’t nearly enough.  Minnesota looks to get back on track in Tuesday’s 3^rd game of the series, and Francisco Liriano gets the start.

Record: 44-51

July 19^th: Twins 2, Indians 1

Better late than never, as they say.  Indians righty Justin Masterson dominated the Twins lineup over 7 2/3 innings, but Francisco Liriano pitched a gem himself, keeping his ballclub within striking distance and setting the stage for an exciting 9^th inning rally that sent the Twins past Cleveland 2-1 in the 3^rd game of the series.  Liriano struggled with his release point but was effectively wild, needing 99 pitches to get through 6 innings but allowed just 1 run despite 9 baserunners (4 hits, 4 walks, 1 hit-by-pitch).  The lone Tribe run came in the 5^th as they loaded the bases with nobody out thanks to 2 singles and a scary incident in which OF Travis Buck was hit in the helmet with a Liriano fastball and had to leave the game.  Liriano allowed nothing else, and Phil Dumatrait and Matt Capps combined for 2 innings of shutout relief.  Glen Perkins followed with a pair of strikeouts in a shutout 9^th inning, but his Twins were still scoreless due to Masterson’s stellar performance.  But in the end it was the Cleveland closer that proved to be the weak link on this night, blowing just his 2^nd save in 24 chances.  Following an Alexi Casilla fly ball out, Joe Mauer took a 5-pitch walk.  Michael Cuddyer took advantage of Cleveland’s deep, no-doubles defense by the outfielders, lining a soft liner to left field that fell in front of Tribe LF Luis Valbuena, as Cuddyer legged out a double that sent Mauer to 3^rd.  Jim Thome was intentionally walked, setting up a battle of former college roommates.  And this time, it would be Danny Valencia who came out on top.  Despite a rough night which saw Valencia strikeout twice and ground into an inning-ending double play that killed a possible Twins rally in the 7^th, Valencia shook off the disappointing previous at-bats and slapped a 2-1 single to left field.  Cuddyer read the ball perfectly and scored easily from 2^nd with the winning run right behind Mauer as the Twins walked off with the sorely-needed victory.  It’s a quick turnaround going into Wednesday’s matinee series finale, and Nick Blackburn takes the mound as the Twins hope for a 4-game series split.

Record: 45-51

July 20^th: Twins 7, Indians 5

Finally a little bit of offense for Minnesota, both early and late, leading to a critically important 7-5 win over Cleveland that culminated the 4-game series in a split and pushed the Twins back to where they started from when the series began, 4 games behind the Tribe.  Nick Blackburn got the start and was victimized by poor defensive, allowing 4 runs on just 4 hits and 2 walks with 7 strikeouts, but just 1 of those runs was earned.  The offense got off to a nice start thanks to a single, RBI double, and RBI single from Ben Revere, Alexi Casilla, and Joe Mauer to begin the game, but Revere’s costly drop of an outfield fly ball with the bases loaded led to 3 4^th-inning Cleveland runs.  Minnesota rallied right back in the bottom of the inning thanks to a Jim Thome RBI double and Delmon Young RBI single, but the Indians tied the game on a passed ball by catcher Drew Butera in the 6^th.  Jose Mijares rescued Alex Burnett by recording the final 2 outs of the 7^th with runners on 2^nd and 3^rd to escape the inning scoreless (thanks to an great inning-ending play made by Casilla), and Matt Capps left the tying run on 3^rd in the 8^th as 1B Matt LaPorta’s deep fly ball was caught against the outfield wall by Revere to end the inning.  The winning rally began in the 8^th, with Casilla leading off with a double.  He advanced to 3^rd on Joe Mauer’s single, and after Michael Cuddyer struck out and Thome walked to load the bases, Danny Valencia lined a single off the glove of former Twin 2B Orlando Cabrera for the go-ahead RBI single.  Delmon Young struck out for the 2^nd out, but Tsuyoshi Nishioka delivered the biggest hit of his Twins career, slicing a 2-run single past SS Asdrubal Cabrera and into left field, adding the key margin to the Twins’ lead.  This proved huge, as closer Joe Nathan surrendered a mammoth solo homer to 3B Lonnie Chisenhall in the 9^th, but recorded the other 3 outs seamlessly to close out his 6^th save of the year.  Now 5-3 so far on the homestand, the Twins welcome their final foe to town, as the Detroit Tigers make their way to Target Field for a 4-game series.  Carl Pavano will get the call in the Thursday night opener.

Record: 46-51

July 21^st: Tigers 6, Twins 2

The riddle known as the Detroit Tigers simply cannot be solved by Minnesota, as this time it was ace Justin Verlander’s turn to shutdown the Twins in a 6-2 Tigers victory in the opening game of the series.  Verlander went 8 innings and struck out 9 Twins while allowing just 1 runs on 5 hits, with the run and 3 of those hits coming with 2 outs in the 6^th and being capped with Michael Cuddyer’s RBI single.  Carl Pavano got the start for Minnesota but simply wasn’t good enough, surrendering 5 runs on 9 hits over just 6 innings, losing his 7^th decision of the year.  The Twins added unearned one run off Phil Coke in the 9^th on a Danny Valencia RBI single, but the rally fell well short.

Record: 46-52

July 22^nd: Tigers 8, Twins 2

Another day, another beatdown; it was déjà vu all over again.  Brian Duensing had command issues all night long on the way to allowing 7 runs on 9 hits in fewer than 5 innings, and the offense was quieted for 7 innings by Tigers starter Max Scherzer, as the Tigers disposed of Minnesota quickly and easily by a final of 8-2, their 12^th straight win over the Twins and 7^th in a row in 2011.  Duensing couldn’t locate his fastball at all, and despite 7 strikeouts, fell behind Tiger hitters often and only threw 1 shutout inning, in the 4^th.  Jhonny Peralta continued his Twins-killing ways, driving in 4 runs with 3 hits (including a homer) and scoring 2 more, and now is batting .542/.556/1.208 with 4 doubles, 4 homers, and 13 RBI in 7 games against the Twins this season.  Minnesota looked to have solved Scherzer in the 2^nd inning, putting together 2 hits and an RBI groundout to break through and get within 2-1, as Jason Kubel returned to the lineup for the first time since May 30^th and singled in the inning.  But that inning would produce half of the Twins’ hits against Scherzer, as they were shutout until the 9^th inning when the game was out of reach.  Jim Thome’s run-scoring hit produced the only other Twins’ run in the 9^th, as the Twins have yet to be even remotely competitive in the series against Detroit thus far.  Looking to change that, Scott Baker makes his welcomed return to the Twins rotation, taking the hill in Saturday’s 3^rd game of the series at a time when the Twins sorely need him to perform as well as he has this year (7-5, 3.01 ERA). 

Record: 46-53

July 23^rd: Twins 4, Tigers 1

Welcome back Scott Baker, and not a moment too soon.  Scott Baker shut out the Tigers over 5 good innings in his first start off the Disabled List, and the Twins offense jumped on Brad Penny early, scoring just enough runs to win for the 1^st time in the 2011 season against the Tigers by final of 4-1.  Baker threw just 82 pitches as the coaching staff limited him in his return to the rotation, but delivered 5 scoreless innings nonetheless, with Detroit managing just a meager 3 hits while going down on strikes 5 times as Baker’s ERA lowered to 2.88 while he won his 8^th decision.  Ben Revere led off with a walk and came around to score on Michael Cuddyer’s RBI single for a 1-0 Twins 1^st inning lead, and Danny Valencia doubled the margin in the 2^nd with a leadoff homer, his 12^th of the season.  Delmon Young delivered a 2-run double in the 4^th inning as the Twins appeared to have Penny on the ropes, but Penny wiggled out of trouble by 3 times inducing double plays, twice off the speedy legs of Revere, and would settle down to throw 3 more shutout innings.  But fortunate for Minnesota, the Tigers managed just 1 hit in 8 tries with runners in scoring position, and only Miguel Cabrera’s RBI double off Anthony Swarzak in the 6^th prevented a shutout.  Phil Dumatrait, Glen Perkins, and Joe Nathan each allowed one baserunner, but all threw a scoreless inning on the way to Nathan’s 7^th save.  Looking for a 4-game split and a winning 12-game homestand, Minnesota sends Francisco Liriano to the mound on Sunday afternoon, on a day when Twins great Bert Blyleven is elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Record: 47-53

July 24^th: Tigers 5, Twins 2

The Twins’ quest for an improbable division title, which would be their 7^th in 10 years, is to miraculously happen, the road goes through Motown.  And Minnesota has had no answers for the Tigers so far in 2011, as was duly apparent in Sunday’s 5-2 defeat at Target Field as Detroit took 3 of 4 in Minnesota’s home ballpark.  Francisco Liriano was erratic once again, as the Twins are finding out with each start that it is impossible to rely on the inconsistent southpaw.  Liriano threw a staggering 78 pitches while recording just 7 outs, getting lit for 4 runs on 6 hits and 4 walks as he lost his 8^th game of the year.  Anthony Swarzak did what he could in relief, throwing 3 1/3 innings in relief and seeing just 1 run score against him, and Chuck James, Alex Burnett, and Matt Capps combined for 3 1/3 innings of scoreless bullpen work as well.  But the offense was few and far between, scoring both runs against Rick Porcello in the 4^th and getting shutout the rest of the way.  Liriano and Swarzak each allowed runs to score on wild pitches with 2 outs in 2 separate innings, and the Twins managed just 2 baserunners over their final 5 innings of batting.  Not a recipe for success against the division leader.

Record: 47-54

July 25^th: Rangers 20, Twins 6

Wow.  Well that was ugly.  The Twins were utterly brutalized in their first game in the Lone Star state, as the Rangers pummeled them into submission in a stunning 20-6 beatdown to open the 4-game set.  Nick Blackburn picked up right where Francisco Liriano left off from the previous game, failing to get out of the 3^rd inning and getting shellacked for 9 runs (6 earned) on 11 hits.  The defense did him no favors either, as 2 of the Twins’ 3 errors came with Blackburn on the mound and led to 3 unearned Ranger runs.  Jose Mijares, Chuck James, and Alex Burnett all took their lumps as well, allowing 11 combined runs on 11 hits and 3 walks in fewer than 3 innings.  The lone bright spots were Phil Dumatrait, who somehow got through 1 2/3 shutout innings despite 3 hits and a walk against him, and the improbable scoreless inning thrown by Michael Cuddyer after Texas loaded the bases against him.  The Rangers committed 3 errors as well, aiding the Twins in scoring 3 of their 6 runs.  Jason Kubel did connect in the 8^th for his 6^th homer of the year, but the game was pretty much over before it started.   Desperately seeking solutions, Carl Pavano takes the hill in Tuesday’s 2^nd game of the series.

Record: 47-55

July 26^th: Twins 9, Rangers 8

How about that response, huh?  One night after getting bludgeoned for 20 runs and 27 hits, the Twins somehow regrouped, and despite falling behind 7-3 and having their starter depart after just 5 innings, rallied back and stole a 9-8 victory to even the series at a game apiece in Texas.  Carl Pavano got the start but couldn’t stem the tide of porous starting pitching, giving up 8 runs on 9 hits over his 5 frames, but was let off the hook thanks to stellar bullpen work (a shocker in and of itself) and a never-say-die offensive attack against Rangers All-Star lefty C.J. Wilson.  The Twins put together 4 singles and a double to score 3 runs in the 2^nd to stake Pavano to a 3-0 lead, but the lead was short-lived, as Texas struck for 2 runs in the bottom of the inning and 5 more in the 4^th, including a go-ahead 3-run homer by catcher Yorvit Torrealba.  Minnesota immediately responded with patient at-bats against Wilson, taking 3 straight walks to begin the 5^th before Danny Valencia’s 2-run single cut the lead in half to 7-5.  Tsuyoshi Nishioka singled to bring in the 3^rd run of the inning, but an out at the plate prevented the Twins from tying the game.  The teams traded runs over their next half innings of batting, with Pavano allowing one more run before leaving but Jason Kubel answering with a 2-out RBI single.  The bullpens held the fort from there, as Alex Burnett threw a rare shutout inning in the 6^th (speaking tongue-in-cheek), Matt Capps achieved the same feat in the 7^th, and Glen Perkins escaped a 1^st-and-2^nd, no-out jam left behind by Capps to keep his team within 1 run heading into the final inning.  And this set the stage for the decisive rally, Demon Young singled to center with one out.  Ron Gardenhire then went to his short bench of just 3 players, and all 3 came through, beginning with Jim Thome doubling just over the glove of LF Josh Hamilton and sending Young to 3^rd.  Nishioka battled closer Neftali Feliz with 3 straight foul balls before hitting a tough chopper up the middle that SS Elvis Andrus couldn’t handle, resulting in an error that scored Young to tie the game.  And Joe Mauer sealed the deal, coming off the bench to hit an opposite field double to left to score pinch-runner Jason Repko with the go-ahead run.  Joe Nathan had anything but an easy 9^th inning, giving up a leadoff single to Hamilton and hitting RF Nelson Cruz with 1 out to put 2 runners aboard.  But he struck the final 2 batters on a wicked slider and a fastball low and away to finish an improbable Twins win that rights the ship for the time being.  But Minnesota is still in desperate need of a starter to pitch deep into a game and save its beleaguered bullpen, and Brian Duensing is next up to try to attempt the feat in Wednesday’s 3^rd game of the series.

Record: 48-55

July 27^th: Twins 7, Rangers 2

The Rangers learned a harsh lesson on Wednesday night: don’t mess with a motivated Brian Duensing.  Minnesota’s crafty lefty was demolished his last time out against Detroit, and wanted nothing more than to come out strong his next time out, which he did over 6 2/3 strong innings against an outstanding Texas lineup in a 7-2 Twins win in the 3^rd game of the series.  Duensing limited Texas to just 1 run and 7 hits over that span, walking just 1 (a very important development for him) while striking out 6 and showing much-improved command over his last start.  Joe Mauer got the Twins off and running with his 1^st homer of the year in the 1^st, and Michael Cuddyer doubled the lead with his 15^th homer in the 4^th for a 2-0 Twins lead.  After Texas got on the board against Duensing in the bottom of the inning, Minnesota came right back against the Rangers’ putting together 3 hits and 2 runs with 2 outs thanks to RBI singles from Mauer and Cuddyer.  Duensing retired Ian Kinsler with 2 men aboard in the 5^th to keep the 4-1 margin, and Matt Capps did the same in the 7^th to leave 2 more runners on base.  Capps and Glen Perkins combined to retire the side in order in the 8^th, and Jason Kubel added the icing on the cake, capping a 2-out 9^th inning rally with a bases-clearing double to tack on 3 runs and give the Twins a 7-1 lead.  Anthony Swarzak closed out the win after allowing a meaningless run on 2 hits to finish the Twins’ 2^nd win in as many days in Arlington.  And now, Scott Baker takes his turn, looking to throw more than the 82 pitches he was limited to in 5 shutout innings against Detroit his last time out, and deliver Minnesota an improbable series victory following the 20 runs surrendered in Monday’s opening game.

Record: 49-55

July 28^th: Rangers 4, Twins 1

Hard to win games when you don’t score runs, and the Twins found out just how difficult that will be with Alexi Casilla on the shelf with a pulled hamstring as they dropped the finale of the 4-game series in Texas by a final of 4-1 as the teams split the series.  Scott Baker got the start and was decently effective, although he wasn’t nearly as sharp as he was his last time out against Detroit, allowing 2 runs on 8 hits over 7 innings without a free pass and 4 strikeouts.  But the offense couldn’t get off the schnide against Rangers lefty Matt Harrison, managing 3 hits in 8 tries with runners in scoring position but had only 1 produce a run.  The loss of Casilla’s potent bat was apparent in a scoreless 5^th inning, following a leadoff double by Jim Thome.  Thome was still on 2^nd as Danny Valencia and Delmon Young each popped up in the infield.  Matt Tolbert’s line drive glanced off Harrison for an infield hit, and Ben Revere beat out a tapper in front of home plate for another infield hit, but Thome was unable to score.  Tsuyoshi Nishioka was next up, hitting in Casilla’s #2 spot in the order, but he bounced into a fielder’s choice groundout to end the threat and keep the score 1-0 in favor of Texas.  Thome came through the following inning with an RBI single following Jason Kubel’s bouncing into a double play to cut the deficit to 2-1, but the threats were few and far between other than those 2 frames.  And Phil Dumatrait was victimized by poor managing in the 8^th, retiring the 1^st 2 batters before giving up a triple to Josh Hamilton and being allowed to face the right-handed hitting Nelson Cruz, who singled in an insurance run.  Dumatrait would allow another RBI single before the inning was over, and the Rangers had extended their lead to 3 runs, more than enough for closer Neftali Feliz to finish out the Ranger victory.  Fortunately for Minnesota, they leave the Lone Star State with a 4-game split, and now embark to the 2^nd stop of their 3-city road trip, Oakland, for a matchup with the A’s.  Francisco Liriano looks for considerable improvement in command and takes the hill in Friday night’s opening game.

Record: 49-56

July 29^th: Twins 9, Athletics 5

These days, it seems whenever a pitcher needs to get right, the cure that ails him comes in the form of the Oakland Athletics.  And on Friday night, they did not disappoint, as Francisco Liriano overcame a shaky start to hold down the meager A’s lineup for 7 strong innings in a 9-5 Twins win to open the 3-game set at the Oakland Coliseum.  Liriano gave up a 2 hits including a 2-run homer in the 1^st inning, but that was all Oakland would manage against the Dominican lefty, who scattered just 4 hits and 2 walks over his remaining 6 innings of pitching and picked up his 7^th win of the year.  Jason Kubel delivered a 2-run double in the 1^st for an early 2-0 Twins lead, and A’s handed the Twins the go-ahead run in the 3^rd inning following a pair of errors.  Trevor Plouffe’s big night began in the 5^th as he singled in Ben Revere for a 4-2 lead, and Revere took a bases-loaded walk in the 6^th to take on one more.  Plouffe singled home Drew Butera for an additional Twins run in the 8^th, and scored his 3^rd run of the night on Michael Cuddyer’s 16^th home run of the year, making the A’s pay the price for intentionally walking Joe Mauer.  Jose Mijares’ struggles continued in the bottom of the inning as Josh Willingham’s 3-run homer off him was his 2^nd of the night, cutting the Twins’ lead to 9-5.  But the lead proved insurmountable, as Mijares was able to record the final 2 outs of the inning, and Alex Burnett pitched around a leadoff walk to strikeout the final 3 batters of the game and seal the Twins’ win.  Looking to clinch the series, Nick Blackburn takes the hill in Saturday’s 2^nd game of the series.

Record: 50-56

July 30^th: A’s 8, Twins 3

It appears that Nick Blackburn is in one of the summer swoons that always seems to get him at some point during the season, and this time it was the light-hitting Oakland A’s that hit him hard in an 8-3 defeat at the Coliseum in the 2^nd game of the series.  Blackburn was lit for 7 runs (6 earned) on 10 walks and a crazy-high 5 walks over just 4 1/3 innings as he dropped his 8^th decision of the year.  His offense did what it could to bailout Blackburn, getting 2-out RBI singles from Michael Cuddyer and Delmon Young in the 1^st and 2^nd innings.  But the A’s came right back to take a 3-2 lead in the 2^nd, with Blackburn flirting with disaster consistently.  He was able to escape a bases-loaded jam in the 3^rd, but not in the 5^th, as Danny Valencia misplayed a chopper at 3^rd that guy by him and down into the left-field corner, resulting in a 3-run double that launched the A’s into a 7-2 lead and effectively ended the game.  And a Joe Mauer passed ball allowed the 8^th A’s run to add to the misery.  Anthony Swarzak and Jose Mijares ate the remaining innings, and Jim Thome singled in an unearned run to draw the Twins one inconsequential run closer, but the game’s outcome was decided well before that.  Hoping to take the series, the Twins send Carl Pavano to the hill in the Sunday series finale and final matchup between the teams this season.

Record: 50-57

July 31^st: Athletics 7, Twins 3

In the wake of the passing of the trade deadline absent of any movement by Minnesota, the team took the field on Sunday searching for a series victory which very likely would be dependent on a quality start by the starting pitcher.  But alas, the starting rotation has not picked up the slack of late, as this time it was Carl Pavano who allowed 7 straight Oakland hits to erase an early 3-0 Twins lead in a disappointing 7-3 defeat as the Twins dropped the series.  Pavano got a nice defensive play by Michael Cuddyer to escape a 1^st inning jam and set the A’s down in order in the 2^nd, and the Twins held a 3-0 lead after 2 and a half innings.  Ben Revere led off with a triple and scored on a groundout, and the Twins added 4 more singles in the inning, but could only take on one more run as Tsuyoshi Nishioka grounded into a force out to leave the bases loaded.  Jim Thome slapped his 597^th career home run in the 3^rd to add to the lead.  But it all fell apart on Pavano in the 3^rd, as 7 consecutive Athletics reached base after a leadoff out, plating 6 Oakland runs and completely turning the game around.  Pavano would pitch just one more inning before leaving and eventually being saddled with his 8^th loss of the year.  A’s starter Brandon McCarthy had been let off the hook by the Twins offense and settled in from there, throwing 3 more scoreless innings before departing and picking up the win.  Former Twin Craig Breslow struck out Thome to leave the bases loaded in the 7^th, easily the best threat the Twins could muster over their final 6 innings of batting.  If there’s such thing as a silver lining following a series loss, it’s the knowledge of an off-day on Monday, the Twins’ first since the All-Star break (19 games in 18 days).  The weary Twins take their show south to Anaheim for a 3-game set with the Angels beginning Tuesday night, and Brian Duensing gets the start in the opener.

Record: 50-58

August 2^nd: Angels 5, Twins 1

The enigmatic nature of the Twins remains apparent with each passing game, and was the quintessential reason by Bill Smith’s reluctance (or inability) to consummate a trade prior to the July 31^st trade deadline.  His team continues to not do him any favors, dropping another contest with lackluster offense and disappointing pitching in a 5-1 defeat to open the series in Los Angeles.  Brian Duensing got the start for the Twins and was fine early, but unraveled on an 0-2 pitch to 1B Mark Trumbo that resulted in a go-ahead 3-run homer in the 4^th inning.  One inning later, former Twin Torii Hunter also homered off Duensing, and the 5-1 margin stood up in the end.  Duensing’s final line was 5 runs, 8 hits, 2 walks, 3 strikeouts.  This was thanks to Ervin Santana’s gem of 1 run on 8 hits, 2 walks, and 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position, while striking out 7.  He was unable to tie Johnny VanderMeer’s record of consecutive no-hitters, but still dominated Minnesota’s punchless lineup.  Only Michael Cuddyer’s 4^th-inning leadoff double and subsequent advances on groundouts by Jason Kubel and Jim Thome prevented the shutout, as the Twins have now lost 3 straight after a promising 3-2 beginning to the 10-game road trip.  Hoping to reverse their fortunes, Scott Baker looks for a victory in the 2^nd game of the series on Wednesday night.

Record: 50-59

August 3^rd: Twins 11, Angels 4

I still have no idea what to make of this Twins team.  One night they look flat and quietly take their loss and go home, the next they come out like gangbusters and crush a contending team on their homefield, as was the case in the 2^nd game of the series in Anaheim.  The Twins jumped to a 3-0 lead, bumbled their way to a 4-3 deficit, then powered past the Angels to an 11-4 rout to even the series at a game apiece.  The offense staked Scott Baker to an early 3-0 lead on the strength of a Joe Mauer RBI single in the 1^st inning, and Delmon Young’s 3^rd homer of the year in the 2^nd, a 2-run shot.  But Baker’s command was completely lost in the 3^rd inning, as he needed 46 pitches to get through the frame while allowing 4 runs, 3 earned on 4 hits, a walk, and yet another fielding error by 3B Danny Valencia, his 14^th of the season.  Young answered right back with his 2^nd homer of the night to tie the game at 4-4, but the layoff wasn’t enough for Baker to return to the game, and he departed after just 3 innings.  But Anthony Swarzak came in and provided a yeoman’s effort, throwing 5 stellar innings and limiting LA to 1 hit and 1 walk over that span, providing his offense ample opportunity to provide him with a victory.  And provide they would, as Michael Cuddyer followed a pair of singles and walk to the 3 batters in front of him with his 6^th career grand slam and 17^th 2011 home run as the Twins took a decisive 8-4 lead.  And just for good measure, Jason Kubel doubled twice and added a 7^th inning solo homer for a 8-4 Twins advantage, Cuddyer homered again in the 9^th, and Valencia atoned for his earlier mistake with an RBI single in that same inning as Minnesota cruised to the win and ended their 3-game losing streak.  But the task of ending the series with a win and the 10-game road trip even at 5-5 is an unenviable one, as the Twins face Angels ace Dan Haren in the series’ rubber game.  Francisco Liriano looks to duplicate his excellence his last time out against Oakland and gets the ball on Thursday night.

Record: 51-59

August 4^th: Angels 7, Twins 1

Yep, it was getaway day for Minnesota, the finale of a series and 10-game road trip, and with ace Dan Haren on the mound, the Twins clearly didn’t want to be there.  And it showed on Thursday night, as Haren and the Angels rolled to a decisive 7-1 win to take the series.  Haren limited Minnesota to a meager 1 run on 5 hits on 8 stellar innings while striking out 6, and only Jim Thome’s 598^th career home run prevented the shutout.  For the Twins, Francisco Liriano delivery remained inconsistent, and he paid the price for that dearly, going just 5 innings and being hit hard for 7 runs on 10 hits and 2 walks while picking up 5 strikeouts, as he dropped his 9^th decision of the year and saw his ERA rise back over the 5 mark to 5.03.

Record: 51-60

August 5^th: White Sox 5, Twins 3

Things have gone so poorly for Minnesota of late that now, even the White Sox are handling them.  Despite a 31-8 record in their last 39 meetings with the South Siders, Nick Blackburn’s struggles continued, as he was unable to hold a 3-1 first inning lead as the Sox rallied past the Twins to win the series opener 5-3.  Blackburn’s control was incredibly erratic for the normally efficient pitcher, as he surrendered an incredible 6 walks in addition to 7 hits over his 5 1/3 innings as the Sox came back on the strength of a pair of Carlos Quentin home runs.  Conversely, Sox starter Mark Buehrle shook off a 1^st-inning error that led to 3 unearned runs on 2 hits, including Jason Kubel’s 2-run blast, and settled down to allow just 2 hits over his remaining 7 innings of work.  Blackburn’s defense did him no favors, committing 2 more errors behind him courtesy of the plodding “defense” of Tsuyoshi Nishioka and Danny Valencia, who committed his 15^th error of the year which ranks as the 2^nd-highest in the league among qualifying 3^rd basemen.  But when you issue 6 free passes, it’s hard to win games, especially against a quality pitcher like Buehrle.  Matt Capps gave up an insurance run in the 8^th as well, proving the necessary distance for Chicago to hold on for the victory.

Record: 51-61

August 6^th: White Sox 6, Twins 1

The Twins’ level of inept play at times this season never ceases to amaze, as newly-invented ways to lose just keep coming and were on display in Saturday night’s 6-1 defeat against Chicago.  Carl Pavano gave his team everything he had, fighting through 8 strong innings and limiting the Sox to just 2 runs (1 earned) on 9 hits and 1 walk while striking out 5, and throwing 112 pitches.  Yet he saw his team flail away against youngster Zach Stewart (1-for-10 with runners in scoring position), airmail the ball around the field on defense to the tune of a wild pitch and 2 more errors, 1 each by the mistake-prone Danny Valencia as well as Drew Butera, and hand the Sox 4 insurance runs in the 9^th inning courtesy of the erratic bullpen and defense.  The best chance at a rally came in the 6^th, as Jason Kubel singled, Jim Thome doubled, and Danny Valencia’s RBI single netted the first run.  But with the plodding Jim Thome taking up space on the bases, it left Delmon Young with the opportunity to ground into a rally-busting double play to end the inning and keep the Twins behind a run.  This was thanks to Butera adding to a Sox rally by throwing the ball into left field on a stolen base attempt, allowing a 2^nd run to score in the 5^th for Chicago (though the error was charged to Valencia).  The most laughable and pathetic moment came in the 8^th, as Michael Cuddyer led off the inning with a double, advanced to 3^rd on a wild pitch … and was left at 3^rd, thanks to a pair of weak groundball outs and an inning-ending strikeout as Valencia saw strike 3 glide right past him.  And the Sox would take advantage of the defensive malaise in the 9^th as well, as Glen Perkins and Joe Nathan couldn’t get out of their own way in allowing 2 runs apiece.  A single, stolen base, walk, wild pitch/Butera throwing error combo leading to a run, walk, and 2^nd stolen base would result in 2 runs against Perkins, and Nathan surrendered a 2-run homer to the light-hitting Brent Lillibridge as the Twins went silently into the night with their 7^th loss in 9 games, effectively ending any chance at 2011 playoff contention.  Brian Duensing takes the mound on Sunday as the Twins hope to avoid being swept in their own ballpark.

Record: 51-62
 

August 7^th: White Sox 7, Twins 0

What a mess.  Losing consecutive series on the West coast in the midst of a long road trip, that’s understandable.  But returning home to be swept by a team whom you’ve owned over the last 2+ years?  Inexcusable.  But it happened nonetheless, as the White Sox strode right into Target Field and waltzed around the diamond for 3 straight games with little resistance, culminating in a 7-0 shutout win over the lifeless Twins who look ready for their season to be over despite an entire 1/3 of the season to go.  Brian Duensing was the latest culprit, falling behind 2-0 on a pair of solo homers, and then getting hit hard for 2 more runs in a 3-run Sox 4^th to put Chicago ahead 4-0.  He was tagged for one additional run in the 7^th, as the runner aboard for Alexei Ramirez’s 2-run homer off Alex Burnett was his responsibility, and in total he allowed 5 runs (4 earned) on 9 hits over 6 1/3 innings while walking 1 and striking out 4 in dropping his 10^th game of the year.  Offensively, just 4 hits were tallied by Minnesota, as both Joe Mauer and Ben Revere were left on base after their respective doubles.  Jake Peavy dominated the punchless Twins lineup, handing out no free passes and setting down 7 Twins on strikes.  And unfortunately for Minnesota it only gets worse, as the Boston Red Sox fly to Minneapolis to begin a 3-game series on Monday night.  Losers of 4 straight and 8 of 10 and eagerly hoping to turn things around, Scott Baker gets the start in the opening game hoping for more success than his last time out (3 innings, including a 46-pitch 3^rd inning).

Record: 51-63

August 8^th: Red Sox 8, Twins 6

Not even Scott Baker can stop the bleeding, even after being staked to a 5-1 lead by the 5^th inning.  This time it was the gopher ball that did in the Twins and Baker, as the Sox rallied to tied the game with a 4-run 6^th and scored a pair of runs off Glen Perkins and Joe Nathan in the 9^th to hand the Twins their 5^th straight loss by a final count of 8-6.  The offense backed Baker nicely early on, overcoming a brief 1-0 deficit to put together 2 doubles, 2 singles, and a run-scoring passed ball to take a 3-1 2^nd inning lead.  Jason Kubel hit a towering fly ball into the right field seats for his 9^th homer of the year, and Joe Mauer added a 2-out RBI double in the 5^th as the Twins raced to a 5-1 lead.  But after cruising into the 6^th having allowed just 1 run on 5 hits, Baker was tagged for a triple, single, and 2 home runs during Boston’s rally that tied the game at 5, and Baker was done after that inning and did not figure in the game’s final decision.  The Sox scored the go-ahead run when Mauer couldn’t handle a throw from Matt Tolbert on a play at the plate in the 7^th, but Kubel came right back in the bottom of the inning and delivered a 2-out RBI single to tie the game back up at 6-6.  But after a shutout 8^th, Perkins couldn’t duplicate that feat in the 9^th, despite recording the 2^nd out of the inning on a pickoff.  After a pair of 2-out singles knocked him out of the game, ex-Twin David Ortiz laced his 4^th hit of the 9^th, a go-ahead RBI single, off Nathan to put the Sox in front.  The next batter, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, added to the misery with another run-scoring hit, and closer Jonathan Papelbon finished off the Twins with an easy final frame.

Record: 51-64

August 9^th: Red Sox 4, Twins 3

That’s 6 straight and counting; and the Twins are now staring down the barrel of a winless homestand following Tuesday night’s demoralizing 4-3 defeat against the AL East-leading Red Sox.  Francisco Liriano took the mound this time and was effective early on, beginning the night with 4 shutout innings.  The offense also took advantage of wildness from newest Red Sox pitcher Erik Bedard to the tune of a single and 4 walks, including one with the bases loaded to Delmon Young, as the Twins took a 2-0 1^st inning lead.  But whatever adjustment Bedard made worked splendidly, as Minnesota did not score against him over his final 4 innings of work.  This allowed the potent Red Sox offensive attack to wait out the inconsistent Liriano, who struggled with walks during the game but didn’t pay for it.  That is, until the 5^th, when a leadoff walk was followed by a 2-run homer by one-time Twin Darnell McDonald that tied the game at 2-2.  Liriano would be done after 6 innings and allowing 3 runs on 4 hits and a ridiculous 7 walks while striking out ; his ERA stands at an even 5 after the no-decision.  After the teams exchanged 6^th inning 2-out RBI hits by Jason Varitek and Tsuyoshi Nishioka, respectively, Boston ripped the Twins’ guts out for the 2^nd straight night, beginning by loading the bases with 1 out in the 7^th.  Former Twin and now Twins killer David Ortiz strode to the plate, and chopped a small dribbler up the 1^st base line.  Phil Dumatrait charged it and prepared a flip to Drew Butera at home for the force out – but it never happened, as Dumatrait fell flat on his ass, allowing the tying run to score.  Alex Burnett miraculously got the final 2 outs of the inning without incurring further damage, but the weak Twins offense managed just 1 baserunner over their final 3 innings of batting and took yet another defeat.  And now, hoping to avoid the humiliation of a winless 6-game homestand, Nick Blackburn takes the hill in Wednesday night finale opposing ace lefty Jon Lester.

Record: 51-65

August 10^th: Twins 5, Red Sox 2

You could argue, heading into the series, the one clear-cut pitching matchup advantage Boston had over Minnesota was in the final game of the series.  And yet, Nick Blackburn stood his ground, shook off his recent struggles, and shut down a juggernaut Red Sox lineup (albeit missing Dustin Pedroia) to throw 6 2/3 strong innings in an eventual 5-2 Twins win to snap their 6-game losing streak and salvage the final game of the terrible 6-game homestand.  Blackburn allowed just a single unearned run on 6 scattered hits while walking 2 and striking out 4, but did not figure in the final decision, as former Twin-from-a-lifetime-ago David Ortiz continued his torrid hitting against Minnesota pitching with a game-tying solo homer in the 8^th off Glen Perkins.  But the Twins weren’t to be denied on this night, and they got started early.  Despite Ben Revere being picked off and caught stealing, the Twins still got on the board in the 1^st thanks to a Joe Mauer walk, Michael Cuddyer single, and RBI single from Jim Thome.  Mauer’s opposite field ground-rule double plated Revere with the Twins’ 2^nd run in the 6^th, but 2 runs would not be enough on this night, as Boston rallied into a 2-2 tie.  But the decisive rally began against Sox ace lefty Jon Lester on a close 3-2 pitch that resulted in a walk to Mauer.  After advancing to 2^nd on Michael Cuddyer’s groundout, Thome put his team back into the lead with an RBI double to left.  Pinch runner Jason Repko scored on Danny Valencia’s RBI double to pad the lead, and after an intentional walk to Delmon Young, Matt Tolbert singled to load the bases.  And Tsuyoshi Nishioka added the final dagger by lacing a single to center to score Valencia for a 5-2 margin (although Delmon Young was thrown out at the plate on the play).  Joe Nathan came on for the save and had no trouble disposing of all 3 hitters he would face on 17 pitches.  The Twins will celebrate the victory during Thursday’s off-day before heading to Cleveland to begin a 3-game series and 6-game divisional road trip, with a stopover in Detroit to follow.  Carl Pavano gets the start in the Friday night opener.

Record: 52-65

August 12^th: Indians 3, Twins 2

Not enough the returns of Justin Morneau and Alexi Casilla can save the free-falling Twins season.  And Casilla was barely in the lineup long enough to tie his shoes before re-tweaking his hamstring and having to go back on the DL. As for the game, a late 2-1 lead quickly morphed into yet another demoralizing defeat as Minnesota lost game 1 of the series in Cleveland 3-2.  Carl Pavano got the start and was solid for nearly the entire game, carrying a 2-1 lead into the 8^th inning on the shoulders of a pair of Tsuyoshi Nishioka RBI singles, including the go-ahead 2-out hit in the top of the frame.  Pavano had scattered 9 hits over the first 7 innings while striking out 4.  But he was replaced by the normally reliable Glen Perkins after a 1-out single, who appears to be wearing down in his new role and promptly surrendered 2 RBI doubles in the decisive inning for Cleveland, costing Pavano and the Twins the victory.  But Nishioka’s 6^th inning error also led to an unearned Tribe run, as 2 typically reliable cogs in the Twins arsenal over the years, bullpen and defense, continue to let the team down day in and day out.  Morneau went 0-for-4 in his return to the lineup after missing 2 months, and Casilla hurt his leg after trying to beat out a bunt single in the 7^th.

Record: 52-66

August 13^th: Indians 3, Twins 1

Generally, when a team allows just 3 runs in consecutive games, they win one if not both of those games.  Yet, Minnesota’s offense continues to be worse than the lackluster Cleveland unit, falling victim to a 3-run homer and a strong pitching effort in dropping the 2^nd game of the series by a final of 3-1.  SS Asdrubal Cabrera’s 3^rd-inning blast was all the offense the Tribe needed against Brian Duensing, who was excellent aside from the home run (6 2/3 innings, 3 runs, 9 hits, 2 walks, 9 K’s), yet still took his 11^th loss of the year.  That was thanks to Josh Tomlin and the reliable Cleveland ‘pen’s efforts, as they limited the Twins to just a 5 hits and a single 7^th-inning run, which came via a Delmon Young RBI single to score Justin Morneau (1-for-8 since his return from the DL).  Note: Sunday’s game in Cleveland was postponed and made up the next time the Twins go to Cleveland.  In the mean time, Minnesota heads north to Detroit for a series with the AL-Central-leading Tigers, who have been their arch nemesis this season (Tigers lead the season series 8 games to 1).  Francisco Liriano gets the start in the Monday night opener.

Record: 52-67

August 15^th: Twins 9, Tigers 6

If you’re going to hit a career milestone that doubles as an extremely impressive one in baseball history, you may as well do it in style.  Jim Thome got that memo and delivered in kind, hitting both his 599^th and 600^th career home runs in a 9-6 Twins victory in Detroit.  Thome’s 2-run 6^th inning homer broke a 3-3 tie, and he waited all of one inning later to reach the 600-homer threshold and extend Minnesota’s lead to 9-5.  Francisco Liriano got the start for the Twins and was effective enough to win his 8^th game of the year, but he fell behind early thanks to a solo homer by Delmon Young in the 1^st, who was traded earlier in the day for 2 prospects.  But his offense picked up 2 doubles and was aided by a fielding error to score 3 runs in the 3^rd to take the lead.  Detroit rallied to tie it before Thome’s first homer, and then got to within 1 in the 6^th before Thome’s 2^nd blast gave the Twins 3 insurance runs.  Liriano would last 6 innings and give up 5 runs on 9 hits, but got plenty of support to pick up the victory.  Alex Burnett gave up a run on 2 hits in the 7^th as his struggles continued, but Glen Perkins recovered from several bad outings with 1 2/3 innings of shutout ball, Matt Capps recorded the final out of the 8^th, and Joe Nathan retired the side in order with a pair of strikeouts in the 9^th to clinch his 10^th save of the season.  Nick Blackburn gets the next turn in the rotation, matching up with Cy Young favorite Justin Verlander.

Record: 53-67

August 16^th: Tigers 7, Twins 1

The Twins have been in free-fall mode for a good several weeks now, so it comes as no surprise that they succumbed to the will and dominance of the 2011 Cy Young favorite.  Justin Verlander coasted to his 18^th victory of the season, as his offense hit Nick Blackburn hard, as the Twins quickly reverted back to form following a rare win over Detroit by getting clobbered 7-1 in the 2^nd game of the series.  Blackburn started strong with 2 shutout innings and the inducing of an inning-ending double play in the 2^nd inning, but the beginning of the end happened in the 3^rd, as Blackburn allowed 3 hits, capped by a 2-run Miguel Cabrera single as the Tigers surged ahead.  Detroit then rallied for 4 hits and a walk in the 5^th, including 3 consecutive run-scoring singles, to take a 5-0 lead and knock Blackburn out of the game having allowed 5 runs on 11 hits to take his 10^th loss.  Phil Dumatrait gave up 2 more runs, including a solo homer in the 6^th.  But the story, as it always seems to be, was Verlander, who limited Minnesota to just Justin Morneau’s 8^th-inning 2-out RBI single and 7 hits overall over 7 2/3 innings as he won his major-league best 18^th decision.  He also struck out 8 Twins along way.  But the Twins have a chance to take the series with a win in the Friday night finale, and Carl Pavano will take the hill with that goal in mind.

Record: 53-68

August 17^th: Twins 6, Tigers 5

It’s a shame that the Twins waited until after they fell completely out of contention to finally take a series from Detroit, as a series win at this point in the year could really have made things interesting the AL Central race.  Unfortunately, despite the 6-5 win to clinch their first series win against the Tigers in 2011, the team improved to just 3-9 in the head-to-head battles this year, and remains 10.5 games out in the division race.  Carl Pavano paid no attention to any of those above statistics and went out and did his job, limiting the potent Tiger attack to 3 runs on 9 hits over 7 strong innings, but was not able to pick the victory thanks once again to limited run supported.  Jim Thome played his part, wasting no time in delivering his 601^st career homer and 12^th of the year in the 2^nd for a 1-0 Twins lead.  After falling behind 2-1 heading into the 7^th, the Twins answered right back, with Rene Tosoni, having taken the place of the departed Delmon Young, annihilating a 2-run homer in the right field bleachers as Minnesota retook the lead at 3-2.  Detroit’s superstar 1B Miguel Cabrera responded with an RBI single to tie the game in the bottom of the inning, but a perfect relay throw from Tsuyoshi Nishioka nabbed the potential go-ahead run at the plate to end the inning.  Jim Thome’s RBI single put the Twins back in the front in the 8^th, but Glen Perkins loaded the bases with nobody out in the bottom of the inning as the Twins had another potential devastating loss on their hands.  Fortunately, Matt Capps came on, and despite allowing the game-tying sacrifice fly, recorded the final 2 outs of the inning to strand the go-ahead runs and keep the game tied at 4-4.  This set the stage for Justin Morneau to save the day.  The Twins loaded the bases with nobody out in the 9^th, but nearly failed to score, as both Trevor Plouffe and Joe Mauer struck out.  But Morneau grounded a 2-0 pitched right back up the middle and through into center field, plating Tosoni and Nishioka with the go-ahead and insurance runs.  This proved crucial, as the Tigers got a couple of hits and a run back against closer Joe Nathan.  But Nathan retired the game’s final 2 batters, with the last one via a swinging strikeout, to clinch the Twins’ victory.

Record: 54-68

August 18^th: Yankees 8, Twins 4

Death.  Taxes.  The Yankees beat the Twins.  These are the 3 certainties in life, and sure enough, in the opener of the 4-game series at Target Field, the eternal Twins nemesis disposed of them once again, this time by a final of 8-4.  Justin Morneau even had a home run overturned (though it was the correct call), and Brian Duensing simply could not hold down the Yankees’ loaded lineup.  The Twins actually briefly took the lead, going ahead 2-1 thanks to a Tsuyoshi Nishioka RBI single and fielder’s choice groundout by Drew Butera in the 2^nd.  But that was the highlight of the night, as the Yankees immediately responded with 2 runs in the 3^rd and 3 more insurance runs in the 5^th.  Duensing was hit hard for 6 runs on 10 hits over those 5 frames, dropping his 12^th decision of the year. Meanwhile, C.C. Sabathia was every bit the ace he’s been his whole career, throwing 7 innings and scattering 10 Twins hits and allowing 4 runs (3 earned), though the Twins did battle back against him in the 7^th, taking advantage of 3 singles and a throwing error.  But despite the big bats coming up with the bases loaded, nobody out, and trailing 6-3, Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau, and Jim Thome managed only a sacrifice fly, fly out, and groundout, and the deficit was still 6-4.  And in the end, Matt Capps failed to record the final out of the 9^th before allowing 2 killer insurance runs, and the offense didn’t manage a baserunner in their final 2 innings of batting, as the team dropped the opener of the series.  Mauer picked up a hit in 3 at-bats and drove in a run in his first start in right field as well, as the Twins remain determined to keep his bat in the lineup while not necessarily keep him at catcher.  Kevin Slowey makes technically his 1^st start of the year (his outing was cut short this past Sunday thanks to rain) in the 2^nd game of the series, replacing the injured Scott Baker (strained right flexor).

Record: 54-69