Post by Fish Troll on May 26, 2007 10:21:56 GMT -5
Twins edge past Jays in opener
Revamped bullpen shines; Hunter delivers go-ahead RBI
By Kelly Thesier / MLB.com
MINNEAPOLIS -- Coming home after a long roadtrip may seem to be the cure for all that ails many clubs.
But for the Twins, the Metrodome hasn't exactly been the most welcoming of places so far this season.
The Twins have not won a series at home since they swept the Orioles in the first series of the year on April 2-4. And coming into Friday's contest with the Blue Jays, the Twins had won just a total of 10 games at the Metrodome in '07.
Still, having lost three of their key relievers during their recent nine-game roadtrip, the Twins were looking for home to be a place of refuge and a place to continue some of their recent success. And Friday night, it proved to be just that.
That's because the Twins were able to hold a slim one-run lead with their new-look bullpen and capture a 4-3 victory over the Blue Jays.
"We start the homestand with a good win and we need to take advantage of our home field here," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said after the victory. "Our history has shown we've played good here, but we haven't played well here so far this year. We have to start doing good and winning our share of ballgames here."
Winning ballgames has become a whole different kind of challenge for the club, considering it now has just four proven relievers to rely on in the bullpen. The best news of the day Friday was that the Twins were able to ride that radically different looking bullpen to pick up the victory.
With both Toronto's starter, Jesse Litsch, and the Twins' starter, Scott Baker, getting knocked out of their starts by the end of the sixth inning, both teams turned to their injury depleted relief corps to decide a 3-3 game.
Due to all the injuries and the uncertainty of their three unproven new relievers, the Twins had been hoping to get a longer start out of Baker. But despite Baker's ability to rebound from a rough first inning, Baker's night was limited to just 5 1/3 innings, as he allowed three runs on five hits.
In the battle of the bullpens, though, it was the Twins who got the performance that they needed. Matt Guerrier and Pat Neshek combined for 2 2/3 scoreless innings, giving up just one hit and one walk in that span.
"It was a tough roadtrip, because anytime you lose three main guys in the bullpen, it's tough to replace that," Michael Cuddyer said. "Hopefully the guys there can step up and Matty Guerrier did that for us tonight."
Guerrier came in with one out in the sixth and held the game tied until the Twins could pick up the go-ahead run in the bottom of the seventh. Torii Hunter tallied his first hit of the night off Toronto's left-hander Scott Downs and made Downs pay for the leadoff walk he issued to Luis Castillo.
It was Guerrier who picked up the victory, only the second of his career, but Neshek was able to hold the lead until the ninth when Joe Nathan came in for his 10th save of the season.
It's been the emergence of Neshek and Guerrier that has the Twins feeling much better about the current state of their bullpen.
Neshek has now thrown 16 1/3 consecutive scoreless innings, while allowing six hits and striking out 21. Guerrier has produced similar results of late, throwing 10 1/3 consecutive scoreless innings while allowing just five hits and striking out eight.
With the team's other eighth-inning option, Juan Rincon, battling through a few issues of his own according to Gardenhire, the Twins need Neshek to remain strong in big situations. And so far, he's shown them he's able to do that.
"He's been throwing really good," Gardenhire said. "He's got enough funk and he's got enough pitches. He's doing a lot better against left-handed guys, using a little changeup and working his fastball on the outer half. He's been getting the job done."
So has Guerrier, who has emerged as another option for a late-inning arm. With the versatility to go long or pitch in short situations, Guerrier now becomes even a more critical cog in the bullpen.
But the key is for the Twins not to overuse him, especially now when there are so many questions surrounding the new members of the bullpen.
"We have to keep his pitch counts down," Gardenhire said of Guerrier. "He's throwing the ball so well and he's going to be huge for us, just huge."
Seeing the bullpen have success in its first real test since all the injuries occurred was a nice start, but Neshek believes it's just the beginning.
"Getting out there was perfect, because it's going to set us up for more," Neshek said. "It's a good one to build off."
Kelly Thesier is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
Revamped bullpen shines; Hunter delivers go-ahead RBI
By Kelly Thesier / MLB.com
MINNEAPOLIS -- Coming home after a long roadtrip may seem to be the cure for all that ails many clubs.
But for the Twins, the Metrodome hasn't exactly been the most welcoming of places so far this season.
The Twins have not won a series at home since they swept the Orioles in the first series of the year on April 2-4. And coming into Friday's contest with the Blue Jays, the Twins had won just a total of 10 games at the Metrodome in '07.
Still, having lost three of their key relievers during their recent nine-game roadtrip, the Twins were looking for home to be a place of refuge and a place to continue some of their recent success. And Friday night, it proved to be just that.
That's because the Twins were able to hold a slim one-run lead with their new-look bullpen and capture a 4-3 victory over the Blue Jays.
"We start the homestand with a good win and we need to take advantage of our home field here," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said after the victory. "Our history has shown we've played good here, but we haven't played well here so far this year. We have to start doing good and winning our share of ballgames here."
Winning ballgames has become a whole different kind of challenge for the club, considering it now has just four proven relievers to rely on in the bullpen. The best news of the day Friday was that the Twins were able to ride that radically different looking bullpen to pick up the victory.
With both Toronto's starter, Jesse Litsch, and the Twins' starter, Scott Baker, getting knocked out of their starts by the end of the sixth inning, both teams turned to their injury depleted relief corps to decide a 3-3 game.
Due to all the injuries and the uncertainty of their three unproven new relievers, the Twins had been hoping to get a longer start out of Baker. But despite Baker's ability to rebound from a rough first inning, Baker's night was limited to just 5 1/3 innings, as he allowed three runs on five hits.
In the battle of the bullpens, though, it was the Twins who got the performance that they needed. Matt Guerrier and Pat Neshek combined for 2 2/3 scoreless innings, giving up just one hit and one walk in that span.
"It was a tough roadtrip, because anytime you lose three main guys in the bullpen, it's tough to replace that," Michael Cuddyer said. "Hopefully the guys there can step up and Matty Guerrier did that for us tonight."
Guerrier came in with one out in the sixth and held the game tied until the Twins could pick up the go-ahead run in the bottom of the seventh. Torii Hunter tallied his first hit of the night off Toronto's left-hander Scott Downs and made Downs pay for the leadoff walk he issued to Luis Castillo.
It was Guerrier who picked up the victory, only the second of his career, but Neshek was able to hold the lead until the ninth when Joe Nathan came in for his 10th save of the season.
It's been the emergence of Neshek and Guerrier that has the Twins feeling much better about the current state of their bullpen.
Neshek has now thrown 16 1/3 consecutive scoreless innings, while allowing six hits and striking out 21. Guerrier has produced similar results of late, throwing 10 1/3 consecutive scoreless innings while allowing just five hits and striking out eight.
With the team's other eighth-inning option, Juan Rincon, battling through a few issues of his own according to Gardenhire, the Twins need Neshek to remain strong in big situations. And so far, he's shown them he's able to do that.
"He's been throwing really good," Gardenhire said. "He's got enough funk and he's got enough pitches. He's doing a lot better against left-handed guys, using a little changeup and working his fastball on the outer half. He's been getting the job done."
So has Guerrier, who has emerged as another option for a late-inning arm. With the versatility to go long or pitch in short situations, Guerrier now becomes even a more critical cog in the bullpen.
But the key is for the Twins not to overuse him, especially now when there are so many questions surrounding the new members of the bullpen.
"We have to keep his pitch counts down," Gardenhire said of Guerrier. "He's throwing the ball so well and he's going to be huge for us, just huge."
Seeing the bullpen have success in its first real test since all the injuries occurred was a nice start, but Neshek believes it's just the beginning.
"Getting out there was perfect, because it's going to set us up for more," Neshek said. "It's a good one to build off."
Kelly Thesier is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
minnesota.twins.mlb.com/news/gameday_recap.jsp?ymd=20070525&content_id=1985868&vkey=recap&fext=.jsp&c_id=min
