Seattle comes to Town

[catman]

Friday, Scott Baker goes against Doug Fister.
Saturday, Slowey faces King Felix.
Sunday, Liriano v. Luke French.
The Twins need to take 2 out of 3 (at least) to keep the pressure on the Sox, who face the As this weekend.

[Porter]

Fister and Feilx are scuffling and the bullpen is finding new ways to lose. The offense has been maddeningly inconsistent. Maybe they can realize that they are in Safeco midwest....Nah would be too easy

[catman]

Fister looked OK tonight, but the fielding was not very good. The infielders did not make the plays as well as one would hope a major leaguer would. They messed up a double play by the SS (Jack Wilson) not being in the right spot to take the throw from Kotchman. No error was charged, as they got a 3-6-3 put out.
Thome followed an error on Figgins with a bomb to left for the Twins first 2 runs. Mauer hit a grounder to the 3B that should have been fielded for another run. Alexi Casilla (of all people) hit a 2-run homer to right.
Baker didn't look as sharp as he has in the past, but did OK. He pitched 5.1 innings allowing 3 runs (all earned), walking 4, allowing 7 hits. He struck out 2. The bullpen did a very good job, throwing 3.2 innings of 2 hit ball.
Good way to start off a series.

[mntwinsfan]

Capps gets his first save as a Twin.

[henks]

Good stuff.

[Porter]

You know those groundskeepers in Major League.

"They're still shitty" = Mariners

[catman]

Slowey pitched a very good ballgame today. 8 IP, 3 hits, 5 Ks (including Ichiro 3 times). Most importantly, he allowed no runs. The Twins got 3 runs off King Felix in the first inning (triple by Casilla, RBI single by Mauer, RBI triple by Young, RBI double by Thome), and another run in the 8th on a double by Mauer and an RBI single by Young (that hit the 2nd base bag). Mijares pitched the 9th, allowing a hit and striking out 1.
4-0 Twins.

[catman]

Liriano pitched an outstanding game today, allowing 2 hits and 2 walks in 7 innings. He struck out 11. Rauch pitched the 8th, striking out 2 and Guerrier matched him in the 9th. A combined 2-hit shutout for the Twins today.
Offensively, the Twins didn't do much against Luke French until the bottom of the 6th. They loaded the bases and Kubel unloaded them with a long double. Valencia singled him in, and that was it.
The Twins now have win 8 in a row, and are half a game out in the AL Central.

[henks]

This is awesome!!!! Really good stuff. This team has really turned it around since the All Start Break.