Kuzul

Minnesota Twins pitcher Brian Duensing is in his element as a reliever. On Saturday, Duensing pitched in relief of starter Sam Deduno, who only went four innings in a 5-3 loss to the Chicago White Sox. He went 3.1 innings, allowing only one hit and a walk while striking out Alejandro De Aza and Kevin Youkilis. “I felt real good,” he said. “I felt I was in my own rhythm immediately when I got on the mound.” He pitched three straight 1-2-3 innings before a difficult eighth inning. “He really shut it down today,” said manager Ron Gardenhire. “Came in, threw over the plate, used all of his pitches, looked really efficient and relaxed out there.” “I was very efficient,” echoed Duensing, whose fastball stayed in the low 90s. “Quick innings and all the results were for the most part on the ground and that’s all I can really ask ...

When the Washington Nationals signed Jayson Werth to a $126 million contract this past offseason, they plugged a hole in their outfield and brought in one of the few true five-tool players in baseball. And because their first-round pick was protected thanks to their dismal 2010 record, all they had to give up was their second-round pick in this June’s MLB Amateur Draft. And that’s not much, right? After all, over the past two seasons, Werth has averaged .282/.380/.519 with 32 home runs, 92 RBI and 19 stolen bases. A second-round pick might—or might not—make an impact at the major league level, but almost certainly won’t be another Jayson Werth. Since their first season in Washington, the Nationals have received far more draft picks for lost free agents than they have given up. 2005 was an exception, however. Shortly after Jim Bowden took over as team general manager, he found himself without a left ...

The Minnesota Twins did not expect to find themselves in this situation again. One year after a disappointing but somewhat foreseeable ALDS sweep at the hands of the New York Yankees, the Twins entered this year's rematch with high expectations. The team had not needed a tiebreaking 163rd game to reach the playoffs; they had sewn up the division with over a week left. They had a deep rotation, a strong lineup, and the chemistry brought to this year's clubhouse by key offseason additions Jim Thome and Orlando Hudson. Two games into the Series, though, not much seems to have changed. Despite scoring first and holding two leads in each of the first two games, Minnesota trails 2-0 and must now try to topple the Yankees twice on the road just to force a fifth and decisive game back in brand-new Target Field. The story of the night may be ...

The Minnesota Twins appear to be on their way to winning back-to-back division titles and for the first time in two years, not having to go to a game 163. With the Twins sitting comfortably in front of the Chicago White Sox they will have the opportunity to rest pitchers down the stretch and set their rotation however they would like for the postseason.There's a good chance Francisco Liriano will be thrown out in Game 1 against either the Tampa Bay Rays or New York Yankees. The other option would be Carl Pavano, who has been a godsend for the Twins' rotation with the way he eats up innings.The postseason is creeping up closer and closer, which means it's time to grade the pitching staff up to this point. Francisco Liriano—B+It was a tough choice not to give Liriano an A especially seeing how well he's pitched since the All-Star break. ...

For the Minnesota Twins, 2010 has been a roller coaster ride for the starting pitching staff. It's been almost a different pitcher stepping up to lead the club every month.  Of late, Carl Pavano appears to be ready to settle into the ace of the staff.  The Twins just completed a crucial 12 game stretch, going 9-3. Half of these games were against the second place Chicago White Sox—where they won four of six games, building a five game lead in the AL Central. Now they start another crucial stretch where they will face the first place Texas Rangers seven times over the next 13 games.  Nick Blackburn has been recalled from AAA Rochester, replacing Kevin Slowey who has been placed on the DL, opening the four game series in Arlington for the Twins. Here's a month-by-month look at how the starters have taken turns, not only on the mound, but as the staff ace. April Pitcher of the Month: Francisco Liriano Liriano: 4 ...

The non-waiver trading deadline has passed. The Texas Rangers made arguably the biggest move in the AL with the acquisition of ace Cliff Lee. They also added some depth with shortstop Cristian Guzman, infielder Jorge Cantu, and catcher Bengie Molina. In typical New York fashion, the Yankees have put themselves in a position to repeat as World Series champions with the additions of first baseman Lance Berkman, outfielder Austin Kearns, and pitcher Kerry Wood. Berkman was rumored to be a target for both the Tigers and White Sox, and some reports are he vetoed a deal that would have sent him to Chicago. So here's a look at how the three teams contending for the AL Central fared in attempts to make improvements before the trade deadline at 3:00 pm CDT on Saturday. Chicago White Sox Key additions: Edwin Jackson—Right-hand pitcher, 6-10, 5.16 ERA. Key subtractions: Pitcher Jake Peavy—out for the season with right shoulder surgery. Going 25-5 before ...

The burning question among Twins fans is whether or not their ball club needs to make a deadline move to bolster an inconsistent pitching staff. A starting rotation led by the unlikeliest of aces, Carl Pavano, had their best week in over a month. The Twins are one game behind the Chicago White Sox and have jumped the suddenly reeling Detroit Tigers. General Manager Bill Smith will have to weigh whether the recent success is smoke in mirrors against poor opponents or whether it is actual signs of improvement. His decision will ultimately determine if the Twins will be challenging for a World Series title in October or will be struggling to win their division in late September. The starting staff of Carl Pavano, Francisco Liriano, Scott Baker, Brian Duensing, and Kevin Slowey combined for a 4-0 record, 34 innings pitched, 21 hits allowed, a 1.06 ERA, and 23 strikeouts in their most ...

Heading into the All-Star Break, Twins fans split into two camps. The “oh God, it’s all over” camp reacted to the hometown nine’s recent run of form—a poor one, dropping them into third place in the decent AL Central. The other camp was the “Second Halfers.”  They’ve seen this team really catch fire in the second half of the season and remember pretty well how the performance of several starting pitchers (like Scott Baker) started to pick up rapidly after the annual midsummer classic. It took the "Brothers ‘No," Francicso Liriano and Carl Pavano (along with his sidekick, Super Mario’s moustache), to breathe life back into the Twins starting rotation and help point the club toward the usual second half rally.  Although not in a hole nearly as deep as last season’s at this time, the Twins desperately needed solid starting pitching to reappear in the four game series with the ...

Let's face it: The AL Central is the Minnesota Twins' division to lose, and they did just about everything they could to lose it in the last month or so before the All-Star break. The starting pitching was atrocious and the offense faltered.  So what should the Twins do? With Mauer and every starting pitcher besides Pavano underperforming, it's looking pretty rough. I've got a few ideas to entertain: Trade for Dan Haren or Ted Lilly Cliff Lee already slipped by. I'm sick of seeing the Twins wait and wait for a great deal to land under their nose, only to get stuck with a lackluster upgrade right before the trade deadline. Supposedly the Twins would have had Lee for Wilson Ramos and Aaron Hicks, but backed out. I understand that Minnesota values their prospects, but they've been developing some great young players for the last 19 years with no ...

In a pitchers duel, it doesn't take much to shift the balance of the game. For the Minnesota Twins Friday night against the Tampa Bay Rays, two key base hits provided a lead that they would refuse to relinquish. Minnesota's Scott Baker managed to scatter several hits from the potent Ray's offense with minimal damage on the scoreboard. Working an effective slider and a fastball with plenty of bite, Baker managed to keep the Rays at bay, with the exception of a run scored on a ground-rule double in the first inning. Hits were much tougher to come by against David Price. The former first-overall selection had his deadly fastball/curveball combination working like a gem, and the Twins only managed four hits the entire game. Half of those hits came in the bottom half of the seventh inning for Minnesota, which game them a 2-1 lead. Delmon Young, the oft-maligned Twins outfielder who ...