Results tagged ‘ Francisco Liriano ’

Game 17: Liriano to skip his next start

MINNEAPOLIS — In an effort to help him clear his head after struggling in four outings so far this season, the Twins will skip left-hander Francisco Liriano’s turn in the rotation this week.

Minnesota has an off-day on Thursday, which allows the Twins to go with a four-man rotation before Liriano makes his next start on Tuesday in Anaheim. Liriano allowed five runs in five innings yesterday against the Rays, and has an 11.02 ERA with 12 strikeouts and 13 walks in 16 1/3 innings.

Gardenhire told Liriano of the club’s decision during a meeting today that also included pitching coach Rick Anderson. Anderson is set to watch Liriano throw bullpen sessions on Thursday and Saturday.

“It’s about being able to relax on the mound and he knows that,” Gardenhire said. “He actually says he has confidence. But he’ll tell you straight out that when he gets men out there he starts spinning ‘em. So he’s got to be able to control that. It’s a work in progress. We’re letting him take a step back and relax a little bit.”

In other news, second baseman Alexi Casilla was a late scratch with flu-like symptoms. Trevor Plouffe moves from left field to second base to take his place in the lineup, while Chris Parmelee makes his first career start in left field.

Left fielder Josh Willingham will also be placed on paternity leave on Wednesday to attend the birth of his third son with his wife Ginger. The Twins will call somebody up to replace him, even though he could return as early as Friday. My best guess is that Revere gets the call, but we’ll see.

Justin Morneau also makes his second start of the season at first base tonight.

Red Sox (4-10)

1. Mike Aviles, SS
2. Ryan Sweeney, RF
3. Dustin Pedroia, 2B
4. Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
5. David Ortiz, DH
6. Kevin Youkilis, 3B
7. Jarrod Saltalamacchia, C
8. Cody Ross, RF
9. Marlon Byrd, CF

LHP Jon Lester (0-2, 5.82. 3.88 FIP, 17 IP, 12 K, 9 BB)

Twins (5-11)
1. Denard Span, CF
2. Jamey Carroll, SS
3. Joe Mauer, C
4. Josh Willingham, DH
5. Justin Morneau, 1B
6. Ryan Doumit, RF
7. Danny Valencia, 3B
8. Chris Parmelee, LF
9. Trevor Plouffe, 2B

RHP Jason Marquis (1-0, 7.20, 6.14 FIP, 5 IP, 3 K, 2 BB)

Game 2: Twins lineup vs. Orioles

BALTIMORE — After the Twins’ 4-2 Opening Day loss yesterday, manager Ron Gardenhire has a new lineup for the second game of the season.

Ryan Doumit, who started in right field, is being replaced by Ben Revere, who is starting in right and batting eighth.

Doumit is likely getting the day off because he’ll catch tomorrow to give Joe Mauer a rest, as it’s a day game after a night game.

Revere should also greatly improve the outfield defense, considering Doumit had trouble with a fly ball to deep right field yesterday that ended up being an RBI triple off the bat of Nick Markakis.

It’ll also be interesting to see how left-hander Francisco Liriano fares, as he’s coming off a huge spring that saw him post a 2.33 ERA with 33 strikeouts compared to just five walks over 27 innings.

If the Twins are to rebound from last year, they’re going to need a huge season from Liriano, who has great stuff but has trouble harnessing it as evidenced by his 5.09 ERA a year ago.

We’ll also hopefully get an update on Scott Baker today, as his MRI exam showed nothing new from the one that was taken back in July of last year. He was diagnosed with a slight flexor muscle strain after the initial MRI exam last year. He’s slated to get a second opinion for Dr. David Altchek in New York next week.

Twins (0-1)
1. Denard Span, CF
2. Jamey Carroll, SS
3. Joe Mauer, C
4. Justin Morneau, DH
5. Josh Willingham, LF
6. Chris Parmelee, 1B
7. Danny Valencia, 3B
8. Ben Revere, RF
9. Alexi Casilla, 2B

LHP Francisco Liriano

Orioles (1-0)
1. Nolan Reimold, LF
2. J.J. Hardy, SS
3. Nick Markakis, RF
4. Adam Jones, CF
5. Matt Wieters, C
6. Mark Reynolds, 3B
7. Nick Johnson, 1B
8. Ronny Paulino, DH
9. Robert Andino, 2B

RHP Tommy Hunter

Blackburn appears set to start home opener

FORT MYERS, Fla. — After tossing five innings against the Red Sox, Twins right-hander Nick Blackburn said he wasn’t sure when he’ll make his next start.

But pitching coach Rick Anderson said Blackburn’s next outing will be against Class A Advanced Fort Myers on Wednesday, and strongly hinted that he’ll start the home opener against the Angels on April 9 at Target Field.

“Figure the math,” Anderson said. “Five days after that, when is he throwing again? It’s the home opener.”

With Blackburn apparently scheduled to start in the home opener, the Twins are getting close to setting their rotation. Right-hander Carl Pavano will start on Opening Day in Baltimore on April 6 and left-hander Francisco Liriano appears set to start in the club’s second game.

The third starter is up in the air, but right-hander Liam Hendriks is the front-runner to make that start, as Scott Baker (elbow tendonitis) and Jason Marquis (family issue) aren’t likely to be ready to open the season. The Twins don’t need a fifth starter because of the off-day on April 10.

Blackburn didn’t turn his prettiest outing of the spring on Friday, but he was happy he was able to make an in-game adjustment to bounce back after a shaky first few innings against the Red Sox.

He gave up five hits — including a two-run homer to Cody Ross in the second frame — and walked two, but got out of a few key games and settled down after the third.

Through four Grapefruit League outings, Blackburn has a 2.25 ERA with 12 strikeouts and four walks over 16 innings.

“Today was as ugly as it’s been,” Blackburn said. “I was able to do some damage control but most importantly I made an adjustment during a game. Even though this is a spring training game, you still have adrenaline facing a lineup like that, and the fact that you can make an adjustment in the game was a big thing for me right now. I don’t think I could have done that a couple years ago.”

Morneau, Mauer, Hughes power Twins to win

FORT MYERS, Fla. — Justin Morneau and Luke Hughes both homered, and Joe Mauer added three hits to lead the Twins to an 11-7 win over the Phillies on Wednesday at Hammond Stadium.

The Twins go for their third win in a row on Thursday, when they travel to Bradenton to face the Pirates.

What went right: Morneau continued his impressive stretch, going 3-for-4 with a homer and three RBIs.

Morneau, making his 10th straight start at designated hitter, is hitting .471 (8-for-17) with three homers, two doubles and nine RBIs over his last five games.

It’s certainly a good sign for the Twins, but they’re still not saying whether he’ll start the year at DH or at first base. But it’s becoming more and more likely he’ll begin the season at DH.

Mauer also had three hits, including an RBI single in the fourth inning. He’s now batting .340 this spring.

Hughes hit his team-leading fifth homer of the spring in the Twins’ seven-run fourth inning. He’s been crushing the ball this spring with a .375 batting average, and is all but guaranteed a spot on the team. He also saw his first action in left field.

Left-hander Francisco Liriano was solid, allowing two runs on seven hits over four-plus innings. More importantly, he walked just one batter and has a 2.45 ERA with 26 strikeouts and just four walks in 22 innings this spring.

Left-hander Brian Duensing tossed two scoreless innings in relief of Liriano, and has allowed just one run this year.

What went wrong: Glen Perkins and Matt Capps both threw on consecutive days for the first time this spring, and struggled.

Perkins allowed three runs on three hits in the sixth inning. But he did strike out two batters.

And Capps gave up a run on two hits in the eighth to raise his ERA to 4.00 this spring. Alex Burnett gave up another run in the ninth and now has a 7.88 ERA.

What they said: “I’m going to buy M&Ms on the way home because I feel so nostalgic,” Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said when asked if Mauer and Morneau’s big day reminded him of the good old days. “Nostalgic? To me, the good old days were the 70s. So, no, they don’t remind me of the 70s.”

What’s next: Left-hander Matt Maloney is scheduled to make his first start of the spring on Thursday against the Pirates in Bradenton at 12:05 p.m. CT. Maloney, who is competing for a spot in the bullpen, has been perfect so far this spring with a 0.00 ERA in 11 1/3 innings. Right-hander Jared Burton is also scheduled to pitch for the Twins. Right-hander James McDonald gets the start for Pittsburgh.

Injury update: Outfielder Trevor Plouffe (strained right hamstring) went 4-for-4 with three homers and a double in a Triple-A game on Wednesday … Infielder Sean Burroughs received good news, as an X-ray exam on his left forearm came back negative. He’s day to day. … Outfielder Josh Willingham returned to the lineup after tweaking his ankle before Monday’s game against the Rays.

Game 18: Liriano dominant in win over Pirates

FORT MYERS, Fla. — Left-hander Francisco Liriano tossed five no-hit innings and the Twins allowed just one hit in a 10-0 win over the Pirates at Hammond Stadium.

The Twins improved to 10-8 with the victory, and make the short trek to JetBlue Park to face the Red Sox on Monday at 12:35 p.m. CT.

What went right: Liriano looked the best he has all spring, walking just one and striking out six over five no-hit frames.

So far, Liriano has struck out 18 and walked just two in 13 Grapefruit League innings. It’s a great sign for the Twins, who need him to pitch like he did in 2010 after struggling last season with a 5.09 ERA.

Jeff Gray, Sam Deduno and Casey Fien also threw no-hit innings, while Luis Perdomo served up the Pirates’ lone hit in the eighth inning. Brandon Boggs picked up the one single with one out in the eighth, but was thrown out by Brian Dinkelman while trying to advance to second base.

The offense also looked good with 13 hits and 10 runs, as they scored five runs in both the second and seventh innings.

Jamey Carroll, who entered hitting just .043 this spring, went 2-for-3, including a two-run double down the right-field line in the second inning. Brian Dozier hit his first homer of the spring to lead off the seventh, while Ray Chang added a two-run double.

Alexi Casilla, Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau, Trevor Plouffe and Joe Benson each picked up an RBI on the afternoon.

What went wrong: Not much, considering the Twins outplayed the Pirates in just about every aspect of the game.

Mauer and Morneau combined to go 0-for-5 but both had RBI groundouts in the second inning with the infield playing back. Danny Valencia went 0-for-3, including a strikeout to end the first inning with the bases loaded.

Perdomo gave up the lone hit by the Pirates, but didn’t allow a baserunner to reach, as Boggs was thrown out at second.

What they said: “I said all right, I’m going to go home and hit my dog. And he goes, your dog doesn’t have anything to worry about, you won’t be hitting it too hard,” Carroll said about a funny exchange he had with Twins manager Ron Gardenhire earlier this week after another hitless game. “I needed to hear that, so it was good. I don’t have a dog, so all the animal-rights activists, it’s just a joke. But you need to hear that. You get frustrated. You want to contribute, especially on a new team. You want to play well, and I think it’s a matter of just trying to relax a little bit and let it come.”

What’s next: Right-hander Jason Marquis is set to make his fourth Grapefruit League start on Monday against the Red Sox at 12:35 p.m. CT at JetBlue Park. Marquis has allowed nine runs over 8 2/3 innings this spring. Right-handers Alex Burnett, Jared Burton, Anthony Swarzak and Jeff Manship are also scheduled to pitch for the Twins.

Injury update: Right-hander Scott Baker (elbow) faces a big test on Monday, as he’s slated to throw a bullpen at the club’s Spring Training complex before they travel down the road to play the Red Sox. Baker is expected to ramp up his intensity after throwing at about 75 percent on Saturday. … Outfielder Trevor Plouffe exited Sunday’s game against the Pirates in the seventh inning with a strained right hamstring. It’s not serious but he’s expected to be held out through at least Wednesday.

Game 12: Lineups vs. split-squad Blue Jays

FORT MYERS, Fla. — Twins center fielder Denard Span was held out of the lineup for the second straight day with neck stiffness.

Span said he’s feeling much better today, but by the time he arrived at the ballpark, the lineup had already been posted.

Span, who tweaked his neck during warm-ups before Saturday’s game, remains hopeful he’ll play tomorrow.

“I feel a lot better compared to the way I felt two days ago,” Span said. “My range of motion is a lot better. Hopefully soon I’ll be back out there.”

Left-hander Francisco Liriano makes the start against the Blue Jays, who are playing very few regulars, as they’re also hosting Team Canada in Dunedin.

Twins (6-5)
1. Darin Mastroianni, CF
2. Jamey Carroll, SS
3. Joe Mauer, C
4. Justin Morneau, 1B
5. Josh Willingham, RF
6. Danny Valencia, 3B
7. Trevor Plouffe, LF
8. Steve Pearce, DH
9. Luke Hughes, 2B

LHP Francisco Liriano

Twins reserves: Drew Butera, Rene Rivera, Sean Burroughs, Wilkin Ramirez, Brian Dinkelman, Ray Chang, Matt Carson, Rene Tosoni, Ben Revere

Twins pitchers: Alex Burnett, Jared Burton, Sam Deduno, Deolis Guerra, Matt Maloney, Lester Oliveros, Kyle Waldrop

Blue Jays (8-2-1)
1. Rajai Davis, CF
2. Travis Snyder, LF
3. Travis d’Arnaud
4. Eric Thames, DH
5. David Cooper, 1B
6. Moses Sierra, RF
7. Adeiny Hechavarria, SS
8. Mike McCoy, 3B
9. Jonathan Diaz, 2B

LHP Brett Cecil

Game 7: Liriano solid but late error dooms Twins

FORT MYERS, Fla. — On the day Glen Perkins signed a three-year extension, a costly error by second baseman Luke Hughes in the ninth inning led to a 1-0 loss to the Rays at Hammond Stadium.

Left-hander Francisco Liriano was solid, but the offense couldn’t get much going against Tampa Bay, which improved to 1-2 against Minnesota in Grapefruit League play.

What went right: Liriano faced the minimum, allowing just one hit over three scoreless innings. He also struck out five and didn’t issue a walk. He also didn’t have to depend on his slider for results, as he threw it just four times in 34 pitches.

But Liriano wasn’t the only pitcher with impressive results, as Liam Hendriks, Scott Diamond, Daryl Thompson, Jeff Manship and Brendan Wise each threw a scoreless inning for the Twins. Manship was particularly impressive, as he struck out the side in the seventh.

Center fielder Denard Span went 1-for-2 with a walk and two stolen bases to pace the offense. Josh Willingham, J.R. Towles, Tsuyoshi Nishioka and Aaron Bates each picked up a hit for the Twins. Bates also made a nice diving play at first in the ninth to save a run from scoring.

What went wrong: Hughes, making his first appearance at second base since suffering a sprained right shoulder in a home-plate collision in early March, made a throwing error that led to the lone run of the game scoring in the ninth.

Right-hander Carlos Gutierrez walked Hak-Ju Lee with two outs before he stole second with Tim Beckham at the plate. Gutierrez appeared to get out of the inning with Beckham hitting a grounder to second, but Hughes threw the ball into the dirt to allow Lee to score from second.

On the next play, Nishioka couldn’t handle a ball hit to his right by Cole Figueroa, but it was ruled a single. The Twins were then lucky to get out of the inning without any more damage, as Bates robbed Brad Coon of a run-scoring hit on a diving play at first to end the inning.

Because of the botched plays behind Gutierrez, Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said it wasn’t Gutierrez’s fault for allowing an unearned run to get saddled with the loss.

“Today he threw the ball great but we just missed plays behind him,” Gardenhire said. “This is one of our top prospects, arm-wise, velocity-wise; he’s a big, strong kid. We need him to stay in the zone and keep the pace going. His last two outings it’s kinda what he’s been able to do.”

What they said: “Neither team had much offense to talk about so let’s call that good pitching,” Gardenhire joked. “Let’s not get into the negatives.”

What’s next: Right-hander Jason Marquis starts against the Cardinals tomorrow at Hammond Stadium. It marks his second start of Grapefruit League play, as he allowed four runs on three hits over 1 2/3 innings against the Red Sox on Monday. Joe Mauer is also expected to DH. Right-hander Adam Wainwright, who missed all of last season after undergoing Tommy John surgery, starts for the Cardinals for the first time since Sept. 24, 2010.

Injury update: Twins infielder Luke Hughes made his first appearance at second base after serving as designated hitter twice in spring. And although he made a throwing error in the ninth, he told Gardenhire he’s healthy and ready to play in the infield.

Games 2/3: Twins earn split vs. Rays, Red Sox

FORT MYERS, Fla. — The Twins split Sunday’s games with a 5-3 win over the Rays in Port Charlotte and an 8-3 loss to the Red Sox in Fort Myers.

It marked the Twins’ first split-squad action of the spring, as they don’t play in any more split-squads until March 16, when they host the Orioles and travel to face the Red Sox.

What went right: Both starters for the Twins — Francisco Liriano and Terry Doyle — tossed two scoreless innings in their Grapefruit League debuts. Liriano allowed one hit and walked one with two strikeouts against the Red Sox. And Doyle didn’t allow a hit and walked one with a strikeout against the Rays.

First baseman Chris Parmelee and catcher J.R. Towles both hit two-run homers to help lead the Twins to their win over the Rays at Charlotte Sports Park. Alexi Casilla went 3-for-5 and Trevor Plouffe went 2-for-3 in that game.

Ben Revere paced the offense at JetBlue Park, going 2-for-4 with two RBIs, including a leadoff single against Josh Beckett. Ray Chang went 1-for-1 with two walks, but left the 8-3 loss early after taking a knee the jaw in the seventh inning while trying to break up a double play.

What went wrong: Jason Bulger, who is trying to make the club as a reliever, struggled mightily against the Red Sox, allowing five runs on four walks and two hits — including a Lars Anderson grand slam — while recording just one out.

The Twins made several sloppy plays against the Red Sox, including an error by third baseman Sean Burroughs and an ill-advised throw home on the same play by Tsuyoshi Nishioka. Revere also made a baserunning gaffe late in the game.

What they said: “The first batter I was kind of all over the place but after that I kind of made some adjustments,” said Liriano, who threw 13 of his 25 pitches for strikes. “I was throwing the ball down and working the fastball better.”

What’s next: The Twins play their first and only night game of the spring on Monday, as they play host to the Red Sox at Hammond Stadium at 6:05 p.m. CT in a game that will be televised on FS North. Right-hander Jason Marquis is set to make his Grapefruit League debut with the Twins against Red Sox right-hander Clay Buhholz. Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau, Denard Span, Ryan Doumit and Josh Willingham — who didn’t play on Sunday — are expected to return to action Monday night.

Injury update: Right-hander Joel Zumaya elected to undergo Tommy John surgery later this month, according to assistant general manager Rob Antony. He hasn’t decided if he will rehab on his own or with the Twins. … Infielder Luke Hughes (strained right shoulder) made his Grapefruit League debut against the Red Sox, going 0-for-3 as a designated hitter. He also took infield practice and threw to first base without any issues. … Infielder Ray Chang took a knee to the jaw trying to break up a double play, but said after the game he was OK.

Day 11: Twins hold simulated game, “B” game

FORT MYERS, Fla. — It was a busy day at the Lee County Sports Complex, as the Twins held their first simulated game of the spring this morning before hosting the Red Sox in a “B” game at Hammond Stadium.

In the simulated game, right-handers Jason Marquis and Jeff Gray each pitched, while hitters such as Trevor Plouffe, Chris Parmelee and Alexi Casilla batted with different scenarios laid out for the defense.

It allowed Twins defenders to work on relay throws, positioning and decision-making while also allowing the hitters to face live pitching.

The big scare was Denard Span running into the center-field fence, but he said he was OK. But I’ll definitely check with him tomorrow to make sure he’s still doing OK.

As for the “B” game, the Twins picked up their first victory with a 6-5 win over the Red Sox.

Twins right-handers Scott Baker and Nick Blackburn got through without any issues, and were followed by Jeff Manship, Liam Hendriks, Jason Bulger, Carlos Gutierrez, Tyler Robertson, Brendan Wise and Deolis Guerra. Of the group, only Gutierrez really struggled, allowing two runs on hit and three walks while only recording two outs.

Offensively, the Twins were paced by first baseman Aaron Bates, who hit a two-run homer, and designated hitter Brian Dinkelman, who had two hits and two RBIs. Shortstop Brian Dozier also had two hits, while J.R. Towles and Joe Benson added RBI singles.

But the Twins no longer are playing for the Mayor’s Cup, according to Twins manager Ron Gardenhire, now that the Red Sox moved into the new JetBlue Park in Fort Myers. The Cup used to be a battle between the Red Sox, representing the city, and the Twins, representing the county, but they now both play in unincorporated Lee County.

“There is no more Mayor’s Cup,” Gardenhire said. “We took the Cup; we got the Cup. The Cup’s in somebody’s cabin now, in Minnesota.”

Other notes:

- Gardenhire said Carl Pavano will start the Grapefruit League opener against the Rays on Saturday at 12:05 p.m. CT. The Twins also have split-squad action on Sunday with left-hander Francisco Liriano scheduled to start against the Rays in Port Charlotte at 12:05 p.m. CT and right-hander Terry Doyle slated to pitch against the Red Sox at their new park in Fort Myers at 12:35 p.m. CT.

- Gardenhire said he’ll announce his lineups for Saturday’s game tomorrow morning. Morneau, Mauer and Span are all expected to play, but all said they have yet to be notified if they’ll be in the lineup.

- Scott Baker joked about third-base coach Steve Liddle being forced to be the home-plate umpire early in the “B” game: “I thought maybe the umpire was squeezing me a little bit,” Baker said with a grin. “We’ll work through it.”

Here’s video of Plouffe hitting a double against Marquis in today’s simulated game.

And photos from today:

Day 10: Twins hold day of review

FORT MYERS, Fla. — The Twins reviewed everything they’ve gone over so far in camp today, as they prepare for Thursday’s “B” game against the Red Sox on Thursday at Hammond Stadium.

Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said right-handers Nick Blackburn and Scott Baker will each throw an inning during that game, but he wouldn’t reveal the other seven pitchers he plans on using. Garenhire said he’ll announce the other pitchers tomorrow, but I expect it to be young pitchers such as Liam Hendriks or non-roster invites.

The Twins also still haven’t announced who will start their Grapefruit League opener against the Rays on Saturday, but Francisco Liriano said he’s slated to pitch Sunday in one of the split-squad games against the Red Sox or Rays.

Liriano threw his third live throwing session — against Justin Morneau, Danny Valencia and Drew Butera — and fared well, as he worked on locating his fastball while mixing in five sliders. But he made a couple of mistakes, as he plunked Valencia on the shin with a fastball and served up a homer to Morneau on another fastball.

But Liriano said he’s feeling great, and is looking forward to making his first start on Sunday.

Other notes from today:

- Joel Zumaya has yet to inform the Twins whether he will undergo Tommy John surgery to repair his torn ulnar collateral ligament, according to general manager Terry Ryan: “I have not heard from Joel Zumaya and I don’t know if that will be in the next day or two or in a week,” Ryan said. “I don’t know if his agent will call us or if he’ll call me and give us his decision. But I’m still waiting.”

- Valencia said he was fine after getting hit by Liriano’s errant fastball. He iced his shin after the workout, but appears to be OK.

- Gardenhire on his office at Hammond Stadium: “We’re working on it. We’re going to remodel here pretty soon. We’re going to a smaller brick (laughs). Eventually we’re going to remodel. I’m just happy I’ve got a new chair. I think Boston sold a lot of their stuff so we bought some of it.”

Here are some videos of Liriano throwing a bullpen and Morneau facing Liriano in a live batting practice session.

And here are photos from today’s workout:

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