Craig Breslow Topic Page

The Twins on Monday designated RHP Luis Ayala for assignment and called up 27 year-old RHP Bobby Keppel from AAA Rochester. In the grand scheme of things, the move is probably pointless. They've basically swapped one bad pitcher for another one. Still, the move raises a few questions in my mind.

I'm not sure what the Twins were expecting when they signed Ayala to a 1-year $1.3 million contract in the offseason. His numbers this year have been almost perfectly in line with his career marks, but apparently Bill Smith and Company have decided that's not what they're looking for. If they expected the 31-year old to somehow defy numbers posted in over 350 career big league innings, they're absolutely insane.

Heading into Friday's series opener at the new Yankee Stadium, the Twins found themselves with a share of the AL Central Division lead as well as a record above .500 for the first time since the infant days of the season.

A few days later the Twins find themselves 3 games behind the division leading Detroit Tigers, after suffering from 3 straight walk-off losses to the Yankees, who have no won 5 straight.

Justin Verlander tallied 13 strikeouts as he cruised through 6 1/3 innings of scoreless ball on Thursday afternoon. After a Brian Buscher single and a Nick Punto walk, the game was handed over to the Detroit bullpen, who proceeded to blow it all in that one inning.

Jason Kubel delivered a double that, if it hadn't bounced over the OF wall, would have tied the game at five. Instead it left Justin Morneau trapped at 3rd base. Joe Crede, who started off the inning as Verlander's 13th strikeout victim, delivered the game winning 2-RBI single.

Anticipoinment has to be the official word of the Twins-Royals weekend series. The series brought much anticipation for the return of Joe Mauer, and let me be clear, Mauer had nothing to with the latter half of the portmanteau. In his first at-bat on Friday night, he took 2 pitches for balls before hitting an opposite field solo home run. Mauer also had a double and a walk, and with the help of a 3 RBI night from Justin Morneau the Twins won the first game of the series, and all was right in the world again.

Joe Nathan blew his first save of the season by giving up a leadoff home run to Ben Zobrist in the ninth inning. Gleeman suggested that perhaps Nathan isn't getting enough work. It's hard to disagree. Nathan has pitched just 7.0 innings all season. The only player that's been on the active roster all season and pitched fewer innings is Craig Breslow. Nathan is the highest paid member of the bullpen, and should be used more often.

Although Francisco Liriano couldn't get his first save of the season, he had his best outing of the season, allowing 2 runs through 6.2 innings.

Whenever the Twins got something going offensively on Sunday, a double play was right around the corner. In the 2nd inning Michael Cuddyer drew a walk, which was following up by a Delmon Young inning ending double play. Jose Morales led off the 3rd inning with a single, and that was following by a Nick Punto GIDP.

The worst came in the ninth when the twins had worked to within 2 runs and were facing closer Kerry Wood. Morales again got a leadoff single, and then Brian Buscher walked on 4 pitches. Denard Span then grounded into a no-out double play to kill the rally and the game for the Twins.

The Twins have now lost 6 of their last 8 games and find themselves as the most outscored team in baseball with a -29 run differential. Problems exist in all facets of the game for the Twins--inconsistent offense, poor starting pitching and atrocious bullpen work so far.

ERA's rise and fall quickly in April, but at this point the team ERA is 5.19 with Glen Perkins, Jesse Crain and Joe Nathan being the only guys under 5. Thursday night's seventh inning implosion in which Craig Breslow and R.A. Dickey failed to record an out through 5 batters was particularly ugly.

The Twins have said that Scott Baker will be activated in time to start Wednesday's home game against the Toronto Blue Jays. Obviously R.A. Dickey will be knocked out of his spot in the rotation, but that doesn't necessarily mean he'll be sent packing.

For the second straight night, the Twins bullpen can be given a lot of credit for the win. Kevin Slowey got a bit roughed up, allowing 5 runs through six innings. He allowed 9 hits, 2 of which were homeruns, but walked none. The bullpen has been good the past couple nights, but Twins starters can't keep forcing them to pitch 3 or 4 innings a night. Last night Craig Breslow, Jesse Crain and Joe Nathan combined to allow just 1 hit and 1 walk in 3 innings.

Justin Morneau busted out of his 2 game funk and drove in 3 RBI. He homered in the first inning to drive in two, and later doubled to tie the game in the fifth. Jason Kubel drove him in for the game winning run the next at-bat.

The Twins have just a handful of players to cut prior to heading north for the start of the season (one week from tomorrow), so there's a pretty clear picture of what the roster will look like when the Twins host Seattle on April 6th.

The currrent roster is as follows:

Pitchers