Baltimore @ Minnesota preview
Target Field
Last Meeting ( May 6, 2010 ) Baltimore 2, Minnesota 0
The Minnesota Twins have been held back over the last few years without an ace at the top of the rotation. If Francisco Liriano keeps up this pace, that problem may have been solved.
Liriano will be looking to secure his fifth straight win when the Twins take on the Baltimore Orioles in the first game of a doubleheader on Saturday afternoon.
Since trading away Johan Santana prior to the 2008 season, Minnesota has had a starting rotation that throws strikes but doesn't strike fear into opponents, with the likes of Scott Baker and Kevin Slowey leading a non-descript staff.
Liriano looked poised to take the torch from Santana when he was blitzing through the Amercan League in 2006, but Tommy John surgery robbed him of his 2007 campaign and most of 2008. Liriano was up and down in 2009, struggling to find his command and the bite on his once-terrorizing slider.
A trip to the minor leagues and a temporary banishment to the bullpen were two of the indecencies suffered by the left-hander in a 2009 that saw him post a 5-13 record with a 5.80 ERA.
But the 26-year-old has found his stuff again in 2010, posting a 1.50 ERA with 36 strikeouts in as many innings. Liriano had a three-start stretch in April in which he did not allow a run before yielding three in a win at Cleveland last week.
He has only faced Baltimore once in his career - during his stellar 2006 campaign - and held the club to one hit in seven scoreless innings.
The Twins suffered a letdown in Thursday's series opener, dropping a 2-0 decision to the team with the worst record in the majors after taking three straight from AL Central rival Detroit earlier in the week.
Ty Wigginton, who did not have a set position with the Orioles at the beginning of the season, smashed a two-run homer in the second inning off Carl Pavano to provide all the offense. It was the 10th homer of the season for the veteran utilityman - good for second place in the AL.
Wigginton, like most of the Baltimore lineup, has never faced Liriano in his career. The only player expected in Friday's lineup with experience against the left-hander is Miguel Tejada, who is 0-for-3 with a strikeout.
Jeremy Guthrie will get the game one start for the Orioles. The veteran right-hander has yet to earn a win this season and has gotten knocked around in his last two starts, allowing a combined 10 earned runs in 11 2/3 innings to suffer back-to-back losses to the New York Yankees.
Guthrie is 1-0 with a 2.84 ERA in four career appearances against the Twins.