Minnesota @ Baltimore preview
Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Last Meeting ( Jul 22, 2010 ) Minnesota 5, Baltimore 0
With Justin Morneau on the disabled list and Joe Mauer going through some uncharacteristic struggles, the Minnesota Twins are lucky they have Delmon Young around to carry the offense.
Young and the Twins will be looking to post their third straight win when they face the Baltimore Orioles on Friday night.
Enough of a disappointment the past two seasons that Minnesota openly shopped him during the offseason and discussed reducing his role when a deal couldn’t be struck, Young has surprised everyone lately by beginning to realize the potential that had him as the No. 1 prospect in the game a few years ago.
Still just 24 years old, Young has had multiple hits in seven of his last nine games and has driven in six runs over the past two contests to boost his RBI total for the season to 70, good for fifth in the American League.
Young’s three-run double in the first inning on Thursday was all Carl Pavano needed en route to his second shutout in a 5-0 win over Baltimore.
Pavano’s shutout was the second in as many games for the Twins, who have been struggling to find consistent starting pitching all season
Getting his first start of 2010 for Minnesota tonight will be left-hander Brian Duensing, who replaces the struggling Nick Blackburn in the rotation.
Blackburn, who was the model of consistency with 11 wins and ERAs of 4.05 and 4.03 the past two seasons, has gone 1-6 with a 9.88 ERA in his last nine starts, ballooning his season ERA to an American League-worst 6.53.
Putting that in perspective, the pitcher closest to Blackburn at the end of the list is Kevin Millwood, who started for Baltimore on Thursday and owns a 5.84 mark.
Minnesota is hoping Duensing, who has been a valuable late-inning pitcher all season, will be able to translate that success to the beginning of the contest. The 27-year-old has pitched 43 innings in 39 appearances this season, going 3-1 with a team-best 1.67 ERA. He made nine starts at the end of the 2009 campaign, going 5-1 with a 2.73 ERA.
The Twins attempted to stretch Duensing out with a four-inning stint on Sunday and he will be limited to between 60 and 80 pitches against Baltimore.
Getting the call for the Orioles will be veteran Jeremy Guthrie. The right-hander has been the object of a few trade rumors recently despite going 0-6 over his last nine starts. Guthrie picked it up against the Blue Jays over the weekend, allowing one run on seven hits in 6 2/3 innings, but did not factor in the decision in Baltimore’s 3-2 loss.
He did beat the Twins earlier in the season, allowing three runs in 6 2/3 innings back on May 8, and is 2-0 with a 3.16 ERA in five career appearances - three starts - against them.