DUNEDIN, FLA. - Heavy traffic on Interstate 75 added about 90 minutes to an already long bus ride Friday morning, giving Twins rookie Liam Hendriks more time to contemplate his assignment.
"I'm sitting on the bus, and I look up at MLB Network and see the standings and I'm like, 'Oh, god, the Blue Jays are 22-4," Hendriks said.
Toronto had won 10 in a row, has baseball's best record this spring and had most of its regulars in the lineup, but Hendriks held Jose Bautista, Brett Lawrie and Co. to one hit and one walk over five scoreless innings as the Twins beat the Blue Jays 4-1.
Hendriks, who lowered his ERA to 1.80, showed why the Twins plan to have him pitch the season's third game on April 8 in Baltimore. The Twins' 2011 Minor League Pitcher of the Year will have one last spring tuneup on Tuesday.
Manager Ron Gardenhire noted that Hendriks threw first-pitch strikes to 10 of 17 Toronto batters.
"Good hitters, really good hitters," Gardenhire said. "He used all of his pitches, mixed it in and out. I thought [J.R. Towles] did a real nice job behind the plate, but the Aussie [Hendriks] threw the ball great."
JOE CHRISTENSEN
