Sid Hartman: Nathan does his best to fight tough stretch

Twins closer Joe Nathan obviously has not been his normally dominant self of late.

After he gave up four two-out, ninth-inning runs in Wednesday's 4-2 loss to the White Sox at the Metrodome, Nathan admitted he has had a harder time getting hitters out.

"I'm not a machine. It's just one of those things," he said after giving up back-to-back two-out home runs to Gordon Beckham and Paul Konerko before walking two more batters who scored after Nathan got pulled for Matt Guerrier. "There's a time every season for a week or so where it's not as easy as it was other times."

Over his past six games, Nathan has given up nine hits, including three home runs, six walks and six runs (four coming Wednesday) in 6 2/3 innings. In all but one of the games, he retired the first two batters, meaning most of the trouble he has run into has come with two outs and nobody on.

He still has earned four saves and one victory in the six games, part of a span where the Twins have won 11 of 15. But the four-time All-Star is trying to fight through the tough stretch.

"This game is not easy. It's a game that you've got to keep working at, you've got to keep making adjustments," Nathan said. "Especially with these guys [the White Sox] that know you so well. I know them so well, they know what I like to do. So you've got to make adjustments pretty quickly, or you become predictable."

Nathan's slump began Aug. 21, when he got the first two outs of the ninth inning at Kansas City but then gave up a tying home run to Royals backup catcher Brayan Pena. The Twins scored a run in the top of the 10th to regain the lead, but Nathan then gave up two one-out singles in the bottom of the inning before finishing off the 5-4 victory with a 53-pitch outing.

On the successive home runs, Nathan said he gave up four in a row once in one inning in the minor leagues.

"I've been down this road," he said. "It's a spot where I've got to throw one down the middle. I don't think my arm was dropping, though. Not today."

That was a reference to manager Ron Gardenhire, who approached Nathan after he had finished his news conference with some words of confidence but also said he believed Nathan was dropping his arm.

Nathan tried to remain upbeat going into the Twins' off day Thursday before they started a seven-game road trip tonight in Cleveland.

"We've got to look at the upside, like we try to do always," he said. "We won two out of three, we're still playing good baseball. ... I've been through these things before, but you've got to put it behind you and get the next one. It's not going to help to keep thinking about it."

Barber is in his fifth NFL season, all with Dallas. His best year was 2007, when he ran for 975 yards on 204 carries for a 4.8-yard average, caught 44 passes for 282 yards, scored 12 touchdowns and went to the Pro Bowl after the season. He ran for fewer yards last year (885 on 238 carries, a 3.7 average), but caught more passes (52) for more yards (417) and scored nine TDs.

After 2007, Barber became one of the highest-paid running backs in the NFL, receiving a seven-year, $45 million contract that included $16 million in guarantees.

Barber will receive $21 million over the next three years. And Barber got one of the Gophers' last scholarships available in 2001 only because Glen Mason rated him a better prospect than other members of the staff. He was recruited as a defensive back out of Wayzata High School but wanted a chance to play running back.

Jottings David Kahn, the Timberwolves president of basketball operations, was asked if he has any intentions of trading Ricky Rubio. "Absolutely none," Kahn said. "We have absolutely no intention in trading Ricky, now or even in the near future. Having said that, you never rule out a trade of anybody in this league. Some of the greatest players in our league have been traded. But at this moment, we're excited about the fact that in two years time, in all likelihood, Ricky Rubio will be wearing a Minnesota Timberwolves uniform."

The last time the Gophers football team played at Syracuse was in 1995, when Jim Wacker's team lost 27-17; Wacker's Gophers beat Syracuse at the Metrodome in '96 when safety Tyrone Carter scored two touchdowns. The Syracuse quarterback then was Eagles star Donovan McNabb, and his quarterbacks coach was Kevin Rogers, who now serves in that role for the Vikings. ... After opening at Middle Tennessee State next year, the Gophers will face South Dakota, Southern California and Northern Illinois at home.

Baseball Hall of Famer Ferguson Jenkins will appear at the Class C amateur baseball state tournament in Gaylord today. Jenkins, who won 284 games in a 19-year big league career, will throw out the first pitch before the St. Martin-Lamberton game at 6 p.m. Jenkins also will sign autographs from 5 to 8 p.m. for $10, with proceeds going in part to his Fergie Jenkins Foundation.

Former Gophers player Gino Cappelletti and Anoka High School and North Dakota State product Steve Nelson are members of the 50th anniversary New England Patriots team.