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Phil Miller covered three seasons of Twins baseball, but that was at a different ballpark for a different newspaper. Now Miller returns to the baseball beat after joining the Star Tribune as the Gopher football writer in 2010, and he won't miss the dingy dome for a minute. In addition to the Twins and Gophers, Miller covered the Utah Jazz and the NBA for six years at The Salt Lake Tribune.
Homers for Benson, Rosario pace Twins past Jays
Posted by: Phil Miller under MLB Updated: February 26, 2013 - 3:49 PM
DUNEDIN, FLA. -- Mike Pelfrey allowed three runs in his spring debut Tuesday, but the Twins rallied behind home runs from Joe Benson and Eddie Rosario and won their second straight Grapefruit League game, 8-4 over the Toronto Blue Jays.
Pelfrey, pitching to big-league hitters for the first time since undergoing ligament-replacement surgery in his pitching elbow last May, gave up five hits to the 10 hitters he faced, but pronounced himself satisfied with the outing. He struck out two Jays hitters on called strikes, but gave up a two-run home run to Adam Lind on a curveball that hung over the middle of the plate.
Ryan Pressly, Michael Tonkin and Luis Perdomo all pitched an inning or more without allowing a hit.
The Twins started all three of the leading candidates for the center field job, and each contributed to the victory. Benson's long home run over the left-field wall in the second inning off Toronto starter Ricky Romero drove in two runs. Two innings later, Aaron Hicks doubled off the right-field wall, and Darin Mastroianni brought him home with a single to center.
Justin Morneau had two hits, including a third-inning double that drove home a run. And Trevor Plouffe, bothered for a week by a calf injury, made his first appearance of the spring, going 1-for-2 with an RBI single that scored Morneau, who slid around the tag at home plate.
Rosario took advantage of his opportunity to play with the major league team -- he's only in camp because he will play for the Dominican Republic team in the World Baseball Classic and miss the first week of minor-league camp -- by blasting a home run over the right-field wall off Toronto reliever David Bush.
The Twins return to Fort Myers on Wednesday to take on the Philadelphia Phillies in Hammond Stadium. Kevin Correia is scheduled to make his second start, then depart for San Diego to be present at the birth of his first child.
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| Baltimore - WP: F. Garcia | 6 | FINAL |
| Toronto - LP: R. Dickey | 5 |
| Cleveland | 4 | Bottom 7th Inning |
| Boston | 3 |
| LA Angels | 6 | Top 8th Inning |
| Kansas City | 0 |
| Colorado | 2 | Bottom 1st Inning |
| San Francisco | 0 |
| Minnesota | 3 | Bottom 1st Inning |
| Detroit | 0 |
| Chicago Cubs | 0 | Bottom 1st Inning |
| Cincinnati | 0 |
| Pittsburgh | 1 | Bottom 1st Inning |
| Milwaukee | 0 |
| NY Yankees | 1 | Bottom 1st Inning |
| Tampa Bay | 0 |
| Atlanta | 5 | Suspended |
| NY Mets | 5 |
| Atlanta - M. Minor | 6:15 PM |
| NY Mets - D. Gee |
| Philadelphia - J. Pettibone | 6:15 PM |
| Washington - D. Haren |
| St. Louis - J. Gast | 6:15 PM |
| Los Angeles - T. Lilly |
| Miami - R. Nolasco | 6:15 PM |
| Chicago WSox - J. Peavy |
| Oakland - A. Griffin | 6:15 PM |
| Houston - L. Harrell |
| San Diego - A. Cashner | 9:10 PM |
| Arizona - W. Miley |
| Texas - D. Holland | 9:10 PM |
| Seattle - F. Hernandez |
| San Antonio | 8:00 PM |
| Memphis |
| Philadelphia | 6:00 PM |
| Montreal |
| Portland | 6:00 PM |
| D.C. |
| Toronto FC | 6:30 PM |
| New England |
| San Jose | 7:30 PM |
| FC Dallas |
| Chicago | 8:00 PM |
| Real Salt Lake |
| Chivas USA | 8:00 PM |
| Colorado |
| New York | 6:00 PM |
| Connecticut |
| Tulsa | 6:00 PM |
| Atlanta |
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question of the day
Poll: Who should be the next Twins starting pitcher to lose his job?
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