Slowey adjustments beginning to pay off

Kevin Slowey lost his first four starts for the Twins this season, giving up 12 earned runs and posting a 5.49 ERA.

In his past four starts -- including Sunday's three-hit shutout, a 5-0 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers -- the 24-year-old righthander is 3-0 with a great 0.93 ERA and has allowed only three earned runs in 29 innings.

"I think we've all kind of gone into the season fresh, and there's a lot for us to learn," Slowey said. "I'm learning every inning. So I feel the more starts and the more innings I get under my belt, the more time I spend throwing to guys like [catchers Joe] Mauer and [Mike] Redmond and listening to guys like [pitchers] Livan Hernandez, Joe Nathan and Matt Guerrier, the more potential we're going to have for a really good season."

Slowey was a second-round draft choice by the Twins in June 2005, and Twins General Manager Bill Smith said: "We had a lot of people see him, and we had him as a high pick all the way through. He's a command-control guy, and he's been everything we expected since we signed him."

The former Winthrop University athlete was 4-1 with a 4.73 ERA in 66 2/3 innings last season, pitching mostly in June and after being called up in September, but he didn't pitch like he has recently.

"Well, there's an adjustment period," Smith said. "He was the pitcher of the year last year in the International League [for Class AAA Rochester] and he came up, he got a taste of it in the big leagues, but sometimes that second time around there's an adjustment period. And he's made the adjustments, to his credit, and hopefully this is what we're going to see from now on."

Smith was asked if the Twins -- winners of 13 of their past 15 games -- can continue at this pace.

"We've got a tough 12 games after this series, we've got Detroit and Cleveland, we go to Boston and Detroit, so we've got a tough 12 games before the All-Star break," he said. "It's going to be a huge key to hopefully keep us in position to make a good run in the second half."

Mike Miller, the Mitchell, S.D., native who came to the Timberwolves in Thursday's draft-day deal with the Memphis Grizzles, is thrilled with the trade.

"Absolutely it's a coming- home party," Miller said. "It gives me a chance to come here, and hopefully I'll have an opportunity here to finish out my career. To be a part of the Timberwolves, a team I always watched growing up and always wanted to be a part of, and now I've got that opportunity. So hopefully I'll finish my career here."

Miller said he was happy when he got a call from his agent about midnight the day of the draft.

"It does make me feel pretty good, so hopefully I'll give them a reason for why they wanted me," he said. "It will be a fun challenge."

Miller, who has two years left on his contract, said the trade is a bonus because he is a die-hard Vikings fan.

He said he always enjoyed coming back to play at Target Center.

"Yeah, I played pretty well there," Miller said. "Now I get to play 41 games there a year, so it should be fun.

"I think it's going to be a great opportunity for me. I think you get guys now like Al Jefferson and Randy Foye and now Kevin Love, and some of these other young guys, it will give them a chance to maybe ... see single coverage a little more. ... And open the floor for Randy Foye, so he can drive and get in the lane. So it will be a great opportunity for me as long as I'm making shots for these guys."

Miller was drafted fifth in the first round by the Orlando Magic in 2000, then was traded to the Grizzles in 2002.

The University of Minnesota now has final plans for a new baseball stadium and various other projects that will benefit the intramural department. The baseball stadium will cost around $15 million. As soon as the school administration gives final approval, fundraising will begin. ... There also is a phase two to plans for expansion of the track and field bleachers at a cost of $600,000, plus a three-seasons dome over the existing football field that will cost more than $1.6 million.

According to minnesota. scout.com, defensive tackle Tim McGee (6-4, 300 pounds) of Scooba East (Miss.) Community College is not expected to join the Gophers football team this fall. McGee was rated a four-star prospect by Scout.com and was the third-ranked junior college defensive tackle in the nation.

Stan Love, father of new Wolf Kevin, on how his salary with the Baltimore Bullets when he broke in will compare with the millions his son will receive as the fifth pick in the first round: "My top salary was $135,000 a year. I was a first-round draft pick, I was the No. 9 pick for the Baltimore Bullets. They didn't pay like they do nowadays."

Bill Givens, one of the owners of Prom Catering, who handled the food service at the U.S. Women's Open at Interlachen, said the business sold 40,000 hot dogs at the tournament after buying out every hot dog available in the area. Prom Catering now handles the concessions at 36 golf tournaments, including the U.S. Men's Open.

The dramatic winning shot of Gophers guard Blake Hoffarber against Indiana in last year's Big Ten tournament in Indianapolis has won two awards during the Big Ten Network's Awards Show: the Best Finish and the Play of the Year Award. ... Andrew Paulson, a Gophers senior, shot a 2-under 70 in the final round of the U.S. Amateur Public Links qualifier to take the medalist honors by one stroke over Wisconsin golfer Tyler Obermueller. Paulson now goes on to play in the U.S. Public Links tournament at Murphy Creek Golf Course in Aurora, Colo., on July 14-19. Former Gopher Ben Pisani missed qualifying for the tournament by one stroke.

Scott Bjugstad was one of the best forwards to play for the Gophers hockey team in the 1980s. Now his nephew, Nick, an outstanding freshman player at Blaine last year, has committed to the Gophers for the 2011 class. After trying out for the U.S. National Team Development Program this spring, Nick has been invited to join, but at this point he hasn't accepted.

Cole DeVries, the former Gopher now pitching for the Class A Fort Myers Miracle, has gone 5-3 in his past 10 starts with a 1.76 ERA over 61 innings. Overall, DeVries is 6-6 with a 2.77 ERA. ... Chris Parmelee, the Twins' first-round draft choice in 2006, has 14 home runs and 49 RBI for the Class A Beloit Snappers, but he will miss six weeks because of a broken left wrist.

Still on the Rams roster are former Viking Adam Goldberg, who is battling for the starting left tackle position but most likely will be a backup, and ex-Gopher Mark Setterstrom, who was tried at center but likely will be the Rams' starting left guard.

Sid Hartman can be heard weekdays on WCCO AM-830 at 6:40, 7:40 and 8:40 a.m. and on his Podcast twice a week at www.startribune.com/sidcast. shartman@startribune.com