Silva struggles again; Perkins sent down

Six pitchers are vying for five rotation spots; Carlos Silva needs a good outing in his last start to be in it.

By Joe Christensen, Star Tribune

Last update: March 24, 2007 - 8:14 PM

FORT MYERS, FLA. - The Twins are down to six starting pitchers for five spots, and after the performance he gave Saturday, Carlos Silva can't be sure he'll get one of them.

Silva got pounded for nine runs on 11 hits in 31/3 innings in a 13-7 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Afterward, the Twins sent Glen Perkins to Class AAA Rochester in a move that clearly wasn't performance-related, as Perkins had a 4.61 spring ERA, compared to 11.02 for Silva.

"We think [Perkins] is going to be a pretty good pitcher for us," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "We just think it's not quite time yet."

With Perkins out of the equation, that leaves Silva, Johan Santana, Ramon Ortiz, Sidney Ponson, Matt Garza and Boof Bonser competing for the five starting spots.

Gardenhire made it clear Silva needs to improve in his final spring outing next week to keep a starting job.

"All we can do is just keep putting him back out there again," Gardenhire said. "And if it doesn't get better, then we make an adjustment."

Gardesnhire was quick to note that Garza will be stretched out for more innings today, when he pitches in relief of Ramon Ortiz against Philadelphia.

Garza, who got a slow start this spring because of a neck injury, has posted a 1.00 ERA, allowing one earned run in nine innings. Ponson has a 6.30 ERA, Ortiz 0.75, Bonser 2.81 and Santana 1.42.

Since the start of the exhibition season, Silva has been lined up to start the second game of the season, after Santana. Ortiz is lined up to pitch third, with Ponson and Garza seemingly fighting for the fourth spot and Bonser fifth.

"We can line that up any way we want to," Gardenhire said. "We came in like that, but ... it seems to me like Boof Bonser should go No. 2, right behind Santana. So if we want to set it up like that, we can make that adjustment real quick."

Silva tried staying positive, saying "the runs they scored don't really bother me at all."I'm ready [for the season], man, I've been ready," he said. "We're here for spring training to get ready for the season, and I've been ready.

"Like today, I throw maybe one changeup and three sliders. We're just working on stuff. We were working on arm angle today, and that's the only thing I'm focusing on. During the season, you're not going to see only one changeup and three sliders, you know?"

In the second inning, Silva gave up a two-run homer to Brad Eldred that sailed over the scoreboard in center field. By some press box estimates, the ball traveled 480-500 feet.

In the fourth inning, Silva gave up seven hits before Gardenhire replaced him with Perkins.

After giving up a two-run homer to the first batter he faced, Adam LaRoche, Perkins didn't allow another hit, retiring eight of the final nine, with one walk.

On Silva, Gardenhire said, "The velocity was there early in the game, and it was sinking like a son of a gun. But if it continues, and he doesn't get it right, we have to make an adjustment, obviously. ... We're just hoping he figures it out. It was a bad day today."

Silva bristled when asked if he feels different from last year, when he went 11-15 with a 5.94 ERA.

"Last year is last year," he said. "If you remember last year, I don't. That's the past. If they're going to worry about last year, they're never going to move on. ... Let's see what happens during the season."

Joe Christensen • jchristensen@startribune.com