Twins vs. Colorado series preview

THREE-GAME SERIES AT COORS FIELD

Today, 8:05 p.m. • FSN, 1500-AM

RHP Nick Blackburn (3-2, 3.93 ERA)

vs. RHP Ubaldo Jimenez (1-3, 5.53)

Saturday, 7:05 p.m. • FSN, 1500-AM

RHP Livan Hernandez (6-1, 3.90)

vs. RHP Greg Reynolds (0-1, 6.35)

Sunday, 2:05 p.m. • Ch. 29, 1500-AM

RHP Kevin Slowey (0-3, 5.79)

vs. LHP Jeff Francis (0-4, 6.27)

TWINS UPDATE

The Twins played exhibition games at Coors Field in 1996, but tonight will be their first regular-season game there. They are 106-86 all-time in interleague play. They went 11-7 last year after going 16-2 in 2006. ... Without the designated hitter, manager Ron Gardenhire said Jason Kubel likely won't start in Colorado but would be an obvious pinch-hit option.

ROCKIES UPDATE

Oh, how the defending NL champs have fallen. With their 8-5 loss at Arizona on Thursday, the Rockies fell to 15-26, 11 games behind the first-place Diamondbacks. ... SS Troy Tulowitzki is out until at least mid-July because of a torn tendon in his left quadriceps. ... Jeff Francis was a 17-game winner last season. This year, he's winless. Greg Reynolds was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2006 draft, and this will be his second major league start. ... The Rockies were batting .227 with runners in scoring position, ranked 29th in the majors.

JOE CHRISTENSEN

Three-game series at the Metrodome Today, 7:10 p.m. • FSN, 830-AM LHP Johan Santana (9-4, 2.59 ERA) vs. RHP Scott Elarton (3-9, 5.13) Tuesday, 7:10 p.m. • FSN, 830-AM RHP Boof Bonser (2-1, 4.68) vs. LHP Jimmy Gobble (2-1, 3.67) Wednesday, 7:10 p.m. • FSN, 830-AM RHP Brad Radke (7-7, 5.11) vs. RHP Brandon Duckworth (1-1, 5.57) Key matchup Justin Morneau, in his fourth major league season, has 66 career homers. His preasd fasdf asdfasdf sd fasdf sdf asdf asd fasdf asdf asf asf sdf asd fdecessor at first base, Doug Mientkiewicz, has 59 career homers over nine seasons. Twins update Every day, Twins manager Ron Gardenhire checks with second baseman Luis Castillo, who ices both legs after every game. If he says he's fine, he plays, regardless of whether it's a day game after a night game. ... There's a chance Shannon Stewart will make an appearance in the outfield this series, now that the Twins are outside and on real grass. ... Mike Redmond and Nick Punto have seven-game hitting streaks. ... The Twins are 1-4 on Mondays but 8-5 on Tuesdays and 8-5 on Wednesdays. Royals update Lefthander Jimmy Gobble has just been moved into the rotation after working on his mechanics to make his delivery smoother and with less effort. ... Royals slugger Mike Sweeney is on the disabled list because of a bulging cervical disc. ... Closer Mike MacDougal also is on the shelf because of a sore shoulder. ... One of the Twins' seven shutout losses came against Kansas City, 1-0 on May 4. ... David DeJesus is 7-for-11 against Brad Radke. LA VELLE E. NEAL III TWINS STATISTICS Through Sunday; *-player on disabled list BATTERS AVG OBA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS E Mauer .392 .458 268 44 105 22 1 5 40 35 29 7 1 2 Redmond .378 .387 90 10 34 6 0 0 13 0 10 0 0 0 Bartlett .328 .426 58 7 19 5 0 0 6 6 13 1 2 1 Stewart .318 .374 148 20 47 4 1 2 20 13 15 3 1 0 Kubel .311 .341 122 15 38 5 0 6 23 6 24 2 0 2 Morneau .291 .344 278 43 81 15 0 21 68 23 56 1 1 5 Punto .289 .385 149 28 43 9 2 0 11 23 20 7 1 6 Cuddyer .274 .372 237 44 65 19 3 11 48 34 55 3 0 1 Castillo .268 .327 287 47 77 11 2 2 29 24 23 7 5 6 Hunter .266 .345 293 49 78 11 1 13 48 36 55 6 4 1 Tiffee .265 .342 34 4 9 0 0 2 6 4 6 0 1 1 Rodriguez .220 .332 59 7 13 2 0 2 4 9 8 0 0 1 Ford .215 .291 177 30 38 6 1 2 11 15 34 8 1 2 Sierra .185 .281 27 3 5 1 0 0 4 4 6 0 0 0 White * .182 .209 181 15 33 6 0 0 15 5 30 1 0 0 Team totals .277 .341 2761 401 765 139 13 72 382 259 444 47 19 43 PITCHERS W L ERA G GS SV IP H R ER HR BB SO Reyes 1 0 1.27 22 0 0 21.1 16 5 3 3 5 16 Nathan 5 0 1.85 30 0 14 34.0 23 7 7 2 4 47 Liriano 9 1 1.99 21 9 1 81.1 59 18 18 5 20 94 Rincon 3 0 2.01 37 0 1 40.1 35 14 9 0 13 37 Santana 9 4 2.59 17 17 0 118.1 94 36 34 12 20 124 Guerrier 0 0 3.34 21 0 0 32.1 39 14 12 2 14 19 Bonser 2 1 4.68 6 6 0 32.2 36 17 17 8 8 23 Radke 7 7 5.11 17 17 0 100.1 133 63 57 17 25 53 Crain 1 4 5.30 33 0 0 35.2 48 22 21 4 7 30 Eyre 0 0 5.40 22 0 0 28.1 35 17 17 3 12 14 Silva 4 8 6.62 19 14 0 88.1 126 72 65 18 13 36 Lohse 2 5 8.31 14 8 0 46.2 67 44 44 6 23 32 Team totals 45 35 4.28 80 80 16 709.2 777 364 337 90 172 567 ROYALS STATISTICS Through Sunday; *-player on disabled list. BATTERS AVG OBA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS E German .336 .427 113 20 38 6 0 1 11 18 15 2 1 4 DeJesus .320 .399 147 26 47 11 2 3 13 17 22 1 3 0 Brown .288 .346 260 34 75 20 1 6 38 26 41 3 3 1 Grudzielanek .279 .317 294 41 82 17 2 3 25 15 36 1 1 0 Mientkiewicz .274 .355 259 32 71 19 1 4 35 32 43 3 0 3 Teahen .260 .305 169 26 44 6 3 6 25 12 39 2 0 8 Stairs .257 .337 148 18 38 9 0 7 30 19 36 0 0 0 Graffanino .254 .314 177 21 45 12 0 4 27 15 26 2 3 4 Buck .251 .321 179 24 45 11 0 7 23 15 38 0 1 3 Sanders .248 .302 226 36 56 14 1 9 40 19 66 6 4 2 Berroa .239 .262 272 25 65 13 0 4 27 7 46 3 1 9 Bako .230 .292 87 4 20 2 0 0 7 8 26 0 0 2 Gathright .210 .320 181 30 38 8 0 0 15 24 32 12 4 1 Sweeney * .176 .313 68 8 12 3 0 2 6 11 17 0 0 0 Team totals .263 .324 2708 351 711 162 11 62 333 233 497 25 19 41 PITCHERS W L ERA G GS SV IP H R ER HR BB SO Wellemeyer 0 0 1.13 6 0 0 8.0 4 2 1 0 5 7 Gobble 2 1 3.67 31 1 1 41.2 36 17 17 6 13 35 Dessens 4 7 4.09 36 0 1 44.0 49 23 20 3 11 30 Peralta 1 0 4.50 32 0 0 38.0 38 19 19 4 12 24 Elarton 3 9 5.13 17 17 0 98.1 99 61 56 22 44 45 Duckworth 1 1 5.57 4 4 0 21.0 33 14 13 1 9 14 Redman 5 4 5.59 13 13 0 74.0 82 46 46 10 30 30 Wood 3 3 5.66 21 7 0 62.0 82 48 39 10 23 28 Affeldt 3 5 6.31 19 9 0 61.1 67 48 43 8 39 26 Burgos 2 3 6.34 36 0 13 38.1 40 27 27 10 21 42 Hudson 1 3 7.24 11 0 0 13.2 18 13 11 0 8 9 Sisco 0 1 7.53 38 0 1 34.2 41 30 29 6 25 33 Stemle * 0 1 15.00 5 0 0 6.0 15 10 10 1 3 0 Booker * 0 0 54.00 1 0 0 1.0 5 6 6 3 3 0 Team totals 27 53 5.88 80 80 16 694.2 808 494 453 116 322 408