Big innings, blasts hurt Baker

By JOE CHRISTENSEN, Star Tribune

Last update: May 24, 2009 - 12:05 AM

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Scott Baker is 1-5 with a 6.98 ERA heading into tonight's start against the Brewers, hardly what the Twins expected when they gave him a four-year, $15.25 million contract in spring training.

At first, Baker's trouble was giving up too many home runs -- seven in his first two starts. Then it was an inability to avoid the big inning. In Tuesday's start at Chicago, both of those issues bit him at once, as the White Sox hit two home runs, and he gave up three runs in a second inning that required 44 pitches.

Afterward, pitching coach Rick Anderson gave Baker a stern lecture in the dugout about focusing, making the necessary adjustments and not rushing his delivery.

All is not lost. Baker has posted a zero in 21 of the past 25 innings in which he's taken the mound, including six hitless innings against the Royals on May 3 and seven shutout innings against the Mariners on May 8.

Baker, 27, said the game feels as if it's speeding up during those big innings, and he needs to remember not to rush his delivery.

"I feel fine," he said. "I think last outing was really the first outing that I didn't feel like I had really good stuff. ... I think you realize the more you're around that you're going to have good games and you're going to have bad games. You're just trying to be as consistent as possible."

Kubel update

A magnetic resonance imaging exam on Jason Kubel's left knee revealed a bone bruise but no structural damage. Kubel has missed the past two games and said he hopes to return today or Monday.

Manager Ron Gardenhire said he won't hesitate to put Kubel back in the outfield once he returns.

Delmon Young is expected to return tonight after returning from his mother's funeral. For the past two games, the Twins didn't have a reserve outfielder on the bench. In case of another injury, Gardenhire said he would put Nick Punto in the outfield.

Perkins feels better

Glen Perkins, who is on the disabled list because of a left elbow injury, hopes to resume throwing Tuesday. He is taking anti-inflammatory medication for his irritated ulnar nerve and said the tingling in his left fingers is gone.

The Twins want him to have four consecutive days without pain before he resumes playing catch. Perkins is eligible to return from the DL on June 3. The Twins might want him to make a rehab start in the minors before he returns.

Koskie honored

The Twins honored former third baseman Corey Koskie in a pregame ceremony. Koskie, 35, batted .280 with 101 home runs and 437 RBI in seven seasons with the Twins before signing with Toronto as a free agent after the 2004 season.

Koskie suffered a life-changing concussion on July 5, 2006, while playing for the Brewers. He made a brief comeback this year, signing with the Cubs and playing for Canada in the World Baseball Classic, but he retired March 21.

"He was a good player, a lot of fun," Gardenhire said. "And I think he probably [handled] being a Twins player as well as anybody. He ended up leaving, but while he was here he showed a lot of respect to our fans and was very classy, and I think that meant a lot to Twins folks."

Looking ahead

The pitching matchups are set for this week's series against the Red Sox. Monday: Francisco Liriano vs. Brad Penny. Tuesday: Nick Blackburn vs. Jon Lester. Wednesday: Kevin Slowey vs. Daisuke Matsuzaka. Thursday: Anthony Swarzak vs. Josh Beckett.