Mauer won't rest despite his hip pain

Nick Laham, Getty Images

Joe Mauer

Joe Mauer might have a hip flexor, but he is insisting he play behind the plate today.

By JOE CHRISTENSEN and LA VELLE E. NEAL III, Star Tribune staff writers

Last update: October 11, 2009 - 8:22 AM

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After Friday's Game 2 loss to the Yankees, Twins catcher Joe Mauer acknowledged that he had been sore and had not been running well since Tuesday's tiebreaker victory over the Tigers.

"I think it's a hip flexor," manager Ron Gardenhire said Saturday. "I think when he spun out around first base [Tuesday], he tweaked it a little bit. But as he told me before I left the clubhouse just now, 'I am a catcher, no matter what you say.'

"He said, 'I played with it for this many days, and I will continue to play with it.' But he is a little sore, yeah, just from a lot of 12-inning games, a lot of stress, a lot of baseball."

Buscher in for Tolbert

The Twins replaced third baseman Matt Tolbert on their 25-man Division Series roster with infielder Brian Buscher. Tolbert suffered a strained left oblique muscle in Game 2 and had to leave in the sixth inning.

Brendan Harris will start tonight at third base, Gardenhire said.

Tolbert went 1-for-5 in the first two games after batting .333 following his Sept. 4 promotion from Class AAA Rochester. He would be ineligible for the AL Championship Series.

It's relief for Duensing

Rookie Brian Duensing, who pitched 4 2/3 innings in Wednesday's Game 1 loss, will move to the bullpen for the rest of the series.

Gardenhire mentioned this when asked if he would manage Game 3 more aggressively, since the team is facing elimination. Duensing could be called upon early tonight, if starter Carl Pavano gets into trouble.

More Dome magic?

Fans jammed the Metrodome last week as the Twins swept Kansas City and then beat Detroit in the one-game playoff Tuesday to reach the ALDS. The Twins will be looking for any edge they can get to avoid elimination, and Yankees manager Joe Girardi isn't interested in seeing the Twins get off the mat.

"This is a tough place to play,'' Girardi said. "It seems like a tough place to play no matter what sport you are playing, football or baseball. The Twins fans are great, It gets loud, It is a different type of park than what we are used to playing in.''

This is the fifth time the Yankees have been up 2-0 in a division series. They have completed the sweep three times.

Etc.

• For all the talk about the Twins' prowess at the Dome, they have dropped their past seven postseason home games. Their last home postseason victory -- and their last postseason victory anywhere -- came in Game 1 of the 2002 ALCS against the Angels.

• The 17 baserunners stranded by the Twins on Friday in New York set an ALDS record. The previous record was 14 by Cleveland in a 2-1, 11-inning victory over the Yankees on Oct. 5, 2007.

• Nick Punto has been on base six times in the first two games, but Jason Kubel is 1-for-10 with six strikeouts.

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