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La Velle E. Neal III has covered baseball for the Star Tribune since 1998 (the post-Knoblauch era). Born and raised in Chicago, he grew up following the White Sox and hating the Cubs. He attended both the University of Illinois and Illinois-Chicago and began his baseball writing career at the Kansas City Star. He can be heard occasionally on KFAN radio, lending his great baseball mind to Paul Allen and other hosts. Mark Rosen borrows him occasionally for WCCO-TV.
Will Twins get the good Cliff Lee or bad Cliff Lee?
Posted by: La Velle E. Neal III Updated: August 26, 2010 - 6:41 PM
Rangers ace Cliff Lee is 8-3 with a 3.40 ERA in his career against the Twins and held them to one run over eight innings on June 2 in a game won by Seattle in extra innings.
But Lee is 0-3 with a 8.24 ERA over his last three starts - the last one a clobbering by Baltimore.
ESPN's Colin Cowherd, citing a source, claims that Lee doesn't like Texas and wants to pitch for the Yankees, which has made for an entertaining week here.
``It's a lie," Lee said to Rangers reporters after Monday's game. "Write that. Are you writing? Write that it's a lie. I did not say that and nobody close to me would say that. Either say who the source is or shut up because I am saying it is not true."
I caught some of Cowherd's show today, and he did not back off his previous statements.
The guess here is that Lee will be fired up to pitch well tonight.
The Twins? I sense that they are a little uptight today. They've got to go through Lee to avoid getting swept in a four-game series here for the first time since 1987.
- Randy Flores is here and ready to help. To keep his arm ready while waiting in Denver for someone to pick him up, he threw against the wall of a grocery store.
- Ron Mahay will have surgery to repair his right rotator cuff. Dr.Lewis Yocum will handle the surgery on a date to be determined.
- Joe Mauer is batting .247 against Texas, his lowest average against any AL team.
- Rangers' third baseman Michael Young, who looked like someone who doesn't like playing third base all week, was out early taking grounders today.
- Denard Span is 6-for-17 (.353) against Lee. Michael Cuddyer is 8-for-31 (.258) but has three homers. Thome (.310,1hr).Joe Mauer (.333) are others with success.
- Orlando Hudson knows everyone. Former baseball-football player Drew Henson visited him before the game.
- Will try to post some minor league notes tomorrow. Subjects will include Bruce Pugh, Dakota Watts, Kyle Gibson, Ben Revere and potential power pitchers in the organization. Travel to Seattle might get in the way.
- BTW, Ben Revere was activated today after a speedy recovery from orbital fractures suffered when he was hit in the face with a pitch earlier this month.
Twins (72-55)
1. Denard Span, CF
2. Orlando Hudson, 2B
3. Joe Mauer, C
4. Jason Kubel, RF
5. Michael Cuddyer, 1B
6. Jim Thome, DH
7. Delmon Young, LF
8. Danny Valencia, 3B
9. J.J. Hardy, SS
Francisco Liriano, LHP
Texas (72-54)
1. Elvis Andrus, SS
2. Michael Young, 3B
3. Josh Hamilton, LF
4. Vladimir Guerrero, DH
5. Bengie Molina, C
6. David Murphy, RF
7. Jorge Cantu, 1B
8. Andres Blanco, 2B
9. Julio Borborn, CF
Cliff Lee, Lee
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