twins/mlb
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.
Liriano on the mound as Twins wrap up series with Royals
Posted by: La Velle E. Neal III Updated: July 1, 2012 - 11:52 AM
We should know right at noon who will represent the Twins at the July 10 All-Star Game in Kansas City. Josh Willingham and Joe Mauer have been the most consistent performers for the Twins this half-season.
Scott Diamond has been one of their best players, too. He's 7-3 with a 2.63 ERA. He's walked just 11 batters in 72 innings. With a couple more starts, he'll qualify to be among the league's statistical leaders. His ERA would be fourth in the American League.
"His numbers are as good as anyone's," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said.
This is not a plug for him to make the team, but his emergence has been impressive.
Gardenhire, by the way, is two wins shy of 900 wins for his career. Tom Kelly leads with 1,140.
The Twins finished June with a 14-13 record, their first winning month since July of last year. The fact they are 13 games under .500 shows just how crummy they played the first two months of the season.
Outfielder Romy Jimenez is the Twins minor league player of the week. He batted .450 with three home runs in five games last week for Elizabethton of the Appalachian League.
I blogged the following about Jimenez during spring training:
While the team was in Jupiter yesterday, I slid over the minor league fields and watched some camp day action. Watched an outfielder named Romy Jimenez clobber back-to-back homers (the wind was blowing out) with a sweet swing. Jimenez, 20, was injured part of last year and played in just eight games for the Gulf Coast League rookie team. I'm guessing he'll start there again this year (wrong!). He's listed at 6-2 and 170 but clearly is filling out. Too early to tell if he amounts to anything but at least I'll recognize the name.
Royals (35-41)
1. Alex Gordon, LF
2. Alcides Escobar, SS
3. Billy Butler, DH
4. Jeff Francoeur, RF
5. Yuniesky Betancourt, 3B
6. Eric Hosmer, 1B
7. Brayan Pena, C
8. Jason Bourgeois, CF
9. Irving Falu, 2B
Pitching: Bruce Chen, LHP
Twins (32-45)
1. Denard Span, CF
2. Jamey Carroll, 2B
3. Joe Mauer, C
4. Josh Willingham, LF
5. Justin Morneau, !B
6. Trevor Plouffe, 3B
7. Darin Mastroianni, RF
8. Drew Butera, C
9. Brian Dozier, SS
Francisco Liriano, LHP
ADVERTISEMENT
more twins blogs
-
Souhan on Sports
Ryan says Gibson close, but not quite ready
Twins general manager Terry Ryan talked about the decision to bring up two other...
-
A Fan's View
Section 219: Watching the Twins (and their fans) melt down
The losing streak has brought out the worst from top to bottom in the...
-
TwinsCentric
TwinsCentric: Examining Arcia's recent struggles
Where's Oswaldo? (Hint: Not in the Twins lineup.)
Post By Category
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
inside the StarTribune
-
425 Portland Av. S.
Minneapolis, MN 55488
(612) 673-4000
- Company
- Subscriber Services
- Website
- Buy Ads
- Store
- Connect with Us
© 2013 StarTribune. All rights reserved.
StarTribune.com is powered by Limelight Networks
Newspaper Subscriptions
eEdition
RSS
Newsletters