YOUR GUIDE TO THE TWIN CITIES
twins/mlb
Joe Christensen, the Star Tribune's national baseball reporter, has covered the big leagues since 1998. A Faribault native, he graduated from the University of Minnesota in 1996. Before working for the Star Tribune, he spent three years covering the Orioles for the Baltimore Sun. He also covered the Padres and Dodgers for newspapers in Southern California. He'll share his thoughts here on the Twins and all things baseball.
Liriano says he'll be fifth starter
Posted by: Joe Christensen under MLB Updated: March 30, 2010 - 9:44 AM
(Update: Joe reports via Twitter that Liriano says he'll be the team's fifth starter and that he's glad he's not closing.)
FORT MYERS, FLA. -- Francisco Liriano will make his sixth outing of the spring today, when the Twins play the Pittsburgh Pirates at Hammond Stadium, and it'll be interesting to see how deep into the game he pitches.
Liriano has yet to pitch more than four innings in any of his appearances this spring. He needed 67 pitches to get through the fourth last Thursday against Tampa Bay.
(Update: Liriano pitched six innings without giving up a run. He gave up three singles, walked three and struck out eight against a Pirates lineup that didn't have any regulars and included pitcher Charlie Morton batting -- and whiffing -- twice. The Twins used a DH.)
No question, Liriano's 22-to-2 strikeout-to-walk ratio is impressive, but he needs to show that he can pitch deeper into games.
PIRATES
1. John Raynor, RF
2. Ramon Vazquez, 3B
3. Bobby Crosby, SS
4. Ryan Church, CF
5. Steve Pearce, 1B
6. Delwyn Young, 2B
7. Robbie Grossman, LF
8. Jason Jaramillo, C
9. Charlie Morton, P
Pitching: RHP Charlie Morton
TWINS
1. Denard Span, CF
2. Orlando Hudson, 2B
3. Joe Mauer, C
4. Justin Morneau, 1B
5. Michael Cuddyer, RF
6. Jim Thome, DH
7. Jason Kubel, LF
8. J.J. Hardy, SS
9. Nick Punto, 3B
Pitching: Francisco Liriano, Jesse Crain, Matt Guerrier, Clay Condrey
Hammond Stadium. First pitch: 12:05 p.m. (Central). No TV. Twins Radio Network
ADVERTISEMENT
more twins blogs
-
StribSports Upload
Tigers blog: So little respect for the Twins
One Detroit baseball blogger thinks the cure for his team's problems is simple.
-
TwinsCentric
TwinsCentric: Revere and the Real Estate Market
Ben Revere is hitting the ball further than he did last year. Could it...
Post By Category
ADVERTISEMENT
- Souhan blog: To my fans in Oklahoma City
- Tigers blog: So little respect for the Twins
- Day games galore as Twins kick off homestand
- TwinsCentric: Revere and the real estate market
- Souhan blog: Derek Lower-than-Lowe shuts down Twins
- Postgame: Carroll's family moment, Span's hot streak and other odds and ends
- Cranky Tigers are coming to town
- Postgame: De Vries. Morneau. 'Twinsness'
inside the StarTribune
-
425 Portland Av. S.
Minneapolis, MN 55488
(612) 673-4000
- Company
- Subscriber Services
- Website
- Buy Ads
- Store
- Connect with Us
© 2012 StarTribune. All rights reserved.
StarTribune.com is powered by Limelight Networks
Newspaper Subscriptions
eEdition
RSS
Newsletters