YOUR GUIDE TO THE TWIN CITIES
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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.
Wednesday lineups: Thome gets the nod over Kubel at DH
Posted by: Joe Christensen under Twins game coverage Updated: April 7, 2010 - 9:13 PM
ANAHEIM, CALIF. -- Jim Thome gets his first start as a Twin tonight, as they face righthander Ervin Santana at Angel Stadium.
Jason Kubel is 2-for-14 in his career against Santana, and Thome is 4-for-15.
Update: Manager Ron Gardenhire said it wasn't so much the numbers.
"I just want to get Thome in the lineup," he said. "I’m not going to sit him for three or four days. He got a pinch-hit at-bat [Monday] and over the next three days, we’re going to mix and match a little bit.
"Possibility maybe seeing Thome out there tomorrow and maybe seeing Kubel in left. And then we have that long trip [to Chicago] . I'll talk to [Joe] Mauer and maybe the kid [Drew Butera] will catch that first game in Chicago.
"Things change. If Delmon goes 4-for-4 tonight, he might just be out there tomorrow night, too. You try to have a little bit of a plan here. I want Thome to have at-bats early in the season, and I want to find a way to get the other guys in a ballgame. That's the same for [Brendan] Harris and Lexi Casilla. Figure out a way to get them all involved here real quick. They need to play -- all of them do."
TWINS (1-1)
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. Delmon Young, LF
8. J.J. Hardy, SS
9. Nick Punto, 3B
Starting pitcher: RH Carl Pavano
ANGELS (1-1)
1. Erick Aybar, SS
2. Bobby Abreu, RF
3. Torii Hunter, CF
4. Hideki Matsui, DH
5. Kendry Morales, 1B
6. Juan Rivera, LF
7. Howie Kendrick, 2B
8. Mike Napoli, C
9. Brandon Wood, 3B
Starting pitcher: RH Ervin Santana
Angel Stadium. First pitch: 9:05 p.m. (Central). TV: FSN. Twins Radio Network
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