Thanks to a stiff wind blowing in all day at the Charlotte Sports Park, there wasn't much offense to be had. Pitchers ruled in a game won 3-2 by the Twins. Other than errors by Ben Revere (throw) and Darin and Mastroianni (fielding), the defense was fairly sharp. Seven Twins pitchers weren't charged with an earned run.

Here are three thoughts after the game:

1. Can Matt Maloney make the team? The lefthander looked pretty good on Tuesday, giving up two hits over two innings with a strikeout. He doesn't throw hard (90-91) but has a decent slider and change. He has good control and is a fly ball pitcher. He's given up 18 homers in 80 major league innings. The fact that some of those outings have come at Great American Bandbox (fourth in the majors in home runs per game last year) he could benefit from moving to Target Canyon.
Would the Twins be willing to keep three lefties in the pen? Can Maloney be protection for an injury to a starter? It's early and he has to keep posting zeroes, but some folks have taken notice..

2. Can we trust Scott Baker? After two seasons of elbow issues, Baker is saying all the right things about being healthy. "I'm just going about my business," he said. ``I obviously make sure that I do all the preventative stuff. So maybe I do little more than I have in the past, but that's not a bad thing." He has a while before the Twins can breathe easy. He's got to get through camp then pitch like the staff leader he should be. If Baker can stay healthy, he should have a good year. And that would be a big boost for the Twins.

3. When is Luke Hughes going to get on the field? A couple associates and I tried to figure out the Twins' four-man bench and couldn't settle on one. One reason is Hughes, who has appeared as a DH in two games because he's still mending the right shoulder he injured during Australian winter league action. Hughes said he hasn't regained full strength in the shoulder, which is affecting his throws. After throwing for six days, Hughes was given Tuesday off from defensive work. He will test his shoulder again on Wednesday. He's out of options but still has to prove he can be a utility player.