Late-inning relievers keep sowing seeds of doubt

The Twins entered spring training with a talented young roster, the deepest rotation in the division and three reasons to worry: Joe Mauer's health, their lack of an eighth-inning reliever and their lack of a true starter at third base.

After only 25 games, they've allayed those fears, while discovering one that could ruin their best-laid plans.

In his first exposure to big-league pitching since October, Mauer got seven hits in his first 10 at-bats this weekend. Jose Mijares has pitched 4 2/3 scoreless innings since returning from Rochester, just that quickly winning the setup job. Joe Crede is the fine fielder and potential righthanded power source the Twins have craved for years.

The Twins have every reason to believe they should win the division ... unless their middle relievers continue their campaign to demolish the Metrodome before its time.

Joe Nathan remains a formidable closer. Mijares has regained his rotund form. Matt Guerrier has shown signs of life.

The rest of the bullpen is raising the possibility that the vampire seats and the baggie will be torn down by line drives before the Twins are through with the ol' blue tomb.

Luis Ayala, so recently a candidate to pitch the eighth, has been flammable. We would print his ERA, but the Star Tribune has rules against using vulgarities in the newspaper.

Sunday, Scott Baker left in the seventh with a 4-3 lead, two on and nobody out. Ayala came in to induce a grounder, and gave up a loud, long double to Alberto Callaspo, and the Royals took the lead for good.

R.A. Dickey, the knuckleballer, has not even fulfilled his duties as an innings-eating bullpen saver. You need outs to save the bullpen. Dickey's ERA is 5.93 and he has walked 10 in 13 2/3 innings. He is not saving the bullpen; he is prolonging its agony.

Craig Breslow, the lefthanded specialist, has an ERA remindful of John Daly's latest breathalyzer test. It's 8.10. Those numbers are not transposed, and, yes, that is the area code of Flint, Mich. Breslow, the Yalie, looks as if he'd rather sing the Harvard fight song than throw a strike. He's walked nine in 6 2/3 innings. Again, those numbers are not transposed.

The Twins have exceeded expectations so often this decade because of their overachieving bullpens. Eddie Guardado, LaTroy Hawkins, Nathan and Mijares all exceeded initial expectations.

Last year, though, the bullpen contributed to the team's collapse, and this year's bullpen was outperformed by Kansas City's in losses on Saturday and Sunday.

The Twins' staff likes hard-throwing Juan Morillo, but he was just sent down. Jesse Crain, activated from the disabled list on Sunday, will be asked to help Mijares share the workload in the eighth.

"We like the kid in the eighth, but like today, you throw him two days in a row, how can you go and throw him a third?" Gardenhire said. "We got him up, he says he's fine, but how many times do you want to do that? So somebody else has to be able to pitch the eighth inning, too."

And the sixth, and the seventh, or what looks like a fine team will be scuttled by its most anonymous players.