Tommy Milone is here and is available out of the bullpen for a few days until he can be slotted in the starting rotation next week. He said he went to Rochester determined to get back to attacking hitters, and he took off as soon as he arrived.
He was 4-0 with a 1.66 ERA in seven games there, walking just four batters in 48.2 innings while striking out 41. His last start on Tuesday was his best, as he tossed seven shutout innings.
The Twins could use pitching like that, as the rotation has been a shambles all year. The Twins have a baseball-worst 5.73 starters ERA. If the season ended after Friday's game, that would be the third-worst starters ERA in club history.
There are two worse, you ask? The 1994 Twins starters posted a 5.84 ERA. And the Brad Radke-led unit in 1995 had an eye-popping 6.11 ERA. This year's rotation would really have to work hard to top that.
Trevor Plouffe is not in the lineup today. Twins manager Paul Molitor thinks Plouffe has been, `fighting it,' at the plate recently and could use a day off. Plouffe, 3-for-8 against Yankees righthander Ivan Pineda, wasn't aware he was not in the lineup until he was informed by a fearless, intrepid reporter. He wa a little surprised by the move.
There are land mines all over the Yankees lineup as Ricky Nolasco tries to halt the Twins' four-game losing streak. Brian McCann is batting .339 with eight home runs against him. Carlos Beltran (.333), Starlin Castro (.300), Chase Headley (8-for-18) and Didi Gregorius (8-for-16) also have numbers against him.
Yankees
Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
Brett Gardner, LF
Carlos Beltran, RF
A-Rod, DH
Brian McCann, C
Chase Headley, 3B
Didi Gregorius, SS
Rob Refsnyder, 2B
Ike Davis, 1B
