3B Danny Valencia was in the Twins lineup on Tuesday night despite beginning the month of May in an 0-for-17 slump. Valencia hit sixth on Tuesday night, going 0-for-4. But Gardenhire said Valencia was healthy after missing a game in Los Angeles because of a sore back, and added he’d keep playing the 27-year-old. “I’ve given Danny a couple days,” Gardenhire said. “He’s good to go. Danny’s ready to play. I don’t think he needs a day to relax. I know he’s pressing a little bit, trying to get hits like everybody else in our lineup. But a good two-hit day would probably make him feel pretty good about himself.”
LHP Scott Diamond, a Rule 5 pick before the 2011 season who began 2012 at Class AAA Rochester (N.Y.), threw seven shutout innings as the Twins beat the Angels 5-0. Diamond struck out a career-high six batters in his first win of the year, and allowed just four hits.
SS Brian Dozier continued to start his Twins career in impressive fashion, driving in his first run and collecting two hits in the team’s win over the Angels. Dozier also scored a run, made a handful of impressive plays at shortstop and is 3-for-8 in his first two games.
C Ryan Doumit hit his fourth homer of the season in the Twins’ win over the Angels, launching a two-run blast off Dan Haren to left field in the first inning. He has 16 RBI in his last 17 games, and has hit all four of his homers against right-handed pitchers.
OF Josh Willingham returned to the Twins lineup on Tuesday after missing Monday’s game with an illness. Willingham went 2-for-3 in the Twins’ win over the Angels, snapping an 0-for-14 slump with a RBI double in the first inning. He scored later that inning on Ryan Doumit’s homer, and also drew a walk later in the game.
OF Denard Span was out of the Twins lineup for the first time this season on Tuesday, but manager Ron Gardenhire said Span’s collision with the center-field wall on Monday night wasn’t the reason he got the night off. Span missed 92 games last season because of concussion symptoms, and said he was “shaken up” by the collision, but Gardenhire said he had planned to give Span a day off on Tuesday anyway, and Span said he would be fine.
