The Sports Xchange
MLB Team Report – Minnesota Twins – INSIDE PITCH
MILWAUKEE — There is no place like home for Twins right-hander Kyle Gibson.
Gibson has been good at Target Field this season, posting a 3-1 record and 1.85 ERA but on the road, things have not gone well at all for the 26-year-old.
Gibson gave up four runs on six hits over six innings Monday in a 6-2 loss to Milwaukee, raising his ERA to 8.03 in six road starts this season.
“He’s actually thrown the ball pretty well on the road for us a couple times and just can’t stay away from the one big inning,” Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. “We’ve said all along, he seems to be able to make a pitch at home and hasn’t been able to figure that out yet on the road and having that one big inning where it hurts you. Now he has to figure out how to master keeping damage to a minimum when he gets into an inning where it’s not going his way.”
He missed all of 2012 and the first half of last season recovering from Tommy John surgery. He’s shown plenty of signs of progress — including three shutout efforts so far this season — and Gardenhire is confident that Gibson will figure things out.
“It’s a work in progress always with a young pitcher who’s been out and missed time like he has, but I think he’s handled himself really well,” Gardenhire said. “He understands his mistakes a lot more now. He knows where he should have gotten the ball when he misses. It’s just the process of growing as a pitcher.
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MLB Team Report – Minnesota Twins – NOTES, QUOTES
RECORD: 26-29
STREAK: Lost one
NEXT: Twins (RHP Samuel Deduno, 1-3, 3.86 ERA) at Brewers (RHP Yovani Gallardo, 3-3, 3.56 ERA)
PLAYER NOTES:
–OF Danny Santana returned to the Twins lineup Monday having missed the last two games after suffering face lacerations Friday in New York. Santana went 2-for-4 against the Brewers and in 16 games since earning his first call-up from Triple-A Rochester, he’s batting .386 (17-for-44) with two stolen bases and six runs scored.
–1B Joe Mauer hit two doubles Monday, giving him 290 for his career. He finished the day 2-for-4 and is now batting .347 in 24 career games at Miller Park and .354 lifetime against Milwaukee. He also extended his interleague hitting streak to 19 games. Mauer is a .334 hitter all-time against National League opponents.
–LF Josh Willingham went 2-for-2 Monday, extending his hitting streak to six games. Willingham is 8-for-18 during that stretch, with three home runs and seven RBIs.
–RHP Kyle Gibson took the loss Monday after giving up four runs on six hits over six innings at Milwaukee. While Gibson has been very good at home (3-1, 1.85 ERA) this season for the Twins, he has struggled away from Miller Park, posting a 1-4 record and an 8.03 ERA.
–RHP Mike Pelfrey is waiting for the effects of anti-inflammatory medication to wear off before starting to play catch again. Pelfrey has been on the DL since May 2 with a strained groin but recently experienced discomfort in his right ulnar nerve and may seek a second opinion from Dr. James Andrews, who performed his 2012 Tommy John surgery.
QUOTE TO NOTE: “We had chances and just couldn’t come up with the big hit. We missed a few plays, but more than anything else, you still feel like you’ve got a chance. These guys, you always feel like you have a chance even late in the game, so you’ve got to keep playing like that. We’ll see what happens tomorrow.” — Twins manager Ron Gardenhire, after Monday’s loss to the Brewers.
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MLB Team Report – Minnesota Twins – ROSTER REPORT
MEDICAL WATCH:
–OF Sam Fuld (concussion) went on the seven-day disabled list May 8. He experienced a setback in mid-May. On May 28, Fuld flew to Pittsburgh to consult with Dr. Micky Collins, a concussion specialist. Nothing out of the ordinary was discovered on his visit to Collins. He hit off a tee May 30. As of June 2, he was cleared to participate in all baseball-related activities and will take batting practice June 4, when the Twins return to Minnesota.
–RHP Mike Pelfrey (strained left groin) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to May 2. He began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Rochester on May 16. He returned from Rochester on May 28 after suffering shoulder soreness and was evaluated by Twins doctors. He had an MRI on the shoulder May 29. As of June 2, he was waiting for the effects of anti-inflammatory medication to wear off before starting to play catch again. He may seek a second opinion from Dr. James Andrews, who performed his 2012 Tommy John surgery.
–INF/OF Danny Santana missed the games May 31 and June 1 due to a laceration on his upper left eyelid. The injury occurred when he stole third base May 30 on a head-first slide and it required seven stitches. He returned to the lineup June 2.
ROTATION:
RHP Ricky Nolasco
RHP Kevin Correia
RHP Phil Hughes
RHP Kyle Gibson
RHP Sam Deduno
BULLPEN:
LHP Glen Perkins (closer)
LHP Caleb Thielbar
RHP Anthony Swarzak
LHP Brian Duensing
RHP Casey Fien
RHP Jared Burton
RHP Matt Guerrier
CATCHERS:
Kurt Suzuki
Josmil Pinto
INFIELDERS:
1B Joe Mauer
2B Brian Dozier
SS Danny Santana
3B Trevor Plouffe
INF Eduardo Nunez
INF/OF Eduardo Escobar
INF/OF Chris Parmelee
OUTFIELDERS:
LF Josh Willingham
CF Aaron Hicks
RF Oswaldo Arcia
DH Jason Kubel
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