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Posted 5-16-08
Twins pay first-ever visit to Colorado
(Sports Network) - The Minnesota Twins make their first-ever appearance at Colorado's Coors Field tonight for the opener of a three-game interleague series with the badly-struggling Rockies.
Minnesota hopes to right itself after being handed three consecutive home losses by Toronto in the days leading up to this set. The Blue Jays completed the sweep with an 11-inning triumph on Thursday, with Joe Inglett singling in Scott Rolen for the eventual game-winning run.
Rolen smacked a leadoff double off Jesse Crain (1-2) in the top of the 11th, but the Minnesota reliever retired the next two batters before intentionally walking Lyle Overbay. Crain then walked Gregg Zaun to load the bases, and Inglett followed with a single to right.
Justin Morneau went 2-for-4 with an RBI for the Twins, who trail the division- leading Cleveland Indians by 1 1/2 games in the American League Central standings. Jason Kubel also had a pair of hits in defeat.
Minnesota did receive a solid start out of Glen Perkins on Thursday. The left- hander pitched six innings and held Toronto to two runs on five hits.
While the Twins are in the midst of a rough patch, the defending National League champion Rockies have been mired a season-long slump. Colorado owns a disappointing 15-26 record thus far and has lost five straight games, the last three coming at the hands of the powerful Arizona Diamondbacks in Phoenix.
In Thursday's finale, Brandon Webb shut the Rockies out over the first six innings en route to improving to 9-0 on the young season, as the Diamondbacks cruised to an 8-5 victory.
Arizona got to Colorado starter Aaron Cook (6-2) for five runs in the right- hander's five innings of work to build a big early lead it would not relinquish. Cook was tagged for 10 hits and walked four and had a six-start win streak come to an end.
Clint Barmes finished 2-for-5 with an RBI for the Rockies, while Chris Iannetta, Matt Holliday, Ryan Spilborghs and Scott Podsednik also knocked in runs on the evening.
Colorado will take its swings tonight against Minnesota rookie Nick Blackburn, who improved to 3-2 on the season with a decent six innings in his team's 9-8 triumph over Boston on Sunday.
Blackburn allowed four runs on nine hits against the Red Sox and has now worked at least six innings in each of his last five starts. Opponents are hitting .313 against the right-hander this year, but he's given up only two home runs over a combined 50 1/3 frames.
His mound opponent this evening will be Ubaldo Jimenez, who is winless over his last six starts but delivered an encouraging performance in his most recent outing.
The highly-regarded Dominican racked up a career-high 11 strikeouts over 6 2/3 innings in Saturday's encounter with San Diego, although Jimenez wound up with the loss after surrendering three runs on five hits in the Rockies' 3-2 setback.
Jimenez has recorded two losses and four no decisions since recording his only victory of 2008, when he tossed six innings of three-run ball to defeat Atlanta at Coors Field on April 8.
These teams did play a three-game set at the Metrodome during the 2003 campaign, with the Twins winning the final two matchups of that series. Minnesota is a solid 106-86 all-time in interleague games, while the Rockies have compiled a 76-87 overall mark. |
