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Silva bounces back to lift Twins past Royals

Sep 1, 2007 - 8:19 PM By Anthony Maggio PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

MINNEAPOLIS (Ticker) - Carlos Silva is nervous about what might happen, but he continues to make his case to remain a member of the Minnesota Twins.

The soon-to-be free agent righthander battled through six innings of eight-hit ball to help the Twins top the Kansas City Royals, 6-4, on Saturday.

Silva (11-13) bounced back from a rocky start against Cleveland and has allowed nine earned runs in his last 9 2/3 innings, but he won for the second time in his last three starts and has a 3.15 ERA in his last six outings.

But only time will tell if it is good enough to keep him in Minnesota.

"The last time I pitched, in Cleveland, I got in that mode in my mind during the game - there are a lot of rumors that will be out there," Silva said. "I was looking at the coaches to see what's going on. It's hard to be like that. I'm going to be pitching somewhere no matter where, you know? I would like to stay here. This team means a lot to me."

Silva fought through a rough spring training and the Twins took much criticism for leaving him in the rotation with youngsters like Scott Baker, Matt Garza and Kevin Slowey waiting for an opportunity.

Silva has struggled at times - and did so again Saturday when he admittedly didn't have his best pitches - but consistently pitched deep into games for Minnesota.

"He's given us an opportunity to win a lot of baseball games," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "He's an innings-eater and you have to have those guys on the staff that give you the chance to win and eat up a lot of innings and he's done those things for us for the most part. It's not a surprise for us, but a surprise for a lot of people, I think."

Silva got help from battery-mate Mike Redmond, whose two-run double highlighted a four-run fifth inning for Minnesota.

Royals starter Brandon Duckworth (2-4), who was activated from the 15-day disabled list prior to the game after missing 68 games with a left rib cage strain, was given a 3-2 lead by his offense heading into the bottom half of the fifth inning. But his third start of the season would fall apart from there.

Duckworth, who was moved to the bullpen after two starts to begin the season before going on the disabled list, hit Jason Bartlett to lead off the frame and gave up an RBI double to Torii Hunter down the right-field line.

Hunter was erased on Justin Morneau's fielder's choice, but Michael Cuddyer and Jason Kubel hit back-to-back singles to give the Twins a 4-3 lead and end Duckworth's day.

"I thought Ducky was fine," Royals manager Buddy Bell said. "The hit-by-pitch to Bartlett after we got ahead, that opens it up for Hunter, Morneau and Cuddyer, so I think that was the key at-bat right there."

Reliever Neal Musser, who was called up for the fifth time this season from Class AAA Omaha before the game, came on to face Redmond. Musser got ahead in the count 1-2, but Redmond ripped a double down the third-base line to bring in a pair of runs and give the Twins a three-run cushion.

Redmond, who was making his sixth start in seven games since Mauer was shelved, went 2-for-3 with a walk, improving his batting average to .441 with nine RBI in nine games against the Royals this season. He has two hits in each of his last three starts overall.

Duckworth allowed six runs - five earned - on eight hits with two walks and two strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings. He had a 1.59 ERA in his other two starts this season.

Billy Butler and Shane Costa added back-to-back doubles for the second time in the contest off reliever Pat Neshek in the eighth inning to pull the Royals within 6-4. Joe Nathan then entered the game and got the final four outs for his 29th save in 31 chances.

The Royals put up a pair of runs on Silva in the fourth on back-to-back one-out doubles from Butler and Costa, along with an RBI single from Tony Pena. Alex Gordon supplied Kansas City's third run with a solo home run with two outs in the fifth inning.

Minnesota scored in the second on Luis Rodriguez's RBI double and Rodriguez scored the Twins' second run on a Pena throwing error following Nick Punto's two-out single in the fourth.

Rodriguez went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored after being called up from Class AAA Rochester before the game. Kubel went 1-for-3 with a walk, two runs scored and an RBI.

Butler, Costa, Pena and Mike Sweeney all had two hits apiece for the Royals, who have lost three of their last four games.

Silva (11-13) went six innings, allowing three runs on eight hits with no walks and four strikeouts. Those aren't the numbers Silva is looking for as he holds out hope for a spot in the five-man rotation next season that could include any combination of Baker, Garza, Slowey, Johan Santana, Boof Bonser, Francisco Liriano and Boof Bonser.

"I think he wants to pitch here, he loves it here," Gardenhire said. "Those are things that we can't control in this room. I can't control it, I can only have my say in it. As a manager you like guys who can eat up innings, a good teammate, he roots for the guys. Every once in awhile he gets a little wacky on us out there, but all pitchers do. We have a lot of fun with him around here."

But just because Gardenhire wants him doesn't mean that Silva will stay. Silva admitted that he was nervous when he saw general manager Terry Ryan come to the clubhouse on Friday - the last day for waiver-wire trades - and said he has checked the computer every morning to see if he's still a member of the Twins.

"This team was the team that gave me the opportunity to be a starter," Silva said. "I'll continue pitching no matter where, but it's tough. It's a bad feeling for me, my family, my wife, we are waiting, we don't know what's going to happen. Just have my stuff ready. Its very tough to be in that position."