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Twins-Cubs Preview

Jun 13, 2009 - 12:13 AM By MATT BEARDMORE STATS Writer

Minnesota (30-32) at Chicago (29-28), 1:05 p.m. EDT

The last time he faced the Minnesota Twins, Rich Harden made his first start following a nearly six-week stint on the disabled list. That would be his last outing for more than three months.

While that occurred more than three years ago with Oakland, Harden's injury woes have followed him to Chicago. He's expected to return from another trip to the DL Saturday when the struggling Cubs continue their three-game interleague set against the Twins.

Harden (4-2, 4.74 ERA) last pitched against Minnesota on June 4, 2006 after coming back from a strained back muscle. Following that contest, he went back on the DL, and was sidelined until late September with a sprained elbow ligament.

The right-hander was added to the Cubs' injured list on May 22 with sprained lower back. Five days earlier, he allowed four runs and six hits over six innings of a 6-5 loss to Houston.

"Fortunately, it's not an oblique or nothing too serious that it's going to cost me a lot of time," Harden told the team's official Web site after being placed on the DL for the seventh time in his seven-year career. "I didn't want to be in this situation, but hopefully it will be just a few games here.

"(Randy) Wells has been doing a great job. I'm sure he's going to take over and start for me."

Wells took over on May 23 at San Diego, and has proven to be a very capable starter. The right-hander, however, is still searching for his first major league victory. Wells had a 1.86 ERA in his first six starts this season, but was 0-2 as the Cubs batted a combined .228 in these games.

In Friday's 7-4 loss to the Twins, though, Wells yielded four runs and seven hits in a season-low 3 2-3 innings.

Joe Mauer had two hits and raised his batting average to .413 as he powered the Twins (31-32) to their first win at Wrigley Field since July 17, 1999.

Mauer's two-run homer in the third inning off Wells tied his single-season high of 13 set in 2006. Mauer, who missed the first month of the season after offseason kidney surgery, picked up another RBI in the eighth when right fielder Milton Bradley caught his sacrifice fly for the second out and threw the ball into the stands thinking the inning was over.

"It didn't cost us a run but you've got to be in the game, you've got to know how many outs there are," Cubs manager Lou Piniella said. "Do we need to go over math? One ... two ... three ... I don't know what else to say. I'm sure he's somewhat embarrassed by it."

Bradley had two hits and drove in two, but is hitting just .224. Chicago signed him to a $30 million contract in January.

The Cubs (29-29) had scored just one run in the previous 25 1-3 innings, and are batting just .176 during their three-game slide.

Derrek Lee had two RBIs, including a run-scoring single in the eighth that extended his hitting streak to 11. Lee, who has reached safely in 21 consecutive games, is batting .317 in his career in interleague play.

The Cubs will face rookie Anthony Swarzak (1-2, 5.23 ERA). The right-hander walked three and gave up three runs over 3 2-3 innings in Monday's 4-3 loss at Oakland.

The Twins have lost Swarzak's last three starts.

Minnesota shortstop Brendan Harris, a former Cubs draft pick, had three hits with an RBI Friday. He's batting .358 (24 for 67) in his last 17 games.