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Twins-Orioles Preview

Jul 23, 2010 - 7:42 PM By KATE HEDLIN STATS Writer

Minnesota (51-45) at Baltimore (30-65), 7:05 p.m. EDT

The Minnesota Twins shook up their rotation this week, replacing the struggling Nick Blackburn with Brian Duensing.

Facing the light-hitting Baltimore Orioles could be the perfect way to ease Duensing into a starter's role.

Making his first start of the season, Duensing looks to lead the Twins to their third straight shutout win Friday when they continue their four-game series at the lowly Orioles.

Minnesota (51-45) announced earlier this week it was temporarily moving Blackburn, who has posted a 9.88 ERA in his last nine starts, to the bullpen. In his place, Duensing (3-1, 1.67 ERA) will make his first start of the year, having pitched 43 innings of relief and given up only one run over his last 14 innings.

Duensing, who went 5-1 with a 2.73 ERA in nine starts as a rookie in 2009, expects to be held to a pitch count of 60-80.

"I don't know how it's going to go," he said. "I just want to help out."

The left-hander gave up one hit in one inning of relief against the Orioles on May 8.

Duensing's first start of 2010 will come against a Baltimore team that has dropped six of seven, scoring two runs or fewer in five of those games. Minnesota won 5-0 Thursday's series opener behind Carl Pavano's complete-game five-hitter and Delmon Young's three RBIs.

The victory was Minnesota's fifth in seven games and its second straight shutout after Francisco Liriano pitched seven innings of a 6-0 win over Cleveland on Wednesday. The Twins, who last held a share of the AL Central lead after games of July 4, crept within two games of idle Chicago for first place.

Baltimore (30-65), which owns the worst record in the majors, has totaled one run while losing its last three meetings with Minnesota. The Orioles are 0 for 15 with runners in scoring position over the last two games overall.

Frustrations appeared to boil over Thursday, as first baseman Ty Wigginton, pitching coach Rick Kranitz and interim manager Juan Samuel were all ejected in the seventh inning.

"We're in last place, and anytime you're in last place there's a lot of frustration in the season," Wigginton said. "Obviously, that's not where we wanted to be."

Baltimore will try to reach Duensing and provide support for Friday's probable starter Jeremy Guthrie (3-10, 4.58).

Guthrie gave up one run and seven hits in 6 2-3 innings of a 3-2 defeat to Toronto on Saturday. He didn't get charged with the loss, but remained winless since defeating Oakland on May 25. In the nine starts since, he is 0-6 with a 5.70 ERA and a 2.52 run-support average.

"You can't be frustrated because you do what you can do and what you can control," he told the Orioles' official website.

The right-hander allowed three runs in 6 2-3 innings of a 7-3 win over Minnesota on May 8, improving to 2-0 with a 3.10 ERA in three career starts against the Twins.

The Orioles will have Brian Roberts start at second base and lead off after activating him from the 60-day disabled list Friday.

A two-time All-Star, Roberts hasn't played with Baltimore since April 9 when he was sidelined by a strained abdominal muscle and a herniated disk in his back. His return was delayed by a series of epidural shots for his back and a bout with pneumonia.