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Twins to open Target Field's second year against A's

Apr 8, 2011 - 3:00 PM (Sports Network) - The Minnesota Twins were the best home team in the American League in the first year at Target Field last season. This afternoon, the Twins kick off the home portion of their schedule with the opener of a three- game set against the Oakland Athletics.

A return home could be just what the Twins need after opening the year with losses in four of their first six games. To make matters worse, Minnesota lost second baseman Tsuyoshi Nishioka to a broken left fibula in Thursday's 4-3 loss to the New York Yankees.

The Japanese import was injured when Yankees right fielder Nick Swisher slid into him trying to break up a double play. Nishioka was placed on the 15-day disabled list, and he will be examined Friday.

"It's pretty sad," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "We have to look at it as a minor setback. We'll get him better, we'll be OK. He likes to play. He must've told me a thousand times that he plays hurt."

Nishioka's injury was just the icing on the cake on Thursday for the Twins, who lost two of three to New York at Yankee Stadium.

Minnesota Twins Francisco Liriano (0-2) was touched for all four runs on four hits with three walks and five strikeouts over five innings.

"It's tough playing against the Yankees because that's a good lineup over there," said Liriano. "We just have to keep playing hard and in the future make better pitches."

Now the Twins head home, where they were an AL-best 53-28 last year in the inaugural season of their new open-air ballpark. One of the few complaints about the new stadium was that the ball did not travel there, as the park's 118 home runs were among the lowest in the league. Gardenhire, though, did not mind.

"I honestly hope it plays about the same because we won [53] games, and I kind of like winning [53] games at home," Gardenhire said. "That's not a bad theory either."

Getting the call for Minnesota in the home opener will be Carl Pavano, who also pitched last year's first game at Target Field. Today he will be trying to bounce back from a dreadful Opening Day effort, though. Pavano was pounded by the Toronto Blue Jays for seven runs over four-plus innings of work last Friday.

"I wasn't able to make good pitches. I was up in the zone and inconsistent with everything," Pavano said.

Pavano has only faced the A's twice in his career, but has posted a 2-0 mark to go along with a 3.15 ERA in those games.

Oakland, meanwhile, will counter with one of the best young left-handers in baseball in Brett Anderson.

Anderson was terrific in his season debut Saturday against Seattle, but did not get a decision despite allowing just a run and five hits in six innings. He also struck out five and walked a batter in his team's 5-2 setback.

The 23-year-old left-hander has faced the Twins three times previously and is 2-1 with a 3.72 ERA.

Like the Twins, Oakland is off to a 2-4 start, though it enters today's tilt on a winning note. On Thursday, Trevor Cahill outdueled Ricky Romero by throwing eight sparkling innings to lead the Athletics to a 2-1 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays.

"He's got electric stuff," Oakland outfielder Conor Jackson said of Cahill. "I wouldn't want to be in the batters box on the other side."

The A's rallied for their two runs in the eighth inning, chasing Romero from the game, and Brian Fuentes worked around a two-out single in the ninth to get the save.

Minnesota won six of its nine games with the A's last season.