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Twins continue series against Rays without Mauer

Apr 15, 2011 - 2:32 PM (Sports Network) - The Minnesota Twins will be without All-Star catcher Joe Mauer this evening when they continue their four-game series with the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field.

Mauer was placed on the disabled list Thursday with bilateral leg weakness. The problem could stem from knee surgery the former AL MVP had late last season. He's expected to be examined by his doctor in Baltimore on Friday, then begin a rehabilitation program that the team hopes will last two weeks.

"He's got to build up his strength again to catch the long haul," Twins general manager Bill Smith said. "And rather than try to push it through one game on, one game off -- rather than push it through now, let's shut him down, build that strength back up and get him ready for the long haul of the season."

Without Mauer on Thursday the Twins lost in dramatic fashion, as Johnny Damon's two-run homer in the bottom of the 10th inning capped the Rays' second rally and gave them a 4-3 win.

The Rays had been shut out by Carl Pavano for eight innings and faced a 2-0 deficit heading into the bottom of the ninth. But Matt Joyce hit a two-run double off Joe Nathan to send the game to an extra inning, and after Minnesota went back in front in the top half, Damon homered off Matt Capps (1-1) to give Tampa Bay its third consecutive win.

"Going up to that last at-bat, you know I'm 0-for-4 in the game and really couldn't do anything off Pavano, but you learn how to forget about it," Damon said. "You learn how to be in the moment and that's what I did."

The Twins have now lost four of their last five games.

"We had plenty of chances," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "We missed a lot of opportunities to score runs. That's probably where the game was lost more than anything else. We didn't put them away and good teams you've got to put away and we didn't do it."

Tonight, the Twins turn to right-hander Nick Blackburn, who has been tremendous in the early going. Blackburn defeated the Toronto Blue Jays in his season debut, allowing an earned run in 5 2/3 innings. He was even better his next time out on Saturday against Oakland, but was saddled with the loss, despite surrendering just an unearned run in six innings.

"We had them off-balance pretty good tonight," said Blackburn, who is pitching to a 0.77 earned run average. "I think the fact that we were mixing it pretty well using a lot of changeups allowed me to get away with a few pitches that probably wouldn't have been the case if we'd been throwing more sinkers."

Blackburn is 2-2 in four starts versus the Rays with a 6.10 ERA.

Tampa, meanwhile, will rely on right-hander Wade Davis, who is still searching for his first win of the season. Davis fell for the second time in as many starts on Saturday in Chicago, but pitched well, as he allowed two runs and five hits in six innings.

"I thought Davis threw the ball well," Tampa manager Joe Maddon said. "I thought he threw the ball really well. He got us out of some tough moments. Good fastball, showed some good fastball command down and away from the righties, threw some decent breaking balls. But primarily pitched with his fastball today and did a nice job."

Davis will be making his third start against the Twins, but has yet to record a decision against them, despite an 8.71 ERA.

The Rays took five of eight from the Twins last season.