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Twins battle Giants aiming for longest win streak in three years

Jun 22, 2011 - 2:33 PM (Sports Network) - The San Francisco Giants found out rather quickly on Tuesday just how well the Minnesota Twins are playing right now. The struggling 2010 world champions will be out to produce a better start and result in tonight's middle test of a three-game interleague series with a red- hot Minnesota squad that's aiming for its longest winning streak in three years.

The Twins wasted no time asserting their authority in last night's opener of this set, tying a major league record by recording eight consecutive hits to begin the game. The barrage was part of an eight-run first inning that helped propel Minnesota to a 9-2 victory and the club's eighth straight triumph.

Minnesota sent 12 men to the plate in its opening-inning outburst and knocked San Francisco starter Madison Bumgarner out of the game on Ben Revere's two- run double which gave the visitors a comfortable 8-0 advantage. Luke Hughes also brought home a pair of runners with a single during the frame.

"We just hit and found the right holes," said Revere, who began the contest with a single that started Minnesota's onslaught.

Bumgarner retired just one batter -- opposing pitcher Carl Pavano -- and was raked for nine hits and all eight runs before his early exit.

"I think [this experience] will help the focus of executing pitches for the rest of my career, because now I know what happens when you don't," said the young left-hander afterward. "I think that's one thing that will come from it."

Pavano was far more sharp, as the veteran yielded just two runs and scattered nine hits over eight innings of work to help deal the Giants a season-high fifth straight loss. He did not walk a batter and threw 75-of-107 pitches for strikes.

The Twins, who were 20 games under .500 (17-37) at the start of June, will be trying to win nine in a row for the first time since a 10-game surge from June 17-27, 2008. They've now registered 15 victories in their last 17 tilts.

Nick Blackburn has done his part in Minnesota's turnaround, and the steady right-hander will attempt to nail down a sixth straight winning decision when he takes the mound tonight.

Blackburn is unbeaten over his last nine starts, compiling a 5-0 record and an excellent 2.29 earned run average over that outstanding stretch. He hasn't lost since April 28 and surrendered two earned runs or less in all but one of those appearances during this unblemished streak.

The 29-year-old was certainly on top of his game in last Thursday's start against fellow AL Central member Chicago, holding the White Sox to seven hits over eight shutout innings to lower his season ERA to 3.16.

Blackburn will be facing the Giants for the first time and owns a 4-3 record with a 5.04 ERA over nine career interleague starts.

San Francisco, which now trails surprising Arizona by a half-game for the NL West's top spot due to its current funk, will pin its hopes on Ryan Vogelsong in tonight's matchup. The rejuvenated right-hander has come through more often than not since earning a spot in the team's rotation, as his stellar 1.92 season ERA will attest.

Vogelsong has not permitted more than two runs in any of his last eight starts and has thrown six innings or more on all but one of those occasions during that span. The 33-year-old, who hadn't pitched in the majors since 2006 prior to this year, was promoted from Triple-A Fresno in April to take the rotation spot of the injured Barry Zito.

In his most recent start, Vogelsong allowed two runs and struck out six Arizona hitters over six innings in a no-decision against the Diamondbacks last Thursday.

Vogelsong has been particularly tough at home, having produced a 2-1 record along with a sensational 0.96 ERA in six AT&T Park appearances (five starts) since his callup. This will be his first career start against the Twins, though he opposed them in relief while with Pittsburgh in 2006 and was reached for three runs and five hits in just one inning of work.

San Francisco won two of three bouts with the Twins when these teams last met at the Metrodome in 2005. Minnesota took two of three matchups from the Giants in their only prior trip to AT&T Park, which occurred in 2003.