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Twins go with Liriano at Angel Stadium

May 1, 2012 - 3:00 PM (Sports Network) - Francisco Liriano returns to Minnesota's rotation this evening when the Twins continue a three-game series against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at Angel Stadium.

Liriano has lost all three of his decisions this season and has surrendered five earned runs in each of his four starts. After his last loss on April 22 to Tampa Bay, the Twins decided to skip him in the rotation in an effort to clear his head.

"He's feeling good," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "He says he feels great. Now it's just wait and see when we get out to Anaheim, how he handles it out on the field. That's all we can do."

Liriano did not get a decision against the Angels back on April 12, but was awful, as he surrendered six runs (five earned) in five innings of his team's 10-9 win. He is 1-2 lifetime against them with a 7.66 ERA.

Anaheim, meanwhile, will hand the ball to righty Jerome Williams, who is 1-1 with a 5.51 ERA. Williams did not get a decision on Thursday against Tampa Bay, but produced his finest outing of the season, as he allowed just two runs and five hits in seven innings of a 4-3 loss.

Williams has pitched to a 3.38 ERA in two appearances against the Twins.

In Monday's opener, Torii Hunter hit a two-run homer and drove in three, C.J. Wilson pitched into the eighth inning and Los Angeles claimed a 4-3 win. Kendrys Morales went 2-for-3 with a run scored while Albert Pujols doubled and also crossed the plate for the Angels, who won for only the second time in their last eight tries.

Wilson (3-2) was charged with three runs - all in the eighth inning -- on five hits and a walk and Scott Downs recorded the final four outs for his second save of the season.

Alexi Casilla went 3-for-4 with an RBI double for Minnesota, which fell to 6-16. Nick Blackburn (0-3) allowed three runs on seven hits over six innings to suffer the loss.

Minnesota took two of three from the Angels earlier in the year after LA captured six of the nine meetings in 2011.