It wasn't planned this way, not really, but the Twins couldn't be happier that Scott Baker's turn to pitch coincides with the first game of the season's biggest series. The Twins, 2-1/2 games behind Chicago in the AL Central, essentially must sweep the White Sox this week or find themselves out of the postseason for the second straight season, and manager Ron Gardenhire isn't certain how his young team will react to that pressure.
"You'll get an honest effort, guys giving everything they have. How they control their emotions, you never can tell," Gardenhire said. "If they're going to get too excited, you just don't know." But Baker isn't likely to be affected, Gardenhire said. The 27-year-old right-hander only has two full seasons of experience, but he carries himself with the composure of a veteran with far more.
"He's the one guy who should be ready for that event. He's learned a lot, gets the ball, throws it over," Ron Gardenhire said of Baker, who is 9-4 this season. "It's going to come down to pitching."
Baker thinks so, too, and intends to change... nothing.
"One thing I've learned about pitching is that the moment I stop staying within myself, that's the moment I become less effective," Baker said. "Control what I can control, and don't worry about the results. It's the only way I can pitch."
That said, he's looking forward to the opportunity to start the season's biggest game.
"We know what's at stake," Baker said. "I think it's going to be crazy."
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