--LHP Glen Perkins knew Adrian Beltre has a history of hitting him and told himself not to let the slugger beat him. In Beltre's three plate appearances, Perkins walked him twice Thursday. But in the first inning, with a runner on second and two outs, Perkins left a changeup in the middle of the plate. Beltre lined the pitch up the middle, scoring the only run Perkins gave up in eight innings of work. "Disappointing," Perkins said. "It had to be him."
--LHP Craig Breslow navigated one scoreless inning Wednesday, finishing it off by striking out Ken Griffey Jr., but afterward manager Ron Gardenhire said Breslow has been relying too heavily on his cutter and his slider and that the lefty needs to mix in more changeups. --LHP Brian Duensing has been a starter his entire career, but manager Ron Gardenhire explained, "We started looking at him, thinking 'Why not?'" So the 26-year-old rookie, a member of the bronze medal-winning U.S. Olympic team in Beijing, made the Twins as a relief pitcher. He'll eventually be a starter again, Gardenhire told Duensing, but "getting some outs in the bullpen, learning what it's all about, it's not a bad thing."
BY THE NUMBERS: 4 -- Home runs hit off Minnesota pitching alone this spring by former Twins DH Craig Monroe, who finished Grapefruit League play with eight homers for the Pittsburgh Pirates. No Twin hit four home runs the entire spring.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "It stinks. I would have loved to go opening night. But that's not the best thing for the team." -- RHP Scott Baker, whose opening night start was scratched when he was placed on the disabled list with stiffness in his pitching shoulder. Baker is expected to miss only one start.
