The rest of the AL may be interested in getting some advice from Glen Perkins and the Minnesota Twins on how to shut down the Texas Rangers' relentless lineup.
Minnesota's Livan Hernandez is one pitcher who should be very interested in what Perkins would have to say.One night after they were shut out for the first time this year, the Rangers look to rebound at the Metrodome on Saturday against Hernandez, whom they've hit hard in two matchups this season.
The Rangers (50-47) lead the majors with 538 runs and were at their best just before the All-Star break, scoring 36 runs in their final four games of the first half.
They had totaled 50 runs in seven contests against the Twins (54-42) before Friday, when they became the final major league team to get shut out in 2008 in a 6-0 loss. Perkins silenced them for six innings before three relievers finished the three-hitter.
"To shut out a team like the Rangers - they run a lot of good hitters up there - you did something," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire told his team's official Web site.
Texas outfielder Marlon Byrd saw it differently, calling the effort "uncalled for."
It was certainly unexpected given the Rangers' recent production. Both Josh Hamilton (who leads the majors with 95 RBIs) and Ian Kinsler (the AL's leading hitter at .333) went 0-for-4, with Kinsler having his 25-game hit streak snapped.
Third baseman Hank Blalock was also hitless in his return after missing 72 games due to injuries.
"We'll be all right," Hamilton said. "We'll just come back and get them tomorrow."
Hernandez (9-6, 5.44 ERA) will do his best to duplicate Perkins' effort, but he hasn't been as fortunate against the Rangers this season. He's lasted only eight innings over two starts, compiling a 13.50 ERA and giving up 19 hits.
In his most recent outing, he gave up six runs and 11 hits in 4 1-3 innings of an 18-5 loss at Boston on July 9.
Since then, however, the Twins have won four of five overall, and Friday's victory was their sixth straight and 14th in 16 games at the Metrodome.
Delmon Young went 4-for-4 and Jason Kubel and Brian Buscher each had a pair of RBIs for the Twins, who are 1 1/2 games behind Chicago in the AL Central despite being last in the AL with 65 home runs.
"We find different ways to win games. We're not going to come out there and hit three-run home runs every inning," Young said. "You just go out and collect hit after hit."
They'll try to do that against rookie left-hander Matt Harrison on Saturday. Harrison (1-0, 6.52) was impressive in his major league debut July 8, giving up two runs in seven innings to beat the Los Angeles Angels 3-2.
He struggled against the White Sox on Sunday, however, allowing five runs and seven hits in 2 2-3 innings. The Rangers still won that game 12-11.
Texas has alternated wins and losses in its last six games. It has split eight games with the Twins this year after losing seven of the last eight meetings in 2007.
