American League Preview from The Sports Network
Tuesday, May 1st
(All times Eastern)
Minnesota Twins (6-16) at LA Angels of Anaheim (8-15), 10:05 p.m.
Probable Starting Pitchers: Minnesota - Francisco Liriano (0-3, 11.02)
LA Angels - Jerome Williams (1-1, 5.51)
(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 ANahiem 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.
05/01 10:28:58 ET

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