Hurricane Floyd
08-21-2002, 11:05 AM
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CHICAGO -- Kyle Lohse sensed it around the seventh inning. He knew then he was on the verge of tossing his first Major League complete game. By the end of the eighth, he was not going to be denied.
"He came out of the eighth inning, saying "I got it, it's mine,' so I just sat back down," manager Ron Gardenhire said of the normally mild-mannered Lohse's determination.
When the 23-year-old right-hander set the heart of the Sox lineup -- Magglio Ordonez, Paul Konerko and Frank Thomas -- down in order in the ninth, the celebration was his to savor.
Lohse's performance, his first complete-game effort in 42 career starts, combined with great defensive play and timely offense, resulting in a 5-0 shutout of the White Sox, simply continued a two-week trend of Twins starters excelling on the mound.
In the last 10 games, the Twins' starters have posted a 2.08 ERA, allowing just 16 earned runs over 69 1/3 innings. Over that stretch, the staff has recorded seven quality starts and three shutouts.
The fact the club has only gone 5-5 in those ballgames doesn't matter as much since the division race has been locked up for some time. It's more important the rotation appears to be rested and ready to pick up some of the slack down the stretch drive.
"We said last year, (Lohse) has a lot of poise and handles himself well," Gardenhire said. "He's very sure of himself and came into Spring Training knowing he had to make the ball club. (A spot in the rotation) wasn't going to be given to him and he came in ready to go and pitched very well in spring and has done that ever since."
"I was able to take a little of my slider," Lohse said of his first victory since July 24, against the same White Sox. "Sometimes I try to overthrow it and it straightens out. I had a good slider, but really my good pitch tonight was my changeup. I got a lot of groundballs with that because I able to throw it for strikes."
Lohse (11-7) credited his improved changeup with working on it between starts and being able to throw it effectively during the game.
Gardenhire didn't hesitate to praise Lohse for his performance but also the fact that he's been the only healthy starter all season long for the Twins. Of his 26 starts in 2002, Lohse has 13 quality starts, including six in his last eight. He has allowed more than four runs in a start only four times all season, the last two times coming in back-to-back starts June 11 and June 16.
Lohse currently ranks first on the club in starts and is tied for second in wins and second in innings pitched (149 1/3).
"You're talking after about as good a performance as you can possibly have so it's easy to go up the scale," the manager said. "He's been good all year, he's been consistent. He's had his moments just like every other pitcher where you go through a little lull when you're just throwing the ball out there. But for the most part of the season, he's been consistent, taking the ball every five days. He's been the one guy in the rotation that's been out there."
But Lohse's performance might not have been possible without another outstanding catch by center fielder Torii Hunter.
Hunter ended a potential Sox rally with another highlight-reel catch in the fifth. With runners on first and third, Carlos Lee rocketed a line drive toward the 400 foot sign in straightaway center field.
Hunter, as has been his custom this year, made a leaping, over-the-shoulder catch at the warning track, falling to the ground but hanging on to the ball, to end the inning.
Lohse made it look easy the rest of the night, retiring the final 12 batters in order to end his masterpiece.
"You realize you may have gotten away with something there because not too many guys can track that ball down," Lohse said of Hunter's catch. "It gives you a little more confidence the way they play defense."
And the way Lohse and the rest of the starters are pitching, the Twins continue to gain confidence as they pursue a championship.
CHICAGO -- Kyle Lohse sensed it around the seventh inning. He knew then he was on the verge of tossing his first Major League complete game. By the end of the eighth, he was not going to be denied.
"He came out of the eighth inning, saying "I got it, it's mine,' so I just sat back down," manager Ron Gardenhire said of the normally mild-mannered Lohse's determination.
When the 23-year-old right-hander set the heart of the Sox lineup -- Magglio Ordonez, Paul Konerko and Frank Thomas -- down in order in the ninth, the celebration was his to savor.
Lohse's performance, his first complete-game effort in 42 career starts, combined with great defensive play and timely offense, resulting in a 5-0 shutout of the White Sox, simply continued a two-week trend of Twins starters excelling on the mound.
In the last 10 games, the Twins' starters have posted a 2.08 ERA, allowing just 16 earned runs over 69 1/3 innings. Over that stretch, the staff has recorded seven quality starts and three shutouts.
The fact the club has only gone 5-5 in those ballgames doesn't matter as much since the division race has been locked up for some time. It's more important the rotation appears to be rested and ready to pick up some of the slack down the stretch drive.
"We said last year, (Lohse) has a lot of poise and handles himself well," Gardenhire said. "He's very sure of himself and came into Spring Training knowing he had to make the ball club. (A spot in the rotation) wasn't going to be given to him and he came in ready to go and pitched very well in spring and has done that ever since."
"I was able to take a little of my slider," Lohse said of his first victory since July 24, against the same White Sox. "Sometimes I try to overthrow it and it straightens out. I had a good slider, but really my good pitch tonight was my changeup. I got a lot of groundballs with that because I able to throw it for strikes."
Lohse (11-7) credited his improved changeup with working on it between starts and being able to throw it effectively during the game.
Gardenhire didn't hesitate to praise Lohse for his performance but also the fact that he's been the only healthy starter all season long for the Twins. Of his 26 starts in 2002, Lohse has 13 quality starts, including six in his last eight. He has allowed more than four runs in a start only four times all season, the last two times coming in back-to-back starts June 11 and June 16.
Lohse currently ranks first on the club in starts and is tied for second in wins and second in innings pitched (149 1/3).
"You're talking after about as good a performance as you can possibly have so it's easy to go up the scale," the manager said. "He's been good all year, he's been consistent. He's had his moments just like every other pitcher where you go through a little lull when you're just throwing the ball out there. But for the most part of the season, he's been consistent, taking the ball every five days. He's been the one guy in the rotation that's been out there."
But Lohse's performance might not have been possible without another outstanding catch by center fielder Torii Hunter.
Hunter ended a potential Sox rally with another highlight-reel catch in the fifth. With runners on first and third, Carlos Lee rocketed a line drive toward the 400 foot sign in straightaway center field.
Hunter, as has been his custom this year, made a leaping, over-the-shoulder catch at the warning track, falling to the ground but hanging on to the ball, to end the inning.
Lohse made it look easy the rest of the night, retiring the final 12 batters in order to end his masterpiece.
"You realize you may have gotten away with something there because not too many guys can track that ball down," Lohse said of Hunter's catch. "It gives you a little more confidence the way they play defense."
And the way Lohse and the rest of the starters are pitching, the Twins continue to gain confidence as they pursue a championship.