Game 3

[Durango53]

Pitching matchup
MIN: RHP Carlos Silva http://minnesota.twins.mlb.com/images/gameday/mugshots/400067.jpg
14-8, 4.21 ERA in 2004
1-0, 1.20 ERA in 2004 vs. SEA


SEA: LHP Bobby Madritschhttp://minnesota.twins.mlb.com/images/gameday/mugshots/425476.jpg
6-3, 3.27 ERA in 2004
0-0, 3.86 ERA in 2004 vs. MIN

[Durango53]

Player to watch
Twins right fielder Jacque Jones is 3-for-7 with a homer, a double and three RBIs through his first two games.

[Durango53]

On television


MIN: FSN North
SEA: None
On radio


MIN: WCCO 830-AM
SEA: KOMO 1000-AM

[Durango53]

Quick hits
When the Twins batted around the fifth inning of Tuesday's win, it was the first time that's happened since Sept. 24, 2004 at Cleveland. ... Mauer struck out three times Tuesday. ... Justin Morneau was 3-for-5 Tuesday after going 0-for-4 Monday.

[Durango53]

On deck


Thur: Off

Fri: White Sox at Twins, 7:10 p.m. CT

Sat: White Sox at Twins, 6:10 p.m. CT

Sun: White Sox at Twins, 7:10 p.m. CT

[Durango53]

With a day game following Tuesday night's game, won by Minnesota, 8-4, the club plans on giving catcher Joe Mauer the day off to rest his knee.

[Durango53]

Right-hander Carlos Silva will make his 2005 debut for Minnesota against Seattle left-hander Bobby Madritsch.

Silva had an impressive 2004 season as a first-year starter, winning 14 games. One of his better outings last year was an eight-inning performance May 5 at Safeco Field. He allowed one run and five hits in a 5-1 Twins victory.
Very excited about this game. I just have that gut feeling that Silva is about to do some thing this year that we all will like. I know he will be a bit edgy this game but hope he does today what I think he is going to do this year.

[Timberwolf]

Twins finish the series at Seattle as they try to take the series. Both teams got one win apiece. It would be nice to take the series heading to the home opener against the She-ca-go Whiney Sux.

Carlos Silva starts for the Twins. It will be interesting how he does this year. I have high expectations on him this year. I think he can do better than last year. If he can do that, we might have better team than last year

His counterpart is Bobby Madristich. What a story he is. After coming from Independent League, he made a niche out of himself last year as a callup for the Mariners. I saw him pitch against the Twins last year in Seattle and the Twins couldn't get a hit off him so we will see how do the Twins fare against him again.

Silva vs. Madristich.

[Durango53]

I to have high expectations for Silva. I am excited for him. I just see so much Santana in him....

[Blue]

I am also excited to see Silva pitch, I cant wait.

[Timberwolf]

I hope getting Ichiro out was a good omen for Carlos.

[Timberwolf]

Good job by Carlos to start the first inning.

[Timberwolf]

3-1 Good Guys

Nice to see Matty hit a three-run HR

Carlos has been good.

[Durango53]

Great to see Matt hit one. I like him but I wish he was better in the field.

But Carlos is good to see him go good.

[Durango53]

Throw Those Runners Out!!!!!!!!!!

[Timberwolf]

I tell ya, Shad. I am feeling a lot better with the Twins now than I did Monday.

[Durango53]

Ya see just take a breath and sit back... It is a very long season.... Silva had some rough spots but very few pitchs and deap in the game. I loved what I saw from him. And now that Pen can take over....

Hope Justin is ok!!!!

[Durango53]

Twins win!!!!!

[Timberwolf]

Good job by the good guys. After a very dissapointing Opening Day loss, the Twins rebounded very well by winning the next two and taking the series. While it stinks to lose on Opening Day, it's great to win the series and that's what baseball is all about in the course of 162-game season.

I was very happy with the way the Twins played in this series especially offensively. It was good to get couple of runners in base and then Matthew Lecroy goes deep as he hits a rare HR to give the Twins the lead for good. Before the game, Bert Blyleven told Matthew to hit a HR for his birthday. When Matthew hit it, Bert went nuts in the booth and he started screaming. I was very happy with how the Twins got on base a lot in this series and how they drove in. I hope they keep it up.

It was nice to see the "B" guys play well especially defensively. Juan Castro did a good job defensively. It was nice to see Mike Redmond call a good game today and he got a runner out.

I don't know what was Dan Wilson, Mariners catcher, thinking as he tried to trip Nick Punto. It was pretty stupid. Fortunately, that plan failed as Punto touch the home plate. It's a good strategy yet pretty stupid.

Carlos Silva pitched a very good game. I was very happy with his performance. He got 3 DPs. He was Radke-like today as he got lot of his groundballs outs which is his strength.

Juan was solid and Joe was super. With all the closers blowing saves left and right in the majors on Opening Week, it's good to see Joe Nathan make it look easy.

The downer was Justin Morneau leaving the game. That pitch by Ron Villone as it slipped into Justin's head was bad. Justin fell down and it took two or three minutes for him to recover. Fortunately, he was able to gain consciousness.

Great series. It was close to the wire and it came down to matter of breaks. Fortuantely, the Twins got the breaks.

It's great to be 2-1. I feel a lot better than I was Monday night after the game.

Twins deserve a day off.

Let's go kick some Whiney Sux butt this weekend.

[Durango53]

Twins first baseman Justin Morneau was taken to a local hospital Wednesday after being hit in the head by a pitch in the eighth inning of Minnesota's game against the Mariners at Safeco Field.

Morneau underwent a CAT scan test, which came back negative for a concussion or fracture.

"Everything turned out all right," Morneau said after returning from the hosptial. The club delayed its trip out of town briefly so the 23-year-old could join them after being cleared to fly.

http://minnesota.twins.mlb.com/images/2005/04/06/fDMFtJqe.jpg

I am so happy he is ok and hope he gets back in and everything is ok. :whew:

[Durango53]

Concerned, Twins manager Ron Gardenhire rushed to home plate after Morneau went down.

"You can get a pretty good feel when you're talking to him and they're talking to him and they ask where he was at," Gardenhire said. "He said, 'I'm on the ground at home plate in Seattle.' I thought he might be OK. I've been hit in the head before and I didn't have those kind of answers that he did today. I thought either he was way smarter than me or that he was OK."

"I wasn't dizzy or anything, so that's good," Morneau said. "I've had a few concussions before. I've been kicked in the back of the head with a hockey skate once."
Always good to have some hockey players on your team!

[Durango53]

After two games of back-to-back catching, the reports on Mauer's surgically repaired left knee were all positive with no pain. He was rested because the Twins were playing a day game after a night game.

It was on this date, one year ago, when the 21-year-old tore his medial meniscus cartilage trying to make a sliding catch on a foul pop vs. Cleveland.

So far, the only surprise from Mauer came in Tuesday's game -- when he struck out three times. Despite his youth, Gardenhire was jokingly stunned considering Mauer's hitting pedigree.

"The human side reared its head," Gardenhire cracked.

[Durango53]

"I think Silva was the story today," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "He pitched his tail off."

Silva stuck to a tough sinking fastball throughout the day and was aggressive in the strike zone against Seattle's lineup. He allowed nine hits while using just 68 pitches. He did not walk or strike out a batter, but the 25-year-old kept his infield on its toes by netting 14 groundball outs -- including three double plays.

"That's his bread and butter, that [sinking] fastball," catcher Mike Redmond said. "We talked before the game, and we both agreed his strength is his fastball and we're going to go right at guys. Get them swinging and put the ball in play. He did that. He threw a ton of strikes. He didn't fall behind anybody."

On one of the few times he used something other than the sinker, Silva paid for it. Bret Boone slugged a curveball for a leadoff home run to left field in the second that gave Seattle a 1-0 lead.

Great first game for my CY Young pick Siliva!!!!!!!! :thumbsup:

[Timberwolf]

Inside the numbers on Carlos yesterday:

14 groundball outs

3 double plays

Allowed nine hits on 68 pitches through seven innings

88 pitches overall

I hope this is a sign of things to come. Carlos seem very confident about his season.

Mike Redmond and Gardy raved about Carlos performance yesterday.