Twins At White Sox: Blackburn Leads Twins To 3-2 Victory Over Chicago

It might be the start of something big. Then again, it might not be. But for a couple of days, it felt pretty good to be a member of. . .or even a fan of. . .the Minnesota Twins.

The Twins got their second consecutive solid pitching performance, as Nick Blackburn scattered four hits and pitched into the seventh inning as the Twins completed a two-game sweep of the Chicago White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field with a 3-2 victory on Wednesday afternoon.

Jason Kubel, last night's offensive hero, got things started for the Twins in the top of the first, as his opposite-field single scored Denard Span to give the Twins a quick 1-0 lead. The score stayed that way until the bottom of the third, when Blackburn made his one mistake of the afternoon, allowing Alex Rios to launch one over the left-field fence to lead off the inning, tying the score at one.

The Twins took the lead back in the top of the sixth inning, when Span led off with a single and Matt Tolbert, while attempting to sacrifice, wound up with an infield single. Justin Morneau then flew out to right field, and both Span and Tolbert moved up 90 feet. Kubel then hit a sacrifice fly to score Span, giving the Twins a 2-1 lead. After White Sox starter John Danks intentionally walked Michael Cuddyer, rookie Rene Tosoni made Chicago pay with a single to center to score Tolbert and make the score 3-1.

The White Sox got a run back in the bottom of the eighth on Paul Konerko's sacrifice fly, but they would get no closer. Matt Capps came in to pitch the ninth, and even though the Sox got a runner to second base, Capps got Omar Vizquel and Juan Pierre to fly out to right field in consecutive at-bats to end the ball game, giving him his fifth save in six chances this season.

Blackburn got the victory, raising his record to 2-4 and snapping his personal four-game losing streak. Danks took the loss, falling to 0-5 on the year.

The Twins will take Thursday off so that they can travel to Boston to play a three-game series against the Red Sox at Fenway Park this weekend. Friday night's pitching match-up, as of now, will see the Twins send Scott Baker (1-2, 3.16 ERA) to the hill, while the Red Sox will counter with Daisuke Matsuzaka (2-2, 3.81). First pitch on Friday night is scheduled for 6:10 PM Central time.

Twins At White Sox: Twins Attempt To Keep Momentum Going

Coming off of one of the most memorable pitching performances in recent team history, the Minnesota Twins will attempt to keep their positive momentum going and sweep their two-game mini-series from the Chicago White Sox this afternoon at U.S. Cellular Field.

Francisco Liriano threw the fifth no-hitter in franchise history on Tuesday night, and the Twins will next hand the ball to right-hander Nick Blackburn (1-4, 5.14 ERA). The White Sox will counter with left-hander John Danks (0-4, 3.92). Danks has started six games for the White Sox this season, and Chicago has not registered a victory in any of those six ball games. Blackburn has registered a loss in each of his last four starts, so something will have to give this afternoon.

For all the talk about Liriano's no-hitter, the fact remains that the Twins' offense is stuck in neutral (or reverse, depending on your perspective). They still managed just one run last night, they still have the fewest runs scored in the majors, and they still have baseball's worst run differential at -63. Jason Kubel's fourth-inning solo home run accounted for all of the scoring on Tuesday night, and the Twins' team batting average dropped to .229 after managing only six hits of their own.

First pitch for this one is scheduled for 1:10 PM Central time.  You can check out the Game Thread with our friends at Twinkie Town for discussion of the game, and come back here for the recap.

Recent Struggle Make Francisco Liriano's No Hitter Even More Impressive

By all accounts, Francisco Liriano was having a miserable season heading into his start on Tuesday. He was 1-4 with an ERA over nine, and had trouble recapturing some of the magic from his bounce back season a year ago. But on Tuesday night, he threw the first no-hitter of the 2011 season.

There are some out there who want to discount Liriano's no-hitter because of his struggles, and because it took him 123 pitches and he only struck out two batters. But a no-hitter is still a no-hitter, and Nando Di Fino of the Wall Street Journal argues that those issues that he faced made his feat even more impressive.

It wasn’t a total work of art. He walked six and struck out two. And yes, Liriano is having an awful year. He entered Tuesday with a 9.13 ERA. It now stands at 6.61. In his previous start, he lasted just three innings. There were rumors that he would be replaced in the rotation by Kevin Slowey. It was, by all accounts unexpected and a little magical,

When we look back on this no-hitter in a few years, no one will remember how many base-runners were on base and how many people Liriano struck out. We will just remember that he threw a no-hitter on Tuesday, and that's all that matters.

Did Francisco Liriano Get Help From A Blown Call In His No-Hit Bid?

Francisco Liriano didn't allow a hit to the Chicago White Sox last night, but he certainly allowed some people on base. Liriano needed a double play to get out of the eighth inning, but replays have shown that they might have only actually recorded one of those outs, according to SB Nation.

As you can see, Justin Morneau's tag misses Gordon Beckham on his way to first base. Technically he was safe, and the inning should have continued. Now the really interesting thing about this is that since there was a man on first base who was tagged out at second, this would have counted as a fielder's choice, and not an actual hit, so the no-hitter would have still been in tact. But who knows what would have happened in that next at-bat.

Don't let this sully Liriano's accomplishment on Tuesday. Baseball score-keepers don't keep erasers on the end of their pencils, so this will still go down as a no-hitter, and it will always be remembered that way. But in this inning, on this particular play, Liriano might have gotten a little bit of help from the boys in blue.

Francisco Liriano Got Back To What Made Him Great In No Hitter

Francisco Liriano has had his fair share of struggles this season, compiling a 9.13 ERA in five starts before his outing on Tuesday. But how quickly things can change. Liriano threw the first no-hitter of the 2011 season against the White Sox on Tuesday night, and according to Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com, it's because Liriano got back to what made him successful before. He had been experimenting with a two-seam fastball, but under the direction of his pitching coach, decided not to use that on Tuesday.

"I said, 'Be who you are,'" (Rick) Anderson said. "No more two-seamers. Let's put that in the back pocket for a while and go with what makes you right. So to me, if you go out there and feel, 'I'm going to do good with this,' then you're going to do good with it."

The other important aspect of Liriano's performance is that he didn't let the importance of the start get to him. He needed to have a good outing to keep his spot in the rotation, and he managed to throw a no-hitter even with the pressure of potentially losing his job.

A Brief History Of Minnesota Twins No-Hitters

Francisco Liriano No-Hitter Worth $10,000 In Autographs This Season

Twins At White Sox: Minnesota Rides Liriano's No-Hitter to 1-0 Victory

Maybe Ron Gardenhire needs to threaten his pitchers with demotion more frequently.

Faced with the possibility of being moved from the starting rotation to the bullpen, Francisco Liriano responded with the first-no hitter for the Twins since Eric Milton did it on September 11, 1999, and the Twins held on for a 1-0 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday night at U.S. Cellular Field.

Liriano, who came into the game with a 1-4 record and an ERA of 9.13. . .which means he was giving up an earned run per inning. . .got his first ever Major League complete game, his first ever Major League shutout and, obviously, his first ever Major League no-hitter.

It certainly wasn't the most aesthetically pleasing no-hitter in the history of the game. Liriano threw 123 pitches, 66 of them for strikes and 57 of them for balls. He issued six walks, including walking White Sox leadoff hitter Juan Pierre three separate times, but still did not allow a hit to the White Sox on the evening. He got some defensive help, too, as Danny Valencia made an outstanding play on a ball down the third base line to retire Carlos Quentin, and Justin Morneau made a great scoop of Matt Tolbert's throw to retire Brent Morel to start the bottom of the ninth.

There was some controversy as well, as the Twins might have gotten a break from the umpiring crew in the eighth. With one out in the inning, Liriano walked Ramon Castro and Brent Lillibridge came in to run for him. Gordon Beckham then grounded to Valencia at third, who went to Alexi Casilla at second for the force on Lillibridge. Casilla's relay throw to first pulled Justin Morneau off of the bag at first, and he swept back behind him in an attempt to tag Beckham. The replays showed, from most angles, that Morneau did not tag Beckham at all, but first base umpire Paul Emmel called Beckham out, much to the chagrin of the White Sox, and the eighth inning came to an end.

Liriano started the ninth by getting Morel to ground out to shortstop. After walking Pierre. . .again. . .he induced a pop out to short from Alexei Ramirez. After running to a full count against Adam Dunn, the White Sox slugger lined out to Tolbert at shortstop as well, and the no-hitter was officially in the history books.

The lone run of the night came when Jason Kubel took an offering from Edwin Jackson in the top of the fourth and deposited it over the right field wall for a solo home run to put the Twins ahead 1-0, a lead they would hold for the rest of the evening.

Liriano's victory raised his record to 2-4 on the year, and lowered his ERA to 6.61. Edwin Jackson, who threw a no-hitter last season, went eight innings for the White Sox (Matt Thornton pitched the ninth) and took the loss, dropping his record to 2-4 on the year as well.

The Twins follow this one up with a businessman's special at U.S. Cellular Field tomorrow to complete this abbreviated series. First pitch will take place at 1:10 PM Central time, and the Twins will send Nick Blackburn (1-4, 5.14 ERA) to the mound. The White Sox will counter with lefty John Danks (0-4, 3.92).

Francisco Liriano Throws No-Hitter Against Chicago White Sox

Francisco Liriano completed the first Minnesota Twins' no-hitter since September of 1999 as he retired the White Sox in the bottom of the ninth to complete the feat.

Jason Kubel's solo home run was the only run scored on the evening as the Twins defeated the White Sox 1-0 at U.S. Cellular Field on Tuesday night.

Liriano started the ninth by getting Brent Morel to ground out to shortstop thanks to an outstanding defensive scoop by Justin Morneau at first base. He then walked Juan Pierre. . .Pierre's third walk of the night out of six issued by Liriano. . .to put a runner on first.

Alexei Ramirez then popped up to Matt Tolbert at shortstop, and that left the White Sox hopes on the shoulders of slugger Adam Dunn. Dunn stepped to the plate hitting 0-for-16 against left-handed pitching on the year, and Liriano pushed that to 0-for-17 as Dunn lined out to shortstop Matt Tolbert to end the ball game and give Francisco Liriano his first Major League complete game, his first Major League shutout, and his first Major League no-hitter.

Twins win 1-0, and we'll have more on this one shortly.

Twins At White Sox: Liriano Will Take No-Hitter To The Ninth

Well, we've got some drama at U.S. Cellular Field, as Minnesota Twins' left-hander Francisco Liriano will take a no-hitter into the ninth inning against the Chicago White Sox.

Alex Rios started out the inning by hitting a pop-up to shortstop Matt Tolbert for the first out. Liriano then walked Ramon Castro, his fifth walk of the evening. Brent Lillibridge then came in to run for Rios. Gordon Beckham then hit a ground ball to Danny Valencia, and the Twins turned a 5-4-3 double play. The relay throw to first was off the mark, but Justin Morneau managed to apply the tag to Beckham in time to retire him at first.

Liriano has now gotten through eight innings against the Chicago White Sox, and will now be looking to complete the first Minnesota Twins' no-hitter on September 11, 1999.

With eight innings in the books in Chicago, the Twins lead the White Sox 1-0, and Francisco Liriano is throwing a no-hitter.

Twins At White Sox: Liriano Gets Through The Seventh

Francisco Liriano is still carrying his no-hitter at U.S. Cellular Field, as he retired the Chicago White Sox in the bottom of the seventh in order.

Liriano started the inning by getting Adam Dunn to ground out to first baseman Justin Morneau for out number one. Paul Konerko followed that up by popping out to the shortstop, and Carlos Quentin grounded out to third to end the inning. Quentin's ground out came courtesy of a great play by third baseman Danny Valencia in order to keep the no-hitter intact.

Liriano is now up to 93 pitches in this one, so we will have to wait and see whether Ron Gardenhire will send him out for the top of the eighth. Again, Liriano hasn't thrown more than 96 pitches in any appearance this year, and in his career has never thrown a single complete game.

Seven innings in the books in Chicago, and the White Sox still don't have a hit as the Twins cling to a 1-0 lead.

Twins' Francisco Liriano Has No-Hitter Through Six Innings Against White Sox

Yes, I know I run the risk of jinxing it, but I'm going to roll with this anyway.

We're heading to the top of the seventh inning at U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago, and Minnesota Twins' left-handed Francisco Liriano has yet to allow a hit to the Chicago White Sox. He has walked four and struck out only two through those six innings, but he has yet to allow a hit.

Through these six innings, Liriano has thrown 86 pitches, only 46 of which have gone for strikes. The most pitches Liriano has thrown in a game during this 2011 season is 97, so it will be interesting to see how Ron Gardenhire handles him.

If you'll recall, last year at Target Field Kevin Slowey had a no-hitter against the Oakland Athletics, but was pulled by Gardenhire due to his pitch count.

So, with six innings in the book at U.S. Cellular Field, Francisco Liriano has a no-hitter going, and Jason Kubel's solo home run has staked him to a precarious 1-0 lead.

Twins At White Sox: Baseball's Two Worst Teams Meet In Chicago

In 2010, the Minnesota Twins and the Chicago White Sox were locked in a battle for the American League Central division championship until the last few weeks of the season. On Tuesday night in Chicago, the two teams will meet up in a series between the two teams that, currently, possess the two worst records in Major League Baseball.

The Twins and White Sox are the only two teams in the American League with winning percentages below .400. The White Sox enter this series with a record of 11-19, good for a .367 winning percentage. Yet, with a record that bad, they're still a half-game ahead of the Twins in the American League Central, as the Twins' 9-18 record puts them ten games out in the division.

To fully crystallize the futility of these two teams, here are their major statistics and where they rank in Major League Baseball in those categories:

As bad as the White Sox have been, the Twins have been significantly worse. The Twins can't hit and they can't pitch. To contrast just how much worse the Twins have been, Minnesota has the worst run differential in all of baseball, having a mark of -64 (meaning they've allowed 64 more runs than they've scored). The run differential for the White Sox is second-worst in the American League. . .and it's "only" at -32, or half of what Minnesota's is.

You might think that an opponent like the White Sox would present an opportunity for the Twins to "get healthy" as far as wins and losses, but that's not necessarily the case with this team. . .after all, the Kansas City Royals had lost six straight going into their three-game set with the Twins over the weekend, and they trounced the Twins in three consecutive games.

The pitching match-up for Tuesday night will see mercurial. . .to say the least. . .left-hander Francisco Liriano (1-4, 9.13 ERA) take the ball for the Twins, while the White Sox will go with right-hander Edwin Jackson (2-3, 5.86 ERA). First pitch from U.S. Cellular Field is scheduled for 7:10 PM Central time.