The Minnesota Twins picked up a solid win in their first Spring Training outing, or as solid a win you can pick up in Spring Training. On Saturday, they hosted the Tampa Bay Rays at Hammond Stadium, and walked out with a 7-3 win. Carl Pavano got the start, as will be the case on opening day, and the Twins would go on to use multiple pitchers throughout. Pavano didn't have a great outing, surrendering three hits and two runs, both earned in two innings of play. He also gave up a homerun.
But the Twins locked it up from there, with Brian Duensing pitching two innings while allowing just one hit, with a strikeout. Matt Capps pitched an inning, and then it was Glen Perkins, getting the win as the Twins had a strong sixth inning, in which Ryan Doumit doubled in a fly ball to left field, which was followed by Sean Burroughs and Matt Carson walking to fill the bases with none out.
Mike Hollimon singled on a ground ball, which sent Wilkin Ramirez home, Burroughs to third and Carson to second. Joe Benson scored Burroughs on a sacrifice fly, and the inning came to a close when Tsuyoshi Nishioka and Drew Butera grounded out. They'd add insurance runs in the seventh and eighth innings, with Nishioka hitting a triple in the eighth, and scored by Chris Herrmann.
Nothing huge, but solid play all-around by the Twins to pick up their first win of spring training. Albert Suarez was the losing pitcher for the Rays, with the aforementioned Glen Perkins picking up the win. They've got a split squad game against the Rays once again on Sunday, and then they'll play the Red Sox on Monday.
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