Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Francisco Liriano was pitching a certified gem of a game on Friday night against the Oakland Athletics. He started the fourth inning by allowing a single before striking out his ninth batter. Then the trouble started.
A Denard Span throwing error put a runner on base Liriano then issued his first walk of the night, to Chris Carter. With the bases loaded Jonny Gomes took him to left field, making it a 4-1 game. He ended the inning with his 10th strike out.
So much for timing for Liriano and the Twins. The pitcher has been the subject of trade rumors recently, with the Twins 11 games out of the AL Central lead, and some notable visitors were at Target Field for the game. According to La Velle E. Neal III of the Star Tribune some scouts were in attendance:
Liriano's first trip through the batting order produces seven strikeouts...with Yankees and Mets scouts in attendance.
— LaVelle E. Neal III (@LaVelleNeal) July 14, 2012
For more on the Twins, head over to Twinkie Town. For more A's coverage, visit Athletics Nation. And for the best MLB analysis on the web, be sure to check out Baseball Nation.