This offense actually has me excited. They look like they can put up a bunch of runs.

The Pirates starter finally gets yanked. He gave up 8 runs on 12 hits while only getting 7 outs.

It's really interesting what has gone down these last two weeks or so. Then again, this team had a similar spurt in June last season. Take it all with a grain of salt....but it's hard to deny some positive things have been happening.

(Not the least of which the roster moves concerning Revere and Butera.)

Here is the Twins lineup at Jet Blue Park today...

Twins

Denard Span, CF
Jamey Carroll, SS
Chris Parmelee, DH
Ryan Doumit, C
Danny Valencia, 3B
Sean Burroughs, 1B
Luke Hughes, 2B
Trevor Plouffe, RF
Ben Revere, LF

RHP Carl Pavano

Sunday afternoon game and there's the getaway lineup. Gardy's in midseason form :p

Am I the only one who wanted us to keep Dozier on the big club? Dozier at short, Carroll at 2B and Casilla coming off the bench would be better I think. Although then you have to send either Hughes or Burroughs to AAA.

You were not alone. He'll be up here at some point.

No, you are definitely not the only one.

From what I've seen, Casilla is playing pretty good, so I'd go with it as it is.

He was running hard today, and took batting practice. He'll be ready to go in a day or two. If he fails Dozier is back there.

That's good. It's just that Casilla has been handed a starting job twice before and he's failed miserably. He's been much more effective as a utility infielder/pinch runner/defensive substitute/pinch hitter. Hopefully he doesn't fail this time.

Let's hope not, but if he does, there's someone waiting to take his spot.

My goodness can we actually say the Twins have "depth" in some areas; of course it's kiddie pool depth but better than the puddle we had last year

REVERE gets an outfield assist "gunning" down Ellsbury who most have stopped for a beer on the way from 3rd to home.....

Two out hits absolutely kill this team year in and year out. Wonder if that is ever going to change.

Twins going up against David Price and the Rays today. Mauer and Plouffe stayed in Fort Myers to play in a minor league game. Last ST start for Liriano...

Twins

Denard Span, CF
Jamey Carroll, SS
Ryan Doumit, C
Justin Morneau, DH
Josh Willingham, Lf
Sean Burroughs, 1B
Danny Valencia, 3B
Luke Hughes, 2B
Lance Ray, RF

Francisco Liriano, LHP

Tampa Bay

Desmond Jennings, CF
Luke Scott, DH
Evan Longoria, 3B
Ben Zobrist, RF
Carlos Pena, 1B
Jeff Keppinger, 2B
Jose Molina, C
Jeff Salazar, LF
Sean Rodriguez, SS

David Price, LHP

Ben Zobrist continues to destroy the Twins.

Capps with a blown save today and is now sporting an ERA well over 5 this spring. I thought he was just injured last year?

Injured is the twins nice way of saying "we brought him back cuz he was cheap"

Capps wasn't exactly "cheap" though, was he? I think we could have gotten other effective relief help for cheaper . . .

Although I'm thoroughly pleased with Terry Ryan, so I'm going to hold off judgement on this one until we're into the season.

On top of the money he was given, he cost the Twins a draft pick that they could've gotten by letting him walk. Him being signed was the biggest disappointment of the off season for me. I've been hoping he proves me wrong...

The 5.73 ERA is bad enough but looking deeper is even more disturbing. He's given up 7 runs in 11 innings pitched this spring. He's allowed 4 HR's. He has only 5 strikeouts, which is an incredibly poor number for a closer in that many innings. Opposing hitters are hitting .304 against him. This guy will be getting booed off the field by May.