Kevin Slowey picks up first Major League Win

It wasn't quite an awe-inspiring performance, but it's good to see Kevin Slowey get his first Major League win in his second MLB start. Slowey only went 5 innings, giving up 10 hits, 5 runs, and 4 ER, but thanks to good work from the offense and from the bullpen it was good enough for the win.

The bullpen pitched 4 hitless and scoreless innings to preserve the lead, showing their strength. Look at the ERAs of the guys that pitched:

Matt Guerrier: 1.72 (in 36.2 IP)
Carmen Cali: 0.00 (in 4.2 IP)
Pat Neshek: 1.26 (in 28.2 IP)
Joe Nathan: 2.05 (in 26.1 IP)

If I was doing any online sports betting, I would say this is the best bullpen in the MLB once again.

Also, it becomes more and more clear (at least to me) that Pat Neshek is the best middle reliever in the MLB. In the 28.2 IP he has struck out 34 batters, walked only 10, and allowed only 12 hits. That puts his WHIP at 0.77, his OBA at .217, and SLG against at only .200. Those are unbelievable numbers.

Offensively, the Twins got their power from Michael Cuddyer (3/4, 1 HR, 3 RBI), and a couple of other unlikely sources, as both Nick Punto and Jason Bartlett hit their first homers of the year.

All in all, a nice day and a nice job to come from behind to salvage one game of the 3-game set, as we head into another round of interleague play. 3 games at home against a mediocre Washington Nationals team sounds like a recipe for success.

Ortiz to the Pen

The Twins offense is starting to hit their stride (even with Joe Mauer still out of the lineup for a little while longer), so no complaints there. Likewise, Carlos Silva was very good, so nothing but praise for him on this Memorial Day Weekend.

But the best news, long-term, for the Twins was that Ramon Ortiz was moved to the bullpen. He was putting them in a hole everytime he started, and while his early season starts were very encouraging, something needed to happen, and that did when the Twins announced Ramon Ortiz would be moving to the pen.

Though I disagree with the statement on the Twins site that the Twins bullpen got stronger with the move, I think it's very good overall for the Twins. This will likely cause them to call up Kevin Slowey, one of the top prospects in the organization.

This will help them win now and later, as I think Slowey will be an immediate upgrade and gain valuable experience for the future. So all in all, a good weekend for the Twins, even with the heartbreaking loss on Saturday.

Paging Matt Garza

After another poor outing from Sidney Ponson, it's not hard to believe that his days as a Twins starter might be numbered. After the Twins bumped the lead to 4-2 in the 5th, things started going south, and by the end Sidney Ponson was only able to pitch 4.2 innings, giving up 6 runs. He only had 2 strikeouts and gave up 2 HR. To the Royals.

Everyone pitching after Ponson struggled as well, but it's still hard not to be disappointed at the effort. This bumps Ponson's ERA to 9.39, and that's with 2 of his starts coming against the Royals and Devil Rays.

Meanwhile in AAA, there are some options. Garza has been a little wild with his control, but he would certainly be in the mix. Kevin Slowey has pitched 11.2 scoreless innings so far this year. Scott Baker just threw 8 shutout innings on Friday night.

In the Majors, Glen Perkins is up with the team and is capable of starting. The options are there. If Ponson struggles like this again, will that be the end of the Ponson Experiment?

Twins Midseason Awards

Now that we just passed the All-Star Break, I figured now was a good time to do some Midseason Twins Awards. So let's have at it:

Twins MVP: Joe Mauer - Justin Morneau has been especially studly lately, but no one can top the job Mauer has done offensively and defensively in the first half. His batting AVG is tops in the Majors, his OBP is far and away best on the team, and he is 2nd behind only Morneau in SLG %. Defensively, he's been a rock behind the plate. What's not to like?

Twins Cy Young: Johan Santana - This is obviously up for much debate with the way that Liriano has pitched this year, but I'd still give it to Johan. Despite the ERA difference, I think the fact that Johan has pitched 43 more innings than Liriano (through no fault of Francisco) makes him more valuable. Add in the high K rate, and very good K/BB ratio, and I'll go with Johan.

Twins ROY: Francisco Liriano - Next.

Minor League Hitter First-Half MVP: Alex Romero - He has struggled mightily in the 20 games since he got called up to AAA, but he was hitting very well in AA to start the year. In AA he had hit a few HR, but was also hitting doubles, drawing walks, and was dangerous on the basepaths with 15 steals. At only 22, it's hopefully just a matter of time before he can start to hit better at AAA and eventually make it to the Big Show.

Minor League Pitcher First-Half MVP: Kevin Slowey - His numbers in A were downright disgusting - 1.01 ERA, 11:1 K/BB ratio - before he got called up to New Britain. Now, in 3 starts, the ERA sits at 3.00, but that 17 strikeouts/1 BB suggests things are going just fine for the 22 year old.

Who are your picks?