Liriano to Pitch against BoSox.

Update: Twins lose to the Boston Red Sox 12 -7.

Update: After watching Liriano pitch on MLB TV I was pleased. While the box score says Liriano had a bad outing, really it was pretty good for a second Spring Training Start. Of course some other people are more critical of Liriano (Here) and point to the fact that most of the balls he threw weren’t for strikes. But watching the game, I thought it looked like Liriano was trying to regain a feel for his pitches. Granted some throws missed by a lot, but others were unhittable strikes. Unfortunately, it will take Liriano some time to regain his All-Star form and Twins fans will just have to be patient as he takes his bumps and bruises.

Other notes from the game:

• Joe Mauer is in mid-season form. He finished with a double and a home run. The one thing that always impresses me about Mauer is that every single at-bat he has is a quality at-bat. He is a remarkably patient hitter, and hopefully this year he will also be a very healthy hitter.
• Outfielders need to wear sunglasses in Florida. Both Carlos Gomez and Jason Pridie missed catchable balls when they lost them in the sun. Neither was wearing sunglasses.
• Kevin Mulvey’s and Matt Guerrier’s outings were not as good as their earlier work. Both struggled to get the ball over the plate.
• But Pat Neshek and Denny Reyes were lights out. The batters they faced didn’t even have a chance.
• The Twins lost the Mayor’s Cup to the Red Sox. The series ended 3-2 in favor of the BoSox.

Today Francisco Liriano will make his second spring training start against the Boston Red Sox. The game will be broadcast on MLB TV. I plan on watching at least the first couple of innings and I’ll update afterward. The Twins – Red Sox Spring Training Series is tied 2-2 so the winner of today’s game will win the Fort Myers Mayor’s Cup. The Mayor’s Cup is a big deal to both clubs and because of the cross-town rivalry expect a lot of major leaguers in the game. Here the Twins lineup for today’s game:

1. Carlos Gomez, CF
2. Joe Mauer, C
3. Michael Cuddyer, RF
4. Justin Morneau, 1B
5. Delmon Young, LF
6. Jason Kubel, DH
7. Brendan Harris, 2B
8. Brian Buscher, 3B
9. Adam Everett, SS

Pitching: Liriano.

On another note: This past weekend I traveled down to Florida to witness Spring Training in person. I was lucky enough to attend two Twins games. Even luckier, the Twins won both games. I’ll post pictures and my reactions from Spring Training later this week or early next week.