A very entertaining weekend of baseball appears to be on tap this weekend, as the Wild Card-leading Minnesotans come to town and Doc makes his return to the mound.
* General: The Twins' staff may be taxed after playing three consecutive extra-innings games, and four of their last five ... Minnesota is already 6-3 in extra-inning games ... 4-3 since the Toronto series, with three against the Brewers and four at Cleveland ... Local government in the Twin Cities has decided to postpone consideration of a sales tax hike to fund the long-proposed new ballpark ... Justin Morneau and Jesse Crain will play their first games on Canadian soil this weekend ...
* Shannon Stewart: Old friend hit a game-tying two-out two-run homer on Sunday, and the game-winning home run last night in Cleveland, but was ice-cold in between ... He's been trying to go with outside pitches and use more of the field ... Definite preference for fastballs up ... Keep the ball down, and he can be induced to chase sliders ...
* Johan Santana: Cy Santana bounced back from his shelling by the Jays to strike out 11 in his next start, a no-decision ... Against the Jays, his location was poor, as he worked up and over the inner half of the plate ... Not that he'll walk anybody, of course. Santana after surrendering a game-tying homer to Brady Clark on Sunday: "That's what happens when you throw strikes" ... His slider is devastating down but vulnerable when left anywhere above thigh-high ... His vicious sinking change is thrown with a circle grip ... Throws a slider in the dirt on 0-2 counts (look out, Hinske!), and resorts to the change in deeper two-strike counts ...
* Luis Rodriguez: Diminuitive rookie has quick, punchy slap swing from the left side ... The 24-year-old Venezuelan will probably see a bit of time, possibly at second, this series ... Enthusiastic, but don't expect a lot of power ... Seems to be something of a guess hitter ...
* Lew Ford: The slower the curve, the better he waits on it ... Lots of trouble with sliders, especially away ... Violent swing ... Aggressive baserunner with good acceleration ... Also aggressive defensively, but he has to learn to defer to Torii Hunter on gappers ...
* Michael Cuddyer: Play him to hit to right-centre ... Stays down on pitches very well ... Had an awesome 13-pitch at-bat against Gustavo Chacin last week ... Hit-and-run is often employed when he's up ... Sometimes lacks balance on pitches away ... Not the most sure-handed at third ...
* Jesse Crain: Should be playing in front of friends and family this weekend ... Needs to work on the corners and off the plate, because his stuff isn't dominant ... Usually throws a Quantrill-like mix of four-seam and two-seam fastballs, but fooled Cat with a huge hook that he's capable of dropping on unsuspecting hitters ... Throws the curve with two strikes, but seldom earlier in the count ... Leads the majors with five wins in relief ...
* Jacque Jones: Likes the ball up and can turn on anything inside, as Dave Bush found out last week ... Will go the other way effectively on fastballs up and away ... Bush got some revenge by fanning Jones on a sinker away ... Vulnerable down and in ... Was ejected on Tuesday for arguing balls and strikes ... A career .444 hitter against Doc ...
* Juan Rincon: Pitches exclusively from the stretch, but his delivery isn't compact; he really rares back with his right arm, even more so than Keith Foulke ... Will sometimes hang his slider, but when he snaps it off, it's a tough pitch to hit ... Comes over the top and gets a good downward plane on his fastball ... Throws a heavy ball ... Froze Shea with a fastball at the knees last week ... Works up, then down with his fastball ... Rincon was pleasantly surprised by the complete lack of heckling from the Cleveland crowd in his first road series since coming off a steroid suspension ... Rincon maintains that he is still unaware of how he ingested the banned substance, and is appealing to "clear [his] name" despite dutifully serving his sentence ...
* Joe Nathan: He's been a bit more mortal of late ... Served up his first gopher ball of the season in blowing a save on Wednesday, as he left a fastball up to Ben Broussard ... His 88-mph slider has very late action, but it's very dramatic movement ... Went up the ladder in fanning Hinske last series ...
* Torii Hunter: Pull hitter on a bit of a tear lately, as he hit .333 in the four-game Cleveland series ... He's been working on getting his bat head out more quickly ... Though he rolls over most outside pitches, he can drive the ball to right when he goes with it ... Bush struck him out twice, on a slider down and away and a heater up and in ... For all his defensive mastery, he can overthrow sometimes when runners challenge him ...
* J.C. Romero: Has been keeping the ball down very well this year ... Tries to freeze lefties with a looping slurve, and pound righties with fastballs down and in ... Throws his breaking pitch in the low 80s ... Throws a cut fastball away from lefties, too ... Despite his low ERA, he's been only so-so with inherited runners, and served up the game-winning hit to lefty-hitting Travis Hafner on Wednesday night ...
* Kyle Lohse: Worked the Jays up above the letters, and induced a good many of them to make weak contact ... Throws a 93-94 mph fastball, but it's hittable when it's belt-high ... Also works a two-seamer away from lefties ... Patience will be a virtue against him on Saturday ...
* Joe Mays: Wasn't as brilliant in his last start as he was in shutting out the Jays, but he was still effective ... It's all about location for Mays, who barely pushes 90 on the gun ... Likes to get in on righties' fists with his fastball, and work lefties away to coax grounders ... Not a big strikeout guy, but he uses his defence ...
* Joe Mauer: Such a beautiful swing ... Sat out games Wednesday night and last night with tightness in his groin, but should be ready to go tonight. The injury had nothing to do with catching; rather, it occurred on the basepaths. Mauer: "Morneau has been making me run too much" ... A bit anxious behind the plate and could improve his catch/throw transfer ...
Johan Santana gets another crack at beating the Jays tonight, while Toronto tries to offer its own payback to Kyle Lohse and Joe Mays, both of whom stymied Blue Jay bats last week. One win would make this a fine homestand, and two wins would make it an exemplary one.
This week's Scout features an anxious outfielder, a controversial setup man and a couple of Canadians coming home. Don't miss next week's pinch-hit Advance Scout, in which the Mariners will be previewed by none other than the lovely and talented Craig Burley.
On to the Advance Scout!* General: The Twins' staff may be taxed after playing three consecutive extra-innings games, and four of their last five ... Minnesota is already 6-3 in extra-inning games ... 4-3 since the Toronto series, with three against the Brewers and four at Cleveland ... Local government in the Twin Cities has decided to postpone consideration of a sales tax hike to fund the long-proposed new ballpark ... Justin Morneau and Jesse Crain will play their first games on Canadian soil this weekend ...
* Shannon Stewart: Old friend hit a game-tying two-out two-run homer on Sunday, and the game-winning home run last night in Cleveland, but was ice-cold in between ... He's been trying to go with outside pitches and use more of the field ... Definite preference for fastballs up ... Keep the ball down, and he can be induced to chase sliders ...
* Johan Santana: Cy Santana bounced back from his shelling by the Jays to strike out 11 in his next start, a no-decision ... Against the Jays, his location was poor, as he worked up and over the inner half of the plate ... Not that he'll walk anybody, of course. Santana after surrendering a game-tying homer to Brady Clark on Sunday: "That's what happens when you throw strikes" ... His slider is devastating down but vulnerable when left anywhere above thigh-high ... His vicious sinking change is thrown with a circle grip ... Throws a slider in the dirt on 0-2 counts (look out, Hinske!), and resorts to the change in deeper two-strike counts ...
* Luis Rodriguez: Diminuitive rookie has quick, punchy slap swing from the left side ... The 24-year-old Venezuelan will probably see a bit of time, possibly at second, this series ... Enthusiastic, but don't expect a lot of power ... Seems to be something of a guess hitter ...
* Lew Ford: The slower the curve, the better he waits on it ... Lots of trouble with sliders, especially away ... Violent swing ... Aggressive baserunner with good acceleration ... Also aggressive defensively, but he has to learn to defer to Torii Hunter on gappers ...
* Michael Cuddyer: Play him to hit to right-centre ... Stays down on pitches very well ... Had an awesome 13-pitch at-bat against Gustavo Chacin last week ... Hit-and-run is often employed when he's up ... Sometimes lacks balance on pitches away ... Not the most sure-handed at third ...
* Jesse Crain: Should be playing in front of friends and family this weekend ... Needs to work on the corners and off the plate, because his stuff isn't dominant ... Usually throws a Quantrill-like mix of four-seam and two-seam fastballs, but fooled Cat with a huge hook that he's capable of dropping on unsuspecting hitters ... Throws the curve with two strikes, but seldom earlier in the count ... Leads the majors with five wins in relief ...
* Jacque Jones: Likes the ball up and can turn on anything inside, as Dave Bush found out last week ... Will go the other way effectively on fastballs up and away ... Bush got some revenge by fanning Jones on a sinker away ... Vulnerable down and in ... Was ejected on Tuesday for arguing balls and strikes ... A career .444 hitter against Doc ...
* Juan Rincon: Pitches exclusively from the stretch, but his delivery isn't compact; he really rares back with his right arm, even more so than Keith Foulke ... Will sometimes hang his slider, but when he snaps it off, it's a tough pitch to hit ... Comes over the top and gets a good downward plane on his fastball ... Throws a heavy ball ... Froze Shea with a fastball at the knees last week ... Works up, then down with his fastball ... Rincon was pleasantly surprised by the complete lack of heckling from the Cleveland crowd in his first road series since coming off a steroid suspension ... Rincon maintains that he is still unaware of how he ingested the banned substance, and is appealing to "clear [his] name" despite dutifully serving his sentence ...
* Joe Nathan: He's been a bit more mortal of late ... Served up his first gopher ball of the season in blowing a save on Wednesday, as he left a fastball up to Ben Broussard ... His 88-mph slider has very late action, but it's very dramatic movement ... Went up the ladder in fanning Hinske last series ...
* Torii Hunter: Pull hitter on a bit of a tear lately, as he hit .333 in the four-game Cleveland series ... He's been working on getting his bat head out more quickly ... Though he rolls over most outside pitches, he can drive the ball to right when he goes with it ... Bush struck him out twice, on a slider down and away and a heater up and in ... For all his defensive mastery, he can overthrow sometimes when runners challenge him ...
* J.C. Romero: Has been keeping the ball down very well this year ... Tries to freeze lefties with a looping slurve, and pound righties with fastballs down and in ... Throws his breaking pitch in the low 80s ... Throws a cut fastball away from lefties, too ... Despite his low ERA, he's been only so-so with inherited runners, and served up the game-winning hit to lefty-hitting Travis Hafner on Wednesday night ...
* Kyle Lohse: Worked the Jays up above the letters, and induced a good many of them to make weak contact ... Throws a 93-94 mph fastball, but it's hittable when it's belt-high ... Also works a two-seamer away from lefties ... Patience will be a virtue against him on Saturday ...
* Joe Mays: Wasn't as brilliant in his last start as he was in shutting out the Jays, but he was still effective ... It's all about location for Mays, who barely pushes 90 on the gun ... Likes to get in on righties' fists with his fastball, and work lefties away to coax grounders ... Not a big strikeout guy, but he uses his defence ...
* Joe Mauer: Such a beautiful swing ... Sat out games Wednesday night and last night with tightness in his groin, but should be ready to go tonight. The injury had nothing to do with catching; rather, it occurred on the basepaths. Mauer: "Morneau has been making me run too much" ... A bit anxious behind the plate and could improve his catch/throw transfer ...
