video thumbnail

MIN@CLE: Diamond gives up no earned runs over seven

The season has been a far from memorable one for the Twins, but they won't forget their recent success that has seen the team win eight of 10 games.

The latest triumph came in 10 innings at Target Field on Friday, as the Twins beat the Cubs, 8-7, after rallying to tie it in the ninth. The two teams continue their Interleague series Saturday, and Minnesota manager Ron Gardenhire hopes they can continue the momentum.

"We feel better and are playing with a lot more confidence," Gardenhire said. "Our pitching has been giving us opportunities. But once the game starts, you gotta do it there. You know how that goes. The pitchers need to give us a chance to keep that momentum going."

The Twins have perhaps their best chance for that with lefty Scott Diamond. The southpaw has a 1.86 ERA in six starts and has rebounded after struggling in seven starts last year.

"I think that little taste that I got last year really helped me feel a lot more comfortable coming around this time," Diamond said. "I know a lot of guys in this locker room and everything. It's been a lot easier to make that transition."

Diamond will have a tough task against Cubs righty Jeff Samardzija, who has pitched well over the last month. In six starts in May, he went 3-2 with a 2.48 ERA with 40 strikeouts. He followed that up with a strong start June 4 against San Francisco when he pitched five innings and allowed two earned runs in a loss.

Cubs: Soriano embraces DH spot
• Chicago's Alfonso Soriano might want to consider switching back to the American League, if he puts up the kind of numbers he did on Friday. Soriano was 3-for-5 with a pair of home runs, including a two-run shot that put the Cubs up 7-6 in the top of the eighth.

• The first of Soriano's two homers was the 350th of his career. He has 143 home runs in his time with Chicago.

Twins: Parmelee returns to Majors
• His first stint with Minnesota this season wasn't great, but thanks to a stellar stretch in Triple-A, the Twins brought Chris Parmelee back up to the big leagues.

The 24-year-old went 1-for-4 with a walk and a run but struck out twice on Friday.

He is expected to see time at both first base and the outfield, but may need to come off the bench as a pinch-hitter when the Twins visit a National League park and lose their designated hitter spot.

Worth noting
• Denard Span and Joe Mauer were out of the Twins lineup for Friday's game, but could be back Saturday. Span has been sick the previous three games, though he did appear as a pinch runner Friday, while Mauer has missed five games due to a sprained thumb.

MLB.com Comments