MILWAUKEE -- Minnesota Twins right-hander Jesse Crain will almost certainly not be invited to Detroit for the 2005 All-Star Game.

With the Twins boasting more traditional options, such as closer Joe Nathan or starter Johan Santana, Crain will likely join a fleet of deserving middle relievers, both present and past, overlooked for the event. But a quick glance at Crain's numbers certainly make him worthy.

"I don't think about it too much, I have other stuff to worry about," the 23-year-old said. "You don't see too many middle relief guys [at the All-Star game]. Obviously it'd be nice to have a chance. You never know, I guess. Middle relief in general is kind of overlooked, it seems like. It takes a lot of guys to win ballgames, I think it's a very important part."

Crain has allowed a run in just two of his 34 appearances on the year, with only one coming in his last 16 2/3 innings of work. For the season, he boasts a wicked 0.85 ERA in 32 2/3 innings, in addition to the fortune that has allowed him to garner six wins, tied for second on the staff.

"I try not to look at numbers too much," he said. "The more you think about it, the more you try to put pressure on yourself. What I do, I just go out there and don't worry about anything else, just getting guys out. It makes it easy."

Among any American Leaguer with 15 or more innings tossed, Crain's ERA is the best, with other middle relievers Arthur Rhodes of Cleveland (0.93 ERA in 29 innings), Mike Timlin of Boston (1.27 ERA in 35 1/3 innings) and Cliff Politte of Chicago (1.32 ERA in 27 1/3 innings) serving as his closest competition.

"I go into the season with goals every year," Crain said. "I'm achieving most of those goals that I've made. It's just about having confidence out there."

Crain threw one scoreless inning in the Twins' loss to the Brewers on Friday night.

Punto close: Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said he is hoping to see infielder Nick Punto back with the team as soon as the club's visit with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim on July 4. The second-year Twin has been on the 15-day disabled list since June 3 after incurring a strained right hamstring.

"If he goes through this weekend, maybe he'll start playing in games by next Wednesday," Gardenhire said of a rehab assignment at Triple-A Rochester. "He's moving around good ... he's feeling no problems.

Shuffleboard: For the third time in June, Michael Cuddyer cracked the starting lineup at second base Friday, part of an infield that also included Juan Castro at shortstop and rookie Glenn Williams at third base.

"They've all been interesting, haven't they?" Gardenhire said of his lineup arrangements.

"[Milwaukee's] got a lefty going tonight and I'm trying to get some offense, so I put Cuddyer out there in the middle. In these National League things when you have to lose Lew Ford [as a designated hitter], you try to keep as much offense as you possibly can out there. We know [Luis] Rodriguez right-handed isn't what we like. ... This guy's been throwing the ball good, so I'm trying to get some guys that can hit him."

It was the second straight start for Williams, who had two hits with a run scored against Detroit on Thursday.

"Williams is playing good, swinging good. I'm trying to figure out where to keep him in," Gardenhire said. "He's probably more comfortable there at third base than anywhere else, but he's played second and he's played first, you can use him anywhere out there. I even saw him taking them at shortstop and he was just OK. But he's solid as far as making the routine plays."

The Australia native has hit .455 in his first 22 Major League at-bats.

How sweep it is: Every team in the Twins organization claimed victory Thursday, starting at the top with the team's 6-2 win over the Tigers.

Triple-A Rochester was bolstered by multiple-RBI games from Terry Tiffee (2), Todd Dunwoody (3), Jason Tyner (2) and Josh Rabe (2) in its 10-5 win over Indianapolis. Double-A New Britain defeated Binghamton, 10-2, thanks in part to the three-run homer and five RBIs produced by Daniel Matienzo. Advanced Class A Fort Myers defeated Clearwater, 3-2, as J.R. Taylor and Trent Oeltjen each had two-out RBI extra-base hits in the top of the ninth to fuel the comeback victory. Adam Harben allowed just one run on four hits in seven innings in a no-decision performance.

At the lower levels, Class A Beloit defeated Burlington, 8-3, picking up two hits apiece from seven members of the starting nine and the rookie league Elizabethtown Twins beat Bluefield, 7-4. Catcher Sean Richardson, a 19th-round selection in the 2005 First-Year Player Draft, collected his first two professional RBIs.

Dotted line: The Twins announced Friday the signing of sixth-round draft choice J.W. Wilson. The 18-year-old out of Midland (Tex.) High School will join the Gulf Coast League Twins. Wilson marks the 13th of 54 draft picks signed by the organization, which signed picks from 10 of the first 14 rounds.

On deck: The Twins and Brewers will play Game 2 of the year's final Interleague series with a 6:05 p.m. CT start time at Miller Park on Saturday. Johan Santana (7-3, 3.45 ERA) will face off with Tomo Ohka (5-4, 3.10 ERA).