FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Every now and then, taking something away can be a good thing. Just ask pitcher Kyle Lohse.

One of the big changes that Lohse made last season was to drop the curveball out of his artillery of pitches.

While it seemed to help the pitcher near the end of last season, the real effect of the change has appeared to show up this spring. In his first two outings, Lohse has not allowed a run and has given up a total of two hits over his five innings of work.

The numbers aren't really the important thing for Lohse, but the increased level of comfort that he feels while on the mound is. His location has been much better this spring and he attributes much of that to getting rid of the pitch.

"The curveball is something that doesn't just come naturally to me," Lohse said. "It was always tough for me to work on. Maybe being able to work on the three pitches and locate all three to both sides of the plate has helped me, in terms of location."

Manager Ron Gardenhire said he has noticed a change in the pitcher's approach, as well as the effects that it seems to be having.

"That was a fun thing to see," Gardenhire said of Lohse's dead-on location Thursday. "I know he's been working on keeping his arm up and at a good angle. It really seems to be helping."

The strong start is a positive sign for the player, who has often struggled early in the year. Lohse is looking to have a breakout season of sorts after going 9-13 the past two years. Spring Training results aren't often a good barometer of how the season will go, but for Lohse, he's taking whatever positives he can get.

"Usually it takes a couple starts to really feel it, but this year it's coming along a little quicker," Lohse said. "Right now, everything just feels in sync."

Stating his case: Terry Tiffee has had plenty of extra at-bats this spring with the Twins' lack of infielders at camp due to the World Baseball Classic.

Tiffee has been the recipient of a team-high 21 at-bats and has made the most of it, putting up club-leading numbers in the following categories: RBIs (5), doubles (3) and hits (9).

With Tony Batista struggling at the plate, Gardenhire has been bombarded with questions as to whether he feels that Tiffee could be the answer at third base. But Gardenhire isn't ready to be concerned about Batista just yet.

"His timing is off, you can see it right now," Gardenhire said of Batista. "But he's just missed a couple of balls."

As to the fans concerned with the situation at third, Gardenhire has heard their worries but said it is still too early for that.

"They're having heart attacks right now," Gardenhire said of the fans. "Calm down, fans, we're OK right now. If he's still struggling and it's March 25, then I'll be right there with the fans. I'll be e-mailing you guys then and saying, 'What are we going to do?'"

Canadian crush: There was no question before Justin Morneau left for the World Baseball Classic that he spent a lot of time working to improve his offense.

That extra bit of preparation seems to have paid off, at least for Canada, as Morneau went 3-for-5 at the plate on Wednesday in the country's win against Team USA. He hit two doubles, drove a run in and scored two runs himself.

That the performance came against the United States wasn't a shock to Gardenhire, who knew that Morneau was fired up to play against the neighboring country.

"We won't ever live that one down," Gardenhire said of the U.S. loss. "That's for sure."

Young lefties: Though it doesn't appear that any of them will be ready to make the leap to the big leagues this year, the Twins are feeling pretty good about a few of the left-handed pitchers in their farm system.

Less than a week after Gardenhire raved about Glen Perkins and his impressive display on the mound, another promising lefty has caught his attention.

Jose Mijares, 21, pitched one scoreless inning in the Twins' 4-2 win over the Orioles on Thursday and displayed the same type of confidence that Gardenhire has been looking for.

"He throws the ball very good and has a nice breaking ball," Gardenhire said. "He looks very comfortable out there."

After hearing from Twins general manager Terry Ryan that Mijares will likely begin the season with one of the A-ball clubs, Gardenhire felt that might be something that could be altered.

"I think we can add As as we go along in Spring Training," Gardenhire said with a laugh. "Just keep adding those As."

Twins tidbits: Josh Rabe hit a two-run homer in the eighth inning of Thursday's game. It was the first longball the club had hit since recording three homers in the first game of the spring. ... The Orioles honored Kirby Puckett with a moment of silence prior to Thursday's game. ... The first meeting of the year with the Orioles also brought about a chance for the Twins to see former Twin LaTroy Hawkins. Gardenhire and pitching coach Rick Anderson spent some time during batting practice chatting with Hawkins, who wanted to see if he could ride with the Twins on their charter back to Minnesota for Puckett's funeral. Gardenhire said that he doesn't know exactly how many the team can take on the trip, but that if there was room, he was sure the club would accommodate him.

Coming up: The Twins will head back to Fort Myers, Fla., to face the Pirates at Hammond Stadium on Friday for a 1:05 p.m. ET start. Boof Bonser will take the mound for Minnesota. Bonser has made one start already for the Twins this spring, throwing two scoreless innings while allowing one hit.