NewsCrain comfortable in any relief situation
Minnesota (69-69) at Toronto (62-76), 6:07 p.m. CT
Jesse Crain has impressed since being recalled from Triple-A. (Charles Krupa/AP)
By Kelly Thesier / MLB.com
09/09/09 1:40 AM ET
TORONTO -- It's been a rocky road for Jesse Crain this season, as he battled mechanical issues and was forced to even spend five weeks down in the Minor Leagues, getting himself back on track. But while it hasn't been the easiest of paths to get to this point for the right-handed reliever, Crain has once again emerged as one of the Twins' more reliable -- and versatile -- options out of the bullpen. "Jesse can go just about anywhere now, he can go from the fifth inning to get us out of a mess or you can bring him in the eighth," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "He's really pitched with a lot of confidence and his stuff is really good right now." Crain's recent string of 7 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings has been a sharp contrast to his early-season struggles, when he posted an 8.15 ERA in 23 appearances before being sent down to Triple-A Rochester to work on his mechanics. And since Crain's return from Rochester, he has looked like a different pitcher, compiling a 3.63 ERA in 19 appearances. So what has been the key to his turnaround? Instead of relying solely on his fastball and trying to throw it in the mid-90s to get hitters out, Crain is now mixing in all of his offspeed pitches early in the count. It's something that he believes has made a big difference, along with making some slight mechanical tweaks such as shortening his arm motion. "If I do fall behind hitters, I have confidence to throw my slider or my curveball to a righty or lefty for a strike now," Crain said. "Before I was throwing my hard slider, when I was trying to throw that slow curve, I was kind of waiting to use it. I would get 2-0 and I would keep throwing fastballs and end up getting hit. Now being able to throw a slider or a breaking ball during those counts has helped out a ton." By being able to use Crain in a variety of spots out of the 'pen, the Twins have been able to cut down on the workload of some other relievers. But Crain believes that the additions of veterans Jon Rauch and Ron Mahay to the mix has also helped. "I think we're all really comfortable in our roles and I think the coaching staff feels a lot better too, just having Mahay and Rauch out there, who have pitched in all kinds of situations," Crain said. "To have them out there, I think they feel comfortable using any pitcher in a situation knowing that there will be others to fill in the spots the next day." While Crain was likely left out of the mix for Tuesday's 6-3 loss to the Blue Jays, having thrown 1 1/3 innings the day before, he'll be available when the clubs square off again on Wednesday. And for the right-hander, his hope is just that he can continue his recent string of success. "Things have definitely turned around," Crain said. "It's all been a long learning process. I've learned a lot this year. Hopefully I can just finish the season strong." Pitching matchupMIN: RHP Carl Pavano (11-11, 5.09 ERA)
Pavano pitched well, but errors ultimately spoiled his return to Cleveland as the Twins lost to the Indians on Friday. Facing his former team for the first time, Pavano kept Minnesota in the game despite not having his best stuff. But after errors led to runs in the third and sixth innings, Pavano left with a two-run deficit. In all, Pavano pitched six innings, giving up eight hits and three earned runs while striking out six and walking two. He will try to regroup against the Blue Jays, against whom he is 2-4 with a 6.41 ERA in eight career starts. TOR: RHP Roy Halladay (14-8, 2.98 ERA)
After losing three successive starts for only the third time in his career, Halladay was brilliant against the Yankees, pitching his second career one-hitter in a 6-0 win. It was his second shutout of the season and his sixth complete game. He regained the feel of his curveball in the last few innings of his Aug. 30 loss in Boston and was able to carry over that pitch effectively into the Yankees start. His changeup also was better and Doc's sinker and cutter need no introduction. The only hit was a clean double on an 0-1 curve to Ramiro Pena with one out in the sixth. He beat the Twins at the Metrodome, April 16, allowing eight hits but no walks and one run while striking out eight in seven innings. He is 8-0 with a 2.77 ERA in his career against the Twins. Tidbits
The Twins announced Tuesday that they traded left-hander Sean Henn to the Orioles for a player to be named later or cash…. ... Infielder Justin Huber and pitcher Armando Gabino joined the Twins on Tuesday following the end of Rochester’s season. ... …Gardenhire and his wife, Carol, celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary on Tuesday. Tickets
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• Thursday: Twins (Scott Baker, 13-7, 4.34) at Blue Jays (Brett Cecil, 6-4, 5.46), 11:37 a.m. CT
• Friday: Twins (Nick Blackburn, 9-10, 4.16) vs. Athletics (Clayton Mortensen, 0-2, 9.00), 7:10 p.m. CT
• Saturday: Twins (Jeff Manship, 0-0, 4.41) vs. Athletics (Brett Anderson, 8-10, 4.45), 12:10 p.m. CT
Kelly Thesier is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
