NewsDuensing making starting look easy
Detroit (78-68) at Minnesota (74-72), 7:10 p.m. CT
By Tyler Mason / MLB.com
09/17/09 5:35 PM ET
MINNEAPOLIS -- Twins rookie Brian Duensing has made just six career starts, but the young left-hander has pitched with the poise of a veteran. Duensing will need to continue that demeanor on the mound on Friday, when he'll face Detroit in the first game of a crucial three-game series for Minnesota in a heated American League Central race. "If he'll be able to control his emotions, who knows," Twins skipper Ron Gardenhire said. "He's done pretty well up to this point, been able to control them. We'll see." "It's going to be a big one. It's an important one," Duensing said. "But at the same time, just like any other start, you've got to win or give the team a chance to win." Duensing has done just that in each of his six starts, having allowed three runs or fewer in each of those outings. Over his past five starts, Duensing has posted a 3-0 record with an impressive 1.74 ERA. In his most recent start -- a win on Sunday against Oakland -- Duensing continued to exhibit poise on the hill. On numerous occasions, he was able to work out of jams with runners on base. In the second inning, the A's had runners on second and third with just one out, but Duensing escaped unscathed. In the sixth, the A's had runners on the corners with no outs. Three batters later, Duensing and the Twins were out of the inning, the shutout still intact. "People keep saying I look composed out there," Duensing said. "I'm doing everything I can to stay composed and stay focused. I feel like I've been pretty fortunate with runners in scoring position, being able to make a big pitch or get a big out, which has helped tremendously." "He's stepped out there in all the other big [games] and done everything you can ask," Gardenhire said. "I don't think he has much fear. He's ready to go." The Tigers will counter with a rookie of their own, as they'll throw Rick Porcello at the Twins. Porcello has posted a 13-8 record this season, and is 1-1 in two starts against Minnesota this year. "He's got really good stuff," Duensing said. "He's going to come right at us." Unlike Porcello, who's spent all season as a starter, Duensing has been shuffled between Triple-A Rochester, the Twins' bullpen and the rotation. Having now settled comfortably into a starting role, Duensing has drawn praise from Gardenhire. "This has been kind of fun to watch," Gardenhire said. "He's become a Major League pitcher in a short time." Pitching matchupMIN: LHP Brian Duensing (3-1, 3.53 ERA)
Duensing continued to impress since joining the rotation, holding the A's scoreless for seven innings in his outing on Sunday. The left-hander scattered eight hits while striking out six. It was the third time in his six starts for the Twins that he has lasted seven innings. Since joining the rotation full-time on Aug. 22, Duensing is 3-0 with a 1.74 ERA in five starts. He has not allowed a home run in any of those starts.
DET: RHP Rick Porcello (13-8, 4.21 ERA)
Not only did Porcello's six quality innings of two-run ball on Sunday make him the first Major League pitcher with a 13-win season before his 21st birthday since Dwight Gooden in 1985, it continued his late-season roll at a time when many expected the 20-year-old to run out of gas. He's 4-1 with a 3.40 ERA in nine starts since the start of August, and he's becoming more of a power pitcher, with a fastball that tops out at 96 mph on the Comerica Park radar gun. By using the heater to set up his sinker, Porcello is giving hitters a different look, and they're struggling to adjust.
Joe Mauer went 2-for-3 on Wednesday against Cleveland, extending his hitting streak against the Indians to 18 games, dating back to last season. He also set a new career high with 87 RBIs with a two-run single in the fourth inning, surpassing last year's mark of 85. ... Since being recalled from Triple-A Rochester at the beginning of the month, infielder Matt Tolbert has batted .500 (6-for-12). He collected two hits, including a bunt single, in Wednesday's 7-3 win. ... Minnesota has produced 10 or more hits in each of its four games since Justin Morneau has been out of the lineup. The Twins have totaled 45 hits during that span. Tickets
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• Saturday: Tigers (Justin Verlander, 16-8, 3.34) at Twins (Carl Pavano, 12-11, 4.91), 3:10 p.m. CT
• Sunday: Tigers (TBD) at Twins (Scott Baker, 13-8, 4.35), 1:10 p.m. CT
• Monday: Twins (TBD) at White Sox (TBD), 7:11 p.m. CT
Tyler Mason is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
