With less then a week to go before Opening Day, the Twins lost 5-1 to the Reds. The team is looking towards their first game of the season as many prospects were given playing time in the loss.
There was not alot of offense as the Twins only generated one run and 5 hits total, with only 3 of them in the first 7 innings. Infielder Matt Tolbert had two of the 5, Jason Kubel tripled and Nick Punto and Brandon Roberts each got a hit.
Rotation hopeful Nick Blackburn turned in 5 solid innings as he surrendered just one run on three hits and two walks while fanning four. Relievers Jesse Crain and Anthony Swarzak each surrendered two runs in their respective innings while Joe Nathan went scoreless in the eighth.
While it was a loss, the most important part was the effort by Blackburn. With injury uncertainties surrounding starters Francisco Liriano and Scott Baker, Blackburn may need to step into the rotation and has been making a strong case to do so throughout Spring Training. Liriano has the ball today against the Pirates in what could determine if he is ready for a rotation spot for the regular season.
