Scott Baker shines as Minnesota Twins defeat Tampa Bay Rays 3-2 – MLB Spring Training Update
Minnesota Twins down Tampa Bay Rays 3-2 at the Charlotte Sports Park, Port Charlotte, Florida on Tuesday, March 6 in a Grapefruit League game of the 2012 Major League Baseball Spring Training Session. The Twins started the game very aggressively to put pressure on their opponents.
Dominating their rivals in almost all aspects of the game, Ron Gardenhire and his men took control over the contest. The Rays put up a brave fight to their credit but they lacked firepower in several important areas of the game. It will be interesting to see if the Rays can learn their lessons in the upcoming games.
Scott Baker was absolutely outstanding for the Twins as he pitched two scoreless innings to help his team secure a narrow 3-2 win over the Rays. The starter had difficult times last season as he missed a large number of games due to an elbow injury. His 8-6 record with a decent 3.14 ERA suggests that he was in great form before injuries halted his progress. He will be looking to maintain his health and fitness throughout this season to post his career best season.
"I'm just doing my business," Baker said. "I obviously make sure that I do all the preventative stuff. So maybe I do a little more than I have in the past, but that's not a bad thing. That's actually a good thing. So you just do the best you can."
Twins lost 99 games in an injury plagued season last year. Manager Gardenhire is expecting everyone to be fully fit in 2012 to turn the tables. Twins’ Alexi Casilla led the hitting attack with two hits to improve his Spring Training average to .556.
"He's a really good player," Gardenhire said. "As I named him my second baseman this winter and even last year, I really like this young man. He's very talented. ... As long as he stays under control, he's going to do a very good job with us."
The Rays have now lost three straight games to Minnesota Twins. It will be exciting to see if they can come up with a decent plan to defeat their arch rivals.
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