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MINNEAPOLIS -- Heading into his teams day-night doubleheader against Kansas City, one of Ron Gardenhires top priorities was protecting Minnesotas taxed bullpen. Scott Diamond and Cole De Vries eased their managers concerns. Diamond began the day tossing eight solid innings in a 7-2 victory, and De Vries closed it with six strong innings as the Twins completed the day-night sweep by beating the Royals 5-1 on Saturday night. "A long day of baseball, and two nice wins," Gardenhire said. The pair of victories helped the Twins finish June with a 14-13 record -- their first winning month in almost a year. "Geez, thats the first Ive heard of it," said Joe Mauer, who hit his fourth homer in the second game. "But, you know, weve been playing pretty good baseball and hopefully we can continue to do that." Josh Willingham and Chris Parmelee also homered for the Twins in the second game. But the story was De Vries, who was called up as the 26th player on the roster as allowed for doubleheaders -- and promptly sent back down the minors after the victory. "He wouldnt be able to pitch for probably four or five days right now," Gardenhire said. "Weve got eight until the All-Star break, it doesnt make much sense to keep him here." De Vries took the move in stride. "Coming here, I knew I was the 26th guy, and usually the guy who comes up to be the 26th guy goes back down, and so I kind of figured that was going to happen," he said. Pitching in front of his hometown fans, De Vries (2-1) struck out a career-high six and held the Royals to five hits. Kansas Citys lone run against him came on Billy Butlers homer leading off the second. Luke Hochevar (5-8) allowed five runs and eight hits, including Minnesotas three homers. A night after throwing five relief innings, the Twins bullpen was needed for only four combined in the doubleheader thanks to Diamond and De Vries. Twins relievers entered the day with the third-most innings pitched in the majors. De Vries struck out four in the first two innings, fanning Jarrod Dyson and Alcides Escobar to work out of a second-inning jam with runners at second and third. Alex Burnett, Tyler Robertson and Jared Burton each pitched an inning of scoreless relief. Hochevar entered the game having thrown 16 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings after stopping Houston and Tampa Bay. After Mauers two-out single in the first, Willingham homered. In the second, Parmelee hit his first homer of the season on a shot to deep right. Mauers solo homer to left-centre, the former AL MVPs first since June 2 and fourth overall, barely cleared the wall to make it 4-1 in the third. Before Saturday, Hochevar had given up only two home runs in his previous 42 2/3 innings. "Two of those home runs came with two strikes when Im trying to put a guy away, and I just felt like my curveball didnt have that finish, that bite," Hochevar said. Trevor Plouffe, who homered in the first game, scored on Darin Mastroiannis RBI single in the sixth. Easily the Twins most effective starter since being called up in May, Diamond (7-3) allowed two runs and six hits to give Minnesota a big lift. "I was feeling confident earlier, this is just icing on the cake I guess," Diamond said. "Im pretty happy to be able to just keep going out. With a doubleheader today, Im just trying to eat up as many innings as possible." Jonathan Sanchez (1-4) didnt fare nearly as well. While Diamond cruised through Kansas Citys lineup, Sanchez issued six walks and was done after 4 1-3 innings. Both starters finished with 101 pitches. Minnesota strung together five consecutive hits to open a 6-0 lead in the fifth inning, including a strange RBI single from Brian Dozier. With one out and runners on first and second, Doziers bouncer hit the ground behind him and rolled fair. While Sanchez and catcher Brayan Pena scrambled after the ball, Dozier sprinted safely to first and Ryan Doumit scored all the way from second. Alexi Casilla added a two-run double and Denard Span had an RBI single before Royals manager Ned Yost brought in Vin Mazzaro. Yuniesky Betancourt drove in Kansas Citys first run with a groundout in the sixth. He also singled in a run in the eighth. Diamond struck out four and walked two while pitching eight innings for the second consecutive start. Glen Perkins finished the seven-hitter. "The first game, we were dead," Royals outfielder Jeff Francoeur said. "It carried over to the second game. Were a much better hitting team than to do what we did today. Its disappointing." NOTES: Sanchez pitched five effective innings to win at the Los Angeles Angels in his first start of the season on April 8, but has struggled since that victory. He is 0-4 with a 7.19 ERA in his last nine starts. ... The doubleheader was a makeup of an April 28 rainout. Wholesale Jerseys .500 thanks to a second straight series loss, the Toronto Blue Jays look to rebound this evening in the opener of a four-game series against the Chicago White Sox at Rogers Centre. Wholesale Jerseys China . The fifth pick of the 2006 draft by the Seattle Mariners, Morrow made 15 starts and 131 appearances in three seasons with the Mariners before heading to Toronto to become a full-time starter in 2010. He subsequently made 58 starts for the Blue Jays since arriving, including two so far in 2012 - both of which have resulted in no-decisions while hes surrendered seven hits and four earned runs in 14 innings. http://wholesalejerseyschinaauthentic.com/. Following a rare home defeat to the NHLs worst team Saturday night and unimpressed with the lacklustre start of practice, the coach pulled the players aside for a brief message before starting up practice again. Wholesale Stitched Jerseys . If the first two games of their first-round Western Conference matchup are any indication, the Jazz still have a long way to go to regain the swagger of the good old days under Sloan, Karl Malone and John Stockton. Wholesale NFL Jerseys . Letang was greeted by a chorus of sticks clacking on the ice when he joined his teammates on the Consol Energy Center surface on Tuesday morning. The 24-year-old Letang hasnt played since taking an elbow to the head on Nov. 26. "Its been a rough time, honestly sitting at home," Letang said.ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Albert Pujols, stumbling through the longest home run drought of his 12-year career, was not in the Los Angeles Angels starting lineup Saturday for the first time this season. And the three-time NL MVP wasnt happy about it. When a group of reporters approached his locker, Pujols said: "Go ask the manager, not me, guys. I dont make the lineup." Mark Trumbo, who moved from first base to playing third and in the outfield after the Angels signed Pujols, started at his original position Saturday night against the Toronto Blue Jays. It gave Pujols, the Angels No. 3 hitter, a chance to contemplate his .194 batting average and the five RBIs hes had through his first 27 games in the AL. "Its good that he has a day off. He knows it. But I know he doesnt want to be out of the lineup," said Angels right fielder Torii Hunter, who didnt hit a home run in his first 18 games and then homered in four of his next five. "Albert shouldnt be happy about it. Hes a competitor, man. Hes just like me. I dont want to be out of the lineup. I wouldnt be happy about it, but I know it would probably be beneficial. Sometimes you just need a mental break. You need to take a breather, take a step back and just observe and not pick up a bat. This gives him a chance to clear his lead, relax, crack a joke or two on the bench, smile, laugh ... Its going to be a lot of fun." Manager Mike Scioscia informed the 32-year-old slugger on Friday night that he was going to rest him. Pujols, in the first year of a 10-year, $240 million contract, has gone a career-worst 33 games and 137 at-bats without a home run since late last season. "I think everybody needs a day, no matter who you are or what the situation is," Angels outfielder Vernon Wells said. "You need days off, not only physically but just mentally." Pujols is in a 2-for-27 rut and had just one RBI over his last 18 games. Last year, he missed what would have been his 11th straight 100-RBI season by just one. "Sometimees youre grinding, and nobody grinds harder than Albert," Scioscia said.dddddddddddd "I think hes frustrated just from the fact that he knows theres a lot he feels that he can contribute. Sometimes when youre trying to find something and youre pounding your head against the wall, you need to just get off that treadmill for a second and get back on the next day." Pujols spoke at length about his slump Friday night after going 0 for 4 in the Angels second straight shutout loss to the Blue Jays. "I cant get myself down, because thats not who I am," he said. "Im a leader in this clubhouse, just like I was in St. Louis. And when youre struggling around this time of the year, this is when the ballclub really needs their leader to step up. Just because Im struggling the way I am, its nobodys fault. I just need to stick with the same attitude. "Ive been making some adjustments, and before you know it, Ill be swinging the bat the way I know how to swing the bat," said Pujols, who last October joined Babe Ruth and Reggie Jackson as the only players to hit three home runs in a World Series game. Pujols longest home run drought prior to this was in 2011, when he came up empty in 27 straight games and 105 at-bats. Previously, his longest drought at the start of a season was in 2008, when he failed to homer in his first eight games and 27 at-bats. He ended that season with 37. The 32-year-old first baseman averaged 40.5 home runs during his 11 seasons with the Cardinals -- including a career-best 49 in 2006 -- and is the only player in major league history to hit 30 or more homers in each of his first 11 years in the bigs. "Hes going to be fine," said Toronto right fielder Jose Bautista, a two-time AL home run champ who outhomered Pujols 97-79 over the previous two seasons. "Hes one of the best hitters of this generation, so Im not too worried about him. Hes going to pick it up at some point, and at the end of the year, his numbers are going to be just fine." ' ' '
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