Twins Week Ahead, May 28

"It's just one of those things where the balls are finding holes in an inning where you want the groundball, but it's just hit in the wrong spot. I could beat myself up about it, and I probably will." - Like most Twins fans, Carl Pavano is veering very close to self-harm

Last Week

• The Twins DFA'ed, then released, Jason Marquis. Marquis had great facial hair but was terrible at pitching, and has won this year's Sidney Ponson Memorial Award for being the guy that five years from now we'll all say, "Oh yeah, remember when he was here for like a week?"
• P.J. Walters pitched the Twins' first complete game of the year, beating the White Sox, and anybody who'd bet on that sentence before the year began would have won a lot of money on very long odds.
• Former Gopher Cole DeVries got the call-up to replace Marquis, and celebrated by getting knocked around in Chicago.
• The Wheel of Useless Backup Outfielders spun again, with Erik Komatsu the one to be released this time around.

This Week's Schedule

The Twins begin the week with our first look at the Oakland A's, who - true to form over the last five years - are muddling around, a few games under .500. As usual, they have a bunch of starters you don't hear about until the trade deadline, when they deal them for four more Class A starters you've never heard of. (They also have Bartolo Colon, who is 132 years old this year, a new record.) Keep an eye on: Right fielder Josh Reddick, who is hitting .271/.333/.548 with 13 home runs. You won't have trouble finding him; he's quite literally the only Oakland hitter that's demonstrably above the level of, say, Drew Butera. Not surprisingly, the A's have scored fewer runs than any other team in the AL.

After a day game Wednesday, and an off day Thursday, the Twins are headed to Cleveland for their first visit to the Indians this year. Cleveland leads the AL Central, and put Detroit into a tailspin last week by sweeping the Tigers (a problem immediately corrected by the Tigers coming to Target Field.) Keep an eye on: Ubaldo Jimenez is scheduled to face the Twins Saturday, and a guy who won 19 games in 2010 and was an All-Star is struggling in the Indians rotation. He's having some mechanical issues, is walking everybody, and has an ERA north of 5.

Start time, TV schedule, and probable pitchers for this week:

• Monday: vs Oakland, 1:10pm. TV: FSN. Probables: Scott Diamond vs. Graham Godfrey
  
• Tuesday: vs Oakland, 7:10pm. TV: FSN. Probables: Cole DeVries vs. Jarrod Parker
  
• Wednesday: vs Oakland, 12:10pm. TV: FSN. Probables: Fransisco Liriano vs. Tyson Ross
  
• Thursday: OFF DAY HOORAY
• Friday: at Cleveland, 6:05pm. TV: FSN. Probables: Carl Pavano vs. Derek Lowe
  
• Saturday: at Cleveland, 6:15pm. TV: FOX Saturday Low-Rated Baseball. Probables: PJ Walters vs. Ubaldo Jimenez
  
• Sunday: at Cleveland, 2:05pm. TV: FSN. Probables: Scott Diamond vs. Josh Tomlin