BY GORDON WITTENMYER
Pioneer Press

BALTIMORE -- The day after pitcher Kyle Lohse's shortest start of the season,
Twins manager Ron Gardenhire expressed confidence in the struggling
right-hander and said he has no immediate plans to alter Lohse's pitching
schedule as
Lohse tries to right his listing season in time to earn a playoff start.

With highly regarded pitching prospect J.D. Durbin due to join the team today
from Class AAA Rochester, with an off day on the schedule Thursday and with a
7 1/2-game lead in the division, Gardenhire has several options for
short-term changes to shake up Lohse's troubling pattern.

But his best option, he said, is to hand Lohse the ball for his next
scheduled start, Saturday at Detroit, and let the third-year pitcher who won 13
and 14
games in his first two seasons in the big leagues work through his issues.

"He's one of our starters," Gardenhire said. "I'm not going to start taking
him out of there."

Lohse (7-11), who hasn't pitched out of the fifth inning in either of his
past two starts, has only nine quality starts in 29 tries this season, just two
in 11 since the all-star break.

"It feels good to know they've got my back through some hard times here,"
said Lohse, whose confidence "could be higher," he added. "It'd be easy for them
to drop me and look for the next option."

If he pitches well enough the rest of the way, Lohse would have five starts
left to prepare for the postseason. Otherwise, he could be moved to the bullpen
during the final week to prepare for that role.

"Seems like all year I've been trying to shoot for finishing strong. But I've
got to just take it as the next game -- have a good next game and not look at
however many starts I have," Lohse said. "I know I can go out and do it. It's
just a matter of getting it done and showing the real me... . I know this
will pass, and everything will be fine, sooner rather than later."

Plans for reinforcements: The Twins' final four September call-ups join the
team today, following Monday's conclusion of the minor league season:
outfielder Michael Restovich, shortstop Jason Bartlett, left-hander Joe Beimel
and
Durbin.

All except Durbin have big-league experience.

Restovich is to be used almost exclusively as a pinch hitter and pinch
runner, possibly getting an occasional start. Beimel, a reliever who had a poor
Class AAA season (7.08 earned-run average), pitched better in the second half of
the season and gets the promotion mostly because of the Twins' need for lefties
in the bullpen.

Durbin will work out of the bullpen but could start a game before the end of
the regular season if an opening arises, Gardenhire said. He last started
Thursday, so he should be available to pitch immediately.

And Bartlett will be used mostly off the bench, getting an occasional start,
but not likely at second base, even with the injury to Luis Rivas. The Twins
tried him on that side of the bag when he was with them briefly this summer.

"It looked like the left side was the right side," Gardenhire said, "and the
right side was the wrong side."

Briefly: Infielder Nick Punto continued to make progress as he works his way
back from the broken collarbone that sidelined him in late July. If he is well
enough to play near the end of the month, the Twins hope to send him to
Instructional League ball for a few games and activate him for the postseason.

Infielder Augie Ojeda started at shortstop Monday in his first action since
injuring both hip flexor muscles, above the groin muscles, running out a ground
ball Thursday. The move allowed shortstop Cristian Guzman, third on the team
in games played this season, to sit out the starting lineup for the first time
since Aug. 12 -- although he came off the bench to play one inning
defensively.

Rivas, who stayed back in the Twin Cities recovering after having the
toenails of both big toes removed, isn't expected to rejoin the team in Detroit,
as
was originally thought possible.

Sep. 07, 2004


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