L.A. ANGELS 6, TWINS 3; Baker takes his lumps vs. Angels; The Twins' pitching problems continued Tuesday night in another loss to Los Angeles.(SPORTS)

Byline: Patrick Reusse; Staff Writer

Anaheim, Calif. -- Kyle Lohse and Scott Baker started back-to-back seven times for the Twins this season. They might have a chance to resume that arrangement for the Rochester Red Wings this weekend against International League rival Columbus.

Baker labored through 4- 2/3 innings on Tuesday night, gave up six runs and was the losing pitcher in the Twins' latest road defeat - 6-3 to the Los Angeles Angels.

Baker showed considerable promise as a Twins rookie last season, making nine starts and finishing 3-3 with a 3.35 ERA. There still was optimism for the 24-year-old righthander in mid-April when he beat the Yankees 5-1 and New York manager Joe Torre described him as a "surgeon."

It has turned into meatball surgery since then.

On Tuesday, Baker was pitching to stay in the rotation and in the big leagues.

He made it through four innings and was in a 2-2 tie, but he already had thrown 74 pitches. He hit the wall while pitching to leadoff hitter Chone Figgins in the fifth. His seventh and eighth pitches of the at-bat were way out of the strike zone, walking the swift Figgins.

Singles by Orlando Cabrera and Vladimir Guerrero and a sacrifice fly by Garret Anderson made it 4-2. Then, with two outs, Baker hung an 0-2 curveball to Juan Rivera. The two-run home run traveled into the left field tunnel, and possibly put Baker on a flight to upstate New York before the week is over.

Lohse already is there, having been optioned on May 17. With no immediate prospect for a trade, Lohse will make his fourth Rochester start on Saturday. Baker will have the proper rest to pitch for the Red Wings on Sunday.

The probable move for the Twins will be for Carlos Silva to return to the rotation this weekend in Oakland. The leading candidate to replace him in the bullpen would be Pat Neshek, a sidearming righthander from Brooklyn Park. Neshek had two more scoreless innings for Rochester on Tuesday. His ERA is 1.97 and he has 61 strikeouts in 37- 1/3 innings.

The Twins' problems Tuesday went beyond Baker. Angels starter Jeff Weaver entered with a 2-7 record, a 6.99 ERA and an opponents batting average of .316.

Torii Hunter smashed a two-run home run off Weaver in the first, then the Twins' bats went into a coma. Between Hunter's home run and Jason Kubel's leading off the sixth, the previously hapless Weaver retired 13 of 14 batters.

The Twins' fielding also was putrid for a second consecutive night. Along with two errors, there was Luis Rodriguez's inability to catch Anderson's soft pop behind third that scored the Angels' second run in the first.

Add it up - shoddy starting pitching, weak hitting, sloppy fielding - and there's no need to wonder how a team gets to be 7-19 on the road.

GAME RECAP

MVP

Jeff Weaver, Angels

Weaver, a major flop this season as a free-agent signing, held the Twins to three runs in seven innings to get his third victory.

THE STATS

97: Pitches needed by Twins starter Scott Baker to get 14 outs.

5: Hits by Angels shortstop Orlando Cabrera in this series.

0-13: Hitless streak ended by Twins' Luis Rodriguez with a single in the seventh.

ON DECK

Rookie lefthander Francisco Liriano went five innings in his first two starts for the Twins, both victories. "He has a foundation now," pitching coach Rick Anderson said. "He's ready to go 95-100 pitches, if he's not laboring." Righthander Ervin Santana will start for the Angels.

L.A. ANGELS 6, TWINS 3; Baker takes his lumps vs. Angels; The Twins' pitching problems continued Tuesday night in another loss to Los Angeles.(SPORTS)

Byline: Patrick Reusse; Staff Writer

Anaheim, Calif. -- Kyle Lohse and Scott Baker started back-to-back seven times for the Twins this season. They might have a chance to resume that arrangement for the Rochester Red Wings this weekend against International League rival Columbus.

Baker labored through 4- 2/3 innings on Tuesday night, gave up six runs and was the losing pitcher in the Twins' latest road defeat - 6-3 to the Los Angeles Angels.

Baker showed considerable promise as a Twins rookie last season, making nine starts and finishing 3-3 with a 3.35 ERA. There still was optimism for the 24-year-old righthander in mid-April when he beat the Yankees 5-1 and New York manager Joe Torre described him as a "surgeon."

It has turned into meatball surgery since then.

On Tuesday, Baker was pitching to stay in the rotation and in the big leagues.

He made it through four innings and was in a 2-2 tie, but he already had thrown 74 pitches. He hit the wall while pitching to leadoff hitter Chone Figgins in the fifth. His seventh and eighth pitches of the at-bat were way out of the strike zone, walking the swift Figgins.

Singles by Orlando Cabrera and Vladimir Guerrero and a sacrifice fly by Garret Anderson made it 4-2. Then, with two outs, Baker hung an 0-2 curveball to Juan Rivera. The two-run home run traveled into the left field tunnel, and possibly put Baker on a flight to upstate New York before the week is over.

Lohse already is there, having been optioned on May 17. With no immediate prospect for a trade, Lohse will make his fourth Rochester start on Saturday. Baker will have the proper rest to pitch for the Red Wings on Sunday.

The probable move for the Twins will be for Carlos Silva to return to the rotation this weekend in Oakland. The leading candidate to replace him in the bullpen would be Pat Neshek, a sidearming righthander from Brooklyn Park. Neshek had two more scoreless innings for Rochester on Tuesday. His ERA is 1.97 and he has 61 strikeouts in 37- 1/3 innings.

The Twins' problems Tuesday went beyond Baker. Angels starter Jeff Weaver entered with a 2-7 record, a 6.99 ERA and an opponents batting average of .316.

Torii Hunter smashed a two-run home run off Weaver in the first, then the Twins' bats went into a coma. Between Hunter's home run and Jason Kubel's leading off the sixth, the previously hapless Weaver retired 13 of 14 batters.

The Twins' fielding also was putrid for a second consecutive night. Along with two errors, there was Luis Rodriguez's inability to catch Anderson's soft pop behind third that scored the Angels' second run in the first.

Add it up - shoddy starting pitching, weak hitting, sloppy fielding - and there's no need to wonder how a team gets to be 7-19 on the road.

GAME RECAP

MVP

Jeff Weaver, Angels

Weaver, a major flop this season as a free-agent signing, held the Twins to three runs in seven innings to get his third victory.

THE STATS

97: Pitches needed by Twins starter Scott Baker to get 14 outs.

5: Hits by Angels shortstop Orlando Cabrera in this series.

0-13: Hitless streak ended by Twins' Luis Rodriguez with a single in the seventh.

ON DECK

Rookie lefthander Francisco Liriano went five innings in his first two starts for the Twins, both victories. "He has a foundation now," pitching coach Rick Anderson said. "He's ready to go 95-100 pitches, if he's not laboring." Righthander Ervin Santana will start for the Angels.