It’s a battle of Tommy John surgery survivors tonight in Atlanta.
Minnesota’s Mike Pelfrey (surgery in 2012) takes on the Braves’ Tim Hudson (2008) as the Twins hope to snap their six-game losing streak.
For Pelfrey, he’s had an up-and-down year so far, compiling a 3-4 record with a lofty 6.57 ERA through eight starts. Last week’s start against the White Sox was a low point, as he was rocked for five runs on eight hits — including two home runs — in four innings.
But manager Ron Gardenhire tells the Twins’ official website that he’s not giving up on Pelfrey quite yet.
“Sometimes he gets on top and the ball is sinking good, and other times the ball is kind of flat across the zone,” Gardenhire said. “So we’ll just keep running him out there and see if he can get better as we go along here.”
For Hudson, he’s 4-3 on the year, with a not-so-hot 5.12 ERA. The past two outings have been especially troublesome for Hudson, as he gave up 11 runs in eight-plus innings, losing both decisions.
But facing the light-hitting-lately Twins might be a perfect tonic for Hudson — especially the heart of the batting order, according to the Associated Press.
Joe Mauer is 1-for-7 against Hudson, Justin Morneau is 2-for-20, and Josh Willingham is 1-for-20.
