Twins' Garza sets competition bar high

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- The race to win a spot in the Twins rotation isn't won in one outing, and that's something Matt Garza fully understands.

But pitching two hitless innings and demonstrating good command of his fastball against the Red Sox in the club's first Grapefruit League game Wednesday night was the kind of start that Garza was hoping to deliver his first time out. And it's exactly what his manager, Ron Gardenhire, had been looking to see as well.

"We just want him to do what he did tonight," Gardenhire said following the Twins' 4-4 tie with Boston. "We're looking for people to step up there and throw the ball and not back away from anything and stay under control. He did that first shot out there, and that was a good start."

Garza said that one of the things he focused on in his first start was some changes he made to his mechanics this offseason. Pitching all the way until October in his first full professional season, Garza admitted that he got tired. Realizing that his mechanics broke down as the season progressed, Garza made an effort to shorten his stride to get a better angle in his delivery and to help keep him strong throughout the long season.

"I got to the point last year where I was using all arm, and that's where you got the lofty curveballs and floating sliders," Garza said. "Tonight, I could just feel the changes in my body. I felt more tired from my lower body than my arm. I felt like I could throw all day, but it ain't that time yet."

With Sidney Ponson unable to pitch in any official games until he obtains his work visa, which likely won't be until at least March 9, Garza has been given even more of a chance to shine. But even though the team signed veteran pitchers in Ponson and Ramon Ortiz this offseason, Garza said he didn't look at it as a stumbling block but rather an opportunity to earn a spot over some quality competition.

"There's no pressure on me," Garza said. "I got up there in a year. That's more than I could ask for. If I stay up there this year, it's a blessing. I'm just going to keep doing what I'm doing, and I'm going to pitch my way up there one way or another."

It may sound like a laid-back approach, but Garza hasn't lost the edge that he showed late in the season when he arrived in the Majors. After delivering a strong performance Wednesday, he laid down the gauntlet to the others battling for spots in the rotation.

"It's going to be a dogfight, and it's going to be fun," Garza said of the battle. "I kind of came out with a bang, so we'll see if people can carry the torch."

Fixing the problem: One of the things that Scott Baker came to Spring Training on a mission to do was show the Twins that he can pitch down in the zone.

Prior to Wednesday's outing, Baker had talked about his reasoning for why it was such a struggle for him to do just that last year.

"I think more than anything it was making the mechanical adjustment to get the ball down in the zone, not thinking, 'Get the ball down,'" Baker said. "I think if you make that correction then things will basically happen themselves."

That approach didn't seem to be too effective for Baker on Wednesday, as he gave up four runs in 1 1/3 innings. He allowed a total of four hits while walking one and striking out four.

Part of the problem, according to Gardenhire, is that Baker is trying to rely too much on one pitch.

"You would see him make a couple of really good pitches, but then he couldn't put [the hitters] away as he kept the ball up and over the plate," Gardenhire said. "We talked about that with [catcher Joe] Mauer. Bake wants to throw that cutter, cutter, cutter instead of the sinker. And he has to use the sinker."