MINNEAPOLIS — Sitting fourteen games under .500, the Minnesota Twins needed to do something, anything, to possibly light a fire under the team.

After Wednesday’s 6-2 loss to the Angels, they did just that.

Minnesota made a slew of roster moves Wednesday night with the hope of jump-starting a struggling club. Perhaps the most notable was third baseman Danny Valencia, who was optioned to Triple-A Rochester. Left-handed reliever Matt Maloney was designated for assignment, while outfielder Darin Mastroianni and right-hander P.J. Walters were called up from Rochester.

In addition, Minnesota also moved struggling left-hander Francisco Liriano from the rotation to the bullpen after he began the season 0-5 with a 9.45 ERA. Walters will start in Liriano’s place Saturday against Toronto.

At 8-22, the Twins are desperately searching for a way to right the ship.

“This is just something that we’ve got to do right now,” Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. “We need to make some changes. We need some hits. We need some new life in here, the whole package.”

Valencia, in his third season with the Twins, has struggled offensively through the first part of the season. After going 0-for-4 on Wednesday, Valencia is now batting just .190 with 11 RBI.

It’s Valencia’s first time back to the minors since he was called up during the 2010 season. During that year, he hit .311/.351/.448 in 85 games with the Twins. Last season, however, those numbers dipped to .246/.294/.383 in 154 games.

Valencia’s offensive slide continued into 2012, and the Twins are hoping a trip to Triple-A will help him straighten things out.

“He’s gotta get some swings, gotta get some confidence,” Gardenhire said. “He asked me the question, ‘What’s it take for me to get back up here?’ I told him the same thing it took for you got get here the first time. Go down there, be successful, get some hits, play the game and get back up here.”

Valencia is currently in the midst of an 0-for-25 slump in May after going 0-for-4 Wednesday. He seemed to take the news in stride, however, knowing he has some work to do in Rochester.

“Obviously nobody wants to get sent down, but it’s hard not to say I didn’t see it coming because I haven’t been hitting very well,” Valencia said. “I’ve been inconsistent. My defense has been good, but I’m a guy that needs to contribute offensively. … Performance trumps all up here, and I haven’t been doing that offensively.”

Valencia had been the Twins’ everyday third baseman prior to being sent down to the minors. In his place, Gardenhire said Minnesota will use a platoon of Jamey Carroll, Alexi Casilla and Trevor Plouffe at third base. Plouffe has played third base just once in his career, while Casilla has spent just two games there. Carroll, 38, has played 172 career games at third.

The Twins have tried all year to figure out how to get Liriano on track, but nothing seemed to work. His longest outing in six starts this year was just 5 1/3 innings on May 1 against the Angels. He allowed at least four earned runs in each of his six starts and walked 19 batters while striking out 21 in 26 2/3 innings.

A move to the bullpen seemed like a possibility for Liriano, but on Wednesday it became a reality.

“Frankie said, ‘Whatever you need me to do.’ He made sure that he told (pitching coach Rick Anderson) and I that he understood, and that he’s not upset about it, and he wants to help the baseball team any way he can,” Gardenhire said. “We just gotta get him right. We’ve got to get him into some situations to try and get him some success. …

“He has the best arm on this team and we need to get him some confidence going, get some quality innings out of him, maybe help us win a few ballgames out of the bullpen right now. Eventually we’re going to need him as a starter.”

Mastroianni, claimed by the Twins off waivers from Toronto in February, has been one of Rochester’s best hitters this season. Prior to Wednesday, he was batting .365/.405/.446 with 10 stolen bases and 11 RBI with the Red Wings. He’s played in just one game in the majors — last year with Toronto.

“Mastroianni’s been playing the living fire out of the game down there,” Gardenhire said. “Probably the most exciting player they have on that baseball team right now, running bases, stealing bases. He can fly. We’ll see. We’ll see how he does.”

The Twins signed Walters, 27, as a free agent in December. He’s appeared in 20 games in the majors with St. Louis and Toronto from 2009-11. Like Mastroianni, he played in just one game with the Blue Jays — who he’ll face Saturday.

In six starts for Rochester, Walters was 3-1 with a 2.70 ERA. He struck out 25 batters and walked just six in 33 1/3 innings.

“Strike-thrower, mixes all his pitches in,” Gardenhire said of Walters. “Velocity’s somewhere between 87 to 90. Very confident. They tell me he’s the best pitcher available right now. He’s throwing the ball very, very well.”

Maloney, 28, pitched in nine games out of the bullpen this season and posted an 8.18 ERA. He allowed 10 runs in 11 innings while striking out five and walking one.

After Wednesday’s moves, the Twins have six players on the 25-man roster that weren’t on the Opening Day roster.

“We’re just trying to get some performance out on the field, get some people right,” Gardenhire said. “You’ve got to remember, there’s a lot of players that have been up here a ways back and got sent back down. Torii Hunter got sent back down. Guys like that were up here for a little bit, had to go back down, get their mind straight, get their swing straight and get back up. We’ve done that with a few people in this organization, and it’s worked out.”

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MINNEAPOLIS (AP) When Erick Aybar came trotting home on a double from Mike Trout that gave the Los Angeles an early lead over the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday night, Angels starter Ervin Santana raised his hands in the dugout and smiled.

Hard to blame, him. It had been quite a while since he had pitched with a run on the board.

Ervin Santana pitched 7 1-3 innings and got some run support from the Angels offense for the first time in his past six starts in a 6-2 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday night.

Santana (1-6) gave up two runs and six hits and Albert Pujols had two hits and two RBIs for the Angels, who took two of three from the Twins. Trout had two doubles, two RBIs and scored twice and Howie Kendrick added three hits for Los Angeles.

”It was great,” Pujols said. ”He’s been pitching the ball well. It’s great to give run support to any of our starting pitchers. As competitive as they are, Ervin knew we scored some runs early, but he kept making his pitches, never lost his focus.”

Carl Pavano (2-3) was knocked out of the game before there was an out in the fifth inning for the Twins, who are an MLB-worst 8-22. He gave up five runs – four earned – and 10 hits in his shortest outing of the season.

Josh Willingham hit his sixth homer of the season and also had a double for the Twins, who shook things up after the game by moving struggling starter Francisco Liriano to the bullpen and sending third baseman Danny Valencia to Triple-A Rochester.

”We need to make some changes,” Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. ”We need some hits. We need some new life in here, the whole package.”

Angels manager Mike Scioscia was ejected in the eighth inning for arguing balls and strikes with plate umpire Sam Holbrook, but that was about the only thing that went wrong for Los Angeles on Wednesday night.

With Pujols struggling mightily in his first season in the American League, the Angels have been shut out seven times this season. Santana is the first pitcher since 1974 to go through five straight starts where his offense was shut out, according to STATS LLC.

When Trout’s double scored Aybar in the third inning, it was the first time Santana had received a run of support since the third inning on April 8 against Kansas City.

”He felt better, obviously, getting a couple runs,” Scioscia said. ”I felt as the game picked up his command got a little bit better.”

Pujols added an RBI single and Alberto Callaspo scored thanks to a throwing error from first baseman Joe Mauer that hit Pujols in the back on his way to second base for a 3-0 lead. Pujols came up a little gimpy on the play, but he quickly shooed trainers off the field and stayed in the game.

Los Angeles tacked on two more in the fifth, getting rocket doubles to the gap from Trout and Callaspo to start the inning and chase Pavano, who has been searching for lost velocity all season long. With a fastball that routinely was clocked in the mid-80s, and an unwillingness to pitch inside, the Angels hitters were able to crowd the plate and hammer the outside corners early and often.

Pavano gave up four doubles and only lasted as long as he did thanks to three inning-ending double plays.

Santana certainly wasn’t blameless for the 0-5 record he carried into the outing. The right-hander gave up 19 earned runs and 10 homers in his first four starts, one of the chief reasons the Angels got off to such a surprisingly poor start.

But he’s gotten progressively better over his past three outings, looking more and more like the reliable 16-game winner he was last season. He’s allowed seven earned runs in 22 1-3 innings over his past three starts.

”It’s not like we’re not going out and trying to score runs,” Kendrick said. ”We got shut out yesterday, but we come out today and put up 14 hits. It’s like we’re a completely different offense. Everybody is still not where they want to be at, but we’re close.”

NOTES: Twins GM Terry Ryan said DH Justin Morneau received a cortisone shot in his sore left wrist at the Cleveland Clinic. The plan is for him to take some swings on Saturday. While still early in his DL stint, the Twins are hopeful Morneau will be ready to come off on May 15 and join the team for the eight-game road trip that begins in Detroit on May 16. … Torii Hunter hit into two double plays, and the two struggling offenses combined for five in the game. … Angels LF Vernon Wells made an outstanding catch on a dead run to rob Mauer of an extra-base hit in the sixth. …. The Angels have the day off on Thursday before beginning a big series at Texas on Friday. LHP C.J. Wilson (4-2, 2.61) will pitch his first game against the Rangers on Friday night while RHP Yu Darvish (4-1, 2.54) will pitch for Texas. … The Twins open a four-game series against the Blue Jays on Thursday. Jason Marquis (2-1, 5.40) will pitch Game 1 for Minnesota against RHP Henderson Alvarez (2-2, 2.83).

Daniel Bard went back to the bullpen to help out, and Cody Ross made him a winner.

For at least one night, all was right with the reeling Red Sox.

Ross homered twice, tying the game with a two-run shot in the seventh inning and giving Boston the lead with two outs in the ninth to snap a five-game losing streak for the Red Sox and beat the Minnesota Twins, 6-5, on Monday.

“It’s been a tough go,” Ross said. “Everybody knows how tough it’s been on us, but nobody feels sorry for us. We’re going to keep having to go out there and grind it out.”

Starter-turned-temporary-reliever Bard (1-2) recorded two critical outs in the eighth after the Twins put the leadoff runner on third. Alfredo Aceves picked up the save, his third in five tries.

Aceves gave up a one-out single and a high drive to the warning track in left-center to Trevor Plouffe, but Denard Span bounced back to the mound to end it.

“It gives them some confidence,” Ross said. “We have some guys that are really good out there, and we believe in them as a team.”

Ryan Sweeney misplayed Jamey Carroll’s single into a two-base error that put him at third with none out in that pivotal eighth, after the ball bounded down the right-field line, ricocheted off the padded facade of the seats in foul territory and skidded away.

But Franklin Morales got Joe Mauer to ground out weakly to first base, and Bard retired two of the three batters he faced sandwiched around an intentional walk to Justin Morneau. Josh Willingham greeted Bard with a sharp line drive, but it zipped straight at third baseman Kevin Youkilis for the second out.

“He allowed everybody to be happy campers,” manager Bobby Valentine said.

Bard shrugged off his bullpen appearance.

“Same deal. You’re just trying to get out. You just have a little less time to warm up. That’s it,” he said.

Then Ross put the Red Sox in front with his drive off Matt Capps (0-1), who threw a 92-mph, 0-1 fastball at the kneecaps, a tough one for anyone to hit, let alone far enough to reach seats to the opposite field.

“That’s tough to do. He did it. He hit it,” Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said.

Said Capps: “I don’t think I’ve ever seen Cody Ross hit a ball that way. He put it a good swing on it and obviously squared it up well.”

After a rainout on Sunday gave the rotation an extra day of rest, Valentine put Bard in his struggling bullpen for a few days amid calls for the young right-hander to take over for Aceves as the closer. But Bard and Valentine insisted the move was merely temporary, and Bard is still on track to make his next start on Friday.

“I still view myself as a starter, and they said they do, too,” Bard said before the game.

Jon Lester allowed six hits, five runs and four walks over seven innings. He struck out four but wasted a 3-0 lead, after Jarrod Saltalamacchia’s two-run homer in the second.

Danny Valencia’s two-run homer, his first of the season, followed Ryan Doumit’s two-run double in a four-run fourth for the Twins. Then Plouffe drew a leadoff walk in the fifth, Span singled and a run scored when Carroll grounded into a double play.

Still, Valentine fervently praised the way Lester bounced back with strong a sixth and seventh.

“Nothing changed physically or mentally, but something got me locked in,” Lester said.

Around the bases

Red Sox pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka’s rehab start for Class A Salem (Va.), his first real game since undergoing reconstructive elbow surgery last June, was rough. He gave up six hits, three runs and two homers in four innings. … CF Marlon Byrd, 3 for 43 with the Cubs before being traded Saturday, had a single in his Red Sox debut. … Twins starters are 2-9 with a 6.46 ERA, last in the majors.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) Cody Ross homered twice, tying the game with a two-run shot in the seventh inning and giving Boston the lead with two outs in the ninth to snap a five-game losing streak for the Red Sox and beat the Minnesota Twins 6-5 on Monday night.

Starter-turned-temporary-reliever Daniel Bard (1-2) recorded two critical outs in the eighth after the Twins put the leadoff runner on third. Alfredo Aceves picked up the save, his third in five tries, and all was right with the reeling Red Sox for at least one night.

Aceves gave up a one-out single and a high drive to the warning track in left-center to Trevor Plouffe, but Denard Span bounced back to the mound to end it.

Ryan Sweeney misplayed Jamey Carroll‘s single into a two-base error that put him at third with none out in that pivotal eighth, after the ball bounded down the right-field line, ricocheted off the padded facade of the seats in foul territory and skidded away.

But Franklin Morales got Joe Mauer to ground out weakly to first base, and Bard retired two of the three batters he faced sandwiched around an intentional walk to Justin Morneau. Josh Willingham greeted Bard with a sharp line drive, but it zipped straight at third baseman Adrian Gonzalez for the second out.

Then Ross put the Red Sox in front with his drive off Matt Capps (0-1).

After a rainout on Sunday gave the rotation an extra day of rest, Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine put Bard in his struggling bullpen for a few days amid fan calls for the young right-hander to take over for Aceves as the closer. But Bard and Valentine insisted the move was merely temporary, and Bard is still on track to make his next start on Friday.

”I still view myself as a starter, and they said they do, too,” Bard said before the game. He said he ”asked a lot of questions” about what the team’s goals were with the decision.

Bard gave the relievers some relief, but the starters still need some, too. Jon Lester allowed six hits, five runs and four walks over seven innings. He struck out four but wasted a 3-0 lead.

Danny Valencia’s two-run homer, his first of the season, followed Ryan Doumit’s two-run double in a four-run fourth for the Twins. Then Plouffe drew a leadoff walk in the fifth, Span singled and a run scored when Carroll grounded into a double play.

Carroll got the Red Sox back for that in the sixth. With one out and runners at the corners, he dived to stop a grounder by David Ortiz up the middle and flipped to the second baseman Plouffe from his stomach with one hand. Then Plouffe whirled around for a perfect relay throw to finish the double play.

The Twins have more modest expectations than do the Red Sox for this season after last year’s 63-99 mess. Their starting pitching has emerged as a significant concern if it wasn’t already this spring.

The rotation has a collective 2-9 record with a 6.46 ERA, last in the major leagues, with 114 hits allowed in 92 innings with only 53 strikeouts.

Gonzalez followed a pair of singles with a sacrifice fly in the first, and Jarrod Saltalamacchia smacked a 0-2 slider into the front part of the section of right-field seats that juts out and hangs above the warning track to give the Red Sox a 3-0 lead in the second.

Then after the Twins surged ahead in the fourth, pulled away in the fifth and preserved the two-run edge thanks to Carroll’s slick play at shortstop, Marquis gave the game back to the Red Sox on that two-run drive by Ross that soared high above left field and into the seats.

NOTES: Red Sox RH Daisuke Matsuzaka’s rehab start for Class A Salem, his first real game since undergoing reconstructive elbow surgery last June, was rough. He gave up six hits, three runs and two homers in four innings. … CF Marlon Byrd, who went 3 for 43 with the Cubs before being traded Saturday, had a single in his Red Sox debut. … Red Sox IF Nick Punto, who spent seven seasons with the Twins through 2010, checked out the visitor’s clubhouse at Target Field for the first time. But he was more impressed by what he saw on the other side. ”It’s cool to see both Mauer and Morneau healthy. Without those guys, it’s tough to win,” Punto said. … Morneau played 1B for just the second game this year. He’s been the DH 14 times. … With sputtering LH Francisco Liriano taken out of the rotation for his next turn, the Twins want him to relax. ”Let him take a step back,” manager Ron Gardenhire said. Liriano will start again May 1 after a couple of bullpen sessions and talks with pitching coach Rick Anderson. … Willingham will miss Wednesday’s game to be with his wife, who is about to have a baby. He could be gone through Friday, too, but the Twins will put him on paternity leave and be able to call up a minor-league replacement while he’s away.

The Minnesota Twins couldn’t hold a late lead. Both starter Jason Marquis and reliever Matt Capps were culpable in coughing that up.

But yet again they left runners stranded on base at the most important times.

Cody Ross homered twice, tying the game with a two-run shot in the seventh inning and giving Boston the lead with two outs in the ninth to snap a five-game losing streak for the Red Sox in their 6-5 victory over Minnesota on Monday night.

Starter-turned-temporary-reliever Daniel Bard (1-2) recorded two critical outs in the eighth after the Twins put the leadoff batter on third. Alfredo Aceves picked up the save, his third in five tries, and all was right with the reeling Red Sox for at least one night.

Aceves gave up a one-out single and a high drive to the warning track in left-center to Trevor Plouffe, but Denard Span bounced back to the mound to end it.

“I knew I got it up in the air, and I was wishing it over the fence. But definitely didn’t think I absolutely got it,” Plouffe said. “It was one of those ones where it was going to be just barely over the fence, or he was going to catch it.”

The Twins are 8 for 47 with runners in scoring position over their last five games, an average of .170.

“We put ourselves in good situations and have opportunities, but lately we haven’t really been coming through. Teams that win games, they hit in those situations,” Plouffe said.

Ryan Sweeney misplayed Jamey Carroll’s single into a two-base error that put him at third with none out in that pivotal eighth, after the ball bounded down the right-field line, ricocheted off the padded facade of the seats in foul territory and skidded away.

But Franklin Morales got Joe Mauer to ground out weakly to first base, and Bard retired two of the three batters he faced sandwiched around an intentional walk to Justin Morneau. Josh Willingham greeted Bard with a sharp line drive, but it zipped straight at third baseman Kevin Youkilis for the second out.

Then Ross put the Red Sox in front with his drive off Capps (0-1), who threw a 92 mph, 0-1 fastball at the kneecaps, a tough one for anyone to hit, let alone far enough to reach seats to the opposite field.

“That’s where I wanted the pitch to go,” Capps said.

Jon Lester lasted seven innings for the Red Sox. Danny Valencia’s two-run homer, his first of the season, followed Ryan Doumit’s two-run double in a four-run fourth for the Twins. Then Plouffe drew a leadoff walk in the fifth, Span singled and a run scored when Carroll grounded into a double play.

Carroll got the Red Sox back for that in the sixth. With one out and runners at the corners, he dived to stop a grounder by David Ortiz up the middle and flipped to second baseman Plouffe from his stomach with one hand. Then Plouffe whirled around for a perfect relay throw to finish the double play.

“It seems like we’re always one big hit away. I know that I had an opportunity today with Carroll on third there in the eighth,” Doumit said: “We’re going through a pretty tough patch right now. But I think our offense is good enough that we’ll be able to turn this around.”

The Twins have more modest expectations than do the Red Sox for this season after last year’s 63-99 mess. Their starting pitching has emerged as a significant concern, if it wasn’t already this spring.

The rotation has a collective 2-9 record with a 6.46 ERA, last in the major leagues, with 114 hits allowed in 92 innings and only 53 strikeouts. Marquis settled in after a shaky start but gave away the 5-3 lead he had in the seventh.

“That’s what we want, seven innings out of these guys,” manager Ron Gardenhire said. “This guy’s a veteran, a 200-inning guy. He wants the ball. He felt fine. He felt great. He made a terrible pitch to Cody. He had such a great sinker all night long. We trusted him.”

NOTES: Morneau played 1B for just the second game this year. He’s been the DH 14 times. … With sputtering LHP Francisco Liriano taken out of the rotation for his next turn, the Twins want him to relax. “Let him take a step back,” Gardenhire said. Liriano will start again May 1 after a couple of bullpen sessions and talks with pitching coach Rick Anderson. … Willingham will miss Wednesday’s game to be with his wife, who is about to have a baby. He could be gone through Friday, but the Twins will put him on paternity leave and be able to call up a minor league replacement while he’s away.

MINNEAPOLIS – The Minnesota Twins couldn’t hold a late lead. Both starter Jason Marquis and reliever Matt Capps were culpable in coughing that up.

But yet again they left runners stranded on base at the most important times.

Cody Ross homered twice, tying the game with a two-run shot in the seventh inning and giving Boston the lead with two outs in the ninth to snap a five-game losing streak for the Red Sox in their 6-5 victory over Minnesota on Monday night.

Starter-turned-temporary-reliever Daniel Bard (1-2) recorded two critical outs in the eighth after the Twins put the leadoff batter on third. Alfredo Aceves picked up the save, his third in five tries, and all was right with the reeling Red Sox for at least one night.

Aceves gave up a one-out single and a high drive to the warning track in left-center to Trevor Plouffe, but Denard Span bounced back to the mound to end it.

“I knew I got it up in the air, and I was wishing it over the fence. But definitely didn’t think I absolutely got it,” Plouffe said. “It was one of those ones where it was going to be just barely over the fence, or he was going to catch it.”

The Twins are 8-for-47 with runners in scoring position over their last five games, an average of .170.

“We put ourselves in good situations and have opportunities, but lately we haven’t really been coming through. Teams that win games, they hit in those situations,” Plouffe said.

Ryan Sweeney misplayed Jamey Carroll’s single into a two-base error that put him at third with none out in that pivotal eighth, after the ball bounded down the right-field line, ricocheted off the padded facade of the seats in foul territory and skidded away.

But Franklin Morales got Joe Mauer to ground out weakly to first base, and Bard retired two of the three batters he faced sandwiched around an intentional walk to Justin Morneau. Josh Willingham greeted Bard with a sharp line drive, but it zipped straight at third baseman Kevin Youkilis for the second out.

Then Ross put the Red Sox in front with his drive off Capps (0-1), who threw a 92 mph, 0-1 fastball at the kneecaps.

“That’s where I wanted the pitch to go,” Capps said.

Jon Lester lasted seven innings for the Red Sox. Danny Valencia’s two-run homer, his first of the season, followed Ryan Doumit’s two-run double in a four-run fourth for the Twins. Then Plouffe drew a leadoff walk in the fifth, Span singled and a run scored when Carroll grounded into a double play.

Boston Minnesota

ab r h bi ab r h bi

Aviles ss 4 1 1 0 Span cf 4 0 1 0

Sweeny rf 4 0 2 0 JCarrll ss 4 0 1 0

Pedroia 2b 4 0 2 0 Mauer c 3 1 2 0

AdGnzl 1b 3 0 0 1 Wlngh dh 3 1 0 0

Ortiz dh 4 0 2 0 Mornea 1b 3 0 0 0

Youkils 3b 4 1 0 0 Doumit rf 4 1 2 2

Sltlmch c 4 2 2 2 Valenci 3b 4 1 1 2

C.Ross lf 4 2 2 3 Parmel lf 4 0 1 0

Byrd cf 4 0 1 0 CThms pr 0 0 0 0

Plouffe 2b 3 1 0 0

Totals 35 6 12 6 Totals 32 5 8 4

Boston 120 000 201— 6

Minnesota 000 410 000— 5

E—Aviles (3), Sweeney (1). DP—Boston 3, Minnesota 2. LOB—Boston 3, Minnesota 5. 2B—Sweeney (8), Doumit (1). HR—Saltalamacchia (2), C.Ross 2 (5), Valencia (1). CS—Pedroia (1). SF—Ad.Gonzalez.

IP H R ER BB SO

Boston

Lester 7 6 5 5 4 4

F.Morales Zc 1 0 0 0 0

Bard W,1-2 Xc 0 0 0 1 0

Aceves S,3-5 1 1 0 0 0 0

Minnesota

Marquis 6Zc 11 5 5 0 3

Burton 1 0 0 0 0 1

Duensing Xc 0 0 0 0 1

Capps L,0-1 1 1 1 1 0 0

T—3:12. A—32,351 (39,500).

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Ross, who signed with Boston as a free agent in the offseason, cranked a two-run homer to tie the game 5-5 in the seventh, then added a solo shot in the ninth off Matt Capps (0-1). It was the eighth career multi-homer game for Ross.

Daniel Bard (1-2) got the win for Boston, pitching out of a jam in the eighth. Alfredo Aceves pitched the ninth inning for his third save of the year, surrendering only a one-out single to Chris Parmelee.

The Twins have lost three in a row.

Trailing by two in the seventh, the Red Sox pulled even when Jarrod Saltalamacchia singled, then Ross lifted a long home run into the second deck in left field.

Jon Lester started and went seven innings for Boston, but he is still looking for his first win of the season. He gave up five runs on six hits and four walks, striking out four.

The Twins looked to be on the brink of taking the lead in the eighth when Jamey Carroll led off with a single into the right field corner. Ryan Sweeney misplayed the ball for a two-base error, and Carroll ended up on third with no outs. But Franklin Morales got Joe Mauer to bounce out, then gave way to Bard. Josh Willingham lined out, and Bard intentionally walked Justin Morneau before getting Ryan Doumit to pop out to shortstop, ending the threat.

Jason Marquis started for Minnesota and gave up five runs in 6 1/3 innings.

The Red Sox got on the board early, as leadoff hitter Mike Aviles singled, advanced to third on a single by Dustin Pedroia and scored on a sacrifice fly by Adrian Gonzalez. After David Ortiz singled and Kevin Youkilis reached on a fielder’s choice in the second, Jarrod Saltalamacchia plopped his second homer of the season into the front row of the right field seats, giving Boston a 3-0 lead.

Lester cruised through the first three innings, but he hit a snag with one out in the fourth. Mauer’s single was followed by a Willingham walk. After Lester struck out Morneau, Doumit doubled to score Mauer and Willingham. Three pitches later, Danny Valencia blasted his first homer of the season into the Red Sox bullpen in deep left-center field, giving Minnesota a 4-3 lead.

An inning later, Carroll bounced into the Twins’ big-league-leading 19th double play of the season, but it brought in a run. Trevor Plouffe scored from third base, putting the Twins up 5-3.

NOTES: Center fielder Marlon Byrd made his Red Sox debut after coming to Boston in a trade with the Cubs on Saturday night. … Twins catcher Mauer threw out Pedroia on an attempted steal of second base in the first inning. Previously, runners had been 10-for-10 when attempting to run on Mauer this season. … Red Sox utility infielder Nick Punto made his return to Target Field but did not play. Punto spent seven seasons with the Twins.

NEW YORK (AP) Carl Pavano had nothing to prove to an unforgiving Yankee Stadium crowd. He wanted to get the Minnesota Twins back on track.

In only two batters, it looked as if his plan had derailed.

Then something happened that Yankees fans rarely got to see in his four injury-wrecked years in New York: Pavano found a rhythm and was superb through the seventh inning, leading the Twins to a 7-3 victory Monday night that ended their three-game skid.

”It wasn’t about coming in here and putting everything behind me. Everything I went through is behind me,” he said. ”It was coming in here and getting this team on track.”

Justin Morneau played in the field for the first time this season and hit a long homer for the Twins. Joe Mauer had three hits, including two doubles, and every position player had a hit in a tweaked Minnesota lineup.

The Twins won for just the sixth time in 34 regular-season games in the Bronx since Ron Gardenhire took over as manager in 2002. They were also swept by the Yankees in 2009 and ’10 playoffs.

”It’s a new season,” Gardenhire said. ”We’re 1-0 at Yankee Stadium.”

In just his second outing in New York since his tenure with the Yankees ended after the 2008 season, Pavano (1-1) gave up three runs and seven hits. He struck out six and walked one.

Yankees fans showed they can hold a grudge. They were relentless with their boos when Pavano was introduced before the game. After a rocky first, in which he gave up back-to-back homers to Derek Jeter and Curtis Granderson to start the inning, Pavano mostly hushed the Yankees’ bats.

”For him to come out in a hostile environment then go out and pitch the way he did, I was real proud of him,” Twins catcher Ryan Doumit said.

Added Jeter: ”Carl has always been a good pitcher. When he’s healthy, he pitches well.”

Gardenhire tried generating some offense by splitting his lefty-hitting M&M boys in the lineup for the first time since 2008, according to STATS LLC. Mauer hit third as the designated hitter and Morneau moved down to fifth and played first base with Josh Willingham taking over the cleanup spot. Morneau had been the DH in the Twins first nine games as he is being brought back slowly from injuries, including a concussion that limited him to 69 games last year.

”Morny’s got a nice look on his face,” Gardenhire said. ”He’s enjoying the game of baseball.”

The adjustment worked right off the bat with Willingham driving in Mauer with a single in the first. In fact, the Twins had five straight hits after Freddy Garcia (0-1) struck out Denard Span looking to start the game.

Mauer doubled after Jamey Carroll singled and was caught stealing. Morneau followed Willingham with a single and Doumit had an RBI hit to make it 2-0.

But Pavano gave it right back.

Jeter learned earlier Monday that he was being given an honorary doctorate from Siena, a college in Loudonville, N.Y., then homered – his third – leading off. Granderson followed Jeter’s drive with another into the right-field seats for the Yankees’ first back-to-back homers to start a game since September 2005, when Jeter and Robinson Cano did it.

Alex Rodriguez beat out an infield hit and advanced to second on third baseman Danny Valencia’s errant throw. He scored on Mark Teixeira’s single for a 3-2 lead.

Alexi Casilla doubled with one out in the fifth to snap a string of 11 straight outs by the Twins that started after the five hits in a row. Carroll followed with a run-scoring single and Mauer an RBI double to give Minnesota the lead. Morneau led off the sixth with a drive into the Yankees bullpen for a 5-3 lead. An out later, Garcia was lifted to boos.

While he had better control in this start after a five wild-pitch performance in his first outing, Garcia gave up nine hits and five runs. He struck out five without walking a batter.

”They have some pretty good hitters now, you got to make good pitches to get those guys out,” Garcia said.

With Andy Pettitte working his way back from retirement and Michael Pineda rehabbing his shoulder, Garcia could be losing his grip on a rotation spot.

NOTES: Granderson raced into the left-center field gap to make a sensational catch on a drive by Morneau. … Twins LHP Glen Perkins had an MRI exam that showed some tenderness in his forearm. He will remain back in Minnesota for two more days before deciding if any further action is needed. … Jeter’s leadoff homer was his 26th, extending his Yankees record.

NEW YORK (AP) — Carl Pavano had nothing to prove to an unforgiving Yankee Stadium crowd. He wanted to get the Minnesota Twins back on track.

In only two batters, it looked as if his plan had derailed.

Then something happened that Yankees fans rarely got to see in his four injury-wrecked years in New York: Pavano found a rhythm and was superb through the seventh inning, leading the Twins to a 7-3 victory Monday night that ended their three-game skid.

“It wasn’t about coming in here and putting everything behind me. Everything I went through is behind me,” he said. “It was coming in here and getting this team on track.”

Justin Morneau played in the field for the first time this season and hit a long homer for the Twins. Joe Mauer had three hits, including two doubles, and every position player had a hit in a tweaked Minnesota lineup.

The Twins won for just the sixth time in 34 regular-season games in the Bronx since Ron Gardenhire took over as manager in 2002. They were also swept by the Yankees in 2009 and `10 playoffs.

“It’s a new season,” Gardenhire said. “We’re 1-0 at Yankee Stadium.”

In just his second outing in New York since his tenure with the Yankees ended after the 2008 season, Pavano (1-1) gave up three runs and seven hits. He struck out six and walked one.

Yankees fans showed they can hold a grudge. They were relentless with their boos when Pavano was introduced before the game. After a rocky first, in which he gave up back-to-back homers to Derek Jeter and Curtis Granderson to start the inning, Pavano mostly hushed the Yankees’ bats.

“For him to come out in a hostile environment then go out and pitch the way he did, I was real proud of him,” Twins catcher Ryan Doumit said.

Added Jeter: “Carl has always been a good pitcher. When he’s healthy, he pitches well.”

Gardenhire tried generating some offense by splitting his lefty-hitting M&M boys in the lineup for the first time since 2008, according to STATS LLC. Mauer hit third as the designated hitter and Morneau moved down to fifth and played first base with Josh Willingham taking over the cleanup spot. Morneau had been the DH in the Twins first nine games as he is being brought back slowly from injuries, including a concussion that limited him to 69 games last year.

“Morny’s got a nice look on his face,” Gardenhire said. “He’s enjoying the game of baseball.”

The adjustment worked right off the bat with Willingham driving in Mauer with a single in the first. In fact, the Twins had five straight hits after Freddy Garcia (0-1) struck out Denard Span looking to start the game.

Mauer doubled after Jamey Carroll singled and was caught stealing. Morneau followed Willingham with a single and Doumit had an RBI hit to make it 2-0.

But Pavano gave it right back.

Jeter learned earlier Monday that he was being given an honorary doctorate from Siena, a college in Loudonville, N.Y., then homered — his third — leading off. Granderson followed Jeter’s drive with another into the right-field seats for the Yankees’ first back-to-back homers to start a game since September 2005, when Jeter and Robinson Cano did it.

Alex Rodriguez beat out an infield hit and advanced to second on third baseman Danny Valencia’s errant throw. He scored on Mark Teixeira’s single for a 3-2 lead.

Alexi Casilla doubled with one out in the fifth to snap a string of 11 straight outs by the Twins that started after the five hits in a row. Carroll followed with a run-scoring single and Mauer an RBI double to give Minnesota the lead. Morneau led off the sixth with a drive into the Yankees bullpen for a 5-3 lead. An out later, Garcia was lifted to boos.

While he had better control in this start after a five wild-pitch performance in his first outing, Garcia gave up nine hits and five runs. He struck out five without walking a batter.

“They have some pretty good hitters now, you got to make good pitches to get those guys out,” Garcia said.

With Andy Pettitte working his way back from retirement and Michael Pineda rehabbing his shoulder, Garcia could be losing his grip on a rotation spot.

NOTES: Granderson raced into the left-center field gap to make a sensational catch on a drive by Morneau. … Twins LHP Glen Perkins had an MRI exam that showed some tenderness in his forearm. He will remain back in Minnesota for two more days before deciding if any further action is needed. … Jeter’s leadoff homer was his 26th, extending his Yankees record.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Minnesota Twins designated hitter Justin Morneau follows through on an RBI single against the Philadelphia Phillies during the fourth inning of a spring training baseball game in Fort Myers, Fla., Wednesday, March 28, 2012. Morneau was 3 for 4 with a two-run home run in the Twins’ 11-7 win. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. – Justin Morneau isn’t particularly happy about becoming a designated hitter, but he has come to grips with it. So the longtime first baseman and 2006 American League MVP will start there when the Minnesota Twins open the season April 6 at Baltimore.

“I still think I have to do what’s smart and what’s best and not necessarily what everyone wants to do,” he said. “But if I go into it not wanting to (DH), I think it’s going to be harder for me to do. So I have to accept it for what it is and enjoy and just try to be a good teammate and try to be the guy when those guys come off the field to pump everybody up, maybe do that and keep myself involved in the game.”

Speaking before the Twins’ 6-6 tie with the

Tampa Bay Rays on Monday, April 2, at Charlotte Sports Park, Morneau made it clear he hasn’t given up on playing defense.

“I feel relatively young in this game, so I don’t plan on DH’ing for the rest of my career,” he said. “I want to get back to playing first. Hopefully, this is just the first step in that process.”

In fact, Morneau, 30, said he expects to play first base this season, particularly during interleague play in National League ballparks, where AL teams won’t be able to use the DH. For now, manager Ron Gardenhire said, rookie Chris Parmelee is the Twins’ regular first baseman.

“I want (Morneau) to have 500 at-bats or whatever it might take,” the manager said. “But there’s going to come a time when he needs to play first

base – as long as he knows that. We talked about it today.”

However temporary, the position switch seems to have been coming since Aug. 28, when Morneau suffered a second concussion while diving for Alex Avila’s hot grounder in a loss to Detroit at Target Field. It was his second season-ending concussion in 13 months, and though he is recovered and cleared by doctors to play, he is wary of a setback.

Doctors have told him that fatigue can play a factor in whether his symptoms return. He

also acknowledged that limiting himself to batting and running the bases will cut down his chances of another injury.

“But most of it is making sure it doesn’t happen again and I completely get past (the concussion),” Morneau said, “because last year we thought it was all gone, and a simple play in the field happened and I’m done for the rest of the year in late August. So it doesn’t make sense to go out there and every time I dive, or something questionable happens, you have to get through that whole thing. I know it would drive Gardy crazy and me crazy.

“I want to be out there free and be able to dive for balls and make plays I need to make. So if I’m not able to do that right away, and I don’t have the confidence that I’ll be able

to do that, then it’s probably the best to not do that right now and see what happens down the road.”

Morneau said he reported to spring training Feb. 24 with every intention of playing first base this season, and considering what he went through physically last season, his consistent participation has been notable. In addition to the concussion, he had surgery on his neck, left wrist, left knee and right foot between June and September.

But when his swing wasn’t coming around, Morneau started to DH so he could get more at-bats in spring training games. Since moving there on March 14, he is hitting .341 (14 for 41) with three homers, four doubles and 13 RBIs, though much of the production has come in his past eight games. He singled

in his last at-bat Monday to extend his hitting streak to eight games (12 for 27, .444).

“It’s feeling pretty close to normal. The timing took a while to come, so it’s starting to feel like the swing is pretty good now,” he said. “The wrist has really come a long way, especially in the last two weeks. The confidence at the plate really feels pretty good. Just standing in there and feeling like myself is a good feeling.”

The Red Sox got to Carl Pavano in the sixth inning.

Pavano went 52/3 innings, giving up four runs and seven hits, with no walks and three strikeouts in a 5-1 loss to Boston. He is 0-3 with a 6.17 ERA in the spring.

“Great,” Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said of Pavano’s outing. “Got his work in, 95 pitches, he was good. He got a little tired at the end. But it got up to where we wanted him to be. That’s perfect.”

Pavano, entering his 14th season, got through his first five innings with relative ease.

He was challenged in the fourth when the Red Sox loaded the bases. Adrian Gonzalez led off with a single, before Kevin Youkilis flied out. David Ortiz singled to left, and Pavano hit Cody Ross with a pitch to load the bases.

But Pavano struck out Jarrod Saltalamacchia and got Ryan Sweeney to fly out to right to end the threat.

Chris Parmelee hit his fifth home run of the spring in the sixth inning to give Minnesota a 1-0 lead.

The Red Sox then rallied in the bottom of the inning.

Youkilis led off, getting hit by a pitch and was replaced by pinch-runner Pedro Ciriaco.

David Ortiz struck out. With Ross batting, Ciriaco stole second and third, scoring on Ross’ double.

Saltalamacchia grounded out with Ross going to third. Sweeney’s single to left-center scored Ross. Sweeney scored on Mike Aviles’ double to left, driving Pavano from the game.

He was replaced by Alex Burnett, who gave up a triple to Jacoby Ellsbury, scoring Aviles, but Ellsbury was thrown out trying to score on the play, ending the inning.

“I thought the inning with the bases loaded I threw a bunch of pitches and I think it tired me out,” Pavano said.

“About the fifth inning the ball got up a little bit. I started off kind of slow then I caught a good rhythm, caught a good groove and carried it into the fourth and fifth inning and then I got a little tired and the ball got a little bit up. That last inning, I was all over the place.”

This will be Pavano’s second straight opening day start for the Twins.

“It’s great,” he said. “It’s an honor from your organization, to feel like they want you to be the guy who starts them off two years in a row. It’s also my job to go out there and start us off on the right foot.”

Garrett Mock earned the win for the Red Sox. He threw two innings, allowing one run and one hit.

Dustin Pedroia and Gonzalez each went 2 for 4 with a double for the Red Sox.

Earlier in the day, the Twins made a series of roster moves, paring their roster down to 27, including two non-roster players.

“Good. I’m happy with everything the way it turned out,” Gardenhire said. “Health-wise is good. Get through a few more days here and start playing ball. If we need to tweak it, we will tweak it. If we don’t like something we see, we can change it because we have some pretty good people at AAA.”

The Red Sox optioned catcher Ryan Lavarnway to Triple-A Pawtucket on Saturday. They have 40 players in big league camp, including 29 from the 40-man roster, two on the 60-day disabled list, and nine non-roster invitees.

Joe Mauer, left, and Josh Willingham share a laugh at spring training in Fort Myers, Florida, on Friday, March 2, 2012. (Pioneer Press: Chris Polydoroff)

FORT MYERS, Fla. – Joe Mauer has walked the dank tunnels to the batting cages underneath Hammond Stadium since he was a teenager. He has driven the same roads to the ballpark for six years since he bought a home nearby. He’s on a first-name basis with the clubhouse attendants. He proposed to his girlfriend, Maddie Bisanz, not far from here last December.

Mauer is at the center of baseball’s most familial organization. Yet, as he proceeds through the spring of 2012 with cautious optimism, he remains affected by how much changed around him last season and what he hopes everyone learned from it – himself included.

“It’s a better vibe around here,” Mauer said as he relaxed on a bench outside the Twins’ clubhouse last month. “But

things that have made us successful in the past – you talk about team camaraderie, guys having each other’s backs – that wasn’t really the case last year.”

When he arrived at Hammond Stadium in February 2011, Mauer already had a hunch he was in for the most difficult year of his professional life. His left knee hadn’t completely healed from arthroscopic surgery over the winter, and that prevented him from doing enough work to get his legs ready for the season. But more than that, it thrust Mauer into a typhoon.

Teammates wondered privately when the 2009 American League most valuable player would be back on the field during the season, as reporters pressed manager Ron Gardenhire for updates on Mauer’s health. The same fans who cheered

Mauer’s eight-year, $184 million contract extension in 2010 now questioned how much he wanted to play the game.

At the center of all that was Mauer, unsure exactly what was going on and how he could explain it to Twins teammates, officials and reporters. The three-time AL batting champion suffered through by far his worst of eight major league seasons: 82 games played, with career lows in batting average (.287) and home runs (three), and 30 runs batted in.

Mauer admits now that he needs to

be more forthcoming about injuries, conceding that fans criticized him because they didn’t know exactly what he was going through.

Still, it stung. A lot stung him last year, actually.

“I think probably the No. 1 thing was communication across the board – communication through the media, to the fans, within the clubhouse,” he said. “There was just a bad environment, really. But that’s the thing – you have a season like that, and you try to look at things, try to work on things.”

In many ways, he is still recovering from 2011. He arrived early to spring training and has been a full participant this year, hitting .354 in 18 games while catching and playing first base and designated hitter. Now 28, he pushes himself through a detailed

Joe Mauer drove in a run and was in good spirits as the team won their spring training opener against the Tampa Bay Rays 7-3 at Hammond Stadium in Fort Myers, Florida, on Saturday, March 3, 2012. (Pioneer Press: Chris Polydoroff)

training regimen each day, in part to preserve his body but also to rebound completely from the injuries – as well as the viral infection and walking pneumonia – that racked him last year.

And for perhaps the first time in his career, Mauer has something to prove.

COMMUNICATION A KEY

Coming off knee surgery in December 2010, Mauer entered spring training 2011 with clouds already forming on the horizon. He knew it would be one of his toughest seasons physically, even if he was unprepared for all that would come with it.

“I tried to do everything I could to be out there,” he said. “Did I know it was going to be that tough? No. But I came to the park every day trying to get out on that field. I couldn’t get out there as much as I’d

like to.”

But why? The Twins initially said Mauer was dealing with “bilateral leg weakness,” a medical term that scared people straight to WebMD and still left them confused. In the end, the problem wasn’t serious, stemming from a slow recovery from knee surgery and his attempts to compensate for it. But by the time he returned to the team in June after a two-month disabled list stint, Mauer had to bat away bizarre rumors that he was suffering from a disease.

There were times that the medical staff, the team and Mauer didn’t seem to agree with what each other was saying. Which left the public as confounded as everyone else.

“He said, ‘It’s been frustrating where this is, what’s going on, this has been said, and different people

Joe Mauer stands behind the batting cage waiting his turn to take a few swings at spring training at Lee County Sports Complex in Fort Myers, Florida, Monday, February 27, 2012. (Pioneer Press: Chris Polydoroff)

haven’t been on the same page,’ ” said Tony Leseman, a teammate of Mauer’s at Cretin-Derham Hall who remains one of his closest friends.

And when Mauer was asked about it, he didn’t always lend clarity to the discussion.

“A lot of times, you had a microphone in front of your face, and you didn’t really know (how to explain it),” he said. “The unknown was the reason why it was frustrating for everybody….But looking back, there’s things that I wish were communicated and done a little differently.”

By everybody, the way Mauer sees it.

Manager Ron Gardenhire talked with Mauer last season about doing more offseason work as he starts approaching 30 – he will turn 29 on April 19 – and the catcher showed up early to spring training 2012 intent on making up for some of the working time he lost last year.

He has worked with former Twins manager Tom Kelly at first base, where he’ll probably see more time this season, and has impressed Kelly with how quickly he has picked up the fundamentals of the position. He also has put in extra time with teammates, quietly trying to influence a clubhouse culture that deteriorated last season.

Mauer isn’t alone in noticing it.

“Once things started going south, the problem we had in our clubhouse was an issue of accountability,” former Twin Michael Cuddyer said when he signed with the Colorado Rockies last December. “That is not a secret. Even Gardy came out and said that.”

The public wanted to blame Mauer for it, as the highest-profiled of a number of Twins who seemed slow to return from injuries. He wants to be a steadier presence this spring, even when he is out of the game.

On the days Mauer catches, he stays in the dugout for several innings after he comes out of the game, sharing feedback and insight with the Twins’ pitchers.

“He sits on the bench, watches the game, talks to the pitchers, all that type of stuff. You can’t put a statistic on stuff like that,” bullpen coach Rick Stelmaszek said. “If anything, him being the big guy, he’s got to lead by example. If he sloughs off, that means that 25th guy says, ‘If Joe Mauer sloughs off, I can slough off.’ You’d have a mess. Nobody can get on him about that.”

Said Mauer: “It’s been a process. It just hasn’t happened in the last couple years. It’s my ninth year. When you have success, everybody puts an eye on you. Your role evolves. You’ve got to go about your business the right way, and you try to help teammates as best you can.”

MORE WORK TO DO

Endearing himself again to the town that reared him, though, will take time, and those around him are curious to see how he does it.

“I kind of told him: ‘The people who know who you are and what you had to go through, they believe in you. They understand you,’” Leseman said. “I think he is truly under the microscope this year.”

Mauer credits Bisanz for providing a groundswell of support last season. She was frustrated, too, watching what he went through.

“She was huge last year,” Mauer said. “We’ve been together and been friends for a long time. I’m in a good place right now. Getting healthy is definitely a big part of it, and my life off the field is a big part of it, too.”

Leseman has seen what Bisanz has meant for Mauer. They all attended Cretin-Derham Hall together, and Leseman’s wife is good friends with Bisanz.

Mauer and Bisanz will marry after the season.

“She’s around him all the time now,” Leseman said. “At all hours of the day and through the weekend. She’s someone for him to come home to and talk to and share where he’s at, good times or bad.

“Maddie understands him because of their history. Joe understands who she is. She’s made it a lot easier for him to open himself up. She was there when he was the MVP. She just brought some stability to him. Getting married is something he’s looking forward to.”

The impending nuptials are a sign that Mauer has done some growing up since he was the 18-year-old kid drafted No. 1 overall in 2001. So are the shocks of gray hair that sit just above his famous sideburns.

But his maturity hasn’t just come from there. It has come from adversity, from losing some of the shine on his pristine career, from being punched in the mouth and forced to come back from it.

“To have a season like last year, it wasn’t because I wasn’t working or wasn’t doing things,” Mauer said. “I was probably working harder than ever. I just couldn’t get out there.”

He’s got that opportunity now, even if what was familiar for so many years doesn’t seem as cozy as it once was. Mauer says that gives him a little extra motivation, while adding that he doesn’t really need it.

“I think when you do have a problem trying to get motivated, you probably should get out of the game,” Mauer said. “I’m long from that.”

Follow Ben Goessling at twitter.com/BenGoesslingPP.

Joe Mauer and Josh Willingham find amusement during a spring day at the ballpark. “I’m in a good place right now,” Mauer says. “Getting healthy is definitely a big part of it, and my life off the field is a big part of it, too.”

Mauer practices blocking pitches with his chest protector during spring training. He tries to set an example with his work habits for the rest of the team.

FORT MYERS —
On Sunday, Minnesota Twins manager Ron Gardenhire named veteran Josh Willingham the team’s left fielder.

On Monday, a few hours before the Twins would play and lose 10-4 to the Tampa Bay Rays at Hammond Stadium, Willingham was scratched from the lineup with a minor ankle injury.

According to Twins general manager Terry Ryan, Willingham was held out for precautionary reasons and should be ready to play soon. The injury occurred a few days ago, but bothered Willingham enough in pregame warmups to merit the rest.

“He did everything, but unfortunately, he said he tweaked it just a little,” Ryan told MLB.com. “So we don’t want to mess with that. As usual, he said he could play today, but we didn’t want him to play.”

Ben Revere took Willingham’s place in left field. Revere, entering his second year in the major leagues, was originally slotted to be the Twins’ left fielder.

But Willingham has mostly played left since breaking into the majors with the Florida Marlins in 2004. In January, he signed a three-year, $21-million deal with Minnesota after hitting 29 home runs for the Oakland A’s last season.

“I thought Ben in left field sounded fine, but then you start seeing everything, and things start changing a little bit,” Gardenhire said. ““I’ve talked to Josh about left field, and he’s obviously more comfortable there.”

With the emergence of Chris Parmelee in right this spring, Revere is being looked at as a fourth outfielder.

“I’m just going to play my game no matter what,” said Revere, who hit .267 with 34 stolen bases in 117 games with the Twins last year. “If I go (north) with them that will be great. I’m not trying to put pressure on me, I just go out there and have fun.”

Revere went 2-for-3 on Monday to lift his spring average to .349. Parmalee, who played first base against the Rays, had one hit. He is batting .302 in Grapefruit League action with three home runs and eight RBIs.

On Monday, the Rays jumped all over Twins starter Scott Baker. The righty, making his first start since March 6 due to tendinitis in his elbow, gave up seven runs on seven hits in 2 2/3 innings.

Rays right fielder Ben Zobrist delivered the big blow, hitting a grand slam in the second inning.

Catcher Ryan Doumit homered for the Twins.

Notes: The Twins announced they have reassigned right-handed pitcher Brendan Wise to minor-league camp. The Twins now have 38 active players in camp: 17 pitchers, 5 catchers, 10 infielders, and 6 outfielders.