Before Monday afternoon, Indians pitcher David Huff's biggest claim to fame was being hit in the head by an Alex Rodriguez line drive on May 29, 2010. It was a scary moment, but Huff didn't miss a single start.
Indians Vs. Twins: David Huff Shuts Down Minnesota In First Game
His performance, though, the rest of the 2010 season wasn’t great, and got him sent to Triple-A Columbus to start this season.
Today, Huff was recalled because the Indians and Twins had to make up a game rained out on April 22 (that still sounds odd, a rainout in Minnesota, after nearly 30 years indoors), and started the first half of a day-night doubleheader.
The Huff who posted a 2-5 record and 6.57 ERA in seven previous starts against the Twins was nowhere to be seen Monday. Huff threw seven shutout innings, allowing just four singles and a double, and the Indians defeated the Twins 5-2, extending their lead over the onrushing Twins to six games. Minnesota is still on a 27-9 run since June 2, and will try in the nightcap to restore that five-game deficit. The big blow for the Tribe in the day game was a three-run homer by Asdrubal Cabrera, his 17th (amazingly enough). Minnesota's Michael Cuddyer hit a consolation home run, his 14th, in the ninth inning to break up Cleveland's shutout.
And when the Twins made up an April 22 game, they were serious about it. April 22 was Earth Day, and the Twins had planned for both teams to wear green caps. Despite the 90-degree heat and the steamy summer conditions, the teams did in fact wear the caps, that had been in storage since that chilly and wet April day.
The teams will meet again Monday evening at 7 p.m. CDT; Fausto Carmona will pitch for the Indians against Minnesota's Scott Diamond, who will be making his major league debut after spending this year (and last) in Triple-A. Diamond was a Rule 5 pick by the Twins in last winter's draft from the Braves organization; the Twins kept him by sending pitching prospect Billy Bullock to Atlanta on March 28.
The Twins also signed former Cubs pitcher Thomas Diamond last month after the Cubs released him. The two pitching Diamonds are the only players in history with that surname. Clearly, the Twins are attempting to corner the market on baseball Diamonds.
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