JUNE 13, 2009 -- MINNESOTA 2, CHICAGO (NL) 0

Anthony Swarzak puts in his best performance as a major-league pitcher, buckling down against the struggling Cubs and tossing seven shutout innings, and the Twins hold on for a 2-0 victory, their second consecutive victory at Wrigley Field. And what does Swarzak get as a reward for his second major league win? A demotion to the minor leagues. Ron Gardenhire's bench is razor thin, as Dizzy Span and Michael Cuddyer both are unavailable to hit, and he prefers to have another bench player, so Jose Morales was called up from Triple-A to provide the team another option off the bench. With Glen Perkins coming off the DL on Tuesday, the move to option Swarzak was not all that surprising (especially considering Ron Gardenhire's preference of talent-deficient players) but what remains mystifying is the fact that Michael Cuddyer was not put on the disabled list weeks ago when this finger started giving him problems. He hasn't done jack since the finger started swelling two weeks ago, and he's not a very good player to begin with. Sending Cuddyer to the disabled list would have allowed the Twins to handle the Swarzak demotion with a little more grace. As it turns out, the Twins look like primo dickheads after the move.

Jason Kubel's home run in the second inning and Joe Mauer's two-out single in the third inning, which drove home Nick Punto (inexplicably on base with a single) provided enough offense to carry the day for the Twins. Kubel's been the hottest Twins hitter of late, which is saying something considering Joe Mauer hasn't really stopped hitting since returning from the DL. If it weren't for Swarzak and the pitchers mowing the Cubs lineup down, the major talking point in the game would have been the struggles of the lineup. But they were facing Rich Harden, a pitcher who is dominant when healthy, which isn't too often. And the Twins aren't 100% healthy, either. Brendan Harris has been doing an admirable job in the lead-off position since Span has been unavailable, but he's better suited for the 6 or 7 hole in the lineup. And of course Nick Punto is back with the team, which cripples your lineup on a daily basis. I like it how the writers and broadcasters keep referring to these interleague games as unique because the Twins have to bat the pitcher when playing in National League parks. Wait a minute -- the Twins bat a pitcher in every game, and his name is Nick Punto. I think that's why the Twins are so successful in interleague games -- they're so used to playing National League baseball because they regularly feature a hitter who bats like a pitcher does in their lineup. Now that you think about it, it is surprising that the Twins are so successful playing interleague games on the road, because with Nick Punto batting eighth, there are back-to-back pitchers in the batting order. Hey, the Twins got a run out of Punto on Saturday, so they should be laughing all the way to the bank.

The Twins face a tough, hot lefty in Ted Lilly on Sunday. Lilly has been lights-out as of late, and the Twins have struggled against left-handers all year long, especially on the road. Their two wins in Oakland, games which were started by lefties Brett Anderson and Dallas Braden, were the Twins' first wins this year on the road in games started by southpaws. Lilly's more than a little bit better than those pitchers, and with the unpredictable Scott Baker on the mound, the chances for a Twins sweep aren't that great. But the Twins have salvaged at least a .500 road trip with the series win at Wrigley, which is awesome considering their road woes to date.