Twins notes: Catchers making progress throwing out base runners

As a successful base-stealer during his own career, Paul Molitor can recognize teams that don't control the running game. He hated that his own team was one of them.

"You know, people have taken a little bit of liberty with us in the past," the Twins manager said Saturday, "and we're just trying to tighten that up a little bit."

It's taken a while, but it looks like he's making progress. Kurt Suzuki gunned down would-be base-stealer Avisail Garcia in the third inning Saturday, and threw out Alexei Ramirez one inning later, part of a strikeout/throw-out double play. It was the third time over the week that the Twins have thrown out two baserunners in one game — something they didn't do even once last season.

"In previous years, I felt like we didn't try to hold runners very well. But this year, our pitchers are giving us a chance to throw guys out, and it's starting too pay off," said backup catcher Chris Herrmann, who threw out two Tigers trying to steal Wednesday. "It helps us out so much when a pitcher is quicker to the plate, and pays attention to the runner."

That's the idea, Molitor said. The Twins have caught only seven of 24 base-stealers, but six of the outs have come this week, giving the manager hope.

"When you're successful in nabbing a couple of guys," Molitor says, "it builds confidence and it helps the other pitchers who are paying attention [understand] that, if we do what we're supposed to do, and we kind of trust the program we're trying to implement, we're going to get some results."

When Miguel Cabrera came to the plate in the ninth inning of a one-run game Tuesday, Glen Perkins could tell he was waiting for a slider.

He's still waiting. Perkins doesn't throw many sliders these days, the fewest in his career, in fact, and there's a good reason for it. "I feel like this is the best command I've ever had of my fastball," said the Twins closer, who is 8-for-8 in save opportunities after finishing off the White Sox in Saturday's 5-3 victory. "It seems like I've been able to put it right there, inside, outside, up, down, pretty much all season."

And with that sort of control, why use anything else? Perkins isn't abandoning the slider, he said, but he hasn't needed it much yet. In fact, according to fangraphs.com, Perkins has thrown his fastball on 79.2 percent of his pitches this year, compared to 74.4 percent last season and 73.2 percent in 2013.

"I've hardly thrown any sliders this year, but I know I'll have to at some point," Perkins said.

He finished April with six saves, a streak of 12 straight April saves (and one run allowed in them), and a 17-for-19 career conversion rate in April. His ERA in April save situations since becoming the closer? 1.42.

"I guess I don't really know why that is," Perkins said. "Maybe you're just fresher at the beginning of the season."

Ricky Nolasco usually stays pretty calm on the mound. But Saturday was different.

"I was a lot more anxious than I thought I'd be," he said after returning to action with five decent innings and his first victory of 2015. "I was rushing, yanking that front side. But I was able to sit back and snap off some pretty good [curveballs] today."

Nolasco, on the disabled list since April 9 because of elbow inflammation, gave up three runs on eight hits, threw 76 pitches and never retired the side in order. But he also struck out four and kept Chicago from a big inning.

"He showed little signs of rust," Molitor said, "but he also made some good pitches at certain times."