Changes plus status quo equals another loss

Brian Dozier wore the old-school high socks Monday.

Brian Dozier debuted at shortstop with a 1-for-4 plate performance and solid defense. Erik Komatsu had two hits but dropped a fly ball in left field late in the game that let two runs in. (I doubt the sidelined Josh Willingham would have reached the ball to begin with, so the end result was the same, but Komatsu's skill set requires that he catch that ball.)

And Francisco Liriano had another lousy start, so the Twins lost. Again.

The new guys got the attention before and after the game, but Liriano's continued war with the strike zone matters more. Five innings, 90 pitches, 50 strikes, 40 balls ... Four earned runs in five innings, and his ERA dropped to 9.45.

And Ron Gardenhire indicated after the game that he'll keep Liriano in the rotation.

It's a puzzle. On one hand, Liriano is clearly the most talented pitcher on the staff. On the other, he appears to be the most emotionally fragile, the least capable of coping with difficulty.

Gardenhire handles Liriano, at least for public consumption, gingerly, wary of further diminishing the pitcher's waning self-belief. Even if Gardy is ready to stick Liriano in the 'pen, he's wasn't about to blurt it out to the reporters last night.

And, of course, No. 47 isn't the only starter having a lousy season. The Twins have made their easy swap-out, with Scott Diamond going tonight in place of the demoted Liam Hendriks. Liriano, Nick Blackburn, Jason Marquis — their tenure and pay scale make them more difficult to replace.

Somebody has to start these games. These guys are getting paid to do it.

An outfield move

Erik Komatsu had 19 at-bats with St. Louis this season.

How much do the Twins NOT want Ben Revere to be their fourth outfielder?

This much: Today they picked up on waivers one Erik Komatsu, dumping in the process the strikeout king Clete Thomas.

Komatsu, like Revere, is a 24-year-old left-handed outfielder. Unlike Revere, he has all of 19 at-bats above the Double-A level.

The Twins will be Komatsu's fourth organization in less than two years — Milwaukee, Washington, St. Louis and now Minnesota. His minor-league numbers look like those of a leadoff-type hitter — decent on-base percentages, a couple season of 20-plus steals, not a lot of power. He's played more center field than corner outfield in the minors, but I think it's safe to say he's no Revere for range, and I'm sure he has a better throwing arm.

What the Twins actually have here is a do-over on their Rule V pick of last winter, when they took pitcher Terry Doyle and ultimately returned him to the White Sox. Komatsu was picked later in the draft by St. Louis and made the roster, but the Cardinals now were trying to get him through waivers.

So the Twins can't just send Komatsu to the minors; Washington still has the ultimate claim on him.