Reprinted from TwinCities.com © Copyright 2008
July 26, 2008 12:53:46 AM CDT

By Kelsie Smith

CLEVELAND - Craig Breslow wasn't in Minnesota long before the journeyman left-hander knew that, here, things would be different.

"In the past I'd just been kind of a long guy — if the starter got knocked out in the second or third inning, somebody to eat innings," Breslow said. "The first time that I pitched (for the Twins) was against New York in like the seventh inning of a one-run game or something like that. I think we actually tied up the game in the bottom half of the inning or something like that and I went back out. In the past I probably wouldn't have been in the game in the first place down one, but certainly once we tied it up somebody else would have come in."

Breslow, who has spent time in Milwaukee, San Diego, Boston and Cleveland, as well as in the Can-Am league before coming to Minnesota this season, responded capably to one of his first high-pressure big-league situations — he struck out Bobby Abreu, Alex Rodriguez and Jason Giambi.

Since then, in 15 1/3 innings Breslow has surrendered just three runs for an impressive 1.76 earned-run average. His time with Minnesota, Breslow said, has afforded him a chance to prove to himself — and to his new and old teams — that he can handle major league hitting.

"I've been around a little bit and, at 27 years old, I've probably played on more organizations than most guys," Breslow said. "There is something rewarding about playing against some of the teams that I was a part of in the past and having some successful outings against them, hoping that maybe it raises an eyebrow or two. Not only am I proving to myself that I can pitch in the big leagues, but perhaps to some people who didn't think I could."

Still, manager Ron Gardenhire said he does view Breslow as more of a long reliever than a lefty specialist such as Dennys Reyes.