Carmona shelled by Twins in series finale

By PAUL HOYNES

MINNEAPOLIS — Maybe the best place right now for Fausto Carmona is Columbus. Pitching in the big leagues certainly isn’t doing him or the Indians much good.

The Twins battered Carmona for seven runs on five hits in two innings Thursday afternoon in an 11-3 victory at the Metrodome. In his past three starts, including two in which he didn’t get past the second inning, Carmona has allowed 19 runs on 16 hits in 71‚Ñ3 innings.

Manager Eric Wedge says he’s considering all options regarding Carmona. That includes sending him to the minors. Carmona has one option left.

“We’re going to have to evaluate everything,” said Wedge. “We’ll have to talk further about it and see what our best plan of attack is.

“I haven’t talked to anybody yet [about sending Carmona down]. Rest assured we’re going to have to evaluate everything that’s gone on to this point with him.”

Carmona says his confidence is high, but he looked shaky in the first inning. He walked the first two batters he faced, gave up an RBI single to Justin Morneau and a three-run homer to Jason Kubel for a 4-0 hole.

Kubel hit another three-run homer in the second inning.

Denard Span, Joe Mauer, Morneau and Kubel, the first four hitters in the lineup, hit left-handed. They went 4-for-5 with three walks and seven runs against Carmona. Lefties are hitting .331 (46-for-139) with 29 walks and eight homers against him.

“In the bullpen, I’m throwing strikes and hitting the corners,” said Carmona (2-6, 7.42). “When I get into the game, the ball runs away from the plate.”

Carmona, like most pitchers, believes he’s one start away from easy street.

“The way I’ve worked in the bullpen has been great,” he said. “I always feel the next game will be a good thing for me. But it hasn’t worked out that way.”

Scott Baker (3-6, 5.88) had a no-hitter through 41‚Ñ3 innings. Mark DeRosa ended it with a double in the fifth. Baker lost his shutout in the sixth when the Tribe scored twice on Jamey Carroll’s single and shortstop Brendan Harris’ throwing error on Shin-Soo Choo’s infield hit.

Rookie Chris Gimenez homered off Baker in the seventh for his first big-league hit. He added a single in the ninth, while playing first base and catching.