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(AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

Season Record: 19-23

Up Next: Brewers (7:10 CT, 5/21)

1. Blanks for Blackburn

Nick Blackburn by far has been the Twins' most consistent pitcher this season, and that run continued for the former-fifth starter as the team looked to end their six-game losing streak. Blackburn had turned in two consecutive positive outings entering the series finale with the White Sox; against the Yankees the righty went 7.2 innings and allowed four runs, three of which came in the third inning. In his start prior to the road trip, Blackburn pitched seven shutout innings against the Mariners.

Taking the mound looking to avoid a second straight sweep, Blackburn was hardly touched. In seven innings of work, Blackburn allowed only four hits and allowed no runs. While he needed only 82 pitches to complete the seven innings, Blackburn was removed in favor of Jose Mijares for the eighth inning.

Blackburn advanced to 3-2 overall on the season, and he now has the team's best ERA at 3.83. Once a fifth starter, Blackburn has thus far been the team's best. 

2. Touchdown...errr...Homerun

The offense for the Twins hasn't been anemic over the course of the losing streak, but they have struggled to collect hits with runners in scoring position. In the four-game series with the Yankees, the Twins went a horrendous 4-38 with runners in scoring position, and the team lost the four games by a combined five runs. 

The Twins went 8-18 in their first Thursday win of the season, and they were led by four homeruns. Michael Cuddyer knocked a homerun over the fence for the second consecutive day, Joe Crede hit his sixth homerun of the season and second against his former team, Matt Tolbert hit a three-run homerun for the first of his career, and Joe Mauer hit another opposite field homerun for his eighth of the season -- one shy of his season total last season.

20 hits and 20 runs is some pretty good production, and everybody contributed. The box score might explain the offensive breakthrough well enough: