Joe Crede told manager Ron Gardenhire on Saturday that his sore shoulder felt better two days after receiving a cortisone shot. Crede, however, didn’t specify how much better he felt. Crede will be seen by doctors again today.

Joe Mauer is the DH today and will return to the plate tomorrow.

Gardenhire admitted that lefthander Glen Perkins has been lectured about the timing of his injury disclosures. Perkins revealed after a start in New York that he was fighting an injury and did so again moments after being removed from Wednesday’s start in Oakland.

Players are funny sometimes. After last night’s game. both Perkins and R.A. Dickey asked reporters what the start time of today’s game was. Today, I was in the Angels clubhouse looking for Torii Hunter. Gary Matthews walked in after early batting practice, sat down at his stall and said., “Hey, what time does today’s game start?”

At least five players yelled back, “One-Ten!”

Twins second baseman are batting .185 with a .270 OBP. Ugh….

Lineups

Twins (48-49)

1. Denard Span, CF
2. Joe Mauer, DH
3. Justin Morneau, 1B
4. Jason Kubel, LF
5. Michael Cuddyer, RF
6. Brian Buscher, 3B
7. Brendan Harris, SS
8. Mike Redmond, C
9. Alexi Casilla, 2B

Pitching: Nick Blackburn, RHP

Angels (56-38)

1. Chone Figgins, 3B
2. Macier Izturis, 2B
3. Bobby Abreu, RF
4. Kendry Morales, 1B
5. Mike Napoli, C
6. Erick Aybar, SS
7. Howie Kendrick, DH
8. Gary Mathrews, CF
9. Reggie Willits, LF

Pitching: Matt Palmer, RHP

Joe Mauer’s two homers gave him his first multi-homer game of the season and third of his career.

 The Twins are 14-12 when he’s in the starting lineup as the No. 2 hitter.

The Twins have hit 16 homers over their last ten games but are 5-5 in those games. The have homered in 19 of their last 21 games but are 10-11 during that period.

Francisco Liriano is the first 10-game loser in the majors.

Twins righthander Kevin Slowey has been shut down and will return to the Twin Cities to be examined by doctors, a potentially huge blow to the club.

Slowey, who was scheduled to start on Saturday for Class AAA Rochester, tried to play catch on Friday but was unable to do so. He’s trying to return to action despite having a bone chip near his right wrist, but the chip wouldn’t allow him to do much of anything.

“That would not be good news,” Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said,

Slowey (10-3, 4.86) was expected to have surgery after the season to remove the chip but today’s development raises the possibility that he might have surgery sooner, although Gardenhire cautioned that nothing will be decided before the Twins’ medical staff meets with Slowey.

Rookie righthander Antony Swarzak will surely remain in the rotation.

This also might impact how the Twins proceed before the trading deadline. One scenario was that the Twins might be willing to part with one of their original starting pitchers with Swarzak emerging and R.A. Dickey available in emergencies. With Slowey out, the Twins might want to hold on to what they have.

The Twins continue to search for middle infield help and late-inning relievers, but they don’t appear to be close on anything.

Lineups

Twins (48-48)

1. Denard Span, CF
2. Joe Mauer, C
3. Justin Morneau, 1B
4. Jason Kubel, DH
5. Michael Cuddyer, RF
6. Brian Buscher, 3B
7. Delmon Young, LF
8. Nick Punto, SS
9. Alexi Casilla, 2B

Pitching: Francisco Liriano

The Twins are conditioned to think the game is over when Joe Nathan is on the hill to protect a lead.

“It’s Katy, shut the door,” Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said.

“Joe,” Twins righthander Scott Baker said, “has been automatic.”

The Twins scored early and late, held off a group of pesky Angels hitters and endured late-inning appearances by the Rally Monkey to get within three outs of winning the first of a four-game series in one of baseball’s toughest environments.

Instead, the visitors clubhouse was silent after the Angels scored twice off of Nathan in the ninth to tie the game before Mike Napoli’s RBI double off Jesse Crain in the tenth inning gave L.A. a 6-5 win. Nathan’s streak of 20 straight save opportunities was no match for the Angels’ major league-leading 31st come-from-behind win and 10th walk-off win.

“To see what he did tonight,” Baker said of Nathan, “was surreal.”

Nathan stood in front of his clubhouse stall with his arms folded as looking as if he was examining a patient as he discussed his 29-pitch inning.

It began with a leadoff walk to Bobby Abreu. Two batters later, he hit Napoli with a pitch. With two out, his 2-2 pitch to Gary Mathews looked on the money but was called a ball by home plate umpire Marvin Hudson. Mathews took advantage and served a RBI single to center to get the Angels within 5-4. That ended  Nathan’s scoreless streak at 23.1 innings.

Then game the seeing eye single of all time from Howie Kendrick, because it got just enough of Nathan’s glove to deflect off the second base bag as Nick Punto tried to make a sliding stab. The tying run scored as stuffed Rally Monkeys were tossed in the air.

“It happens when you playing a team that is on fire,” Nathan said the Angels, who have won 10 of their last 11 games. “They put the bat to the ball and good things are happening for them.Unfortunately we were on the wrong end of it. The only thing I can say for myself is that I can’t walk the leadoff guy in that inning.

“After that, there’s nothing. I made some pretty good pitches. I thought I had Matthews on the 2-2 pitch. I thought I struck him out. I didn’t get the call there and came back with a better pitch but Mathews was able to put the bat on the ball.”

CRAIN GETS WALKED OFF

Crain, who was called up from Class AAA Rochester on Wednesday, entered the game in the tenth. He showed more movement on his fastball and broke out the slider he wasn’t throwing before he was sent down.

But Chone Figgins led off with a single and bunted to second. Abreu was walked intentionally. Morales struck out on a slider. That brought up Napoli.

Nathan hit Napoli while trying to pitch him inside. Because he’s dangerous if he extends his arms and gets his slow bat to touch the ball. Crain left a pitch over the plate and Napoli drove it to right center for the game winning hit.

“I should have gotten that inside,” Crain said.

WHERE’S THE RESPONSE?

How many of these can the Twins’ take? That’s two walk-off losses on this road trip, plus a 14-13 loss on Monday in Oakland in which the A’s hopped around the infield after the final out. They are 3-4 on this 10-game road trip.

“It’s tough,” Baker said. “There’s no doubt in my mind that we can overcome it. It’s definitely a good test. These next three games will determine whether we are able to persevere or not. If we come out and play like we are capable of playing we shoukld be fine.”

Nathan usually closes out a two-run lead, but Gardenhire sounded like he wants to see more fight from his team.

The Twins took a 3-0 lead in the first, two runs coming on Jason Kubel’s 17th homer. But there was a lull for four innings that allowed starter Jered Weaver find a groove. And Denard Span was thrown out in the ninth while trying to advance from first to third on Joe Mauer’s RBI single. That ended the inning and kept Justin Morneau from a chance to add to the score.

“We’re in one of those stretches where you have to keep battling,” he said.“You’ve go to work your way out of it. No one is going to give you anything. No one is going to feel sorry for you in this game. If they start feeling sorry for themselves, shame on them. I don’t feel sorry for myself as the manager of this team. You have to keep playing. You have to keep going out there and trying to figure out how to win ballgames.”

And he bristled when the Angels’ comeback record was brought up.

“We have one of the best closers in the majors and I will take my closer over anyone’s comebacks,” Gardenhire said. “Tonight, we made mistakes. That’s why we got beat. Not because they are a great comeback team, because my closer didn’t get it done. That doesn’t happen very often.”

NOTES

• Nick Punto broke a 0-for-13 skid with a single in the seventh.
• Brendan Harris, batting .203 this month, grabbed a bat after the game and went for some late-night swings.
• 10 of the Angels’ last 13 wins have been comeback wins.
• Kendry Morales’ 20-game hitting streak ended.
•  Joe Mauer was 3-for-4 and leads the majors with a .363 batting average.

X-Rays on Joe Crede’s shoulder were negative.  But he has been diagnosed with an inflammed A/C joint, He received an injection - we presume it was cortisone - and he will be evaluated again on Sunday.

 The results of a MRI exam will be read by Angels orthopedist Dr. Lewis Yocum - who examined Crede on Thursday - during the game. We are hoping to get an in-game update of Crede’s condition.

Nothing is seriously wrong with Glen Perkins, either. He has been given medication to to take for the slight tendinitis he has in his shoulder and will make his next start on Monday against the White Sox.

Brian Buscher  was  in the original lineup but got sick after eating some sushi and was replaced by Brendan Harris.

White Sox lefty Mark Buehrle, who tossed a perfect game at Tampa Bay today, should start against the Twins on Tuesday at the Dome.

Righthander Jesse Crain is here. He said he has more movement on his fastball and has dusted off his slider, We’ll see,

The Twins, indeed, have spoken with Oakland about shortstop Orlando Cabrera but it doesn’t seem like a deal is close. That could change at any time, especially as the July 31 trade deadline nears.

Lineups

Twins (48-47)

1. Denard Span, LF
2. Alexi Casilla, 2B
3. Joe Mauer, C
4. Justin Morneau, 1`B
5. Jason Kubel, DH
6. Michael Cuddyer, RF
7. Brendan Harris, 3B
8. Carlos Gomez, CF
9. Nick Punto, SS

Pitching: Scott Baker, RHP

Angels (55-38)

1. Chone Figgins, 3B
2. Macier Izturis, 2B
3. Bobby Abreu, RF
4. Kendry Morales, 1B
5. Mike Napoli, DH
6. Erick Aybar, SS
7. Gary Matthews, CF
8. Jeff Mathis, C
9. Reggie Willits, LF

Pitching: Jered Weaver, RHP