"He was better than I anticipated," [pitching coach Rick] Anderson said. "He threw it over. The ball came out of his hand. And I was surprised how calm he was about it. I think I was more excited than he was."

Radar guns behind home plate registered Liriano fastballs in the 87-to-89-mph range -- with one at 90 -- in the first inning.

"He came in after the first inning and said, 'I don't throw hard anymore,' " Anderson said. "I said, 'No, you throw hard easy.' His velocity was fine, and without the violent movements we've seen in the past. He was smooth and loose."

Liriano threw four fastballs at 91 mph and the rest at 90 in the second inning. He threw a half-dozen sliders and 10 changeups among the 40 pitches.

"The changeup was a good pitch," Liriano said. "Not the slider. I wasn't letting it go at all."
...
Liriano is 20 pounds heavier than he was while going 12-3 with a 2.16 ERA and reaching the All-Star Game two years ago. The Twins have expressed no concern over this added bulk, although there was a National League scout behind home plate wondering if that could be an added obstacle in Liriano's quest to regain his excellence.

"I thought he was a little thick," the scout said. "He wasn't finishing off his pitches. When he was down in the zone, he was very good."