Twins’ Blanco tutors rookie

Helping out Mauer priority for catcher

Of the 14 Minnesota Twins newcomers listed in Major League Baseball’s spring training media guide, only two position players have big-league experience and only one — catcher Henry Blanco — has postseason experience. Blanco spent the past two years with the Atlanta Braves, before signing with Minnesota as a free agent.

The A.J. Pierzynski trade marked the dawn of Joe Mauer’s era behind the plate. Blanco is among several reasons for optimism about Mauer’s prospects this season.

“He’s going to be one of the great players,” Blanco said, prior to Minnesota’s 10-4 victory Friday against Cincinnati at Hammond Stadium. “It’s not a problem for me to help him with whatever he needs to learn. The main thing is working with the pitchers, and I’m trying to help him as much as I can. That’s what I’m here for.”

Blanco went 1-for-3 in his preseason debut with Minnesota. His fourth-inning RBI single scored Alex Prieto to put Minnesota ahead for good at 3-2. The Twins broke the game open with three runs in the fifth — highlighted by Justin Morneau’s two-run homer — and three more in the seventh.

Blanco struck the ball sharply in his final at-bat, but his liner was snared by Reds shortstop Juan Castro. Management will be thrilled with any production because Blanco wasn’t signed for his bat.

“Working well with the pitchers is the most important thing,” said Blanco, whose career batting average over five major league seasons is .219. “I’m not worried about anything else. Just trying to help this guy (motioning at Mauer’s locker).

“(Thursday) he did a very good job working with pitchers in game situations. I think that’s the only way I can really help him out.”

Mauer said he’s impressed by Blanco’s approach, the way he goes about his work. Mauer is also impressed that Greg Maddux is such a fan of Blanco’s ability; Blanco caught virtually every game Maddux pitched the past two seasons.

“That speaks pretty highly about him right there,” Mauer said, “that a guy like Maddux wants to throw to him every day. It shows what kind of guy he is.”

Blanco didn’t play in the Braves’ Division Series loss against the Cubs last season, after appearing in two games against San Francisco in the 2002 NLDS. Although his contributions appear minimal on the statistics sheets, he was part of a championship team and knows what it takes. He sees some similarities between the Braves and the two-time defending AL Central champion Twins.

“Everything has to do with the start of spring training,” said Blanco, who also has played for Milwaukee, Colorado and Los Angeles. “That’s how they do it in Atlanta. They work hard from the beginning of spring training to the last day. This team is doing a very good job. Everybody’s coming together. They’ve won two years in a row, and I think it can be more.”

• IN THE FIELD: Minnesota’s sound, fundamentally-strong defense remains in hibernation.

The Twins committed two errors in their Grapefruit League opener Thursday against Boston, and they had an an error and a miscue Friday.

Shortstop Nick Punto and third baseman Michael Cuddyer couldn’t decide who was doing what as they watched Sean Casey’s pop-up drop behind the pitcher’s mound in the first inning.

Then, left fielder Jacque Jones was charged with an error after side-swiping center fielder Torii Hunter on Adam Dunn’s sinking fly ball. Neither player was hurt, but Hunter left the game in the fourth inning after crashing into the wall and spraining his left wrist.

“Jacque and Torii are really going to have to get used to each other this spring,” manager Ron Gardenhire said.

Jones played right field last year.

“Now Jacque, with his glove side to Torii instead of the other way, it’s going to become a communication thing between those guys. But they’ll work that out. There’s going to be a lot of ground covered out there when they all get it said and done.”

• AT THE BAT: Jason Kubel also homered in the Twins’ 18-hit attack. Morneau’s homer ricocheted off the light pole in left-center, just above the hot dog sign. “He’s a big strong kid, and he hit it hard,” Gardenhire said of the 6-foot-4, 228-pound Morneau. “We keep telling him he can hit it out that way as easy as the other way.”

Kubel, who hit five homers for the Fort Myers Miracle last season and is attending his first big-league camp, went deep during the second at-bat of his debut.

“It was a good way to get started,” he said.

• ON THE MOUND: Reliever Jesse Crain, a non-roster invitee, struck out two batters in pitching the ninth. All seven of his pitches were strikes, including some wicked breaking balls.

“I think he’s one of the guys we’ll definitely be looking at to finish ballgames,” Gardenhire said. “His stuff was nasty. He threw two pitches there that were really biting.”