By DAVE CAMPBELL

AP Sports Writer

When the schedule sends the Minnesota Twins on the road for an interleague series, manager Ron Gardenhire gets nervous.

Never mind the scenery change brought by unfamiliar ballparks or the added strategy of National League rules. The pitchers will bat and perhaps run the bases, thus increasing their chance of injury, distraction or plain old embarrassment.

Livan Hernandez, however, is the exception.

The Cuban will start for Minnesota on Saturday night in Colorado, taking his 6-1 record to the mound and his nine career home runs to the plate.

‘‘He’s the one that I don’t worry about,’’ Gardenhire said. ‘‘He’s looking forward to this. He’s probably got a bat home so he can take swings in front of the mirror.’’

During more than a decade in the NL, Hernandez compiled a decent — for a pitcher — .232 average in 789 at-bats with 34 doubles and 73 RBIs. In 2001, he batted a career-best.