Pregame

Because 18 times just wasn't enough, this year we need to play each other 19 times.  You don't need to read anything into this one, for the first time in a few weeks--it's the beginning for one team, the end for the other.  One last time...

Lineups

Okay boys, let's get it right this time!

Pregame

Good thing Cleveland is the best team in the AL Central right about now, huh?

Anyway, this afternoon could belong to Glen Perkins if he's able to come through.  A win tonight would guarantee that no matter what happens tomorrow, there's no way the White Sox win the division outright.  It's one step at a time, and today's step is simple:  JUST WIN.

For Perkins, they key today is to do exactlly the opposite of what he's done over the last month:  pitch well.  He lasted two-thirds of an inning his last time out in Tampa, and just before that in Baltimore he logged just three innings.  When his breaking balls actually break, he has no command, and when they don't break, well, the lack of command doesn't matter.  Indeed, it's the curve/slurve/sliders that he's had absolutely zero confidence in recently.  It's probably good this season is almost over, because Perk needs to rest his arm.

Gil Meche, on the other hand, is having a very good year.  He's thrown seven quality starts in his last ten, but one of the three that wasn't was in Minnesota back on August 10th when he walked seven Twins.  But on most occasions Meche has pretty decent command, and he's also picked up career-high marks for strikeouts in a season.  Hitters can usually put decent wood on the ball when given the opportunity (22.1% LD), but he still manages to log good innings.  Unless lighting strikes twice and he walks two handfulls of hitters again, this won't be an easy game.  But then again, with the Twins, it never is an easy game when you think it could be, is it?

Pregame

The Royals currently sit one half of a game in front of the Detroit Tigers as the AL Central's bottom dweller.  For a team that's finished better than fourth only twice since 1995, and in fifth four years running, staying out of last place is something that matters.  Kyle Davies will do what he can to keep the Royals winning, and if he's the same guy he's been his last two times out then the Twins will have their work cut out for them:  15 innings, two runs, seven hits.  This will be his third time facing the Twins; he's 0-2 in eight innings, with seven runs, six walks and five strikeouts.  Davies will toss a low-90's fastball, a mid to upper-80's slider, a curve and a changeup.

Taking charge of game one for the Twins is Francisco Liriano, who's coming off of a great start against the Rays:  seven innings, seven strikeouts, one walk.  It's now been 10 starts since his return from the disabled list, and he's accumulated some impressive numbers:  61.1 innings, 55 strikeouts, 48 hits and a stellar 2.05 ERA.  Included in those ten outings are seven quality starts, five innings of shutout ball, and another start where he was one out short of that vaunted QS.  His fasball is now running regularly around 90-92, while his slider and off-speed pitch both come in around the low-80's.  Oh, and two of those ten starts we were just discussing came against the Royals:  13.2 innings, five runs, 11 strikeouts.  I'll take the average of those numbers please, thanks very much!

Lineup Predictions

Royals:  DeJesus (RF), Aviles (SS), Guillen (DH), Shealy (1B), Teahen (LF), Gordon (3B), Buck (C), Callaspo (2B), Maier (CF)

Twins:  Span (RF), Casilla (2B), Mauer (C), Morneau (1B), Kubel (DH), Young (LF), Buscher (3B), Punto (SS), Gomez (CF)

Pregame

I'm not going to ramble on too much tonight about this game, because we all know exactly how big this one is.  It's Kevin Slowey versus Gavin Floyd; two younger starters with varying degrees of experience.  They both have a chance to become big-time autumn pitchers with good performances tonight.  Floyd has struggled recently, with the home run ball rearing its ugly head, but is still having a good year.  Slowey is the Twins leader in BB/9 and K/BB for starters, and will likely top 160 innings pitched on the season, providing he can pitch into the fourth inning.

Let's take care of business tonight, boys.  WIN TWINS!!

Pregame

HA!  Six months ago, I'd have thought all my wildest and unrealistic dreams had come true if you'd told me that at game 158...GAME 158...the Twins would still be in the picture.  Just goes to show that I've still got a ways to go before I make the Brain Trust.

With last night's big win still fresh in our minds we move onto the next step.  A loss tonight erases everything and not only erases the bit of progress we did make, but the hammer comes down as far as time is concerned.  The Twins are still out of it, time that is, which makes this game as much of a "must win" as the series opener.  One intangible that I do like:  this is Chicago's division to lose.  Minnesota has second place, there's nowhere to go but up.  I like to think that the additional pressure that's on the Sox is our advantage, particularly in the Dome.

Making the biggest start of his professional career is Nick Blackburn, who's coming off of two lack luster starts in a row.  His ERA has ballooned nearly half a run over those two appearances, which is only a by-product of how hittable he's been.  Indeed, five days ago in Tampa when Blackburn couldn't get out of the second inning for the second time this season, he even had a difficult time throwing strikes.  To find his groove again, much like Stella, he needs to not just start throwing with confidence again, but he needs to start hitting his spots and getting movement back on those breaking balls.  When you can't throw the breaking ball for strikes (or anything else for that matter), it's a long night for any pitcher, and for a guy with stuff like Blackburn it's even more important that he has his full arsenal available.  Tonight I'd like to think we'll get the best of Nick Blackburn.  Don't touch that dial, kids.

On the other side, it's Mark Buehrle:

Mark Buehrle:  Over his last four starts he's been Mega-Man for Chicago, lasting 25.1 innings and allowing just six earned runs.  Over the years he's been Mega-Man for Chicago against the Twins--he's an arch nemesis that's familiar and leaves a bad taste in your mouth, and only a win can wash it away until the next time.  Much like Vazquez, he's tougher on righties and he's tougher at home, which means that in a world where I'm looking for any possible edge to give the Twins I'm coming up with another easy one.  No surprise to anyone, Buehre is having a good season, but there are two things I've noticed that are much different than last season.  First, he's throwing harder; every one of his pitches has a bit of extra kick this year.  Second, he's getting more ground balls (48.7%, up from 43.2% in 2007).  For what it's worst, he's 1-2 against the Twins this season--one great start and a pair that he'd probably like to forget.

Game two of the playoffs kicks off momentarily.

By the numbers, here are some key match-ups which will give us a cursory idea of strengths, weaknesses and marginal advantages.

Starters

Some of these numbers are still inflated by Livan Hernandez, but there's no denying Chicago has seen some good years coming from their rotation.  They do a decent job of keeping hitters off-balance by having finesse pitchers mixed with guys who can rack up some strikeouts.  The Twins have strong performers at the front of their rotation in Francisco Liriano and Scott Baker, but the Sox have a bit more experience and are still having the better season overall.  Also, the Sox won't have to face Liriano this series.  Advantage:  White Sox

Relievers

Matt Thornton, Octavio Dotel, Bobby Jenks; three solid and reliable relief pitchers that on any given night can be counted on to shut down an offense.  It's hard to come up with a list of three names on the Twins side that can do the same thing, in spite of the fact that according to the little chart both bullpens come out pretty even.  There's Joe Nathan, of course.  Then Jesse Crain, who hasn't been used in almost a week but has generally been effective.  Oh, and Craig Breslow, he can be counted too.  Sadly, given the option, if asked which three I'd prefer to entrust a three-run lead to it'd be Thornton-Dotel-Jenks.  I feel like a traitor.  Advantage:  White Sox

Other Match-Ups of Note

Chicago Hitters VS RHP:  .267/.333/.446    With all three Twins hurlers being righties, I thought this significant.  It's not horribly encouraging, but in addition to familiarity breeding contempt, hate, jealousy and sometimes boredom, it also breeds the ability to pick apart flaws.  Hopefully Baker, Blackburn and Slowey can do just that.

Twins Best VS LHP    This is always important.  This season, it's Joe Mauer (.959 OPS), Matt Macri (.917), Denard Span (.897), Justin Morneau (.793), Adam Everett (.773) and Delmon Young (.771).

Twins Hitters VS Chicago:  .273/.333/.417    That's not too bad, especially considering who's likely to see a lot of playing time in the series.  All of the following have an OPS of .828 or higher against the Sox this season:  Justin Morneau, Michael Cuddyer, Joe Mauer, Jason Kubel, Nick Punto, Carlos Gomez and Mike Redmond.

White Sox On Turf:  .227/.285/.361    I like this one.  We'll end on a high note.

Pregame

After the game today we'll be talking about playoff chances.  A Twins win and a Sox loss would do us a great big favor, but with both teams just daring the other one to win 90 games ("I bet you'll win 90 games!"  "Uh-uh!  I bet you will!"  "No way!") at least we know it'll be a series that means something.

For a while it seemed like Andy Sonnastine was going to lose his spot in the rotation, but every time it looked like the Rays would pull the plug he stepped up and would string together two or three good starts in a row.  That's where he's at right now, coming off of three quality starts in September.  He's been getting more fly-outs than ground-outs recently, which is interesting; from April through June he recorded 124 ground-outs versus 109 outs in the air.  By comparison, since then he's induced just 82 outs on the ground versus 109 of the fly-ball variety.  Either he's pitching higher in the zone, or hitters are getting a better read.  Whatever the case may be, on the year he isn't really a fly-ball or ground-ball pitcher one way or the other--he's both.  Sonnastine throws a cut-fastball around 90 with some decent movement, mixing in a curve, slider and occasional change.

Meanwhile, Francisco Liriano will try to shake off his worst start since returning to the Twins in August.  It's in style recenty for Twins starters to get pulled before the sixth or even fifth innings, and Liriano's 2.2 inning appearance in Cleveland five days ago wasn't a good one.  In addition to getting a bit wild, the Indians hit him pretty hard, and in spite of the four strikeouts allowed four runs.  Against a Rays squad that's put up some runs this series, Liriano will have to regain the form of his first two September starts.  There should be no situation where he throws six fastballs in a row, very few walks, a handful of strikeouts and an attitude.  Liriano's job isn't just to start today, but to exude a little confidence.  This team is in desperate need of a self esteem boost.