Pregame
Over what's been the most disappointing stretch of the season for the Twins as far as wins and losses go, their last chance to avoid a sweep over this two-week road trip is tonight. Kevin Slowey gets the call, and he's been as close to an ace as you can get over his last four starts. 25.1 innings in that period, just six earned runs, 28 strikeouts and a pair of walks have made for a very impressive run, as he's allowing less than a base runner per inning. With a strikeout-to-walk ratio approaching six to one, and with double-digit strikeouts in two of his last three starts, it's pretty safe to say that Kevin's found his "out pitch"; it'd be an interesting study to see which pitch(s) he actually uses in plate appearance-ending situations. Tonight, the Twins desperately need another good performance from Slowey. They need a win, and the best shot at one of those elusive things would start with keeping the opposition off the board.
Jesse Litsch: He's not the moderate strikeout threat he was in the minors, but the 23-year old ginger righty still does well to limit his free passes. Litsch has a wide arsenal, including the traditional fastball(s), along with a slider, curveball, changeup and cutter. A ground-ball pitcher who still manages about six innings a start, Litsch is young but may see a quick career arch where he peaks around 25-26, and then starts an early decline.