First Pitch: 7:10pm CDT
TV: FSN
Radio: Twins Radio Network
Know Thine Enemy: Over the Monster
Starting Pitchers
Kevin is one of the team's front-line starters this season, along with Nick Blackburn. He is to walks what the Soup Nazi is to...well, Jerry. Riding three consecutive quality starts, I'm looking for Slowey to re-assert his strikeout mentality tonight. Even with David Ortiz not having a typical year, it's still a bonafide lineup, and having two consecutive solid pitching performances without striking out a few hitters seems unlikely. More important than the strikeouts though, will be limiting the base runners. Slowey won't walk many, if any, but Boston has a knack for stringing two-out hits together. Closing out innings is a must.
Dice-K was no more impressive in his return from the DL than he was before going on it, so he and Boston have to be hoping he can come up with a good performance tonight. This year he's already allowed four home runs, a lot considering how many fly balls he induces, and he's lost velocity on all of his pitches except the curve...which is coming in a couple miles per hour faster. He may still be on a pitch count tonight, and with Boston's bullpen the Twins need to jump on Matsuzaka before he gives way.Lineups
Bo-Sox
Ellsbury, CF
Pedroia, 2B
Drew, RF
Youkilis, 1B
Bay, LF
Ortiz, DH
Lowell, 3B
Kottaras, C
Green, SS
Min-Twins
Span, CF
Mauer, C
Morneau, 1B
Kubel, DH
Cuddyer, RF
Harris, 3B
Young, LF
Tolbert, 2B
Punto, SS
Looks like Joe Crede will return for tomorrow afternoon's game, but in the mean time we get Brendan Harris at third. With Crede out of the lineup again, there's a pretty clear split between the productive half of the order and the other half; somebody in the six through nine spots will need to step up tonight and help the team out. I keep praying that Delmon Young keeps the bat on his shoulder and learns how to recognize a pitch, because he's the best bet to provide offense in the lower half.