According to the ESPN MLB Standings page, the Twins' chance of making the playoffs went from 35% to 21% yesterday. They'll try to start increasing that number tonight in Chicago.
First Pitch: 7:11PM
TV: FSNorth
Radio: Twins Radio Network
Know Thine Enemy: South Side Sox
Probable Pitchers
Around the All-Star break, we were all discussing whether Blackburn was the new staff ace. Since then, he's 2-7 with a 6.90 ERA, or to put those numbers in perspective, "even worse than Francisco Liriano." As with all of his starts in the second half of the year, we're expecting disaster, but hopeful that he can fight through a few innings without the game getting out of hand.
If Gavin Floyd was a football player, some sideline reporter would say he's "out with a hip." Floyd's hip soreness has caused rookie righthander Hudson to get his first major league start. The 22-year-old youngster was a fifth-rounder out of Old Dominion last year, spent all last year in rookie ball, and started the year at Single-A Kannapolis.
Seriously. He's pitched in A, A+, AA, AAA, and the big leagues this year, going 14-5 with a 2.32 ERA combined among all four levels. The Sox, needing some help, figured "Why not promote him to the big club?", and he's made three relief appearances since coming up.
You might feel confident, given his rise, but remember that the Twins always seem to get killed by rookie pitching. I don't know why this is.
Lineups
Twins vs White Sox coverage