First Pitch: 1:10pm CDT
TV: WFTC-29
Radio: Twins Radio Network
Know Thine Enemy: Royals Review
This is the big test today, meeting the 2009 AL Cy Young award winner for the first time all season. Who gets to face him but our own young phenom, who unfortunately has been anything but this year.
Not much of that stat line looks quite right or familiar. Liriano is better than this, and it's a shame that this is the way his age-25 season has gone. The 5.2 innings he's pitched since his return from a "tired arm" have met with the now standard mixed results: striking out four over two scoreless, and then two other appearances that were largely good barring a couple of walks and extra base hits. Today his job is to keep the Royals close enough for the offense to either chip away at the Royals' Ace or to keep them in a position to attack once His Greinkness is out of the game. It's another shot for Liriano, and should be succeed we'll all be wondering where "this Liriano" has been most of the season. I want to have to ask that question.
Just a couple years ago, the Royals seemed ready to run Greinke out of town on a rail, thanks in no small part to their manager. Now he's becoming who he was always meant to be, in his own age-25 season. He's a massive strikeout threat, doesn't walk anybody, has a ridiculously low home run rate, and his fastball-slider combination has been nothing shy of phenominal. As a baseball fan I'm very much looking forward to seeing this guy pitch, but as a Twins fan I'm just hoping he has an off day.
Lineups
Twins
Denard Span, CF
Orlando Cabrera, SS
Joe Mauer, DH
Jason Kubel, RF
Michael Cuddyer, 1B
Delmon Young, LF
Jose Morales, C
Matt Tolbert, 3B
Nick Punto, 2B
Royals
Willie Bloomquist, LF
Mitch Maier, CF
Billy Butler, 1B
Brayan Pena, DH
Alberto Callaspo, 3B
Miguel Olivo, C
Mark Teahen, RF
Yuniesky Betancourt, SS
Luis Hernandez, 2B