Red Sox vs Twins coverage
First Pitch: 12:10 pm CST
TV: FSNorth
Radio: TRN
Know Thine Enemy: Over the Monster
The Twins are set to play their second game at Target Field this afternoon, and while rain is in the forecast it's not expected to start until 3 or 4, so we should get this one in. That's good news for me, as I'm planning on cutting out of work around 11 and heading down to the stadium.
The Twins currently sit at 6-2 and have thus far been terrorizing the league with quality starting pitching, a surprisingly effective bullpen and a kick-ass offense. They soundly dispatched the Red Sox on Monday in the Target Field opener, so one would figure that Boston will be looking to come back with a vengeance this afternoon. The pitching match-up should be a good one:
Lackey, Boston's marquis offseason acquisition, got his season off to a strong start last week when he held the Yankees scoreless over six innings of three-hit ball. If there's one nit to pick from Lackey's first start, it's that his control wasn't great -- he issued two walks and threw just 58 of his 100 pitches for strikes. This Twins lineup did a great job of forcing Jon Lester to throw a ton of pitches early on Monday, and they should be looking to implement a similar strategy today against Lackey.
Much like Lackey, Slowey achieved very good results in his first start despite not necessarily being on top of his game. The right-hander tossed seven innings of one-run ball against the Angels, notching a victory, but whiffed only three hitters while getting 15 fly ball outs. Against Boston's powerful lineup on a warm day in Target Field, Slowey could be in trouble if he keeps letting hitters put the ball in the air.
Lineups will be added below the fold as soon as they're available. Enjoy the day game, everybody. I'll be thinking of you while I sip a beer under the sun. (Hopefully.)