Five series into the season, and the Minnesota Twins have won all five. Last weekend, the Twins took two of three against the Royals, and we hope to do (at least) the same this weekend. For the Twins (5-2 away from home), it's the start of a nine game intradivision road trip to Kansas City (3 games), Detroit (2 games) and Cleveland (4 games). The Royals are coming off a nine game road trip in which they went a respectable 4-5 against Detroit, Minnesota and Toronto. Now they return home, where they are 2-4.
The story of last weekend was the base on balls. Over the three games, the Royals outhit (34-28) and out homered (5-2) the Twins, plus they played stellar defense, especially in the outfield. But the Royals pitchers walked an astounding 22 Twins batters compared to only 4 walks allowed by Twins pitchers. That was the difference in the series.
Pitchers, lineups and notes follow after the jump.
Pitchers
Three starts into the season, Carl Pavano has had two stellar starts (13 IP, 10 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 10 SO) and one clunker (3.1 IP, 11 H, 7 R). Unfortunately for tonight, that clunker came last Sunday against the Royals. After two scoreless innings, the Royals pounded Pavano all over the place, batting around in the third and hitting two doubles and a single in the fourth. And it wasn't as if the Royals were hitting tough "pitchers pitches". Pretty much every pitch in that third inning was belt high over the middle of the plate. And when Pavano, or pretty much any pitcher who doesn't have "ace" stuff, does that, he's going to get pounded. Hopefully tonight will be a different story.
After starting the season on the DL with bursitis in his right shoulder, Gil Meche has struggled in his first two starts, giving up 12 earned runs, 15 hits and 7 walks in only 9.1 innings. Last Saturday, the Twins touched Meche for 5 runs over six innings, but all of those runs came during a five hit, five run second inning. Other than that one meltdown, Meche was pretty good, allowing only two hits and two walks over the other five innings. So which Meche will show up?