First Pitch: 7:10pm CDT
TV: FSN North
Radio: Twins Radio Network
Know Thine Enemy: South Side Sox
Ozzie Guillen and the Chicago White Sox visit Target Field for the first time tonight, beginning a short two game midweek series against the AL Central Division leading Minnesota Twins. Over the past few years, especially during Guillen's tenure as White Sox manager, Chicago had a great deal of trouble winning games in the Metrodome, losing 15 of 18 games over the past two seasons. Let's hope the White Sox problem is psychological due to playing in Minneapolis rather than specific to the Metrodome.
The Twins come in leading the AL Central by three games over the Detroit Tigers and eight games over the White Sox, winning 7 of their last 10 games and sporting a 6-3 record in the month of May. The White Sox come in 4-6 in their last 10 games, having lost 3 of 4 at home against the Toronto Blue Jays. Chicagohas struggled offensively this season, batting an AL low .228 as a team, but as in previous years the White Sox score runs with the long ball, their 43 team home runs are tied for second in the AL.
Lineups, starting pitchers and notes follow after the jump.
Starting Pitchers
Kevin Slowey has been consistent this season, giving up no more than four runs in any of his six starts, and he's got a 4-2 record to show for it. His command hasn't quite been where we've seen in the past few years, as his 2.88 walks per nine innings is nearly twice is career average of 1.56. The slip in command has prevented Slowey from pitching deep into ballgames, as he's failed to get through the sixth inning in any of his last three starts. From a pitch by pitch standpoint, Slowey is throwing 66% of his pitches for strikes versus 68%, so it does not appear Slowey's ability to throw strikes is the problem, he's just not finishing batters off as early, which runs up the count. This is Kevin's first start against the White Sox this season.
Freddy Garcia pitched a very good game against the Twins in April, giving up two runs and three hits over seven innings in a 2-1 loss. And other than a 3 inning 7 run blow-up in Toronto, his performances have looked fairly similar to Slowey's this season. Garcia does not have a same mid-90s fastball we saw in 2002, he now throws in the mid to upper 80s and throws as many sliders and changeups as fastballs these days.
Game Notes:
- Gardy expects Mauer to be available to catch today after DHing on Sunday.
- Joe C reports that J.J. Hardy has been placed on the DL with a left wrist contusion. Matt Tolbert has been recalled from Rochester and is expected to be with the team tonight. I imagine we'll see Harris-Punto-Hudson in the infield, with Tolbert and Casilla as bench options.
- Kyle Gibson has been promoted to AA New Britain. We're moving him quickly, as we are doing with Deolis Guerra, now the youngest pitcher in the International League.
- LEN III thinks the Twins will replace Wilson Ramos with a pitcher to give us 12 when we head to the east coast later this week.