First Pitch: 7:10 PM CDT
TV: FSN
Radio: Twins Radio Network
Know Thine Enemy: DRays Bay
I don't want to freak anyone out, but if Pavano can pick up a win tonight he'll be on pace for a 20-win season. For real. So get down with the 'Stache, people. And after every strikeout, throw a pack of Lucky Strikes onto the field.
Niemann throws a very good moving fastball in the low 90s, and a handful of complimentary pitches including a slider and sinker in the mid 80s and a breaking ball in the upper 70s. Other than that, I'll let Steve from DRays Bay tell you what you need to know about tonight's stud starter from Tampa:
Niemann is about as boring a pitcher as you can find. He works slow and doesn't have overpowering stuff, making it very difficult to stay awake watching him sometimes. He has a wide repertoire of pitches - two-seam fastball, four-seam fastball, slider, curve, change-up, and he sometimes flashes a cutter or sinker - all of which he can locate and all of which are effective to some degree or another. He strikes out some hitters (6.34 K/9), walks very few (2.54 BB/9), and gets an above-average number of groundballs (44.6%). He's nothing terribly special, but he's been consistently decent and that's nothing to shake your head at.
Rays
Zobrist, CF
Crawford, LF
Longoria, 3B
Pena, 1B
Joyce, RF
Jaso, C
Aybar, DH
Rodriquez, 2B
Bartlett, SS
Span, CF
Hudson, 2B
Mauer, C
Morneau, 1B
Kubel, RF
Cuddyer, 3B
Thome, DH
Young, LF
Punto, SS