First Pitch: 7:10 PM CDT
TV: FSN
Radio: Twins Radio Network
Know Thine Enemy: Royals Review
There's somewhere around 53 hours to go in this season, give or take a few Wednesday night innings. Management's treating this like extended spring training, most of the roster checked out a month ago, and any fans that show up at Target Field this week probably won't remember a thing about the games. It's a little bit like a Saints game out there right now; you go to have a few drinks and admire the scenery and talk to your neighbor, and if you happen to see a little bit of baseball in the meantime, so much the better.
Poor Kevin Slowey. He was a candidate to be in the rotation this spring, and then he didn't make it and couldn't or didn't want to hack it in the bullpen and then his year fell absolutely apart. Now he's made seven starts in August and September and managed to lose every single one of them. In five of them he was terrible, but in the middle he threw two quality starts - seven innings, two runs both times - and the Twins lost 4-1 and 3-0.
This may very well be his last-ever start in a Twins uniform, so be nice. Go down near the dugout and shout something to him about classics, or maybe about a new band that you and he have heard of but that hasn't gone mainstream and sold out yet. Just do something to show you appreciate him. Even though he's got a 6.54 ERA.
Knowing that Felipe Paulino is not a rookie will put you ahead of 95% of Twins fans. On September 10th, he pitched his best game of the year against the Mariners, striking out eleven and giving up just a pair of solo homers in seven innings. Frankly, if the Twins get as far as the solo homers, I'll be impressed.