TV: FS-N
Radio: 1500 ESPN
First Pitch: 7:10
The Seattle Mariners come to Minnesota tonight for the first of a 4 game tilt. It's Felix "Mr. Perfect" Hernandez facing off against Liam Hendriks.
Felix Hernandez is very good at baseball. Especially against the Twins. The Twins collectively have a .211 batting average and a .694 OPS against him. So, there's that.
Felix Hernandez has just been Felix Hernandez this season. He's just decimated the opposition. He had a perfect game against the Tampa Bay Rays (like Buerhle and Braden) just two starts ago, and in his last start he threw 7.2 innings of shutout ball, striking out 5 along the way. He hasn't gone fewer than 7 innings since July 3rd.
Liam Hendriks last start was August 22nd against the Oakland Athletics. He threw 97 pitches 5 innings. He faced 23 batters in those 5 innings. That's almost 5 batters an inning. Hendriks hasn't pitched well in the majors at all this season. He's been dominant in the minors though, and that has to come through at some time. Lineups after the jump.
TWINS
Span CF
Revere RF
Mauer C
Willingham DH
Mauer 1B
Doumit LF
Plouffe 3B
Jamey Carroll 2B
Pedro Florimon SS
MARINERS
Ackley 2B
Gutierrez CF
Seager 3B
Montero DH
Jaso C
Smoak 1B
Thames RF
Robinson LF
Ryan SS