Here we go! Can the Twins pull off a tie for third place today?
Twins: Span (CF), Revere (RF), Mauer (1B), Willingham (LF), Morneau (DH), Doumit (C), Nishioka (2B), Dozier (SS), Casilla (3B)
Indians: Kipnis (2B), Cabrera (SS), Choo (RF), Santana (DH), Brantley (CF), Duncan (LF), Marson (C), Kotchman (1B), Lillibridge (3B)
Two starts ago the Twins lit up Masterson for 8 runs over 5.2 innings. Familiarity breeds...familiarity, I guess. The Twins know exactly what Justin has to offer, and it's likely that he knows a few of the Minnesota hitters pretty well, too. Here's hoping for a repeat of Masterson's July 28 performance.
Watching Duensing pitch in Fenway Park last Friday, it was as close to a playoff atmosphere as this team might get. He was in a hole early, then settled down and shut the Sox out as his offense caught up and eventually won in extra innings. It was a fantastic game, and in spite of his peripherals it's sometimes hard to not have faith in Duensing. Here's hoping he can fare much better than he did against a far more dangerous lineup in Boston last week.