It's kind of hard to believe that there are, more or less, only three weeks left of the season. If the Twins can go 11-12 the rest of the year, starting today, I'd be exceptionally happy. That would mean a 68-win season, which is ten or twelve fewer than I anticipated at the start of the summer but still five games better than they were in 2011.
The bad news is that 68 wins still likely means the worst record in the American League. The good news is that 68 wins means the Twins would still draft third or fourth overall next June. Even if it isn't a deep draft, having more options available can only be a good thing.
I digress. Onto today's game!
Indians: Choo (RF), Kipnis (2B), Cabrera (DH), Brantley (CF), Santana (1B), Canzler (LF), Lillibridge (SS), Donald (3B), Marson (C)
Twins: Revere (CF), Carroll (2B), Mauer (DH), Morneau (1B), Doumit (C), Parmelee (RF), Mastroianni (LF), Escobar (3B), Florimon (SS)
Vasquez got beat up his first time around. His fastball had some sink but was, on average, two miles per hour slower than his typical fastball. He threw a bunch of changeups, which didn't really help because the fastball wasn't working. In the end he only stranded half of his base runners. That's a tough equation to fix for a win. The sinker needs to sink today. That'll be a good start.
Kluber is a 26-year old righty getting his second cup of coffee with the Tribe. He's actually more of a ground ball pitcher, in spite of a home run rate that's a little high for a guy about to cross the 36-inning threshold. Small sample size though, and a strong afternoon would put him back in good stead.
He has a decent fastball that averages a shade under 93mph, complimenting it with a pair of breaking balls and his best pitch: the changeup, which averages about 84mph. If the Twins are overly aggressive today, he can miss bats and could end up with a big day. Minnesota needs to wait for their pitch. They'll get it.