Welcome to Baltimore, where Orioles fans pray for a good baseball team but mostly expect to be sucker punched by their fandom. It doesn't help that the AL East is usually pretty stacked, but there's good news for O's fans: this team could hit 250 home runs. For reference, last year they hit 212 and Toronto jacked 232. So that'll be fun.
We'll get to the ins and outs of the upcoming series in a minute. First, let's just say how fun 2015 was, and that this is how Twins fans have to feel about baseball being back.
Number 12 could not spread his legs any wider. It's not a good look.
Game Details: How can I consume this game?
Game 1: Monday, April 4th
First Pitch: 2:05pm CDT
Probable Pitchers: Ervin Santana vs Chris Tillman
TV: FS-N, MLB.tv
Radio: Go 96.3, La Raza 1400/1470 (Sp), TIBN
Tickets
Game 2: Wednesday, April 6th
First Pitch: 6:05pm CDT
Probable Pitchers: Kyle Gibson vs Yovani Gallardo
TV: FS-N, MLB.tv
Radio: Go 96.3, TIBN
Tickets
Game 3: Thursday, April 7th
First Pitch: 6:05pm CDT
Probable Pitchers: Phil Hughes vs Ubaldo Jimenez
TV: FS-N, MLB Network, MLB.tv
Radio: Go 96.3, TIBN
Tickets
What's new in Baltimore?
Not much. This version of the Orioles is going to look similar to last year's, as the team was able to retain Matt Wieters, Darren O'Day, and Chris Davis, while adding Yovani Gallardo, Mark Trumbo, Pedro Alvarez, Dexter Fowler, and Hyun Soo Kim. The added spend on their three retentions, not to mention their off-season acquisitions, has brought Baltimore's Opening Day payroll to $145.5 million per USA Today Sports. The team lost Wei-Yin Chen and, just this week, Miguel Gonzalez.
That offense is clearly formidable in terms of power. Trumbo and Alvarez are big power, low contact type players, but elsewhere there's Davis, Wieters, Kim, Adam Jones, Manny Machado, J.J. Hardy, and Jonathan Schoop. At least seven of those guys have 20+ home run potential. Baltimore's biggest questions, exacerbated by the absence of Kevin Gausman, will be in the rotation.
In Gausman's absence, the O's starting five look to be the aforementioned Gallardo along with Chris Tillman, Ubaldo Jimenez, Mike Wright, and - I'm just guessing here - Vance Worley, since he's on the active roster. It's a work in progress, which is something Twins fans can understand whole heartedly.
Weather Forecast
Monday - 67 and cloudy with a chance of rain
Wednesday - 55 and partly cloudy
Thursday - 56 and partly cloudy with little chance of rain
Predictions
I'll take the Twins for two of three in this opening series. They'll want to avoid last year's slow start, and hopefully a bit of chillier weather will make it harder for Baltimore's offense to start a home run derby. With aggressive teams like this, it's more important than usual for Twins pitchers to avoid getting too much of the plate.
Myjah will be back in a bit with your game thread. Until then, go Twins go!