Game 2: Twins at Orioles

First Pitch: 6:05 PM CTTV: FSNRadio: WCCO 830, TIBNKnow Thine Enemy: Camden Chat

Baseball is back -- again!

After waiting nearly six full months for a meaningful Twins game, we enjoyed a thrilling heartbreaker of an Opening Day contest, then were immediately treated to a day off. I suppose they're trying to ease us back into the whole "baseball every day" thing so we don't get burned out too quickly. Personally, I'm not feeling the effects yet, and I've watched three games that went a combined 41 innings this weekend.

Today's matchup features Kyle Gibson going for the Twins, and free agency acquisition Andrew Cashner making the start for the Orioles.

This season marks Gibson's sixth year in a Twins uniform, and we still never quite know what to expect when he takes the mound. Much was made of Gibby's demotion and subsequent late-season surge in 2017; the now-30-year-old starter posted a 3.57 ERA and 64 strikeouts in his last 70.2 innings of the season, and the Twins won 10 of his final 12 starts en route to a berth in the Wild Card Game. If Gibson can pick up where he left off from last year, it would be a serious boon for an already-improved Minnesota rotation. But who knows? He might just end up with an ERA of exactly 5.07 for the third consecutive season.

Cashner made 28 starts for the Texas Rangers last season, and his 3.40 ERA was his best since 2014. However, his strikeout rate cratered down to 4.6 K/9, he had the lowest swinging strike percentage (6.1%) of anybody with at least 150 IP, and his FIP was more than a full run above his earned run average. Despite this, Baltimore elected to give Cashner a two-year contract this offseason, with a vesting option for 2020 if the 31-year-old is able to throw 340 innings over the next two years. (He threw 298.2 in his last two.) Cashner throws a low-90s fastball and utilizes a pretty even mix of slider, curve, and change.

Ehire Adrianza will get the start at short tonight as Minnesota attempts to even the opening set at a game apiece ahead of tomorrow's Easter Sunday finale.

GO TWINS GO!!!