Game 94: Mets at Twins

First Pitch: 12:10p Central
Television: FOX Sports North; fubo.tv (subscription)
Radio: WCCO 830 AM, Treasure Island Baseball Network
Know Thine Enemy: Amazin’ Avenue

After last night’s close loss, the Minnesota Twins look to salvage this series by winning today and getting another series split with the New York Mets. A loss today would put the team in a three-game losing streak for the first time this season, which will result in every Minnesota Twins sports fan, hardcore and bandwagon alike, to spiral into a mid-life crisis, no matter what age they are, therefore boosting the economy before the fans come back down to earth.

The Metropolitans will rely on another lefty on the mound for today’s matinee. Jason Vargas, who looks as if he will run a local pizzeria joint starting in his 40s until his death, faced the Twins in the ninth inning of that 14-8 win earlier this season (you know the one where Chase De Jong decided he just wanted to drag the game out forever by giving up hit after walk after run?), giving up four hits and four earned runs in one inning of work. He’s okay overall this season, putting up a 4.23 ERA over 76.2 innings of work. He’s about average with the league (ERA+ of 96), but his his per-nine ratios look favorable to the Twins: 8.1 H/9, 1.3 HR/9, 3.6 BB/9, 7.5 K/9. He’s faced the Twins plenty during his time in the American League as he was with Kansas City for a few years, and he has an 8-4 record with a 3.80 ERA across 18 starts and two relief appearances.

The Twins are relying on a lefty of their own in Martin Perez. who looks 30 years younger without facial hair, pitched in the series against the Mets earlier this year as well. Out of the bullpen, he went two innings, giving up three hits and three earned runs. On the season, he’s pitched to an ERA of 4.26 (ERA+ 107), and has the best HR/9 in the league right now at 0.7. How cool is that?

No Jonathan Schoop in the lineup for Minnesota today, as expected:

TRIVIA: Former Twins manager Ron Gardenhire played for the Mets in his time in the majors and hit four homers - two homers each against two teams. Which teams were they against? (Don’t look it up! NO CHEATING!)

GO TWINS GO