Game 138: Twins at Red Sox

First Pitch: 6:10p Central
Television: FOX Sports North; MLB Network (out-of-marketers); fubo.tv (subscription)
Radio (English): WCCO 830 AM, Treasure Island Baseball Network
Radio (Spanish): twinsbeisbol.com
Know Thine Enemy: Over the Monster

The Minnesota Twins come off of a couple of good series: a sweep of the Chicago White Sox in the Windy City followed by taking three of four games from the Detroit Tigers in the Motor City. Now the Bomba Squad is in Beantown to take on the Boston Red Sox in a three-game mid-week set before heading home and facing the Cleveland Indians.

The Red Sox will trot out 20-year-old Rick Porcello to start tonight’s game. Porcello, a mainstay in the Boston rotation for now five years, is facing a pretty rough season like much of the rotation. He currently has a 5.42 ERA through 27 starts and 149.1 innings with a 4.82 FIP. His 7.1 K/9 this season is the lowest it’s been since his last season pitching with Detroit in 2014 while his 2.5 BB/9 is currently his career high. A 10.2 H/9, 1.6 HR/9, and 1.413 WHIP does not add positivity to the rest of his statistics. He faced this Minnesota team in mid-June, finishing 7.0 IP, 4 H, 1 BB, 8 K and earning the W as the Twins fell 2-0 at Target Field. Although he’s gone 6-3 since the All-Star Break, his ERA is an unhealthy 5.62, and batters are hitting .282/.321/.529 off of him while allowing 11 homers during that time.

The Twins will counter with Randy Dobnak, who will make his first major-league start of his career. He’s made three appearances out of the ‘pen for Minnesota, the last time being a one-inning show during the loss to Detroit on Saturday. Overall, his ERA is clean, he’s allowed 13 hits and two unearned runs, and has struck out six. In the past week, he’s thrown 70 pitches between two appearances, so I’m guessing Rocco Baldelli will rely on this mustachioed man to work two to three innings before relying on the 5000 bullpen arms he has in his arsenal to make it through the rest of the game.

Here’s some Boston since the Twins are in Boston. GET IT?

GO TWIMS GO