Game 144: Twins at Yankees

First Pitch: 1:05 pm CDT

TV: Bally Sports North

Radio: WCCO 830, Audacy, The Wolf 102.9 FM, TIBN

Know Thine Enemy: Pinstripe Alley

The Twins play another allegedly rare Monday day game today, using up their scheduled off day to play a make up against the villainous Yankees.

Coming off a rough series against Kansas City, John Gant will look to right the ship on the mound for the Twins today. Gant has been solid since coming to the Twins in the J.A. Happ trade, although he has been more effective in his relief appearances than in starts. On the other hand, last time out he hurled 5.0 scoreless, 3-hit innings, so perhaps he’s figuring things out on the starting end.

Starting for the Yankees is the young Luis Gil, who looks like he may follow in Aaron Hicks’s footsteps and haunt the Twins for years to come. Gil was an unheralded prospect when he was swapped for Jake Cave. Gil has only four big-league starts under his belt. He has 24 strikeouts in 19.0 innings pitched, and his ERA is sitting at 1.42. I will now pause while you and I take a minute to vomit.

Alright, and we’re back.

The Yankees have been struggling lately since ripping off 13 wins in a row. They’ve dropped 12 of 15 since then, and old foe Francisco Lindor humiliated them in a chippy Mets win yesterday. They briefly held sole possession of the first Wild Card spot, but are now 1 game back from the Red Sox and Blue Jays, who are tied and so occupy both WC spots. Today is a good chance for the Twins to play spoiler for another team that’s in the playoff hunt, and it would be especially sweet to do it to the Yankees in their joke of a ballpark.

And for the Twins’ season aspirations? They clinched less than 100 losses for the 5th consecutive year with their win against Kansas City on Saturday - it is the 58th time in 60 years that the Twins have accomplished this feat. Impressive stuff.

Lineups!