Game 149: Twins at Blue Jays

First Pitch: 2:07 pm CDT

TV: Bally Sports North / MLB.TV Free Game of the Day (blackouts apply)

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

You’ll have to wait a little longer for Minnesota’s first-ever duel against Jose Berrios, but if last night’s game was any indication, the waiting might be just as fun as the hotly-anticipated Sunday matchup.

On the back of the bomba, the Twins won 7-3 in the series opener, and they’ll try to keep the same energy going to prop up Bailey Ober this afternoon. Ober’s decidedly respectable rookie season continues, with no real blow-up starts yet on his ledger, and his strict pitch limit keeping opposing lineups from getting too comfortable with his arsenal. Given that the Twins haven’t faced Toronto until this weekend, this will be the formidable Blue Jays lineup’s first crack at the tall righty.

And speaking of tall righties, today’s Blue Jay starter is a left-hander of average-ish height for a professional sports player. He’s Steven Matz, and he’s ready for action. Matz looks a lot more like his younger self these days; after steadily slipping through the tail-end of his Mets career, he’s putting up numbers much more in line with his offerings from back when New York was winning pennants.

Now 30 years old, Matz has the look of a solid number-three behind Robbie Ray and Berrios (although Alek Manoah is coming for that crown.) He’s been a big part of a Toronto rotation that I did not project to be as solid as they’ve been; there are plenty of holes in their pitching department, but I was not sold that the big arms would be doing enough to support their electric young lineup. That assessment is just one of the many reasons why I have not yet been hired to run Major League Baseball.

GO TWINS GO!