First Pitch: 12:05 pm CDT

TV: Bally Sports North / ~ / Radio: TIBN

If Minnesota’s April pitching wasn’t enough to make you think, “this team might be different,” perhaps a pair of exhilarating wins in the Bronx have changed your mind.

After routing New York by an 11-2 final on Thursday, the Twins picked up Louie Varland with a thrilling come-from-behind victory last night. Now, trade acquisition Tyler Mahle will look to keep the line moving in what’s already been a rousing success: it’s the Twins’ first trip to the Bronx without losing the series since 2014.

Moreover, the Twins today re-activated Max Kepler from the injured list, moving the depth slider back up by a couple of ticks.

Joey Gallo is also on the mend, and he will likely re-join the team in Boston on Wednesday (presumably so that Kyle Garlick can make a Tuesday start against Chris Sale.)

But, we get ahead of ourselves. The lineups!

They don’t call them the Bronx Bombers for nothing. The Yankee order is topped with red-hot hitters who are stinging the ball at a league-best rate. Things fall off a bit after Giancarlo Stanton, but there are few holes in the lineup, and even number-nine hitter Anthony Volpe is a top prospect leaguewide who homered just last night.

The Twins will rock with Edouard Julien at the top of the lineup again, with both Carlos Correa and Byron Buxton still in the lineup together this afternoon. Donnie Bats sandwiches nicely into the back half, and Michael A. Tater will vie for a couple more bombs before he departs this bandbox.

Finally, April 15th is, of course, Jackie Robinson Day. The league will honor one of American history’s most legendary figures with the usual commemorative #42 jerseys sported by every player on the field today.

It’s also the 50th anniversary of the Jackie Robinson Foundation, the organization established by Mrs. Rachel Robinson, Jackie’s widow (although I would be loathe not to mention her laundry list of personal accolades, which include being the director of the Connecticut Mental Health Center and a faculty member at Yale.) What’s perhaps most impressive is that this woman is still alive and kicking, polishing her Congressional Gold Medal and looking ahead to her 101st birthday this summer.

As always, this should be a fun and special day of ballgames.

GO TWINS GO!