First Pitch: 2:07 pm CDT

TV: Bally Sports North / ~ / Radio: TIBN

It doesn’t seem to be getting any easier for YOUR Minnesota Twins, who at points this week were leading a division that, given even the slightest re-alignment, would otherwise be led by any American League team not named the Oakland A’s. This means that any and all intra-division matchups will find the Twins facing a team better, more proven, and more consistent than themselves.

It also means that Minnesota has ample opportunity to flip the script and start proving themselves against the AL’s playoff-contention crop, but so far that hasn’t happened. Coming off a three-game sweep in Florida, the Twins won a thriller Friday, and will now have to lean on Joe Ryan to prove that their series-opening win wasn't just a trick of the light.

To this point, Ryan has had the best season of his young three-year career. Entering today’s game, he’s posted a 153 ERA+, a 5.71 K/BB ratio (including 80 strikeouts in just over 70 innings) and is making one of the strongest All-Star cases on Minnesota’s roster.

A 12-15 May slump has spun right into an uneven mark in June. It's time to keep flipping the script.

GO TWINS GO!