David Festa
vs
Jordan Montgomery
Afternoon game alert! Top pitching prospect debut alert!
True first half of the season ends today and David Festa makes his long awaited debut. Festa should make two or three more starts until Paddack comes off the IL so I'm really curious how these few games will go.
Simeon Woods Richardson
vs
Ryne Nelson
Late game for the West Coasters or night owls.
Taj Bradley
vs
Joe Ryan
Twins best starter by ERA and innings pitched looks to continue the winning streak. The Twins lead the Royals by a single game and since they now get to play the A's, the Twins need to keep racking up wins against the middling opponents too.
Doubleheader day in progress.
Day game:
JP Sears
vs
Bailey Ober
Night game:
Joey Estes
vs
Chris Paddack
Austin Gomber
vs
Pablo López
Day game alert!
I don't think I've heard of Austin Gomber before. This being his fourth season in Colorado along with his 98 ERA+ mostly explains that. His best season by ERA so far but not by FIP. Nothing that remarkable about him but he is a lefty and an unheralded draft pick from the fourth round in 2014. He could be this generation's Jeremy.
Chris Paddack
vs
Carlos Rodón
Another Twins-Yankees game. The Twins are 0-4 so far this season. That means they are due for a win.
Seth Lugo
vs
Bailey Ober
30-24 in 54 games is a 90-72 team. That's three wins better than last season but I'm not sure that's enough to win the suddenly competitive division this season. The #1, #4, and #5 records, by winning percentage in the AL, are in the ALC right now. Expanded postseason gives the Twins the final wild card but it's a tenuous position.
Attempting to improve that situation is Ober who was knocked out in the second inning of his March 31 start against the Royals. Now two of his earned runs happened after he left but it was still 6-0 before that. His opponent, Lugo, was scoreless over his six innings the day before with the Twins scoring five after he left to get the win. While the result was good, the way to get there doesn't seem repeatable.
Simeon Woods Richardson
vs
Jake Irvin
Day game alert!
Skid over, helped in no small part by facing one of the worst starting pitchers. Irvin is not that as he's slightly above average in his second season. Nothing stands out about him so either the Twins are going to knock him around or he's going to pitch deep into the game.
Marcus Stroman
vs
Pablo López
López takes the mound to cleanse the palate of last night's Minnesota sports.
Opposite him is Stroman with an average ERA this season but a well below average FIP. He both walks too many and gives up too many home runs. Maybe the Twins can get a few of those in the right order and manage more than a single home run.
Logan Gilbert
vs
Pablo López
Game in progress with the Twins up 5-0 early.
