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.
George Kirby
vs
Chris Paddack
Kirby is very good and an ideal for anyone that loathes walks. He had a Silvaesque 19 walks over 190 ⅔ innings last season. This year is more of the same with four walks in his 38 ⅓ innings. He's striking out a bit more than last year and also surrendered a mere two home runs.
Day game alert!
Bailey Ober
vs
Chris Flexen
The Twins lost a few too many to start the season for a proper 162-0 season but I am convinced of their effort over the past week to instead finish at 149-13.
Game in progress, Twins down 1-0.
Garret Crochet
vs
Joe Ryan
The 2023 Oakland Athletics got their fourth win on game 20 and by game 23 were 5-18. They scored 81 runs in their first 22 games (3.7 runs/G) while the White Sox have scored 50 (2.3 R/G). If the 2024 White Sox have one thing going for them compared to last season's Athletics, it's the 129 runs allowed through 22 games compared to the 178 runs allowed for the Athletics.
Crochet strikes out a lot of batters, doesn't walk many, and gives up a few too many home runs but everything else is good enough for his 3.86 FIP. His current ERA of 5.61 comes from being shelled in his last two games. The Twins need to study the Phillies game and repeat that for today.
