Alright, dudes, we have some work to do real quick-like if the Twins are going to have a winning record by the time Beau gets back. That should be no problem against the Rangers today, right?
Neftali Feliz has been closing for the Rangers since shortly after his career started, and they made the correct but all-too-rare move to take this great young pitcher and make a starter out of him, maximizing his usefulness. He pitched seven scoreless innings last week, giving up four hits and two walks while striking out four.
Aussie Liam Hendriks is 23 just like Feliz, so they've got that in common, at least. Hendriks started four games last year, pitching 23.1 innings, striking out 16 while walking 6. His ERA in the small sample was 6.17 while his peripheral numbers were much, much better. His K rates in the minors make him a promising pitcher while his BB rates should also make him a favorite of the Twins' brass. The strikeouts dropped a little when he hit AAA, but the walk rate stayed absurdly low (three walks in 49 innings). He doesn't throw very hard, either, so the guy's a Twin through and through.
So, why did I not know just how good this guy was in the minors? Is it because his name makes him sound like an insurance adjuster or something? Well, for whatever reason, I'd forgotten the guy had such promise, and now I've talked myself into being excited for this game. Now just don't remind me that he'll be facing the Texas lineup.
Twins v. Indians