With just two weeks left before Opening Day, it’s time for us here at Knuckleballs to have a little Spring Training of our own. Let’s find out if the GameChat widget is ready for the new season, shall we?
The Twins lineup today looks will be facing off against former Twins pitcher Kevin Slowey, who’s on the mound for Miami. I can’t say I recognize much of anyone else in the Marlins’ lineup. Maybe none of their regulars made the trip or maybe these are their regulars and I just have no idea who they are.
The Twins, on the other hand, are sending out a group that is perhaps pretty close to what we might see on Opening Day, with 2-3 possible exceptions.
With Darin Mastroianni sent to minor league camp this morning, I think the Twins signaled that Aaron Hicks will be their starting CF, rather than Alex Presley. But other than that, I think today’s lineup could easily be what we see when the Twins open up against the White Sox in Chicago.
I know people still think Jason Kubel hasn’t shown enough this spring to earn the DH job and I can’t argue that he has, but he’s going to get every opportunity to seal the deal over the next two weeks.
I’m sure the Twins are still hoping Pedro Florimon will be ready by Opening Day, but if he’s not, today’s shortstop, Eduardo Escobar, is likely to be the guy there.
Here are today’s lineups:
| MARLINS |
@ |
TWINS |
| Solano, D, SS | Presley, CF | |
| Brantly, C | Dozier, 2B | |
| Baker, Je, 3B | Mauer, 1B | |
| Ozuna, LF | Willingham, LF | |
| Wigginton, 1B | Kubel, DH | |
| Bogusevic, CF | Plouffe, 3B | |
| Johnson, R, RF | Arcia, O, RF | |
| Riddle, DH | Suzuki, K, C | |
| Harbin, 2B | Escobar, E, SS | |
| _Slowey, P | _Nolasco, P |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
| Miami | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 1 |
| Minnesota | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | x | 4 | 9 | 0 |
Nice win for the Twins.
Ricky Nolasco had to work a bit too hard to get through five innings, maybe, but his last couple innings were efficient enough and all of the relief pitchers (Thielbar, Perkins, Burton and Guerra) looked good.
Trevor Plouffe and Oswaldo Arcia each had a pair of hits to lead the offense. It still looks far from potent, but they outscored the other guys and that’s what the game is about.
Monday is a night game against the Orioles up in Sarasota.