Notebook 9/15: Bounce Back Against Chicago

Monday's Game One Recap:

Twins Leave 15 Runners On Base

TODAY

Indians @ Twins, 7:10 pm CDT

Twins Starter: Randy Dobnak, HP 3.61 ERA

Dobnak has hit some expected regression over his last three starts. He has allowed at least five earned runs in two of them and he is still struggling to strike guys out. The regression was shown in the numbers all season so this was pretty expected, but the Twins will need him now more than ever against the surging White Sox

Dobnak has faced the Sox one time this year, going all the way back to the first series between the two teams. Dobnak went four shutout innings and the Twins could use five or six like that tonight. The White Sox have perhaps the best offense in baseball so this will be a good test for Dobnak.

White Sox Starter: Dane Dunning, RHP 2.70 ERA

Dunning is a rookie this season and he is the 5th ranked prospect for the White Sox. He has gotten off to an excellent start through four games, striking out 21 hitters in 20 innings. Along with strikeouts, he has also done an excellent job of limiting hard contact. He is in the top 5% for opponent exit velocity.

While Dunning has been very good, his opponents have not been tough. He has faced the Tigers, Pirates and the Royals twice. Not exactly the toughest opponents so hopefully the Twins can come out swinging and put some runs on the board. If it’s anything like last night, well it’ll be frustrating.

Twins Lineup

1. Max Kepler RF

2. Josh Donaldson 3B

3. Jorge Polanco SS

4. Nelson Cruz, DH

5. Eddie Rosario, LF

6. Miguel Sano, 1B

7. Travis Blankenhorn 2B

8. Byron Buxton CF

9. Ryan Jeffers, C

News & Notes:

-The plan for the 2020 playoff bubble was finalized today. There will be neutral site bubbles for each of the playoff series.

-Travis Blankenhorn had his contract purchased and will be with the Minnesota Twins today. The young infielder will get a chance to prove himself.

-The Twins offense was awful last night, leaving fifteen runners on base with 10 walks, four extra base hits, and an OBP over .400. The average runs scored with that criteria is 9.33 runs. The Twins got one.

AROUND THE AL CENTRAL

1. CWS 31-16 (-)

2. MIN 30-19 (2.0 GB)

3. CLE 26-21 (5.0 GB

4. DET 20-26 (10.5 GB)

5. KCR 20-28 (11.5 GB)

See Also:

Can the Twins Trust Taylor Rogers?

7 Games to Decide the Division

Have we Already Seen the Best of Max Kepler?

3 Questions Before the Playoffs?

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