Twins at Orioles
The Minnesota Twins are counting on the kids to anchor the lineup while the Baltimore Orioles went heavy on veteran sluggers in the offseason to try to keep pace in the American League East. Each team will get a look at its strategy in action when they Orioles host the Twins on Monday in the season opener.
Minnesota spent years building up an enviable farm system and started to get a peek at some of the best prospects in the bunch when Miguel Sano made an impressive debut last season and center fielder Byron Buxton showed off briefly before getting hurt. Buxton, 22, who was the top prospect in baseball entering last season, has been given the opening day job in center field and will be flanked by Sano (22) in right and Eddie Rosario (24) in left. Baltimore brought back first baseman Chris Davis with a seven-year, $161 million contract, traded for Mark Trumbo and signed free agent Pedro Alvarez to a one-year deal to give them a trio of defensively-challenged sluggers for the middle of the lineup. Those three will make up the first base, right field and designated hitter slots while the pitchers try to keep any balls in play going toward standout defenders like Manny Machado, Adam Jones and J.J. Hardy.
TV: 3:05 p.m. ET, FSN North (Minnesota), MASN (Baltimore)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Twins RH Ervin Santana (2015: 7-5, 4.00 ERA) vs. Orioles RH Chris Tillman (2015: 11-11, 4.99)
Santana is making his first career opening day start after sitting out the first 80 games last year due to a PED suspension. The 33-year-old Dominican went 5-1 with a 1.62 ERA over his final seven starts last season and earned the opening day nod with a solid spring. “It's an honor,” Santana told the Twins’ official website. “I'm very happy for that. I'm just going to try to take it as a normal game and try not to do too much.”
Tillman is making his third straight opening day start and hoping to bounce back from a down 2015 campaign. The California native posted a combined 3.52 ERA in 2013 and 2014 while throwing over 200 innings in each season but got off to a rough start in 2015 and was carrying a 6.22 ERA as late as June 21 before gradually improving over the course of the second half. "Collectively, it's important for all of us to pitch well on the night that we get the ball," Tillman told reporters. "Opening Day is important because it's the first game of the new season and everyone's excited - it's a whole new opportunity - but I think baseball is good in the fact that we do have 162 games, so we have plenty of starts to show up for."
WALK-OFFS
1. The Orioles released RHP Miguel Gonzalez and RHP Kevin Gausman (shoulder) will begin the season on the DL.
2. Korean 1B Byung Ho Park signed a four-year, $12 million deal after Minnesota won his negotiating rights and will serve as the team’s DH after a strong spring.
3. Baltimore OF Hyun Soo Kim, who signed a two-year, $7 million deal out of Korea in the offseason, refused to accept a minor league assignment and will serve as an extra outfielder.