The Minnesota Twins have to know that they should have won their game against the Seattle Mariners on Monday night. Minnesota took a 7-4 lead into the top of the eighth inning, only to watch the multi-multi-million dollar combination of Joe Nathan and Matt Capps not get anybody out when it mattered and fall 8-7 to Seattle in ten innings at Target Field.
The Mariners have now won six consecutive games, and will try to make it seven tonight against a Twins team that has dropped its last four contests. First pitch this evening is scheduled for 7:10 PM Central time.
The Mariners will send hard-luck righty Doug Fister (2-4, 2.93 ERA) to the mound this evening. Fister has gone eight innings in both of his last two starts, but has not registered a victory either time out. In his last start, he gave up a run on six hits to the Los Angeles Angels, but did not factor in the decision in a game Seattle wound up winning 2-1.
The Twins will counter with right-hander Nick Blackburn (3-4, 3.40 ERA), who has been pitching quite well himself as of late. In his last start, Blackburn allowed just five hits and one run in seven innings of work in Oakland, as the Twins defeated the Athletics 11-1. Overall, Blackburn is 2-0 with an ERA of just 1.63 in four starts during the month of May.
Neither Michael Cuddyer nor Trevor Plouffe is in the lineup for the Twins today. Cuddyer left Monday night's game with an injury, and Plouffe made a couple of mental mistakes in the field that have gotten Ron Gardenhire to move him temporarily to the bench.
If you're going to be watching the game, be sure to check out the Game Thread from our good friends over at Twinkie Town, and head back here for your recap.