Tagged: Homestand Highlights
Homestand Highlights: Orioles, Rangers, White Sox
After a three-game sweep of the Kansas City Royals, the Minnesota Twins return home for a nine-game homestand that will feature three finals in the Metrodome with the Baltimore Orioles, Texas Rangers and Chicago White Sox.
There will be many highlights on the field and goodbyes from the opposing players, but there will also be highlights for the fans at the box offices and gates.
Homestand Highlights: Royals and Indians
After a week long trip that included stops in Cleveland and Detroit, the Minnesota Twins return home and continue their schedule against American League Central rivals. The week long homestand will include series with the Kansas City Royals and Cleveland Indians.
Aside from the on-field highlights ranging from Justin Morneau taking on the Royals, a team he has the most career homeruns against, and Carl Pavano taking on the team that traded him away a week ago, there will be many highlights at the ticket office and Metrodome gates.
| August 11th vs. Royals |
| The Game: The Royals will send righty Kyle Davies (3-8, 6.37) and the Twins will counter with second-year pro, Nick Blackburn (8-6, 3.79). |
| The Tickets: It’s a Pepsi Half-Price Tuesday presented by My29, and you can sit in the Homerun Porch (a $21 ticket) for just $10.50. |
| The Highlight: If you’re going to spend time at the concession stand, you might as well be full doing it. For a $34 ticket, you’ll get not only entry to the game, but you’ll also enjoy all the hot dogs, popcorn, nachos, peanuts, pretzels, fountain pop, and water you can handle. |
| August 12th vs. Royals |
| The Game: Brian Bannister (7-8, 3.78) will take on Francisco Liriano (4-11, 5.63). |
| The Tickets: All students with a valid student ID can purchase a Cheap Seats ticket for only $4. |
| The Highlight: It’s another Hormel Dollar-A-Dog Night and all fans (limit two) can buy hot dogs for just $1. |
| August 13th vs. Royals |
| The Game: In a daytime matchup, Gil Meche (4-9, 4.50) will return from the disabled list to take on either Anthony Swarzak or Brian Duensing. |
| The Tickets: Presented by KQRS FM, with the purchase of a Homerun Porch Ticket or $5 off a Lower Reserved Ticket, fans will receive a free Dome Dog and soft drink. |
| The Highlight: All kids 14 years under will receive a Library Day Poster presented by Lerner Publishing. |
| August 14th vs. Indians |
| The Game: The newly acquired Justin Masterson (3-3, 4.42) will throw between 75 and 80 pitches against Carl Pavano (10-8, 5.09) who will make his second start as a Twin against the team that recently traded him away. |
| The Promotion: It’s a Cub Foods Fantastic Friday, and with the purchase of a Homerun Porch ticket, fans will receive a coupon for a free half-gallon of milk or orange juice from Land O’ Lakes redeemable at a Cub Foods location. |
| The Giveaway: The first 10,000 fans receive a Commemorative Lanyard and Ticket Holder courtesy of MLB2K9. |
| August 15th vs. Indians |
| The Game: David Huff (6-6, 6.72) will take on a Twins team that has given him a 10.24 ERA this season. The Twins will likely counter with Scott Baker in the 3:10 CT game. |
| The Highlight: For $37, fans will get a pass to the Tailgate Party presented by Fox Sports North. The pass includes entry to the barbeque, a Twins cap, and autographs from Twins’ alumni. |
| The Giveaway: The first 5,000 fans 18 and older will receive a Twins Card Wallet courtesy of Spire. |
| August 16th vs. Indians |
| The Game: The Indians pitcher is to be determined, but in the 1:10 CT matchup, the Twins will likely send Nick Blackburn to the hill. |
| The Promotion: It’s Blue Bunny Kids Day, and two kids 14 and under will receive free admission with the purchase of an adult ticket in the Homerun Porch or Cheap Seats. |
| Ride a Bike: All fans who ride their bike to the game, will be able to park their bike for free in a secure bike corral and will receive $5 off a lower reserved or upper club ticket. |
Homestand Highlights: Tigers, Yankees, and Sox
After surviving a tumultuous June schedule that consisted of two long roadtrips and 19 of a total 27 games on the road, the Twins have finally returned to their comfort zone in Minneapolis. For the next ten days, the Twins will remain indoors and continue the countdown of games until outdoor baseball in Minnesota.
Two games above .500 for the first time this season, the Twins will kick off a series with the Detroit Tigers in the first game of a three-series, nine-game homestand. Following the Tigers, the Twins will host the New York Yankees and Chicago White Sox before taking a four-day break while the league’s best head to St. Louis for the All-Star Break.
The homestand may be one of the biggest for the Twins this season as they face their toughest rivals for the division title, Detroit and Chicago. As the Tigers sit atop the American League Central by three games, the Twins have an opportunity to gain ground and momentum to kick off the final stretch before the break.
With a sweep, the Twins could draw even with Detroit and with two victories they could gain one game in the hunt for October. One lone victory will cost the Twins a game in the race, and a sweep would be devastating; doubling the team’s deficit and pushing them six games back.
The Tigers enter as a decent road team (20-24) having played two fewer games than Minnesota this season. They have put up the same record (6-4) as the Twins in the past ten games, and are coming off a loss in Oakland. The Twins will see no Justin Verlander, but following a Major League debut by rookie Lucas French, they’ll face the suddenly great Edwin Jackson (6-4, 2.49) and Rick Porcello (8-5, 3.90).
For the Twins, Kevin Slowey (10-3, 4.41) will look to take over the league lead in victories. Slowey also has one last shot to prove his worthiness of being an All-Star selection. Coming off a strong start in St. Louis that saved his spot in the rotation, Francisco Liriano (4-8, 5.62) will counter Jackson on Saturday. In the series finale on Sunday afternoon, the Twins will send out their surprisingly best starter, Nick Blackburn (6-4, 3.10).
A game one victory will be key for the Twins, and it’ll heighten their chances of gaining ground before weekend’s end.
After the Twins host the Tigers, they’ll take on a team they’ve often struggled to solve, the Yankees. This season the Yankees have had many ups and downs, but entering the weekend, the Bronx Bombers are 45-33 and second in a strong American League East. The Twins will send Scott Baker and Glen Perkins to the hill, and while the third starter remains unknown, the likely candidate is Kevin Slowey.
The only certainty for the Yankees presence on the mound is the former Twin nemesis, C.C. Sabathia.
With three games before the break, the Twins will host the suddenly sharp White Sox. In the last ten games, the White Sox have gone an impressive 8-2. Combined with timely losses by the Tigers, the White Sox have moved into second place and sit 2.5 games back in the Central.
The rotation remains largely uncertain for the final series before the break, but assuming the Twins remain on schedule with one off-day during the homestand, they’ll send out Liriano, Blackburn, and Baker.
Loses to Detroit could push the Twins back further in the division, and a tough series with Chicago could do much of the same. It’s far to early to call any series a must win, but the Twins cannot afford to lose ground or momentum before they take a break for the midsummer classic.
A Voice From Twins Territory 