The Twins are trying to steady things Saturday against the White Sox, and the margin for error is thin. If they want to keep their slim postseason hopes breathing, they’ll have to take down the AL Central leaders, something that has not come easily in the second half.
Minnesota is handing the ball to right-hander Taj Bradley, who has gone 10-6 with a 3.85 ERA this season. The problem is the matchup history.
Bradley has had a rough time with Chicago over his career, carrying a 10.47 ERA in 16 1/3 innings against the White Sox. That’s not the kind of number the Twins want to see while trying to avoid a series loss against a playoff team.
Chicago will counter with left-hander Anthony Kay, who is 9-7 with a 4.28 ERA this season. Kay has faced the White Sox once in his career, throwing six innings and allowing one earned run.
First pitch is set for 6:10 p.m. CT at Rate Field.
One of the biggest names Bradley has to navigate is Kyle Teel, who has done real damage against him. Teel is 5-for-7 in their matchup history with a double and three RBIs. He’s also just coming off the IL, so the hope for Bradley is that Teel is still knocking off some offensive rust.
Andrew Benintendi has also been a problem for Minnesota. In nine at-bats against Bradley, he has three hits and two walks. Keeping Benintendi from getting on base is another major piece of the puzzle for the Twins.
On the other side, Brooks Lee enters with some momentum and the Twins need that to keep rolling. He has a hit and a walk in three career at-bats against Kay, though he has struggled this season against left-handed pitching, posting a .599 OPS versus southpaws.
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