Despite splitting a four-game road series with the Los Angeles Angels, the Minnesota Twins have seemingly turned a corner after struggling out the gate.
The Twins are 7-2 since their loss to the lowly Chicago White Sox on May 3 thanks to some wildly improved pitching. Minnesota's pitching staff has a combined 3.06 ERA over that span, fifth in the majors. The Twins posted a combined 6.40 ERA during their 3-13 slide in April, the worst mark in the league.
Minnesota Twins, 2018 Chronology
| Dates | Record (Win %) | ERA |
| 3/29 - 4/16 | 7-4 (.636) | 3.18 |
| 4/17 - 5/03 | 3-13 (.188) | 6.40 |
| 5/04 - Present | 7-2 (.778) | 3.06 |
They'll turn to newcomer Jake Odorizzi for a makeup game against the Seattle Mariners on Monday. Odorizzi struggled alongside the rest of the Twins' pitching staff in mid-April but pitched well in his most recent start, allowing just two hits and one run through five innings in a 7-1 win over the St. Louis Cardinals last week.
His career against the Mariners, however, has been a mixed bag.
Odorizzi had a 0.52 ERA, a 0.87 WHIP and .167 opponent batting average in his first three starts against Seattle, but has an 11.57 ERA, 2.74 WHIP and .364 opponent batting average in his three most recent starts.
Fortunately, Minnesota is primed for success against his counterpart, Seattle lefty Wade LeBlanc. The Twins are hitting .266 against left-handed pitching this season, 27 points better than their average against right-handed pitching.
Other notes:
-- The Twins have played some of the longest nine-inning games in the majors this season. They're averaging three hours and 14 minutes per nine-inning game, while Seattle is averaging just two hours and 56 minutes.
-- The Mariners are coming off a 5-4 loss to the Detroit Tigers, but are 12-4 in the game immediately following a loss this season.
Statistics courtesy of STATS
