Joe Mauer has collected more career hits (25), walks (13) and home runs (four) against Justin Verlander than any other pitcher. Yes, it's true that he's faced the Tigers righthander more times (88 plate appearances) than any pitcher, too, but his career .992 on-base-plus-slugging is awfully good.
You must feel like you own Verlander, right Joe?
Mauer got a good laugh out of the question. "It doesn't work that way," the Twins' veteran first baseman said Friday, a few hours before his 28th game against Verlander. "He presents a lot of problems."
That's true, too, of course, as Mauer's 2-for-13 (.154) record against Verlander over the past three seasons attests. But Verlander is coming into tonight's game at Target Field (7:10 p.m., FSN) off the worst start of his career, a nine-run, three-homer, four-inning disaster against the Indians last Saturday. The terrible outing, and the fact that the Indians have won eight of Verlander's last nine starts against them, has revived speculation that the former MVP is tipping his pitches.
"I heard about that," Mauer said. "But I'm sure he's done his homework and will change things up."
Yeah, he could be motivated, something the Twins, who haven't hung a loss on Verlander since 2014, fear. "Pitchers like him don't have back-to-back poor outings very often," Minnesota manager Paul Molitor said. "Part of it is that their stuff is that good, part of it is they're that competitive. … I'm sure when he has a bad game he gets anxious about the next time he gets a chance to take the ball."
Verlander, who is 10-1 against the Twins since 2011, will face Hector Santiago, who has pitched well three times this season but has only one victory to show for it. Santiago's 1.47 ERA ranks seventh among American League starters, and he hasn't allowed a run in his last eight innings, since taking a 2-1 loss to the Tigers in Detroit. The hitter who beat Santiago that day with a two-run homer, Tigers catcher James McCann, bats seventh in Detroit's lineup tonight.
The Twins, who have lost four straight games, will use their Opening Day starting nine, albeit in a different batting order. Here are the lineups for the first game of a three-game series at Target Field:
TIGERS
Kinsler 2B
Castellanos 3B
Cabrera 1B
V. Martinez DH
Upton LF
Mahtook RF
McCann C
Jones CF
Romine SS
Verlandet RHP
TWINS
Dozier 2B
Kepler RF
Sano 3B
Mauer 1B
Grossman DH
Castro C
Polanco SS
Rosario LF
Buxton CF
Santiago LHP
