Is it bad that I expect more from this squad? Yes, the Twins are 8-2 this year, which is an amazing start! However, the starting rotation is down to 2 of its original members, nearly everybody in the lineup is slumping, and Jose Berrios has been the worst member of the rotation. If you told me those three things in 2 weeks ago, I would have expected a below .500 record. This team’s depth is showing, though. Lineups and Analysis Jose Berrios (0-1, 7.00 ERA) vs. Joe Musgrove (0-2, 4.76 ERA) Twins Maximilian Kepler (L) RF Jorge Polanco (S) SS Nelson Cruz ® DH Eddie Rosario (L) LF Miguel Sano ® 1B Luis Arraez (L) 2B Marwin Gonzalez (S) 3B Alex Avila (L) C Byron Buxton ® CF Pirates Adam Frazier (L) 2B Phillip Evans ® 3B Josh Bell (S) DH Colin Moran (L) 1B Bryan Reynolds (S) LF Gregory Polanco (L) RF Erik Gonzalez ® SS Jarrod Dyson (L) CF John Ryan Murphy ® C Joe Musgrove tends to give up a lot of hard contact, while limiting the walks. Taking bad pitches is always a good sign, but a lot of hittable pitches have also hit the catcher’s mitt without even an attempt of a swing. Hopefully, the bats can pounce on Musgrove early to get to the pen. Jose Berrios, on the other hand, needs to find his control. When he is on, Berrios is one of the top pitchers in the game. His curveball is nearly unhittable at times, while his fastball keeps hitters honest. While Berrios’ velocity is up so far this year, the movement and accuracy are clearly not. This Pirates lineup doesn’t impress in the slightest, so this would be a nice day for “LaMaKina” to bring home a win. The lineup today leans lefty, as expected. Josh Donaldson continues to recover on the bench, but Marwin Gonzalez has performed admirably on both sides, with a great play on a weak grounder preserving the tie game yesterday. While the offense has slumped so far, the defense has been magnificent across the board. From Rosario's incredible throw to second a couple nights ago, to Kepler's jump into the stands last night, there seems to be an impressive play by somebody every night. Current Events To be honest, I had other things written down, but then I saw the unspeakable tragedy currently happening in Beirut, Lebanon. Apparently, a nitrate warehouse exploded, leaving catastrophic damage. After working in the agricultural industry, I realize how dangerous this chemical can be. Heavy duty tanks are used to store and apply this stuff. I send out prayers to the hundreds of thousands of people affected by this unthinkable mistake. I can’t comprehend how anyone thought it was a good idea to have a warehouse like that in the middle of a city with millions of people. Play ball!