Daisuke Matsuzaka Topic Page
Blackburn, Twins beat Boston
The Twins won their first game of the season against Boston. Nick Blackburn provided 7 strong innings, striking out a season high 7 batters while allowing just 2 runs (1 earned).
Blackburn is now 4-2 on the season with a 3.55 ERA. He's gone 7+ innings in 6 of his last 7 starts, making him the Twins' most consistent pitcher right now. Kevin Slowey has also been pretty good, with 3 straight quality starts. He'll pitch tonight against Daisuke Matsuzaka, who has struggled this season and missed some time with shoulder issues.
Series preview - Boston Red Sox
The Twins have had an up-and-down past couple of weeks. They struggled against KC and Cleveland before looking pretty good last weekend against Detroit. They went on to lose the final two games of the series against Tampa Bay. The toughest stretch of their schedule so far begins this weekend against the Red Sox. Boston comes to the dome with the best record in the AL at 18-9.