Happy Easter Everybody!

The Twins will play on this Easter Sunday, and the game will be on FSN North for those of you that would like to watch it.

It’s a pretty big game for several different reasons. Here are some things to think about while watching the game today:

** Francisco Liriano will take the hill, and this game could decide whether he starts the season in Minnesota or whether the Twins send him to AAA or extended spring training to get more work in. The hope is that Liriano can pitch four or five innings with no pain. While the stats aren’t important during the spring, having decent stats today might help his chances of being taken north.

** Philip Humber is scheduled to pitch after Liriano. With the fifth spot in the rotation likely locked up, Humber will probably be pitching for the final bullpen spot. Perkins pitched poorly yesterday which will hurt his chances, but Blackburn had another solid outing, so the race is still close. And remember, if Baker or Liriano aren’t ready, then all of a sudden another rotation spot will open up for one of the three.

** The other pitchers scheduled to pitch are Jesse Crain, Joe Nathan and Pat Neshek. The only pitcher to watch in this group is Jesse Crain. He seems to be healthy, and if all goes well in this game, he should be a lock for the bullpen.

** The centerfield competition is very close, and there is no clear favorite. One would think that Gomez is the leader since he has stolen ten bases, scored twelve runs and played great defense in his fifteen games. In almost every category, Gomez has been better and has definitely been more exciting. Span does lead in batting average with a .314 mark going into the game (Gomes has a .286 average). While this game won’t probably decide the race, there is one week left and every play counts for both guys.

** The final thing(s) to watch on this Easter Sunday are Matt Tolbert and Brian Buscher. The final bench spot looks to be between these two guys and both should get an opportunity to play at some point. Something to think about is this: Will the Twins consider taking both north and leave Punto behind?

Enjoy the day, I’ll be back with a summary of the game later tonight.