The Twins have led after the first inning 18 times, and they've won 14 of those games. They've scored first, no matter the inning, 30 times, and they've won 23 of those games.
"One thing we've found out about our team, we play well from ahead," manager Paul Molitor said. He'd like to get back to that habit today.
The Brewers have scored in the first inning in both games of this series so far, and led for 14 of the 18 innings. The Twins have never held the lead.
Mike Pelfrey will be on the mound today, and getting him an early lead is a priority for Molitor. "If I was a starting pitcher, getting leads to work with, it would make my job a little easier," Molitor said.
Not that Pelfrey has needed much help. The 31-year-old righthander has allowed one run in each of his past three starts, and though he's only 1-1 with a no-decision in those games, he's turning into the Twins' most consistent pitcher. "Mike is trying to get his career back on track after the injuries, trying to reestablish his value, and he's taken advantage for the most part," Molitor said. "If we can keep him healthy and he keeps pitching the way he's pitching, he's going to be a big part of what we end up doing this year."
Pitching inside has helped Pelfrey right himself after two injury-riddled seasons with the Twins, and Molitor wants to see more of that today, after watching the last-place Brewers score 14 runs in two games. "He's got enough movement where, [if] those guys start diving out there and trying to get overly aggressive, he's got the stuff to back them off," Molitor said. "Maybe they'll have a little bit more caution in how they approach their at-bats."
It's important for Pelfrey to go deep into the game today, too; the Twins' bullpen is a little thin, Molitor said, after manning a bullpen-only game on Saturday. He's also giving Trevor Plouffe a day off, with Torii Hunter moving into the cleanup spot.
Here are the lineups for the finale of this three-game series, in which Milwaukee tries to sweep Minnesota for the first time since 2009:
