The Twins' clubhouse certainly wasn't a solemn place this afternoon. Nobody is happy with the 0-9 start, of course, but music played and players chatted with each other and reporters, as usual. The silence of Thursday night, the can-you-believe-this attitude had faded.
"It's always worse right after the game. You come in here and feel the weight," manager Paul Molitor said. "Each day we come back and there's a little bit of rejuvenation that you gain from getting through the night and moving into the next one. It's one of the things about our game that's helpful — you don't have to wait long for another opportunity."
And another opponent, too. The Los Angeles Angels are in town for the weekend, and the Twins are optimistic about breaking out — even though, gulp, the Twins are 2-12 adjacent the Angels the past two seasons.
Molitor has given the lineup a new look, in part because Byron Buxton's left hand, while better, is not healed enough for him to play. He took some light batting practice today, but probably isn't ready to do more than pinch-run or play defense.
And then there's Brian Dozier, just 5-for-33 so far. He'll get a night off after going 1-for-11 against the White Sox, with Eduardo Nunez playing second base. It's just a one-day break, Molitor said. But the changes give him a chance to have Nunez bat leadoff, and Oswaldo Arcia get his second start of the season, with Eddie Rosario moving to center field.
No team has ever started 0-10 and finished with a winning record. The Twins would rather not try to be trailblazers.
Here are the lineups for tonight's game:
ANGELS
