Target Field was packed Monday to the point that fans trying to make their way from section to section between innings often came to a complete stop. It was enough that a friend of mine complained about all the congestion and people.
The on-field product was crisp and professional, between the sterling defensive plays by the home team to the well-pitched game by Ervin Santana to the timely hits up and down the lineup in a 7-1 victory over the Royals — the first Opening Day win for the Twins in almost a decade.
I remarked to a random fan in the outfield that it felt a little like 2010. "I was just thinking the same thing," he said. "Only back then, it used to be like this every single game I went to — if I could get a ticket."
I can barely remember 2010 at this point. But I'm trying. I'm squinting at it.
Remember when it didn't feel like a huge surprise when a Twins starting pitcher delivered a standout performance? Minnesota starting pitchers in 2010 registered 86 quality starts and the pitching staff as a whole posted a 3.95 ERA. Last year, the Twins had an MLB-worst 59 quality starts — a number that figured prominently in the other ugly 59 from 2016, the Twins' victory total. The team ERA? 5.08.
Hey, they're 1 for 1 this year thanks to Santana.
In their first eight games at Target Field in 2010, the Twins went 6-2 and scored at least five runs in all but one of those games. In the first home series of 2016, a three-game sweep at the hands of the White Sox, the Twins scored exactly two runs — dropping their overall record to 0-9.
It felt like the Twins were trending in that direction Monday until a late outburst resulted in a blowout. Last year's Twins, by the way, were 14-33 in games decided by five runs or more.
