One thing to watch when Jose Berrios pitches today is what the velocity reads on the radar gun.
If there are plenty of pitches in the 91-93 mph range, it means that Berrios is throwing his sinking fastball and mixing his other pitches in. And that's a good thing.
If Berrios starts throwing 94-96 mph, then that's a problem.
Yes, the Twins have worked with him to adjust his delivery to help him throw more strikes. But the big hurdle Berrios has to clear is mental. He has to resist the urge to try to power by major league hitters instead of believing that the way he pitched at Rochester can work against major league hitters.
I talked to Ervin Santana about this before the game, and he nodded his head.
"This is what we have tried to talk to him about," Santana said. "He tries to do to much and tries to be somebody else."
Berrios, who made 14 starts last season, has a chance today to show that he's a different pitcher than in 2016 - and can be the same guy he is in Rochester.
Eddie Rosario is not in the lineup today, as manager Paul Molitor tinkers with matchups against Mike Clevinger, who apparently has sharpened his curveball. Brian Dozier and Miguel Sano (big surprise) hit homers off of Clevinger last season.
