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With only 5 at-bats so far this spring, Nelson Cruz in lineup vs. Red Sox

Jose Berrios, who has allowed runs in each of his first three starts, will be on the mound against Boston's top-tier lineup.

March 13, 2019 at 3:36PM
(The Minnesota Star Tribune)
(The Minnesota Star Tribune)

FORT MYERS, Fla. — Six of the 10 players the Twins will use to start today's game are projected to be regular starters during the season, too, and all 10 of the Red Sox arguably fit that description. That's a lot of star power, if you want to call it that, for a mid-March game two weeks before the opener.

The reason, of course, is that Twins camp and "Fenway South," as banners outside identify jetBlue Park, are located only five miles apart, so veterans who don't like to take Florida bus trips can fulfill their obligation to appear in a few road games by driving up the parkway. Most Twins starters will drive themselves to the park and be long gone by the seventh inning or so, after the minor leaguers take over.

Nelson Cruz, who has had only five Grapefruit League at-bats thus far, will be here, batting third, his first action since Sunday.

For Jose Berrios, this will be a good test. He's allowed runs in each of his first three starts, when he's been working on building up his arm and tinkering with his pitches. He'll face Boston's A lineup, with plans to throw about four innings or 70 pitches.

Today's game will also be a major-league first, I'd have to imagine: Both Xander Bogaerts and Zander Wiel are scheduled to play.

Here are the lineups for today's game:

TWINS

Gonzalez SS

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Cron 1B

Cruz DH

Rosario LF

Garver C

Schoop 2B

Buxton CF

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Adrianza SS

Cave RF

Berrios RHP, followed by Matt Magill, Blake Parker and Tim Collins.

RED SOX

Bradley CF

Betts RF

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Moreland 1B

Martinez LF

Bogaerts SS

Pearce DH

Nunez 3B

Holt 2B

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Swihart C

Eovaldi RHP

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about the writer

about the writer

Phil Miller

Reporter

Phil Miller has covered the Twins for the Minnesota Star Tribune since 2013. Previously, he covered the University of Minnesota football team, and from 2007-09, he covered the Twins for the Pioneer Press.

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The righthanded pitcher, 8-4 with a 2.76 ERA, joins Byron Buxton on the American League team.

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