After a tumultuous 2020 season that saw no fans in the ballparks, the Milwaukee Brewers are back in 2021 to face the Minnesota Twins. Though American Family Field will not be filled to capacity, 12,500 fans will be in attendance. First pitch is scheduled for 1:10 CST.
Brewers’ Starting Pitcher: Brandon Woodruff
Brandon Woodruff will work his second straight Opening Day. He becomes the first Brewers’ pitcher since Yovani Gallardo to pitch back-to-back Opening Days. Gallardo made five straight Opening Day starts between 2010-2014.
Last season, Woodruff lost an Opening Day pitchers’ duel to the Cubs’ Kyle Hendricks. Brewers fans may remember, though not fondly, that Hendricks shutout the Brewers on Opening Day last year, a grim foreshadowing of the offensive struggles the Brewers would have.
Woodruff is coming off of a solid season in which he went 3-5 with a 3.05 ERA and 91 strikeouts. He will hope for more run support than he received in 2020 in order to have a better win-loss record in 2021. If Spring Training is any indication, he is going to get it.
Twins’ Starting Pitcher: Kenta Maeda
The Brewers’ offense will have their work cut out for them facing the Twins’ ace. Last season, Maeda went 6-1 with a 2.70 ERA and finished second in the American League Cy Young voting. He had the lowest WHIP in the AL last season, with a stunning 0.75 mark.
Christian Yelich has hit Maeda well in the past. The 2018 NL MVP is hitting .385 in 13 at bats against Maeda with no home runs and a RBI.
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Brewers’ Opening Day Lineup
We're ready. It's go time.@fleet_farm | #ThisIsMyCrew pic.twitter.com/8qdYoq7y37
— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) April 1, 2021
Twins’ Opening Day Lineup
It all starts today. #OpeningDay #MNTwins pic.twitter.com/qk8EOn2Vnz
— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) April 1, 2021
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