Colorado Rockies vs. Minnesota Twins: 5 key players to watch

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Apr 3, 2017; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Fans surround Target Field as they await the gates to open for the game with the Kansas City Royals and Minnesota Twins. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports /

The Colorado Rockies open interleague play for the 2017 season with a trip to the Twin Cities to take on the Minnesota Twins.

Like the Rockies, the Twins sit atop their division … to the surprise of some pundits and prognosticators. Minnesota leads the American League Central with a 19-15 mark. However, the Twins are just 8-10 at Target Field this season.

Colorado, meanwhile, has fared quite well away from home this season, going 11-5 away from Coors Field. It’s part of Colorado’s 24-15 overall record, one that has them perched atop the National League West. Part of that comes from a 6-4 mark in Colorado’s season-long 10-game homestand that just concluded.

It’s a matchup of division leaders that few saw coming, but it will also be a pivotal series for one of these teams. The Cleveland Indians entered Monday just one game behind the Twins while the Los Angeles Dodgers lurked just 1.5 games behind the Rockies.

The Twins are 18^th in Major League Baseball with an overall .241 average while the Rockies are ninth with an overall .260 average. Minnesota has a slight edge in team ERA, coming in 17^th with a 4.23 ERA while Colorado is 21st with a 4.35 ERA.

Those are the stats, but who are the players who will make a difference during this three-game series? Let’s take a look…

May 11, 2017; Chicago, IL, USA; Minnesota Twins first baseman Joe Mauer (7) celebrates after scoring during the first inning against the Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Caylor Arnold-USA TODAY Sports /

Joe Mauer, 1B/DH, Minnesota

The first overall pick in the 2001 MLB draft is showing he can still play this season. A career .307 hitter, Mauer hasn’t finished a season batting above .277 since 2013. However, he’s on a hot streak entering the Colorado series.

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Mauer is hitting .324 in May, including a five-game hitting streak coming into Tuesday. There are just two games this month where the 34-year-old Mauer doesn’t have a hit. He also has his only two homers of the season this month.

However, Mauer has struggled playing on his own field. He’s hitting just .226 at Target Field. He’s also hitting just .200 against left-handed pitching. With southpaw Kyle Freeland getting the first start of the series on Tuesday night, that could be a good thing for the Rockies.

Colorado will be looking to do anything it can to slow down Mauer, Minnesota’s hottest hitter of the month. If home field and a left-hander can help do that, the Rockies will try to get the upper hand on the Twins on Tuesday night.

May 12, 2017; Cleveland, OH, USA; Minnesota Twins relief pitcher Brandon Kintzler (27) throws a pitch during the ninth inning against the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports /

Brandon Kintzler, RP, Minnesota

A lot of attention has been given to the season that Colorado closer Greg Holland has put together. However, the Twins have a closer who has been on quite a roll lately himself.

Minnesota closer Brandon Kintzler enters the Colorado series with 10 saves on the season, tied for second in the American League entering Monday night’s action. He’s 10-for-11 this season in save opportunities with a 2.12 ERA and 1.12 WHIP. However, he has a 4.76 ERA in May … and that takes into account a hot streak he put together late last week against the Indians.

Kintzler earned three saves in three nights from Thursday to Saturday in Cleveland. He allowed just one hit over 3.2 innings while striking out four. He didn’t pitch on Sunday and, with the Twins having an off day on Monday, he should be ready to face the Rockies in the series opener.

At home, Kintzler has been vulnerable. He has a 3.38 at Target Field versus a 1.00 on the road. Will his home troubles resurface after his hot streak in Cleveland? We’ll find out this week.

May 12, 2017; Cleveland, OH, USA; Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Ervin Santana (54) throws a pitch during the sixth inning against the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports /

Ervin Santana, SP, Minnesota

The Rockies will see Santana on Wednesday night when he takes the mound against German Marquez, who pitched a gem in his last outing against the Chicago Cubs. He made need to duplicate the effort against the 34-year-old right-hander who is enjoying a stellar season.

In eight starts this season, Santana is 6-1 with a 1.50 ERA. His six wins are tied for the American League lead while his ERA is the second-lowest in the AL.

His ERA was down as low as 0.66 earlier this month before the Boston Red Sox tagged him for six runs (including four homers) on May 7. That’s been the only blight on Santana’s record this season. He hasn’t allowed more than one earned run in any of his other seven starts.

Opponents are batting just .129 against Santana this season. However, the Rockies are hoping that the past pays dividends for them on Wednesday night. In four career starts against Colorado, Santana has a 6.31 ERA.

May 2, 2017; San Diego, CA, USA; Colorado Rockies right fielder Carlos Gonzalez (5) smiles before the game against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports /

Carlos Gonzalez, RF, Colorado

Gonzalez has been struggling mightily most of the season. However, it’s very obvious that CarGo has started to see the light at the end of the tunnel in recent games.

CarGo was moved down in the order against the Dodgers, slipping from his usual cleanup spot to sixth in the lineup. The move paid off as Gonzalez hit .455 in 11 at-bats in the sixth position. He also has four of his 11 RBI on the season from that spot as well. That includes a 2-for-4 performance with three RBI in Thursday’s win over Los Angeles.

While Gonzalez has found his swing during the end of Colorado’s 10-game homestand, it’s obvious from statistics how cold CarGo has been away from Coors Field. He’s hitting just .145 in road games, striking out in 18 of his 62 at-bats away from Denver.

However, CarGo heads to Minnesota with confidence and a sense that the slump is indeed coming to an end. If that’s the case, look for those numbers away from Coors Field to jump quickly and dramatically.

May 7, 2017; Denver, CO, USA; Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Tyler Chatwood (32) delivers a pitch in the first inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports /

Tyler Chatwood, SP, Colorado

Kyle Freeland and German Marquez are a pair of young pitchers who will get the call for the Rockies in the first two games of the series against Minnesota. However, it’s the Colorado pitcher taking the mound on Thursday afternoon that could draw the most attention from Rockies fans.