Opening Day For The Rest Of Us: AL

I'm such a homer. Johan Santana will take his first step toward a third Cy Young in four seasons when the Twins open the season against lefty ace Erik Bedard and the Orioles.

Most of last season's team will return for Minnesota, led by Santana, who went 19-6 with a league-leading 2.77 ERA and league-best 245 strikeouts last season, tying the Yankees' Chien-Ming Wang for the big league lead in wins. Johan has a 2-1 record and 3.18 ERA in eight career starts against the Orioles, having not faced them since 2005.

With Brad Radke lost to retirement and Francisco Liriano out for the season following Tommy John surgery, the Twins' rotation behind Santana includes the returning baggage of Carlos Silva, newly acquired Ramon Ortiz, a bit more experienced Boof Bonser and a large project in Sidney Ponson to round out the staff... so to speak. Closer Joe Nathan, who had 36 saves a year ago, anchors one of baseball's best bullpens, which will absolutely find themselves carrying more than their share of the load if the final four starters can't make quality starts.

The club's potent middle of the lineup with AL MVP Justin Morneau, batting champ Joe Mauer and Michael Cuddyer, who had a breakout 109-RBI season last year, will carry the team's offense with a little help from the pirahnas.

Mourneau became of the league's best in the game last season, hitting .321 with 34 homers and 130 RBIs while Mauer became the first catcher in AL history to win a batting title, hitting .347 with 13 homers and 84 RBIs - .471 in eight games against the Orioles last season. The underrated Cuddyer went from 12 homers in 2005 to 24 last season, hitting 67 more RBIs than the year before.

The Twins won six of nine games against the Orioles last season, taking two of three at home.


The Orioles are entering this year with the expectation of avoiding their 10th straight losing season. After spending $42 million in the offseason on four new relievers, the hope is that the bullpen will improve on the 19-25 record and collective 5.25 ERA they produced in 2006.

Baltimore's starters didn't do much better than the relief corps, finishing 13th in the AL with a 5.40 ERA - allowing a major league high 216 homers. Bedard leads a rotation that has hopeful youngsters in Daniel Cabrera and Adam Loewen along with veteran strength in Jaret Wright and Steve Trachsel, who was hired to replace the injured Kris Benson, likely out for the season.

Bedard, who will take the ball today, won a career-high 15 games and finished ninth among AL starters with a 3.76 ERA, ranking 11th with 171 strikeouts last season. This was a pleasant surprise for the O's, who have been without a real ace since Mike Mussina hit the road after the 2000 season. Bedard went 0-2 with a 4.66 ERA in two starts against the Twins last season, but has allowed only two earned runs over 11 innings in two starts at the Metrodome.

Baltimore's offense revolves around their All-Star shortstop Miguel Tejada, who drove in 100 runs and batted a career-high .330 with 24 bombs last season. Nick Markakis rebounded from a slow start in his rookie season to hit .338 in June, .403 in July and .354 in August.

First baseman Aubrey Huff was signed to a $20 million, three-year contract to provide Tejada with protection in a lineup that tied for 20th in the majors with 164 home runs.

[MLB]