and some power-hitting help http://www.twinsfanproshop.com/authentic-max-kepler-jersey , the Minnesota Twins have assembled a team for 2019 that, assuming expected progress by several of their young players, they’re confident can close the gap with Cleveland in the AL Central .The Twins don’t have to wait for a crack at the three-time defending division champions, with a season-opening three-game series starting on Thursday afternoon that will mark rookie skipper Rocco Baldelli’s debut in the dugout. The Indians are short-handed, too, with shortstop Francisco Lindor and second baseman Jason Kipnis both out with calf injuries.“I think I’ll have a good start this year. When I see Cleveland, it’s a good thing,” said Twins left fielder Eddie Rosario, who has a robust .973 OPS in 67 career games against the Indians.Not all of his teammates, alas, have enjoyed such stellar performance against Cleveland, but there’s clearly an air of embracing the challenge surrounding the Twins this spring. Right-hander Jose Berrios will make his first opening day start, who at age 24 will be the youngest to take the mound in the first game for Minnesota since a 23-year-old Brad Radke in 1996.Berrios, who made his first All-Star team last season Fernando Rodney Jersey , will be matched against, gulp, Corey Kluber, the two-time AL Cy Young Award winner.“If you want to be the best, you have to play against the best,” Berrios said.He’s one of the handful of under-28 players the Twins are counting on to continue their development and, thus, form the core of a legitimate contender. Berrios posted a 3.84 ERA with two complete games and 202 strikeouts in 192 1/3 innings, all career bests.“I know more of myself. I know how to control my pitches. I know more of the hitters,” Berrios said.With Kluber, Trevor Bauer, Carlos Carrasco, Mike Clevinger and Shane Bieber, the Indians have a rotation that’s as stacked as any in the major leagues . Where the Twins can best compare http://www.twinsfanproshop.com/authentic-max-kepler-jersey , though, is at the plate after adding Nelson Cruz, C.J. Cron and Jonathan Schoop for a big boost in home run prowess.“They’ve got a potentially a really good lineup. We’re going to play them, what, 19 times? So I’m guessing we’ll get a pretty good feel for it really soon,” said Indians manager Terry Francona, for whom Baldelli played with the Boston Red Sox in 2009.Baldelli will have nine tickets left at will call for visiting family and friends. Beyond that, he said he hasn’t been mulling the magnitude of the moment surrounding his first game as a manager, having been too busy trying to get his players ready.“It’s a group of relative youth and a group that could turn into anything,” Baldelli said on Wednesday before the team held a workout at Target Field, “and that’s what we’re here to do. We’re here to give them the environment to allow all of their gifts and all of their talents to come to fruition. If that happens, then who knows what we’re looking at? But it’s an exceptionally talented group.” PHOENIX (AP) — Ahead all night, the Atlanta Braves watched a two-run lead disappear in the ninth inning. A day after losing to Boston on a two-run homer in the ninth, they could have folded.Instead Joe Mauer Jersey , the Braves found a way to scratch out a victory and increase their NL East lead.Dansby Swanson scored the go-ahead run on Yoshihisa Hirano’s wild pitch in the 10th inning, and the Braves recovered after blowing a two-run lead in the ninth to beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 7-6 Thursday.“It speaks to the makeup of that team in there. That’s exactly what it speaks to,” Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said. “The resiliency, the fight, the grit speaks volumes.”The Braves squandered a six-run lead against the Red Sox on Wednesday, losing 9-8 when Brandon Phillips’ two-run homer off A.J. Minter with two outs in the ninth completed Boston’s three-game sweep.Atlanta bounced back quickly in the desert, jumping on Zack Greinke with homers by Kurt Suzuki and Johan Camargo.With his team leading 6-4 in the ninth, Snitker brought in Jesse Biddle (5-1), the Braves’ seventh pitcher of the night. He couldn’t close it out, giving up A.J. Pollock’s sacrifice fly and Paul Goldschmidt’s solo homer with two outs and two strikes.Atlanta had a chance for the go-ahead run in the 10th on a single by Tyler Flowers that bounced off shortstop Nick Ahmed’s glove, but Swanson stumbled over third base and had to retreat to the bag. The Braves then loaded the bases against Brad Boxberger (2-6) before Hirano uncorked a wild pitch that scored Swanson.“Different frustrations, the way our lineup battled to get back in it in the ninth inning,” Boxberger said. “I just couldn’t hold it.”Brad Bach worked around a walk for his first save with Atlanta.Nick Markakis had four hits and a run-scoring single in the ninth for the Braves, who increased their division lead to 3½ games over Philadelphia.“That’s where the stubborn factor Glen Perkins Jersey , the competitive factor, comes into play in this game,” Swanson said.Ahmed hit a three-run double for the Diamondbacks, who have lost five of six. Arizona fell 2½ games behind first-place Colorado in the NL West.“We didn’t particularly play our best game today, but when we needed to we rallied around one another,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. “We tied the game and unfortunately we couldn’t close the deal.”Greinke lost his last start after giving up a pair of late homers to the Los Angeles Dodgers. He got off to a shaky start against the Braves, allowing two runs in the opening inning and Suzuki’s two-run homer in the fourth. Camargo hit a solo shot in the sixth to put the Braves up 5-3.Greinke yielded five runs — four earned — and six hits in 5 1/3 innings.Braves starter Anibal Sanchez breezed through the first three innings, retiring 10 of the first 11 batters he faced. The right-hander ran into trouble in the fourth and Ahmed pulled the Diamondbacks to 4-3 on a bases-loaded double to the corner in left.Sanchez allowed three runs and four hits in five innings.SNITKER, SOUZA EJECTEDBoth teams had issues with the umpires.Snitker was ejected with one out in the sixth while on a mound visit to reliever Shane Carle. Snitker talked to Carle, then started arguing about a pitch with plate umpire Mark Ripperger. Snitker was tossed while walking back to the dugout.Ripperger ejected Souza in the eighth inning after he argued a called third strike.DIAMONDBACKS MOVESArizona acquired INF-OF Patrick Kivlehan from the New York Mets for cash and selected his contract from Triple-A Reno. The Diamondbacks also transferred OF Jarrod Dyson to the 60-day disabled list after a setback in his recovery from a strained right groin.TRAINER’S ROOMBraves: Swanson returned to the lineup after being hit in the head by a pitch Tuesday and coming off the bench Wednesday. He went 1 for 4.UP NEXTDiamondbacks LHP Patrick Corbin (10-5) has allowed three runs or fewer in six straight starts heading into Friday’s game against the Braves. He is 3-1 with a 2.35 ERA during that span after tossing five scoreless innings against the Dodgers last time out. RHP Kevin Gausman (9-9) will make his first career appearance against Arizona.