Twins starter Lance Lynn thriving after slow start

Maybe it was his abbreviated spring training, or those early-season snowstorms.

Whatever happened, former St. Louis Cardinals starter Lance Lynn's Minnesota Twins career began with a whimper.

He struggled out the gate after signing a one-year, $12 million deal with the Twins in March, going 1-4 with a 7.47 ERA. Opposing hitters teed off to the tune of a combined .313 average.

But since pitching just three innings in a 7-5 loss to his former team May 16, Lynn has turned things around. Heading into a matchup Tuesday with the Chicago White Sox, he looks like a different pitcher.

Lynn picked up a win over the Boston Red Sox in his most recent outing, allowing just three hits and one unearned run in five innings. He now has a 1.73 ERA in six starts since that disastrous outing against the Cardinals, while opposing hitters are batting just .192 against him over that span.

Lynn, First 8 Starts vs. Last 6

His odds of picking up another win are pretty good.

The Twins are 6-3 against the White Sox this year and averaging 4.89 runs per game. Despite similar combined batting averages, the Twins are thriving with runners in scoring position.

Twins vs. White Sox, 2018

 After 15 years in the AL Central, Twins first baseman Joe Mauer is among the league's leaders when facing the White Sox. He leads all active players in walks (106) and doubles (52) against the White Sox, and ranks second in hits (227) as well as third in RBI (103).

Statistics courtesy of STATS