Baseball’s worst Opening Day team since 2009? You know who – TwinCities.com-Pioneer Press
Baltimore Orioles’ Adam Jones, right, hits teammate Matt Wieters in the face with a pie after an opening day baseball game against the Minnesota Twins in Baltimore, Monday, April 4, 2016. Wieters drove in the winning run on a single and Baltimore won 3-2. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
Baltimore Orioles’ Matt Wieters, right, follows through on a game-winning single in front of Minnesota Twins catcher Kurt Suzuki in the ninth inning of an opening day baseball game in Baltimore, Monday, April 4, 2016. Chris Davis scored on the play, and Baltimore won 3-2. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
Baltimore Orioles’ Matt Wieters gestures after hitting the winning single in the ninth inning. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
Rolando Sanz, bottom center, sings a rendition of the national anthem as an American flag is pulled into place before an opening day baseball game between the Baltimore Orioles and the Minnesota Twins in Baltimore,. ( AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
Players stand for the National Anthem before the Baltimore Orioles’ opener against the Minnesota Twins on Monday, April 4, 2016, at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore. (Dylan Slagle/Baltimore Sun/TNS)
Groundskeepers pick up sunflower seeds from the infield as they prepare for an opening day baseball game between the Baltimore Orioles and the Minnesota Twins . . (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
Fans walk past a statue of former Baltimore Orioles pitcher Jim Palmer before an opening day baseball game between the Orioles and the Minnesota Twins. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
Raindrops coat a pane of glass above a tarp-covered infield during a rain delay in an opening day baseball game between the Baltimore Orioles and the Minnesota Twins. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
A vendor displays a hot dog with “Orioles” written in mustard before an opening day baseball game between the Baltimore Orioles and the Minnesota Twins on Monday, April 4, 2016. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
A Baltimore Orioles tattoo is seen on the leg of fan Eric Faya before an opening day baseball game between the Orioles and the Twins . (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
Fans sit in the stands as a groundskeeper walks past a tarp covering the infield during a rain delay before an opening day baseball game between the Baltimore Orioles and the Minnesota Twins. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
Groundskeepers pull a tarp over the infield before an opening day baseball game between the Baltimore Orioles and the Minnesota Twins in Baltimore, Monday, April 4, 2016. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Ervin Santana follows through on a pitch to the Baltimore Orioles in the first inning of an opening day baseball game in Baltimore, Monday, April 4, 2016. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
Baltimore Orioles’ Chris Davis slides into third base on a single by Mark Trumbo on Monday, April 4, 2016, at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore. (Kenneth K. Lam/Baltimore Sun/TNS)
Baltimore Orioles’ J.J. Hardy catches pop-up by Minnesota Twins’ Brian Dozier during the first inning . (Lloyd Fox/Baltimore Sun/TNS)
Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Chris Tillman throws to the Minnesota Twins in the first inning. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
Byung Ho Park #52 of the Minnesota Twins follows his fifth inning single against the Baltimore Orioles during their Opening Day game at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
Baltimore Orioles’ Adam Jones, left, doubles in front of Minnesota Twins catcher Kurt Suzuki in the fifth inning. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
Manny Machado #13 of the Baltimore Orioles scores a run ahead of the tag by catcher Kurt Suzuki #8 of the Minnesota Twins in the fifth inning. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
Baltimore Orioles’ Joey Rickard beats a throw to Minnesota Twins shortstop Eduardo Escobar (5) for a double in the fifth inning . (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
Baltimore Orioles manager Buck Showalter, left, high-fives Joey Rickard (23) after Rickard and Manny Machado (13) scored on a double by Adam Jones in the fifth inning. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
Minnesota Twins relief pitcher Casey Fien sits in the dugout after being relieved in the fifth inning of an opening day baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles in Baltimore, Monday, April 4, 2016. Baltimore scored two runs against Fein in the fifth. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
Minnesota Twins manager Paul Molitor watches from the dugout during an opening day baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles in Baltimore, Monday, April 4, 2016. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
Matt Wieters #32 of the Baltimore Orioles celebrates with teammates after driving in the winning run in the ninth inning to defeat the Minnesota Twins 3-2 during their Opening Day game at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on April 4, 2016 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
Matt Wieters #32 of the Baltimore Orioles celebrates with teammates after driving in the winning run in the ninth inning to defeat the Minnesota Twins 3-2 during their Opening Day game at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on April 4, 2016 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
Baltimore Orioles manager Buck Showalter, center, shakes hands with Matt Wieters after an opening day baseball game against the Minnesota Twins in Baltimore, Monday, April 4, 2016. Wieters batted in the game-winning run in the ninth, and Baltimore won 3-2. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
Dropping the season opener has become a team tradition of sorts.
The Twins have now lost eight straight season openers dating back to 2009 — the only MLB team to lose all eight openers during that stretch. The last time Minnesota won its first game of the season was in 2008, when it beat the Angels 3-2, with Livan Hernandez earning the win.
The list of Opening Day starters since then isn’t a who’s who of MLB aces. The Twins’ past eight Opening Day starters were Ervin Santana, Phil Hughes, Ricky Nolasco, Vance Worley, Carl Pavano (twice), Scott Baker and Francisco Liriano. Felix Hernandez had led Seattle to seven straight Opening Day victories during that stretch, before Seattle fell 3-2 to Texas on Monday.
Still, the primary Opening Day problem for Minnesota recently has been its offense. The Twins are averaging two runs per game over their past eight openers, the same number of runs they scored on Monday. The schedule also hasn’t been entirely favorable. Including Monday’s contest, six of the Twins’ past seven season openers have come on the road.
Last year’s start was historically bad for Minnesota, which was swept by Detroit to open the season and was shut out for the first 24 innings of the campaign.
Of course, Opening Day success is essentially meaningless. The first game is still just one of 162 and winning it is not a prerequisite for seasonlong success. But for the Twins, it has been a bit of a barometer for how they will fare. Since 2001, the Twins are 6-9 on Opening Day. In the six seasons when the Twins won the opener, they’re a combined 528-444. And when the Twins won three straight AL Central Division titles from 2002 to 2004, they won their opener each time.
In the nine seasons in which they dropped the opener, the Twins are 708-751, including the past five seasons when they missed the playoffs each season. But the Twins also lost on Opening Day in 2006, when they won 96 games — their highest regular-season win total since 1970.
