Minnesota (0-0) at Seattle (0-0)

Brad Radke may no longer be the staff ace, but he is still the pitcher the Minnesota Twins feel comfortable with on opening day.

Radke makes his seventh straight opening-day start when the American League Central champion Twins face the Seattle Mariners.

Radke is beginning his 11th season with the Twins, and he was their best pitcher during most that time. That role now belongs to Johan Santana, who won the Cy Young Award last season after going 20-6 with a 2.61 ERA.

Still, the Twins opted to stick with the veteran Radke as their starter for the opener. He is 4-1 in eight previous opening day starts.

Radke will help the Twins begin their quest for a fourth straight AL Central title. They won the division by nine games last season before falling to the New York Yankees in the division series. They are expected to repeat as division champions, and believe they can go further in the postseason.

“I sure hope so,” Radke said. “It’s fun getting in the postseason, but when you get knocked out in the first round it kind of gets old.”

Though overshadowed by Santana, Radke was a big part of Minnesota’s success last year. The right-hander was 11-8 with a career-low 3.48 ERA, earning him a new $18 million, two-year contract in December.

The rotation, led by Santana and Radke, and a bullpen highlighted by closer Joe Nathan (44 saves) gives the Twins plenty of pitching. Combined with the veteran outfield of Torii Hunter, Shannon Stewart and Jacque Jones, plus the excitement over promising youngsters Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau, there is plenty of reason for optimism in Minnesota.

There are also high expectations in Seattle, as the Mariners look to improve under new manager Mike Hargrove after nearly losing 100 games last season.

The Mariners made a pair of big moves in free agency, signing power hitters Richie Sexson and Adrian Beltre. They figure to have plenty of RBI chances as long as Ichiro Suzuki, who set a major league record with 262 hits last year, continues to get on base.

If spring training is any indication, there is no reason to believe Suzuki will be slowing down. He hit .436 in exhibition games, including a team-record 19-game hitting streak, after hitting .372 in 2004.

No matter how improved the hitting is, the Mariners know they must pitch better as well. That especially includes opening-day starter Jamie Moyer, who was just 7-13 with a 5.21 ERA last year after going 21-7 in 2003.

“We didn’t pitch well,” Moyer said. “Defensively, we were inconsistent, and we didn’t hit. It was a team effort.”

Seattle won at least 90 games in four straight seasons before last year’s last-place finish.

2004 STANDINGS: Twins - 1st place, AL Central. Mariners - 4th place, 29 GB, AL West.

TWINS PROBABLE STARTER: Radke (11-8, 3.48 ERA). Radke is 6-10 with a 5.18 ERA lifetime against Seattle in 21 games.

MARINERS PROBABLE STARTER: Moyer (7-13, 5.21 ERA). Moyer won six of his first eight decisions in 2004, but was just 1-11 in his final 20 outings. The 42-year-old left-hander surrendered 44 home runs. He is 11-6 in 26 games, including 23 starts, against the Twins.

OFFENSIVE LEADERS: Twins - Stewart, .304 avg.; Jones, 24 HRs; Hunter, 81 RBIs and 21 SBs; Lew Ford, 89 runs. Mariners - Suzuki, .372 avg., 101 runs and 36 SBs; Bret Boone, 24 HRs and 83 RBIs.

2004 SEASON SERIES: Twins, 5-4.

STREAKS AND NOTES: Twins - Minnesota is 21-22 in opening day games. … LHP Santana is scheduled to start the second game of the series. … After batting a team-high .370 during spring training, SS Jason Bartlett won the competition to replace the departed Cristian Guzman. Mariners - The Mariners hit 20 triples in spring training after hitting only 20 all of last season. … Seattle was last in the AL with 136 HRs and 698 runs in 2004. … The Mariners finished with a 13-16 record in the spring.

2004 ROAD/HOME RECORDS: Twins - 43-38 on the road; Mariners - 38-44 at home.

INJURIES: Twins - OF Jason Kubel (knee), 60-day DL; RHP Grant Balfour (forearm). Mariners - INF Pokey Reese (shoulder), 15-day DL; RHP Rafael Soriano (elbow), 60-day DL; RHP Joel Pineiro (shoulder), 15-day DL; INF Bucky Jacobsen (knee), 60-day DL; LHP Travis Blackley (shoulder), 60-day DL.