Twins at Angels
Torii Hunter is buying Albert Pujols some more time to get it together. Hunter has homered in each of the first two games of the series as the Los Angeles Angels have taken the first two games from the Minnesota Twins. All of Hunter’s four home runs have come in the last five contests, helping to push his average to .310. Pujols drove in his fifth run of the season with a groundout on Tuesday but finished 0-for-4 to drop down to .208. His homerless streak has now reached 96 at-bats.
The Twins are hoping to avoid becoming the first team this season to get swept by the Angels. Minnesota owns the worst record in the majors at 6-17 and was shut out Tuesday by Jerome Williams. The Twins expect to have Justin Morneau (wrist) back soon but could use a better effort from their starting rotation, which owns a major-league worst 6.75 ERA.
TV: 10:05 p.m. ET, FS North (Minnesota), FS West (Los Angeles)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Twins RH Liam Hendriks (0-1, 6.89 ERA) vs. Angels RH Jered Weaver (3-0, 2.02 ERA)
Hendriks has had seven days of rest to analyze what went wrong in his last start, when he was lit up for seven runs on nine hits in four innings against the Boston Red Sox. The 23-year-old Australian has surrendered a total of 21 hits - four home runs - in 15 2/3 innings this season and is still searching for his first major league victory.
One of the few highlights of Los Angeles’ season has been Weaver, who has three scoreless appearances in five starts. He went six scoreless innings, striking out eight, in a no-decision at Cleveland last week. Weaver’s worst start of 2012 came at Minnesota on April 11, when he was reached for five runs on seven hits in six innings. Weaver is 5-2 with a 4.19 ERA in 11 career starts against the Twins.
WALK-OFFS
1. Minnesota designed hitter Morneau had an MRI on his left wrist Tuesday reveal no structural damage. He is scheduled to rejoin the team on Wednesday.
2. The Twins recalled catcher Drew Butera on Tuesday to provide depth behind Joe Mauer (knee).
3. Howie Kendrik broke out of a slump with three hits Tuesday for the Angels, finishing a double shy of the cycle.