Twins at Yankees
The Minnesota Twins are in the midst of a nightmarish stretch and their chances of halting the slide hinge on beating an opponent that has tormented them routinely over the past decade. The Twins will look to end a six-game skid when they visit the New York Yankees on Saturday afternoon in the middle contest of a three-game series. Minnesota is 0-5 against the Yankees this season, including a four-game sweep earlier this month that is part of its current 1-12 tailspin.
New York, which has won three consecutive games and nine of 12, is still stuck in fourth place in the hotly contested American League East despite being nine games over .500. The Yankees have outscored the Twins 31-14 in the five games this month to improve to 72-23 (playoffs included) against Minnesota since the start of the 2002 season. Robinson Cano is riding a seven-game hitting streak overall and is 8-for-17 with 10 RBIs in the five meetings with the Twins.
TV: 1:05 p.m. ET, Fox Sports North (Minnesota), YES (New York)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Twins RH Samuel Deduno (4-4, 3.90 ERA) vs. Yankees RH Phil Hughes (4-8, 4.55)
Deduno is coming off his worst outing since his season debut, getting tagged for five runs in 10 hits in a loss at Tampa Bay on Monday. It was the second straight defeat and third in four starts for Deduno, who allowed three runs on five hits in a loss to the Yankees on July 2. The 30-year-old Dominican has struggled away from home with a 1-3 record and 5.40 ERA in five outings.
Hughes lost for the fourth time in five starts in his last time out, although he pitched only four innings before an hour rain delay ended his night. Hughes, whose named has been mentioned in a number of trade rumors, won in Minnesota on July 2 when he limited the Twins to one run on six hits over seven innings. He has labored at Yankee Stadium, posting a 1-6 mark and 5.74 ERA in nine starts.
WALK-OFFS
1. Hughes owns a career record of 3-1 with a 2.91 ERA in seven appearances (five starts) versus the Twins.
2. Minnesota's Ryan Doumit is 6-for-9 with a home run against Hughes.
3. Minnesota has struck out 44 times in the last three games and rookie LF Oswaldo Arcia has whiffed in 11 of his last 13 at-bats.