Twins at Indians
The Minnesota Twins are playing solid baseball at the right time, but it
remains uncertain whether or not the team can land the American League's second
wild-card berth. Minnesota posted a 4-2 victory over the Cleveland Indians on
Monday for its sixth win in eight games and trails Houston by 1 1/2 games for the final spot.
The Twins' victory in the opener of the four-game set is close to being a death knell for the Indians' wild-card hopes as they fell five games behind the Astros and dropped back below .500 at 77-78. Minnesota's Trevor Plouffe is just 1-for-15 over his last four games, but the lone hit was a two-run homer during Monday's three-run first inning. Cleveland's Michael Brantley is 0-for-6 in two contests since returning from a four-game absence due to a shoulder injury. Brantley hasn't gone deep in his last 11 games after opening the month with four homers in nine contests.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, FSN North (Minnesota), SportsTime Ohio (Cleveland)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Twins RH Kyle Gibson (10-11, 3.96 ERA) vs. Indians RH Cody Anderson (6-3, 3.31)
Gibson was roughed up by Cleveland on Thursday, when he gave up six runs and seven hits in 2 2/3 innings of a 6-3 loss. He served up two homers in the contest after going six straight starts without surrendering one. Gibson is 1-2 with a 6.99 ERA in six career outings against the Indians and struggles with Yan Gomes (6-for-11, two homers).
Anderson has won four consecutive starts, allowing four runs during the stretch. He notched the victory against Gibson last week, when he gave up one run and 10 hits in 6 2/3 innings. Anderson was torched for six runs in 2 2/3 frames of a no-decision versus the Twins on Aug. 7.
WALK-OFFS
1. Indians OF/3B Lonnie Chisenhall is 3-for-24 over his last seven contests.
2. Minnesota 2B Brian Dozier has homered just once in his last 19 games and is two shy of his first 30-homer campaign.
3. Cleveland 1B Carlos Santana is 3-for-29 over his past eight contests but has recorded two homers, a triple and eight RBIs during the stretch.