Indians at Twins
The Minnesota Twins have already found a formula two weeks into the season - score three or more runs and come away with the win. The Twins will try to bounce back from a pair of losses and put some runs on the board when they host the Cleveland Indians in the second of a four-game series on Tuesday.
Minnesota is 7-1 when scoring three or more runs and 0-5 when scoring two runs or fewer, including a 3-1 loss in the series opener on Monday. Minnesota totaled 16 hits but only two runs in the last two games while going 2-for-8 with runners in scoring position. The Indians are trying to find some consistency with their own offense and went from 13 runs in a win over the Detroit Tigers to one run in a loss in the rubber game on Sunday and three in Monday's triumph. One positive of late is the play of left fielder Michael Brantley, who missed most of last season due to injuries but is bouncing back with the bat and is 6-for-17 with four runs scored and a pair of home runs in the last four games.
TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, STO (Cleveland), FSN North (Minnesota)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Indians RH Josh Tomlin (0-2, 18.47 ERA) vs. Twins RH Phil Hughes (2-0, 3.86)
Tomlin's season started out rough with six earned runs over 4 2/3 innings at Arizona and got even worse on Thursday, when he was tagged for seven runs on eight hits - two home runs - in just 1 2/3 innings against the Chicago White Sox. The veteran Texan totaled 15 hits allowed in 6 1/3 innings over those two outings along with a pair of walks. Tomiln enjoyed better success against Minnesota last season, posting a 2-0 record despite a 5.14 ERA in four starts.
Hughes is making his first start at home after earning wins at Chicago and Detroit in his first two turns. The California native breezed through six innings on one run in Chicago but struggled a bit more on Thursday against the Tigers, surrendering four runs on five hits and three walks in 5 2/3 innings. Hughes did not face Cleveland during his injury-shortened 2016 campaign and owns a 3-2 record with a 3.27 ERA in eight career games against the Twins.
WALK-OFFS
1. Indians 1B Edwin Encarnacion, who signed a three-year, $60 million deal with the team in the offense, recorded his second RBI while increasing his strikeout total to 20 on Monday.
2. Twins 1B Joe Mauer recorded his first multi-hit game of the season with a pair of singles in the series opener.
3. Cleveland LHP Andrew Miller has yet to be scored upon in six appearances, covering seven innings.