Twins at Indians
The Cleveland Indians hope to wake up a dormant offense when they host the American League Central-leading Minnesota Twins on Sunday for the finale of a three-game set. The Indians have managed just three hits in each game of the series with one run total to drop the first two and are just 1-4 in their last five contests, while the Twins - swept by Cleveland at home last month - have won four in a row overall.
Michael Brantley boasts four of the six hits in the series for the Indians to lift his batting average to .302, but Cleveland is 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position the last two games after scoring 13 times in the previous two outings coming into Friday. Trevor Bauer hopes to snap out of his early-season struggles and help the Indians avoid the sweep, while Minnesota sends red-hot Hector Santiago to the mound on Sunday afternoon. Max Kepler belted a solo blast Saturday as the Twins extended their streak of games with a homer to 14 straight - their longest run since 1988. Former AL MVP Joe Mauer scored his 900th career run in the second game of the series for Minnesota and is 6-for-17 over the last four contests after posting a pair of hits in Saturday’s 4-1 victory.
TV: 1:10 p.m. ET, FSN North (Minnesota), SportsTime Ohio (Cleveland)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Twins LH Hector Santiago (4-1, 2.76 ERA) vs. Indians RH Trevor Bauer (2-4, 7.36)
Santiago is unbeaten in his last five starts, allowing 10 runs combined after surrendering two over 6 2/3 innings to beat the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday. The 28-year-old from New Jersey has limited opponents to three homers in 42 1/3 innings and right-handed hitters own a .194 batting average against him overall. Jose Ramirez (4-for-10, one homer) and Jason Kipnis (9-for-26, one homer) have had success versus Santiago, who is 2-3 with a 4.77 ERA in 15 games (10 starts) against the Indians.
Bauer has permitted at least four runs in five of his six starts this season and faced Minnesota in the only other, limiting the Twins to two tallies on three hits over 6 1/3 frames in a victory on April 20. The 26-year-old UCLA product boasts 37 strikeouts in 33 innings, but teams are batting .285 against him overall with seven homers. Eddie Rosario (8-for-20, one homer) and Kennys Vargas (7-for-13, one homer) have caused trouble for Bauer, who is 2-5 with a 5.09 ERA in 12 career starts against Minnesota.
WALK-OFFS
1. Twins 3B Miguel Sano has drawn six walks in his last four games and scored four times in the past three contests.
2. Cleveland DH/1B Edwin Encarnacion is 1-for-13 over the past four contests and owns just one homer in a 14-game span.
3. Minnesota CF Byron Buxton is 0-for-10 in his last three games after going 7-for-20 in his previous six outings.