Twins at Yankees
The New York Yankees continue to feast on the Minnesota Twins and can finish off a four-game sweep when the teams meet Thursday in Yankee Stadium. With Wednesday's 7-4 win, the Yankees improved to 17-4 against the Twins since July 2015, 53-21 since 2008 and 81-31 since 2002.
Didi Gregorius wasn't around for most of the one-sided stretch but he's doing his part to keep it going and homered for the fourth straight game while going 3-for-3 on Wednesday. Gregorius is the first Yankees shortstop to go deep in four consecutive contests and he has nine RBIs in the series to push his major league-leading total to 29. The Twins, losers of six in a row, will try to slow down the Bronx Bombers' bats behind right-hander Kyle Gibson, who has given up nine runs on nine hits and seven walks in 10 career innings at Yankee Stadium. Lefty Jordan Montgomery goes for New York, which has won five straight overall and eight of its last 10.
TV: 1:05 p.m. ET, MLB Network, FS North (Minnesota), YES (New York)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Twins RH Kyle Gibson (1-1, 4.29 ERA) vs. Yankees LH Jordan Montgomery (2-0, 3.80)
After allowing one earned run in 10 1/3 innings through his first two starts, Gibson has given up nine in 10 2/3 frames over his last two. He suffered his first loss at Tampa Bay his last time out despite striking out a season-high seven and walking one in 6 1/3 innings. The 30-year-old is 1-4 with a 9.31 ERA in his career against New York, his highest mark against any opponent he has faced at least twice.
Montgomery has followed up a solid rookie sason with a nice beginning to his 2018 campaign, winning his last two outings while lasting six innings both times. He allowed a run and four hits while striking out five to defeat Toronto at home on Saturday. The University of South Carolina product faced the Twins once in 2017, giving up six runs in six innings of a loss at Target Field.
WALK-OFFS
1. Twins SS Eduardo Escobar is 5-for-7 with two walks in the last two games.
2. Yankees 1B Tyler Austin has three homers and nine RBIs over a four-game stretch.
3. New York RF Aaron Judge has reached safely in 29 straight games at Yankee Stadium, the second-longest streak since 2009.