Reds at Twins
With an eight-game losing streak a thing of the past, the Minnesota Twins can get behind their ace when they aim for a series win over the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday. Mitch Garver homered to back Jake Odorizzi and the bullpen in the Twins' 3-1 victory over the Reds on Saturday, their first win since April 18.
"It's a tough stretch, definitely. I've been in worse, but it's still April," Odorizzi told reporters of the team's eight-game slide. "When you have these stretches in April, it's a lot better than having them in August or September." The Twins aim for their first winning streak since a three-gamer April 10-12 behind Jose Berrios, the 23-year-old who entered Saturday leading all qualified major leaguers with a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 12. He will face a Cincinnati lineup that produced 15 runs in a series-opening win before being limited to six hits in Saturday's loss. Scott Schebler provided the only run for the Reds with his third homer of the season and he is 9-for-26 with two home runs and eight RBIs over his last seven games.
TV: 2:10 p.m. ET, FS Ohio (Cincinnati), FS North (Minnesota)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Reds RH Tyler Mahle (1-3, 5.00 ERA) vs. Twins RH Jose Berrios (2-2, 2.84)
Mahle struck out a career-high 11 batters and allowed three runs on three hits in six innings against Atlanta on Tuesday. The 23-year-old has given up seven home runs, one triple and four doubles through his first five starts. Mahle, who will be making his first career Interleague appearance, has a 3.65 ERA in five career road starts.
Berrios has three scoreless outings thus far - including his first career shutout at Baltimore on April 1 - but he's been knocked around in his other two outings. He was pounded for five runs in four innings at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday, serving up two home runs after giving up just one through his first four starts. The Puerto Rico native is 3-3 with a 2.31 ERA in six career Interleague starts and will be facing the Reds for the first time.
WALK-OFFS
1. Twins 3B Miguel Sano (hamstring) was out of the lineup Saturday and is day-to-day.
2. Reds 1B Joey Votto saw his six-game hitting streak come to an end Saturday but drew his 14th walk in the past 11 contests.
3. Minnesota SS Eduardo Escobar doubled Saturday and has seven extra-base hits (two homers, five doubles) over an eight-game stretch.