Twins at White Sox
The Minnesota Twins answered a disastrous weekend stretch in which they surrendered 28 runs over two games to once again keep the bats of the Chicago White Sox under wraps. Winners of eight of their last 12, the Twins vie for a series victory over the White Sox on Wednesday when the American League Central rivals play the second contest of their three-game set at Guaranteed Rate Field.
Kennys Vargas homered for the second straight contest with a two-run shot in Tuesday's 7-2 triumph for Minnesota, which has won four of the seven meetings between the teams while holding Chicago to just 15 runs. The Twins have prospered away from Target Field, beginning their six-game trek with their eighth road win in 12 opportunities. The White Sox have been outscored 21-9 during their four-game losing skid, with their offense mustering just four hits in the series opener. Jose Abreu had a two-out RBI single in the third inning on Tuesday, but is just 3-for-25 in seven games versus Minnesota this season.
TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, FSN North (Minnesota), WGN (Chicago)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Twins RH Phil Hughes (4-1, 4.32 ERA) vs. White Sox LH Derek Holland (3-2, 2.02)
Hughes pitched well enough to record his third straight victory on Friday before settling for a no-decision despite allowing one run on six hits in 6 2/3 innings against Boston. The 30-year-old permitted a solo homer versus the Red Sox, marking the fifth time he's been taken deep in as many starts. Hughes got the better of Holland when the teams met on April 7, with the former yielding one run on five hits in six innings of a 3-1 triumph.
Holland has not allowed more than two earned runs in any of his six starts, although he fell to 2-4 in his career versus the Twins despite pitching six strong innings in the early April encounter. The 30-year-old kept the ball in the park in that outing and has done so in four of six trips to the mound. Holland picked up his second win in his last three starts on Thursday after allowing two runs (one earned) on three hits in 6 2/3 innings of an 8-3 romp at Kansas City.
WALK-OFFS
1. Chicago LF Melky Cabrera was hitless in four at-bats in the opener to fall to 2-for-16 in four games versus Minnesota this season.
2. Twins 3B Miguel Sano will return to the lineup after serving a one-game suspension for shoving Detroit C James McCann during a bench-clearing altercation on April 22.
3. White Sox RF Avisail Garcia went 11-for-22 in his first six games versus the Twins before going 0-for-4 on Tuesday.