Series preview: Twins vs. Cincinnati

Friday, 7:10 p.m. • FSN, 830-AM: RHP Tyler Mahle (2-2, 3.57 ERA) vs. RHP José Berríos (5-3, 3.72)

Saturday, 6:10 p.m. • FSN, 830-AM: RHP Luis Castillo (4-5, 2.86) vs. RHP Michael Pineda (2-0, 3.18)

Sunday, 2:10 p.m. • FSN, 830-AM: RHP Trevor Bauer (5-4, 1.73) vs. LHP Rich Hill (2-2, 3.27)

Cincinnati has the lowest team batting average (.211) in baseball, but at 29-28 it is in a dogfight for a playoff spot. It was tied with St. Louis for second in the NL Central entering Thursday games. … Reds added free agents IF Mike Moustakas, LHP Wade Miley, OF Shogo Akimaya and OF Nick Castellanos before the season. … 3B Eugenio Suarez leads the Reds with 15 HR and 36 RBI. … 1B Joey Votto has a career batting average of .304 but is hitting .227 this year. … Closer Archie Bradley was added at the trade deadline from Arizona. … Akimaya, 32, became the first player born in Japan to appear in a game for the Reds, who were the last MLB team to have a Japanese player. … Twins bench coach Mike Bell is the brother of Reds manager David Bell. Mike Bell played in 19 MLB games, all with the Reds in 2000. … Cincinnati is 165-227 vs. AL teams, the lowest interleague winning percentage (.421) of any team. The Reds are 12-12 vs. the Twins.

The Twins have the third-best team ERA (3.52) and WHIP (1.20) and have given up the fewest home runs (59) in the majors. … They have the best home record (23-5, .821). … With 13 multihomer games in September, they have 42 homers for the month and 91 for the season, tied with Chicago atop the AL. … They are last in MLB with only 14 stolen bases. … 2B Luis Arraez (knee, ankle) could come off the IL this weekend. … DH Nelson Cruz (knee) has missed the past four games. … Playoffs start Tuesday and the Twins rotation for the best-of-three series will be Kenta Maeda, Berrios and, if necessary, Pineda, assuming no injuries this weekend. … Teams can carry 28 players for the playoffs, so no tough roster decisions will be necessary.

Chris Miller