Twins-Cleveland series preview
April 17, 2017 at 4:29AM
Falvey gets his first shot
FOUR-GAME SERIES AT TARGET FIELD
Monday, 7:10 p.m. FSN, 96.3-FM: RHP Kyle Gibson (0-1, 8.00) vs. RHP Danny Salazar (0-1, 4.63)
Tuesday, 7:10 p.m. FSN, 96.3-FM: RHP Phil Hughes (2-0, 3.86) vs. RHP Josh Tomlin (0-2, 18.47)
Wednesday, 7:10 p.m. ESPN, 96.3-FM: LHP Adalberto Mejia (0-1,4.05) vs. RHP Trevor Bauer (0-2, 8.44)
Thursday, 12:10 p.m. MLBN, 96.3-FM: RHP Ervin Santana (3-0, 0.41) vs. RHP Corey Kluber (1-1, 6.38)
TWINS UPDATE
The Twins went 9-10 against the Indians last season, the third time in four years they lost the season series. They have not swept a four-game series against Cleveland since 1991. … Entering Sunday, the Twins had allowed the fewest runs in the major leagues (27), and fewer than half as many as the Indians (61, which ranks 29th). … Minnesota's starting pitchers own a collective 2.97 ERA, third-best in the American League, while Cleveland's starters own a 6.79 ERA, worst in the majors. … The Twins' bullpen ERA is 1.53 entering Sunday, behind only New York in the AL, while Cleveland's 3.38 ranks seventh. … The Twins have drawn 53 walks, most in the AL, and have three players (Miguel Sano with 11, Robbie Grossman 10 and Jason Castro nine) among the top 10 for drawing walks in the league. … C Chris Gimenez, who has played for the Indians three different times, is 3-for-22 (.136) against the team that drafted him in 2004.
INDIANS UPDATE
This is the first meeting between Twins Chief Baseball Officer Derek Falvey and the team that employed him for a decade. … After starting the season with a sweep in Texas, the Indians lost six of seven games to fall into fourth place in the AL Central. … The defending American League champions added 1B Edwin Encarnacion to the roster last winter, but the former Blue Jays slugger is off to a slow start: 9-for-44 (.205) with one home run and one RBI. … 2B Jason Kipnis, who has missed the start of the season because of a shoulder injury, is on a rehab assignment at Class AAA Columbus and could rejoin the team this week. … LF Michael Brantley, who missed most of 2016 because of a shoulder injury, is batting .270 with one home run. … LHP Andrew Miller has yet to allow a run or issue a walk in his first six innings this season. Closer Cody Allen is 2-for-2 in save situations. … The Indians are 0-3 in games they don't hit a home run.
Phil Miller
about the writer
The eight Twins headed for arbitration are Royce Lewis, Joe Ryan, Jhoan Duran, Bailey Ober, Ryan Jeffers, Willi Castro, Griffin Jax and Trevor Larnach.
