Twins-Cleveland series preview
June 4, 2019 at 1:22AM
All games on FSN, 830-AM
Tuesday, 6:10 p.m.: LHP Devin Smeltzer (0-0, 0.00) vs. RHP Shane Bieber (4-2, 3.67)
Wednesday, 6:10 p.m.: LHP Martin Perez (7-2, 3.71) vs. RHP Carlos Carrasco (4-6, 4.98)
Thursday, 6:10 p.m.: RHP Jose Berrios (7-2, 3.27) vs. RHP Trevor Bauer (4-5, 3.87)
Twins update
Smeltzer pitched six scoreless innings in his major league debut against the Brewers on Tuesday. … DH Nelson Cruz, out since May 17 because of a sore wrist, was activated for the series. He is hitting .270 with seven HR and 22 RBI. … The Twins (40-18) have MLB's best record, have a plus-109 run differential, are 21-9 on the road and are 11-3 against AL Central teams. They lead the major leagues in home runs, runs, batting average and OPS. … LF Eddie Rosario is second in the AL with 17 home runs and 49 RBI, and SS Jorge Polanco (.335) leads in batting average. … The Twins have scored three or more runs in a franchise record 26 consecutive games.
Cleveland update
Bieber gave up six runs, including three homers, in five innings vs. Boston on Wednesday but still got the win. … The Indians (29-30) are 11.5 games behind the Twins in the AL Central and have lost 10 of 14. … 1B Carlos Santana (11 HR, 37 RBI, .286) leads the team in the Triple Crown categories, but his streak of reaching base ended at 18 games in a 2-0 loss to the White Sox on Sunday. … Cleveland has fallen on hard times offensively, hitting .226, second worst in the AL. … Two rotation staples, righthanders Mike Clevinger (back) and Corey Kluber (broken forearm), are out, and reliever Dan Otero went on the injured list because of a sore shoulder Sunday.
Chris Miller
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The Tampa Bay Rays will play their 2025 home games at the New York Yankees’ nearby spring training ballpark amid uncertainty about the future of hurricane-damaged Tropicana Field, Rays executives told The Associated Press.
