Twins-Cleveland series preview
August 8, 2019 at 2:28AM
Friday, 7:10 p.m. • FSN, 830-AM: LHP Devin Smeltzer (1-1, 2.28) vs. RHP Shane Bieber (11-4, 3.31)
Saturday, 6:10 p.m. • FSN, 830-AM: RHP Jake Odorizzi (12-5, 3.61) vs. RHP Adam Plutko (4-2, 4.55)
Sunday, 1:10 p.m. • FSN, 830-AM: RHP Jose Berrios (10-6, 3.24) vs. RHP Aaron Civale (1-1, 0.75)
Twins update
They are 35-23 at home but have lost two in a row. … They are 5-4 against Cleveland, and won two out of three games during the Indians' first visit to Minneapolis, in the season-opening series in March. The Twins have outscored the Indians 40-32 in their nine games. … Smeltzer has pitched in five big-league games, and allowed more than one run only once — when Cleveland scored five runs in 6⅓ innings on June 4. But the rookie righthander has allowed only two runs in 15⅓ innings since then. … Closer Taylor Rogers has three saves and a 1.36 ERA against the Indians this season. Setup man Sergio Romo has a 1.17 ERA, though he's pitched only 7⅔ career innings against them. … Five of Max Kepler's 31 homers have come against Cleveland this year, but all five came against Trevor Bauer, who is no longer on the team. Kepler owns 13 career homers against the Indians, more than against any other team.
INDIANS UPDATE
They are 18-8 since the All-Star break and have won five of their past six games, including a doubleheader sweep against Texas on Wednesday. … The three-time defending AL Central champions are 34-13 since falling 11 games behind the Twins on June 14, and now trail Minnesota by two games. … They are 30-22 on the road. … They are without starting pitchers Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar. … They used seven different relief pitchers during Wednesday's doubleheader for a total of 12 innings. Four pitchers threw two innings or more. … They acquired outfielder Yasiel Puig on July 30, and the former Dodger and Red is batting .269 with no homers so far for Cleveland. But Puig is 14-for-25 (.560) in his career against the Twins, with at least one hit in all six previous games, and two or more in five of them.
PHIL MILLER
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