Twins-Cleveland series preview
August 24, 2020 at 12:24AM
All games on FSN and 830-AM
Monday, 6:10 p.m.: RHP Kenta Maeda (3-0, 2.27 ERA) vs. RHP Aaron Civale (3-2, 2.91)
Tuesday, 6:10 p.m.: LHP Rich Hill (1-1, 4.70) vs. RHP Shane Bieber (5-0, 1.11)
Wednesday, 6:10 p.m.: RHP Jose Berrios (2-3, 4.75) vs. RHP Adam Plutko (1-2, 6.88)
Twins update
Hill is 0-1 with a 7.27 ERA in eight career appearances (one start) against Cleveland. … Max Kepler has a career .231 batting average at Progressive Field, but he has hit 11 homers there, easily his highest total for any road stadium. … The Twins are 5-3 in the eight games Matt Wisler has appeared in. … Nelson Cruz's next home run will be the 411th of his career and tie him with Alfonso Soriano for 54th all-time. … Maeda held Cleveland to one hit over six innings on Aug. 1.
Cleveland update
Manager Terry Francona has been away from the club for most of the month because of a gastrointestinal issue that began in late July in the Twin Cities. He had a procedure on Friday at Cleveland Clinic. First base coach Sandy Alomar Jr. has managed the team for 17 games. … Cleveland has shuffled the deck in order to find outfielders who can contribute offensively. Both Oscar Mercado and Bradley Zimmer, who played against the Twins last month, have been optioned. … Bieber has continued his brilliance since striking out 13 Twins on July 30. He enters Tuesday's start with a 13-inning scoreless streak. The Twins, however, will be the first team he has seen twice this season. … Civale tossed his first career complete game at Pittsburgh on Aug. 19, a five-hitter with six strikeouts in a 6-1 win. … .Jose Ramirez ended an 0-for-21 slump with a single on Saturday.
La Velle E. Neal III
about the writer
Armando Alvarez played first base and third base in 16 games for Oakland. He ranged further in the minor leagues, where he hit .315 in Class AAA last season.
