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
A former second-round pick of the Rangers, Alex Speas has pitched in four major league games.
