Twins-Cleveland series preview
The Twins' chance to turn around starts with their first visit of the season to northern Ohio.
April 26, 2021 at 3:20AM
Monday, 5:10 p.m. • BSN, 830-AM: RHP Jose Berrios (2-2, 3.00 ERA) vs. RHP Zach Plesac (1-3, 6.75)
Tuesday, 5:10 p.m. • BSN, 830-AM: RHP Kenta Maeda (1-1, 6.11) vs. RHP Aaron Civale (3-0, 2.42)
Wednesday, 12:10 p.m. • YouTube, 830-AM: LHP J.A. Happ (1-0, 1.69) vs. LHP Logan Allen (1-3, 6.28)
TWINS UPDATE
The Twins (7-13) fell 6-2 to Pittsburgh on Sunday, losing two of three in the series. They have lost 11 of their past 13 games. … The team is batting .256 through the first six innings of games this year, but that average drops to .203 past that point. … DH Nelson Cruz is still the team's biggest threat at the plate, with his seven home runs, 15 RBI and .323 batting average. … SS Andrelton Simmons could return from the COVID-19 injury list sometime during the Cleveland series, marking his first appearance since April 13. … RF Max Kepler, who also tested positive for COVID-19, likely won't come back for this series. 1B Miguel Sano remains on the injured list because of a right hamstring strain. … The Twins brought RHP Cody Stashak up Sunday from the alternate training site in St. Paul after the team optioned LHP Devin Smeltzer back to St. Paul. … The taxi squad for this trip: RHP Derek Law, LHP Brandon Waddell, infielder Rob Refsnyder and catcher Ben Rortvedt.
CLEVELAND UPDATE
Cleveland (9-11) is coming off a tough series against the Yankees, in which the team won just the final outing of the four-game series 7-3 on Sunday. … The team has the third-worst batting average in the league at .206. But Cleveland is also among the best in the league at limiting opponents' production, as its defense holds other teams to a .209 batting average, which ranks fifth best in MLB. … DH Franmil Reyes has collected 20 hits in 70 at-bats this season, including five home runs, two triples and four doubles. He has 14 RBI. … Former Twins LF Eddie Rosario is hitting .216 with two homers, 12 RBI and five stolen bases in as many attempts. ... In Civale's four starts and 26 innings, he's struck out 22 and given up seven earned runs on 14 hits for a team-best ERA of 2.42. … This three-game series will finish out was to be a nine-game homestand, though rain postponed the April 21 game against the White Sox.
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