Twins verses Angels - Preview
MINNESOTA TWINS (72-54) AT LA ANGELS OF ANAHEIM (77-48), 10:05 P.M.
Probable Starting Pitchers: Minnesota - Scott Baker (7-3, 3.91) LA Angels - John Lackey (10-2, 3.22)
It's bad enough that Minnesota is leaving the Twin Cities for its longest road trip in almost 40 years. The cherry on top is that the Twins open the trek against the best team in baseball.
Minnesota heads out west tonight to begin a 14-game, 15-day swing with the opener of a four-game series against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
The Twins have dominated in home play this year. They just wrapped up a nine- game homestand with a 7-2 mark and haven't dropped a series at home since the beginning of June. Overall at home this year, Minnesota is 46-23 compared to a 26-31 record as the visiting club. The Twins get an opportunity to improve on their mark, as they will go through Anaheim, Seattle, Oakland and Toronto in the longest trip since 1969.
The Twins are being forced out of town for some time due to the Republican National Convention that will take place from September 1-4.
Minnesota concluded its residency with a 3-1 win over Oakland on Wednesday. Mike Redmond, playing in place of the resting Joe Mauer, had a pair of run- scoring singles, while Justin Morneau also knocked in a run to back five solid innings out of Francisco Liriano. The victory allowed the Twins to stay one game back of the Chicago White Sox for first place in the American League Central.
Mauer should be back in the lineup tonight, as he leads the AL with a .324 average. The catcher is in the midst of a career-high 12-game hitting streak, going 18-for-47 (.383) over that run. Alexi Casilla will also be available for this road trip after being activated off the 15-day disabled list following yesterday's win.
If Minnesota is going to begin its trek on the right foot, starter Scott Baker will have to do something he has never done before -- beat the Angels in their own backyard. Baker is 0-4 with a 7.36 earned run average in five career starts against Los Angeles, and has lost all four of his career starts at Angel Stadium.
The 26-year-old righty has posted four straight no-decisions heading into tonight's start, with the Twins going 2-2 in that span. Minnesota won his last start versus Seattle, with Baker allowing four runs on eight hits over 5 1/3 innings. On the season, he is 7-3 with a 3.91 ERA.
He will oppose John Lackey, who is 10-2 with a 3.22 ERA this year and is riding a four-decision winning streak that has spanned his last seven starts. Lackey defeated Cleveland on Saturday with six innings of three-run, six-hit ball.
The right-hander hasn't lost since July 5 and is 5-5 with a 4.15 ERA in 12 starts lifetime against Minnesota.
The Angels were nearly swept for a second time this year by Tampa Bay, but won the finale of a three-game set with the Rays, 5-4, on Wednesday. Garret Anderson picked a perfect time to extend his hitting streak, driving home the go-ahead run with a single in the ninth inning. Francisco Rodriguez then broke his own team record by posting his 48th save of the season.
Anderson is hitting .365 over his current 23-game run, and is now just five games shy of his personal and franchise-best 28-game hit streak he posted in 1998.
Erick Aybar had a two-run triple and Chone Figgins had two hits with an RBI and a run scored for Los Angeles, which had dropped five of its last six contests coming into the game. The Angels leaped back in front of Tampa for the best mark (77-48) in the majors with the win.
The Angels begin an 11-game homestand tonight and lead the AL West by 15 1/2 games over Texas.
LA won three of four over the Twins in Minnesota on March 31-April 3. The Angels are 9-3 versus the Twins at home since the start of the 2005 season.
Probable Starting Pitchers: Minnesota - Scott Baker (7-3, 3.91) LA Angels - John Lackey (10-2, 3.22)
It's bad enough that Minnesota is leaving the Twin Cities for its longest road trip in almost 40 years. The cherry on top is that the Twins open the trek against the best team in baseball.
Minnesota heads out west tonight to begin a 14-game, 15-day swing with the opener of a four-game series against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
The Twins have dominated in home play this year. They just wrapped up a nine- game homestand with a 7-2 mark and haven't dropped a series at home since the beginning of June. Overall at home this year, Minnesota is 46-23 compared to a 26-31 record as the visiting club. The Twins get an opportunity to improve on their mark, as they will go through Anaheim, Seattle, Oakland and Toronto in the longest trip since 1969.
The Twins are being forced out of town for some time due to the Republican National Convention that will take place from September 1-4.
Minnesota concluded its residency with a 3-1 win over Oakland on Wednesday. Mike Redmond, playing in place of the resting Joe Mauer, had a pair of run- scoring singles, while Justin Morneau also knocked in a run to back five solid innings out of Francisco Liriano. The victory allowed the Twins to stay one game back of the Chicago White Sox for first place in the American League Central.
Mauer should be back in the lineup tonight, as he leads the AL with a .324 average. The catcher is in the midst of a career-high 12-game hitting streak, going 18-for-47 (.383) over that run. Alexi Casilla will also be available for this road trip after being activated off the 15-day disabled list following yesterday's win.
If Minnesota is going to begin its trek on the right foot, starter Scott Baker will have to do something he has never done before -- beat the Angels in their own backyard. Baker is 0-4 with a 7.36 earned run average in five career starts against Los Angeles, and has lost all four of his career starts at Angel Stadium.
The 26-year-old righty has posted four straight no-decisions heading into tonight's start, with the Twins going 2-2 in that span. Minnesota won his last start versus Seattle, with Baker allowing four runs on eight hits over 5 1/3 innings. On the season, he is 7-3 with a 3.91 ERA.
He will oppose John Lackey, who is 10-2 with a 3.22 ERA this year and is riding a four-decision winning streak that has spanned his last seven starts. Lackey defeated Cleveland on Saturday with six innings of three-run, six-hit ball.
The right-hander hasn't lost since July 5 and is 5-5 with a 4.15 ERA in 12 starts lifetime against Minnesota.
The Angels were nearly swept for a second time this year by Tampa Bay, but won the finale of a three-game set with the Rays, 5-4, on Wednesday. Garret Anderson picked a perfect time to extend his hitting streak, driving home the go-ahead run with a single in the ninth inning. Francisco Rodriguez then broke his own team record by posting his 48th save of the season.
Anderson is hitting .365 over his current 23-game run, and is now just five games shy of his personal and franchise-best 28-game hit streak he posted in 1998.
Erick Aybar had a two-run triple and Chone Figgins had two hits with an RBI and a run scored for Los Angeles, which had dropped five of its last six contests coming into the game. The Angels leaped back in front of Tampa for the best mark (77-48) in the majors with the win.
The Angels begin an 11-game homestand tonight and lead the AL West by 15 1/2 games over Texas.
LA won three of four over the Twins in Minnesota on March 31-April 3. The Angels are 9-3 versus the Twins at home since the start of the 2005 season.