Twins at Mariners
The Minnesota Twins attempt to extend their winning streak to six contests and complete a four-game sweep when they visit the Seattle Mariners on Sunday for the finale of their series. Minnesota put on a power display on Saturday, belting six home runs en route to an 18-4 victory.
C.J. Cron and Jonathan Schoop both homered twice, Byron Buxton hit a grand slam and Miguel Sano also went deep as the Twins collected 19 hits, with each member of the starting lineup notching at least one and four players recording three apiece. Cron and Schoop combined to go 6-for-11 with nine RBIs for Minnesota, which has registered 11 homers over the first three games of the series to pull even with Seattle for the league lead with 87. Edwin Encarnacion recorded three hits on Saturday and is 6-for-11 over the first three games of the series for Seattle, which is 2-3 on its six-game homestand. J.P. Crawford delivered an RBI single in the setback, giving him at least one hit in six of the eight games in which he's appeared this season.
TV: 4:10 p.m. ET, FS North (Minnesota), ROOT Northwest (Seattle)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Twins RH Kyle Gibson (4-1, 4.26 ERA) vs. Mariners LH Yusei Kikuchi (2-1, 3.64)
After beginning the season with three straight no-decisions, Gibson has won four of his last five starts - including a triumph over the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday in which he permitted three runs and six hits over 5 2/3 innings. The 31-year-old native of Indiana had allowed fewer than three earned runs in each of his previous four turns and has yielded more than three only twice in eight outings this year. Gibson has made nine career starts against Seattle, going 4-2 with a 3.38 ERA.
Kikuchi is unbeaten in his last five starts but has posted only two victories in that span after giving up three runs - all solo homers - and five hits over six innings in a no-decision against Oakland on Monday. The 27-year-old rookie from Japan allowed a total of two runs over 15 2/3 frames in his previous three turns, although one of the outings was a pre-planned one-inning stint. Kikuchi, who never has faced Minnesota, is 0-1 with a 3.79 ERA in four starts at home.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Mariners optioned RHP Matt Festa to Triple-A Tacoma on Saturday to make room on the roster for LHP Wade LeBlanc (oblique), who was activated from the injured list and surrendered seven runs and seven hits - four homers - over 2 1/3 innings in his first appearance since April 12.
2. Cron is 9-for-17 with three homers and six RBIs during his four-game hitting streak, while Buxton has recorded three blasts and 11 RBIs over his last five contests.
3. Seattle sent RHP Sam Tuivailala (Achilles) and 3B Dylan Moore (wrist) to Tacoma for rehab assignments.