Twins at Indians
The Minnesota Twins have built a comfortable lead in the American League Central and look to widen that advantage when they visit the Cleveland Indians on Tuesday for the opener of a three-game series. The Twins (40-18) own the best record in baseball after winning 10 of their last 12 to push their lead in the AL Central to 11 1/2 games over the Indians and the Chicago White Sox.
“It don’t change who we are,” Minnesota center fielder Byron Buxton told reporters of the big lead after taking the last three of a four-game set at Tampa Bay. “We’ve just got to go out there and keep playing the ball that we’re playing, play aggressive and keep having fun.” Rookie Devin Smeltzer gets the ball for the series opener as the Twins look to improve on a major league-best road record (21-9) and the scuffling Indians counter with right-hander Shane Bieber, who gave up one run in two innings of relief against Minnesota on March 31. Cleveland, which is 15-14 at home, dropped three of four games at Chicago versus the White Sox to end last week and is 4-10 in its past 14 contests. Francisco Lindor missed the season-opening series at Minnesota in which the Twins won twice, but went 5-for-15 with a homer at Chicago over the weekend for the Indians and is batting .355 over his last eight games with five RBIs.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, MLB Network; FS North (Minnesota), STO (Cleveland)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Twins LH Devin Smeltzer (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. Indians RH Shane Bieber (4-2, 3.67)
Smeltzer was outstanding in his major league debut last Tuesday, limiting Milwaukee to three hits over six scoreless innings with seven strikeouts. The 23-year-old, who was acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers last summer in the Brain Dozier trade, did not walk a batter. Smeltzer was 3-2 with a 1.15 ERA in nine minor league games at Triple-A and Double-A before being recalled.
Bieber posted a victory last Wednesday at Boston despite allowing six runs on eight hits (three homers) over five innings with six strikeouts. The 24-year-old California native had given up one run on nine hits across 14 innings with 25 strikeouts in his previous two starts. Miguel Sano is 3-for-6 with a double versus Bieber, who is 1-0 with a 4.58 ERA in four career games (three starts) against Minnesota.
WALK-OFFS
1. Cleveland CF Greg Allen has hit safely in the last six games, going 7-for-21 with a double, two triples, one homer and four RBIs in that stretch.
2. Minnesota activated DH Nelson Cruz (wrist) from the 10-day disabled list Monday and optioned INF Luis Arraez to Triple-A Rochester.
3. Indians 1B-DH Carlos Santana was hitless in four at-bats in Sunday’s 2-0 loss at Chicago after going 8-for-16 with eight RBIs in the previous four games.