Rangers at Twins
The Minnesota Twins' lead in the American League Central is down to six games as the team completed its six-game road trip by losing back-to-back series for the first time this season. Minnesota looks to regain its form when it hosts the Texas Rangers on Friday for the opener of their three-game set.
After dropping two of three to the White Sox in Chicago, the Twins did the same at Oakland after falling 7-2 on Thursday. Despite the team's difficulties, Nelson Cruz enjoyed a successful road trip as he was 8-for-18 with three homers and seven RBIs in four games after collecting three of Minnesota's 11 hits in Thursday's defeat. After putting together a six-game winning streak, Texas lost four in a row before salvaging the finale of its three-game series against the Los Angeles Angels with a 9-3 triumph on Thursday. Rougned Odor and Nomar Mazara broke out of slumps in the win, with the former homering twice to end his eight-game drought and driving in five runs while the latter recorded two RBIs and four hits after going 1-for-21 over his previous seven contests.
TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, FS Southwest (Texas), FS North (Minnesota)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rangers RH Adrian Sampson (6-5, 4.16 ERA) vs. Twins LH Martin Perez (7-3, 4.15)
Sampson, who won five consecutive starts from May 17-June 8, has lost two of his last three after permitting three runs and five hits over six innings in a setback at Tampa Bay on Saturday. The 27-year-old Washingtonian fell to 1-3 with a 6.47 ERA this season in eight games (four starts) on the road, where he is 1-6 with a 6.00 ERA in 13 career contests (eight starts). Sampson will be facing Minnesota for the first time.
Perez settled for the fourth no-decision of his six-start winless streak on June 27, when he allowed two runs and three hits in seven innings against Tampa Bay. The 28-year-old Venezuelan hasn't won since limiting the Los Angeles Angels to two runs on six hits and four walks over five frames on the road on May 23. Perez will be making his first start against Texas, the team with which he spent his first seven major-league seasons.
WALK-OFFS
1. Twins C Jason Castro has gone 6-for-12 with a double and two homers over his last three contests while rookie 2B Luis Arraez has hit safely in 13 of his last 15 games.
2. Texas on Thursday released veteran RHP Shelby Miller, who went 1-3 with one save and an 8.59 ERA over eight starts and 11 relief appearances in his first season in the American League.
3. Minnesota LHP Andrew Vasquez, who yielded three runs while issuing two walks and hitting a batter without recording an out in relief against the Mets in New York on April 10 in his only appearance this year, was sent outright to Triple-A Rochester.