Tigers at Twins
While the Minnesota Twins did not begin their six-game homestand against a pair of sub-.500 opponents the way in which they wanted, they will get the chance to end it the way they expected. The Twins attempt to break even at Target Field this week when they host the Detroit Tigers on Sunday for the rubber match of their three-game series.
Minnesota (78-51) began the week by dropping two of three to the Chicago White Sox - a club that trails the American League Central leader by 19 games - before losing Friday's series opener to the team with the worst record in the majors in Detroit (39-88). The Twins maintained their 2 1/2-game division lead over Cleveland while also restoring a bit of order with Saturday's 8-5 victory as Jake Cave, Miguel Sano and Max Kepler each homered to lift the team's home-run total to a major league-high 251. After pounding out 17 hits in the opener, Detroit recorded 12 more in a losing cause, including Miguel Cabrera's 575th career double that moved him past Bobby Abreu for the most by Venezuelan-born player in major-league history. Dawel Lugo of the Tigers is batting .533 with five runs, two doubles, a triple, a homer and three RBIs in five games versus the Twins this season after going 2-for-3 with a solo shot on Saturday.
TV: 2:10 p.m. ET, FS Detroit, FS North (Minnesota)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Tigers LH Matthew Boyd (6-9, 4.24 ERA) vs. Twins LH Martin Perez (8-5, 4.60)
Boyd will return from the paternity list to try and end a six-start winless streak that was extended with last Sunday's no-decision at Tampa Bay in which he yielded one run on two hits and two walks while registering nine strikeouts over seven innings. The Oregon State product ranks seventh in the majors with 201 strikeouts, recording at least eight in 16 of his 26 outings this season. Marwin Gonzalez (7-for-12, four doubles) has tormented Boyd, who did not factor in the decision against Minnesota on June 7 after permitting three runs in seven frames.
Perez remained winless since July 5 following last Sunday's no-decision at Texas in which he allowed two runs on five hits and four walks over five innings. The 28-year-old has been mostly ineffective in his last three turns at home, giving up 17 runs and 26 hits in 15 frames. Perez, who has not surrendered a home run in either of his last two starts after serving up three in three of his previous four outings, took the loss against Detroit on May 12 after permitting three runs in five innings.
WALK-OFFS
1. Cave has hit three of his five homers on the season in this series and is batting .500 over his last 11 games.
2. Tigers rookie SS Willi Castro went 2-for-4 with a double in his major-league debut Saturday.
3. Kepler's home run to lead off Saturday's game gave him 35 for the season, making him only the second player in club history to reach that benchmark in 129 or fewer team games (Harmon Killebrew).