Twins at Tigers
One home run record down, one to go. The Minnesota Twins set the major league record for homers on the road in a three-game sweep at the Chicago White Sox and are within six of the overall single-season record of 267 set by the New York Yankees last year. The surging Twins can inch closer to that mark when they open a three-game series at the Detroit Tigers on Friday night.
Minnesota walloped eight homers against the White Sox to boost their road total to 141 on the season and maintain its 3 1/2-game edge over Cleveland atop the American League Central. C.J. Cron went deep and had his third three-RBI game in the last six in Thursday's 10-5 rout as the Twins won their fifth straight overall and seventh in a row away from home to improve to a major league-best 43-22 on the road. The Tigers are coming off a three-game sweep by Cleveland, stretching their losing streak in the series to 14 games, and they have not fared much better against the Twins with a 5-14 mark over the past 19. Losers of four straight and nine of 11 overall, Detroit was limited to only three runs by the Indians but it did manage to score 18 times in losing two of three at Minnesota last weekend.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, FS North (Minnesota), FS Detroit
PITCHING MATCHUP: Twins RH Kyle Gibson (12-6, 4.49 ERA) vs. Tigers RH Edwin Jackson (3-7, 8.70)
Gibson has a chance to match his career high in victories when he faces the Tigers for the second time within a week, earning the win on Saturday despite giving up five runs (four earned) and 10 hits over 5 1/3 innings. He has struggled over his last four turns, allowing 19 runs and 28 hits over 21 1/3 innings. Victor Reyes is 3-for-6 against Gibson, who had a rocky outing in a loss at Detroit on June 8, permitting five runs and eight hits (two homers) over five innings.
Jackson, who set a major league record earlier this year with Toronto when he played for his 14th different club, won his first two starts for Detroit but has stumbled in his last two. The 35-year-old gave up two homers and was pounded for six runs in five innings at Minnesota last weekend, and was tagged for five runs in five innings in a loss at Houston in his previous turn. Nelson Cruz is 7-for-19 against Jackson, who has allowed at least six runs in half his 12 outings.
WALK-OFFS
1. Twins 2B Jonathan Schoop has five homers and nine RBIs during a seven-game hitting streak.
2. Tigers DH Miguel Cabrera sat out the past two games with tightness in his left biceps.
3. Twins OFs Max Kepler (knee) and Marwin Gonzalez (abdominal/oblique) sat out again Thursday along with 3B Miguel Sano (forearm tightness).