Indians at Twins
The Cleveland Indians are not ready to concede the American League Central and will try to shave another game off their deficit when they visit the Minnesota Twins on Saturday for the second of three contests. The Indians scored four times in the top of the 11th inning to take the opener 6-2 on Friday to pull within 5 1/2 games of the first-place Twins and improve to 8-6 in the season series.
Rookie Oscar Mercado had three hits, including a two-run single that capped the rally in the 11th for Cleveland, while leadoff man Francisco Lindor also knocked in a run during the uprising after belting a homer earlier in the contest. Rookie Aaron Civale hopes to continue the strong start to his career when he takes the ball for the Indians on Saturday and Minnesota counters with All-Star Jake Odorizzi, who is 2-0 with a 1.06 ERA in three games against Cleveland this year. The Twins left eight runners on base Friday to lose for just the third time in 13 games overall after going 8-2 on a road trip, and dropped to 39-30 at home - which includes four losses against the Indians in the last five meetings in Minnesota. Eddie Rosario needs two homers to give the Twins three with 30 blasts in a season for the fifth time but is just 6-for-44 against Cleveland this season.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, STO (Cleveland), FS North (Minnesota)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Indians RH Aaron Civale (3-3, 1.94 ERA) vs. Twins RH Jake Odorizzi (14-6, 3.61)
Civale earned his second straight victory Monday when he held the Chicago White Sox to three runs (one earned) on seven hits and three walks over five innings. The 24-year-old Connecticut native has not given up more than two earned runs in any of his seven major-league starts and served up one homer in 41 2/3 innings. Rosario had a double in three at-bats versus Civale, who limited Minnesota to one run on four hits over six innings in a no-decision Aug. 11.
Odorizzi gave up three runs on five hits over five innings with seven strikeouts Monday in a no-decision at Detroit after posting a 2.86 ERA over five starts in August. The 29-year-old Illinois native, who is 7-2 with a 3.44 ERA in 13 home starts, has struck out 152 over 142 innings with 49 walks. Lindor is 8-for-22 with four doubles and two homers against Odorizzi, who is 3-4 with a 4.42 ERA in 12 career games versus Cleveland.
WALK-OFFS
1. Twins DH Nelson Cruz left the game in the 10th inning due to a sore left wrist and is considered day-to-day.
2. Cleveland OF Yasiel Puig is 9-for-23 with four RBIs in five games against the Twins this season.
3. Minnesota OF/INF Luis Arraez is 9-for-20 with four walks during his current five-game hitting streak.