The Minnesota Twins will look to gain ground against the Cleveland Guardians on Friday when the American League Central rivals open a four-game series with a day-night doubleheader in Minneapolis.
First-place Cleveland holds a 3 1/2-game lead over Minnesota entering the weekend series. The Guardians, who are mired in a season-high five-game losing streak, hope that a day off Thursday allowed them to rest and recharge.
“The results of the last five days we don’t like, but the way we’re playing, especially giving ourselves a chance to tie the game and take the lead, I couldn’t ask for anything more,” Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt said after Wednesday’s doubleheader sweep by the Arizona Diamondbacks.
“I’d be lying if I told you we’re all happy right now, but at the same time, every team goes through these stretches. I think it’s not the way we’re playing, it’s the results.”
Meanwhile, the Twins are bidding to bounce back after losing back-to-back games against the Chicago Cubs.
Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said his players would have to find their footing without shortstop Carlos Correa, who remains sidelined by a heel injury and is not expected to return this weekend.
“He’s ramping up his running right now,” Baldelli said Wednesday. “He’s not sprinting yet. When he’s able to sprint and run the way he needs to, he’s going to go on a rehab assignment and go get some at-bats. Then he’ll be on his way back at that point. He has not hit that point yet.”
Baldelli acknowledged that it was tough to stay patient without one of his top hitters.
“Every game feels like the most important thing, and it is at that moment, but the long game for us, with the players that we have, is probably more important at this point in the season,” he said.
The Twins are expected to promote right-hander Louie Varland (0-4, 6.58 ERA) to start the first game of the doubleheader. He posted a 1.93 ERA in 9 1/3 innings in June and has performed well in recent starts for Triple-A St. Paul.
Varland, 26, is 0-1 with a 4.50 ERA in two career games (one start) against Cleveland.
The Guardians have not announced a starter for Friday’s opener but could follow a similar track as the Twins and promote a pitcher from their Triple-A affiliate. One option is right-hander Triston McKenzie, who is 3-5 with a 5.11 ERA with Cleveland this season.
In the nightcap, the Twins are expected to turn to right-hander Bailey Ober (11-5, 3.69). He has won three straight decisions and posted eight consecutive quality starts.
In six career starts against Cleveland, Ober is 1-2 with a 2.53 ERA.
The Guardians are scheduled to give the ball to Alex Cobb (0-0, 0.00) in the second game. It will be his season debut for Cleveland, who acquired him from the San Francisco Giants before the trade deadline. Cobb didn’t pitch for the Giants this season after undergoing offseason hip surgery.
Cobb, 36, is 4-3 with a 4.86 ERA in 10 career starts against the Twins.
The first contest of Friday’s doubleheader is a makeup game from an April 7 postponement.
–Field Level Media
