The Minnesota Twins will host the Houston Astros in a four-game
series after belting 12 homers in a three-game sweep of the
Baltimore Orioles over the weekend. Minnesota will look for more
offensive success against the Astros when their series starts
Monday night, although Houston is certainly a much tougher team.
Still, the Twins crushed Baltimore’s pitching in a six-game season
sweep of the Orioles. They hit 23 homers during that time,
including two in Sunday’s 4-1 victory over Baltimore — solo homers
by Max Kepler and Byron Buxton.
Twins outfielder Max Kepler hit a homerun on Sunday to help sweep the O’s.
The Twins have been hitting well in the first month of the season,
a big reason they have won seven of their last nine games — the
two losses in a three-game series with Houston last week.
“When our guys are having at-bats like they’re having them, you try
to ride it out as long as you can and keep it going,” manager Rocco
Baldelli told the team’s website after Sunday’s win.
Kyle Gibson earned the victory Sunday with a strong seven-inning
effort, and he said that when a team’s offense is going like
Minnesota’s is, it helps everyone feel better.
“When your offense is swinging the bat like they are, that’s one
thing that really drives confidence for a team,” Gibson told the
team’s website. “When your offense is going to swing the bats like
that, you’re going to have a lot of confidence.”
The Twins made a move on Sunday, putting versatile Willians
Astudillo on the injured list due to hamstring issues that forced
him out early during Saturday’s win. They brought up Jake Cave from
Triple-A Rochester to take his spot on the roster.
Houston is coming off of a 4-1 victory against the Cleveland
Indians on Sunday night, and that gave the Astros a split of the
four-game series with the Indians.
Robinson Chirinos crushed a three-run homer in the seventh that was
the deciding hit in the win by the Astros. But manager A.J. Hinch
knows what’s coming with the Twins since the Astros saw them last
weekend and because they’ve hit so well recently.
“They’re a good team,” Hinch told the team’s website. “They homer
like crazy. I consider them strong contenders with the Indians in
the Central.”
The Astros have won two in a row, taking Saturday’s game against
the Indians 4-3 in 10 innings thanks to Tony Kemp’s pinch-hit
walk-off homer.
Hinch also told the team’s website that when they play the Los
Angeles Angels in Monterrey next weekend (Saturday, Sunday),
they’ll likely add a pitcher, as they’re allowed to add a 26th
player for those types of trips.
He said that will be decided after the Astros see what shape the
pitching staff/bullpen is in following the Twins’ series.
For the Twins, Jake Odorizzi (2-2, 4.37 ERA) will start the series
opener against Justin Verlander (4-0, 2.61). Odorizzi has won two
in a row, including beating the Astros on April 22, when he gave up
two runs in 5 2/3 innings.
He has a 4-1 record and a 2.29 ERA in six career starts against
Houston.
The veteran Verlander is coming off a strong performance against
the Twins on Wednesday, giving up just one run on four hits in a
season-best eight innings. He also struck out eight.
In his career, Verlander is 20-9 with a 2.94 ERA in 37 starts
against the Twins.