MLB Baseball Matchup
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Minnesota Twins |
Boston Red Sox |
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| Teams |
|
|
|
| Minnesota Twins |
9 |
9 |
9 |
| Boston Red Sox |
-175 |
-175 |
-175 |
Odds subject to change |
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 The Minnesota Twins prospered during a recent stretch of home games. They hope to do the same as they spend much of the rest of July on the road.
The surging Twins look for a sixth straight victory as they start a seven-game trip Monday night against Daisuke Matsuzaka and the reeling Boston Red Sox.
For the 24th time, Minnesota (50-38) came from behind to win, 5-4 over All-Star Cliff Lee and the Cleveland Indians on Sunday. The victory concluded a 7-2 homestand for the Twins, who remain one game behind the first-place Chicago White Sox in the AL Central.
"We've got a good attitude on the bench. Guys are into it,' Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "We feel like something's going to happen eventually. We've just got to keep plugging away.'
The Twins are also one-half game back of wild-card leader Boston (52-39), which returns home after a 3-7 road trip that dropped it out of first place in the AL East and now five games back of surprising division leader Tampa Bay.
Minnesota has won 16 of 18, with 15 of those contests coming at home. While the Twins are 18-20 away from the Metrodome, they have won six of their last eight on the road. Minnesota plays 13 of its next 16 there, including a four-game set at Detroit heading into next week's All-Star break.
The Twins took three of four from Boston at home May 9-12 and have won four of their last seven games at Fenway Park, where the Red Sox are 31-10.
"(It's) another good challenge for you going in and playing a Boston team that's really good in their ballpark, and finishing up the first half playing Detroit," Gardenhire told the Twins' official Web site.
On Sunday, Carlos Gomez and Alexi Casilla each drove in a run for the Twins, who are batting .349 and averaging 7.6 runs during their current five-game winning run. Casilla is hitting .385 (20-for-52) with 11 RBIs during his 13-game hitting streak.
Minnesota's Justin Morneau, who joins teammates Joe Mauer and Joe Nathan on the AL All-Star team, went 0-for-7 in his two last games, but is hitting .333 (13-for-39) with two homers in 10 career games at Fenway.
Though the Twins have managed to get the best of All-Star pitchers Lee, Ben Sheets and Brandon Webb in recent games, facing Matsuzaka (9-1, 3.12 ERA) presents another tough challenge.
Matsuzaka, 5-1 in seven starts at home, has allowed one run and four hits in 10 innings over his last two starts. Though he hasn't been very efficient of late, Matsuzaka gave up a run and two hits in five innings before leaving without a decision in a 7-6 loss at Tampa Bay on Wednesday.
The right-hander is 2-0 with a 2.40 ERA against Minnesota and allowed two runs in seven innings of a 5-2 win over the Twins on May 10.
The Red Sox return home after falling 5-4 in 10 innings at New York on Sunday, settling for a split of the four-game set. Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis - two of their seven All-Star selections - combined for three hits and two RBIs for Boston, which suffered six one-run defeats on the road swing.
"There's a lot of baseball left," reliever Manny Delcarmen told the Red Sox official Web site. "Remember that - a lot of baseball left."
Pedroia extended his hitting streak to 14 games while batting .500 (31-for-62) with nine RBIs during that span. Youkilis, meanwhile, is 6-for-15 with a homer this season versus Minnesota, which sends Scott Baker to the mound.
Baker (5-2, 3.65) looks for his fourth straight win after allowing three runs and seven hits in six innings of a 6-4 win over Detroit on Tuesday. The right-hander allowed a run in three innings of relief last season versus Boston, but is making his first start against the Red Sox.
Pick: Boston Red Sox
Result: Won
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