Cleveland @ Minnesota preview
Target Field
Last Meeting ( Sep 21, 2010 ) Cleveland 4, Minnesota 6
No one will blame the Minnesota Twins if they aren't 100 percent focused for today's game against the Cleveland Indians.
The champions of the American League Central are entitled to take a day off.
Minnesota clinched its second straight division title Tuesday night. The Twins rallied by scoring four times in the eighth to beat the Indians 6-4, clinching a tie for the title. They officially won the division about an hour later when the ever-cooperative Chicago White Sox lost for the eighth straight time, dropping a decision in Oakland.
That began a celebration at Target Field for the Twins, who became the first team in baseball to clinch its division. Minnesota took the division last season by winning a one-game playoff over Detroit.
The Twins didn't need any dramatics this time, winning the division going away. Minnesota is 45-18 since the All-Star break, turning a 3 ½-game deficit to the White Sox into what has ballooned to a 12-game lead going into today's action.
The Twins left no doubt about the division's best team. Minnesota went 13-5 against Chicago and swept a three-game series at U.S. Cellular Field earlier this month. The Twins, who have played the entire season without closer Joe Nathan, made the post-All Star break run without first baseman Justin Morneau, who hasn't played since suffering a concussion on July 7.
Minnesota’s main goal now will be to get its key players healthy. Catcher Joe Mauer hasn't played since leaving Sunday's game with a strained left knee. An MRI exam on Tuesday showed no serious damage and Mauer will likely miss four or five more days. That would give him a chance to play in a few games during the final week of the season before the playoffs begin.
Nick Blackburn will take the mound for what will surely be an anti-climactic game for his team, but it won't be for the right-hander.
Blackburn, who was sent to Triple-A Rochester in late July, has gone from an afterthought to pitching himself into the postseason plans in the last month. He's 2-2 with a 1.91 ERA in five starts since getting back into the rotation in late August.
Cleveland’s Carlos Carrasco picked up his first major league win in his last start against Kansas City. He allowed three runs and eight hits in six innings. The right-hander has pitched well in four starts since being called up from Triple-A Columbus on Sept. 1. He has allowed eight earned runs and 25 hits in 26 2/3 innings.
Carrasco threw 7 1/3 scoreless innings against the Twins in Cleveland on Sept. 11.