Minnesota @ Cleveland preview

Last Meeting ( May 8, 2015 ) Minnesota 9, Cleveland 3

The Minnesota Twins look to continue their winning ways when they take on the host Cleveland Indians in the second of a three-game set on Saturday. The surging Twins have won eight of their last nine games, including a series-opening 9-3 victory over the Indians, to move four games over .500 for the first time since 2010 when they won the American League Central.

Minnesota has scored at least eight runs in five of its last nine games and hopes to continue its hot hitting by beating Cleveland for the fourth time in five games this season Saturday. The Indians look to solve their home woes after falling to 4-9 at Progressive Field following another subpar showing on Friday night. Starting pitcher Trevor Bauer lasted just five innings after allowing nine hits and five earned runs as Cleveland has surrendered a combined 32 runs in its last four losses. The Tribe have failed to score more than three runs on 12 occasions and stand 6-15 against American League Central opponents as they hope to avoid dropping their seventh series of the season.

TV: 4:10 p.m. ET, FSN North (Minnesota), SportsTime Ohio (Cleveland)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Twins RH Phil Hughes (1-4, 5.02 ERA) vs. Indians LH Bruce Chen (2014: 2-4, 7.45)

Hughes earned his first win of the season despite allowing nine hits, including two homers, and five earned runs over six innings against the Oakland Athletics on May 4. The former first-round pick of the New York Yankees went 16-10 in his first year with the Twins in 2014 but lost his first four outings of the 2015 campaign before doing enough to record the victory. The 28-year-old is 4-2 with a 3.14 ERA in eight career starts against the Indians but gave up eight hits and four earned runs in the 4-2 setback to the Tribe three weeks ago.

Chen is set to make his first start of the 2015 campaign after the Indians revealed they will add the veteran lefty to the roster on Saturday. The 37-year-old went 2-1 with 23 strikeouts and just three walks in 31 innings with Triple-A Columbus after compiling a 47-43 record in the previous six seasons with the Kansas City Royals. “It’s amazing his attitude,” Cleveland manager Terry Francona told reporters of Chen. “A guy that’s pitched that long, and most of it in the major leagues, goes down to Triple-A and seems to enjoy every minute of it.”

WALK-OFFS

1. Twins 3B Trevor Plouffe has reached base safely in 20 straight games.

2. Indians C Roberto Perez is 5-for-7 (.714) with one home run all-time versus Hughes.

3. Chen is 82-80 with a 4.58 ERA with nine different big-league clubs before joining the Indians. .

PREDICTION: Twins 7, Indians 4