Minnesota @ Pittsburgh preview

Last Meeting ( May 19, 2015 ) Minnesota 8, Pittsburgh 5

The Minnesota Twins remain one of the pleasant surprises of the early season, at least as far as their own fans are concerned. The Pittsburgh Pirates, who will try to avoid a sweep when they host the Twins in the finale of a two-game interleague series on Wednesday, were not so happy to see Minnesota continue its surge on Tuesday.

The Twins exploded in a six-run second inning Tuesday and cruised to an 8-5 victory to improve to 13-5 in their last 18 games, including three of the last four. Joe Mauer keyed Tuesday’s big inning with a three-run single and has hit safely in 11 of his last 12 games. The Pirates have dropped five of their last six but can at least point to an uptick in the offense, which managed more than three runs for just the second time in those six contests. Pittsburgh dropped to 1-3 against American League opponents with Tuesday’s setback.

TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, FSN North (Minnesota), ROOT (Pittsburgh)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Twins RH Mike Pelfrey (3-1, 3.23 ERA) vs. Pittsburgh LH Jeff Locke (2-2, 5.40)

Pelfrey is trying to bounce back from his first loss after surrendering five runs (four earned) on 10 hits and a pair of walks at Detroit on Thursday. The dud snapped a string of five straight outings allowing two or fewer earned runs for the 31-year-old. Pelfrey, who began his career in the NL with the New York Mets, is 3-2 with a 4.78 ERA in six career starts against Pittsburgh.

Locke allowed three runs in 14 innings to win his first two starts but has fallen sharply off that pace since. The New Hampshire native was reached for five runs in 3 2/3 innings at Chicago on Friday, extending his winless streak to five straight starts. Locke has never faced the Twins and is 1-1 with a 4.05 ERA in four home starts this season.

WALK-OFFS

1. Pirates 1B Pedro Alvarez became the third player in the history of PNC Park to find the Allegheny River in right field on the fly with a 461-foot blast on Tuesday.

2. Minnesota 2B Brian Dozier has hit safely in 10 straight games and homered in three of the last four.

3. Pittsburgh C Francisco Cervelli was removed from Tuesday’s game for precautionary reasons after taking a foul tip off the mask.

PREDICTION: Twins 5, Pirates 3