Minnesota @ Tampa Bay preview

Last Meeting ( May 17, 2015 ) Tampa Bay 11, Minnesota 3

The Minnesota Twins and the Tampa Bay Rays are both still a part of the American League wild-card race, and neither can afford to lose a series. The Twins will try to push their winning streak to five straight at the expense of the Rays when they visit Tampa Bay for the opener of a three-game series on Tuesday.

The Rays are about as average as a team can get (62-62 overall, 31-31 home and road) but remain within shouting distance of the second wild card thanks in part to wins in three of their last four games. Tampa Bay’s offense is putting up an average of 2.3 runs over the last six games but the pitching staff kept the team in it with a 3-3 mark in that span. The Twins are a game up on the Rays in the overall standings and began to slow some of their problems on the road with a four-game sweep at the Baltimore Orioles over the weekend that included three straight one-run victories. That surge pushed Minnesota to 25-37 away from its home park, and Ervin Santana will try to better than mark when he goes up against the Rays’ right-hander Nathan Karns on Tuesday.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, MLB Network, FSN North (Minnesota) Sun Sports (Tampa Bay)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Twins RH Ervin Santana (2-4, 5.53 ERA) vs. Rays RH Nathan Karns (7-5, 3.44)

Santana fell to 0-4 in his last five starts when he was reached for four runs in 7 2/3 innings at the New York Yankees on Wednesday. The Dominican Republic native surrendered a pair of home runs in that outing and has yielded seven blasts in his last five turns. Santana is 6-6 with a 4.98 ERA in 14 career starts against Tampa Bay.

Karns did not factor in the decision at Houston on Wednesday despite allowing one run and striking out eight in six innings. The Texas Tech product issued only one walk in that outing after walking five in 4 2/3 frames at Texas in his previous turn. Karns last faced Minnesota in 2013 and was reached for four runs on five hits and three walks in three innings.

WALK-OFFS

1. Twins RHP Phil Hughes (lower back) is not expected to return to the team until September.

2. Tampa Bay 3B Evan Longoria is 0-for-12 with five strikeouts in the last three games.

3. Minnesota 3B Miguel Sano has four homers and nine RBIs in his last seven games.

PREDICTION: Rays 4, Twins 3