Minnesota @ Texas preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 24, 2012 ) Minnesota 0, Texas 8

The Minnesota Twins continue to have trouble getting batters out this season - especially Adrian Beltre and his Texas Rangers' teammates. The Rangers will try for their eighth victory in nine meetings with Minnesota when they host the Twins on Saturday in the third of a four-game series. Beltre hit for the cycle Friday in the Rangers' 8-0 victory and has five homers in his last three contests. He was 3-for-5 with a homer in Thursday's 10-6 victory and is 12-for-18 with five homers, three doubles and a triple in his last four games. The Rangers, who have won six of their last seven contests and outscored opponents 51-18 during that span, lead the Oakland Athletics by six games in the American League West.

Ryan Dempster on Monday recorded his best performance since being acquired from the Chicago Cubs at the July 31 trade deadline and pitched eight shutout innings against the Twins on June 10. He will oppose Minnesota's Brian Duensing, who is also coming off a solid outing. The Twins have lost four straight and 13 of their last 15 games while owning the American League's worst record (51-74) and highest ERA (4.84). The Rangers lead the majors with 5.2 runs scored per game.

TV: 4:05 p.m. ET, Fox

PITCHING MATCHUP: Twins LH Brian Duensing (3-8, 4.46 ERA) vs. Rangers RH Ryan Dempster (2-1, 6.04)

Duensing struck out a season-high seven and allowed two runs (one earned) and five hits in six innings in Minnesota's 7-2 victory at Oakland on Monday. He had yielded 11 runs (nine earned) and 19 hits in 13 innings over his prevous two starts - both losses. Duensing is 2-6 with a 5.68 ERA in nine starts, with both wins coming in his last five outings. The Rangers' roster is hitting .228 against him, with Josh Hamilton 3-for-14 (homer, three RBIs).

Dempster was 5-5 with a 2.25 ERA in 16 starts with the Cubs prior to his time with Texas, which has been good, bad and unusual. He allowed one run, four hits and struck out six in eight innings in a 5-1 victory over Baltimore on Monday. In his previous start, Dempster yielded eight runs in six innings in an 8-2 loss at New York on Aug. 13. In between, the British Columbia native missed a start in Toronto because of a passport issue. The Twins' roster is hitting .176 against him, with Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau a combined 0-for-7 with four strikeouts.

WALK-OFFS

1. Beltre is hitting .340 with 10 homers and 32 RBIs in 253 at-bats lifetime against Minnesota.

2. Manager Ron Washington has 501 career victories - all with Texas. He is third on the Rangers' list behind Johnny Oates (506) and Bobby Valentine (581).

3. Rangers INF Michael Young is on paternity leave after his wife Cristina gave birth to the couple's third child Thursday, a boy named Antonio Barbosa.