Cleveland @ Minnesota preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 8, 2012 ) Minnesota 2, Cleveland 6

The Minnesota Twins have a shot at not finishing in last place in the American League Central. To climb out of the basement, they are going to have to sneak past the rapidly descending Cleveland Indians. The Twins enter this weekend’s four-game wraparound series with the Indians two games behind and coming off a 3-3 road trip. The Indians are coming off a series win at Detroit but are just 4-17 in their last 21 games.

The Twins showed what their offense is capable of in an 18-9 slaughter of the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday but also demonstrated how frustrating their team has been in 2012 by managing a total of four runs in the other two games of the series - both losses. Minnesota has often been undone by its pitching staff, which could get a break this weekend. Cleveland has scored more than four runs once in its last 17 games and is coming off a four-hit effort in a 7-1 loss to the Tigers on Wednesday.

TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, STO (Cleveland), FSNO (Minnesota)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Indians RH Jeanmar Gomez (5-7, 5.08 ERA) vs. Twins RH Liam Hendriks (0-7, 6.11)

Gomez returned to Cleveland on Aug. 29 after a stint of over two months in the minors and was inserted back into the rotation last Saturday. The 24-year old Venezuelan earned a win over the Texas Rangers, allowing three runs on four hits in 5 2/3 innings. Gomez had one of his best starts at Minnesota on May 14, when he held the Twins to an unearned run on three hits over seven innings to pick up a win. He is 1-1 with a 3.90 ERA in five career games - four starts - against Minnesota.

Hendriks cannot seem to get his performance to cooperate with his offense. After allowing one run in a 1-0 complete-game loss to the Seattle Mariners on Aug. 27, the Twins put eight runs on the board for Hendriks at Kansas City last Saturday. Of course, the right-hander struggled through 3 2/3 innings and surrendered five runs (three earned) on 10 hits in a no decision. Hendriks faced Cleveland once last season, allowing four runs on seven hits in six innings of a no decision.

WALK-OFFS

1. Twins C/1B Joe Mauer went 0-for-3 with a pair of strikeouts on Wednesday to snap a six-game hitting streak. Mauer still ranks among the leaders in the AL with a .315 batting average.

2. Indians SS Asdrubal Cabrera had broken out of a 2-for-31 funk with back-to-back multi-hit games against Detroit but could not keep it going with an 0-for-3 effort on Wednesday.

3. Minnesota has taken seven of 11 meetings with Cleveland this season.