Cleveland @ Minnesota preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 19, 2014 ) Cleveland 4, Minnesota 5

If the Cleveland Indians are still entertaining thoughts of a run at a wild-card spot, they are going to need to find a way around the Minnesota Twins. The Indians will try to bounce back from a crushing loss in the series opener when they visit the Twins for the second of a three-game series on Saturday. Cleveland allowed the tying run in the bottom of the ninth before falling in the 10th in the series opener.

The loss dropped the Indians 4 1/2 games behind the Kansas City Royals for the second American League wild card with nine games left. The Twins are nowhere near the playoffs but are still fighting and are getting strong performances from some of the younger players. Oswaldo Arcia homered among three hits on Friday and rookie Kennys Vargas added a solo home run before rookie Danny Santana scored the winning run in the 10th.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, SportsTime Ohio (Cleveland), FSN North (Minnesota)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Indians LH T.J. House (3-3, 3.42 ERA) vs. Twins RH Trevor May (3-4, 7.71)

House is 1-0 with a 0.86 ERA over his last three starts and earned a win with eight strikeouts over seven scoreless innings against the Twins in his last start on Sept. 11. The Louisiana native owns 20 strikeouts without a walk in 21 innings over those three turns. House is 2-0 while surrendering a total of three runs in 17 1/3 innings over three career starts against Minnesota.

May had the most dominant outing of his young career at Chicago on Sunday, when he struck out 10 without a walk. The rookie yielded three runs over a season-high six innings in that one to pick up his third straight win. May matched a season low with two earned runs at Cleveland on Sept. 9, scattering five hits over as many innings to earn the win.

WALK-OFFS

1. Indians 2B Jason Kipnis (hamstring) sat out Friday and is day-to-day.

2. Minnesota LHP Tommy Milone (neck) will have his scheduled start on Sunday pushed back.

3. Cleveland LF Michael Brantley has recorded multiple hits seven times during his 10-game hitting streak.

PREDICTION: Indians 5, Twins 4