Minnesota @ Texas preview

Last Meeting ( Jun 12, 2011 ) Texas 1, Minnesota 6

THE STORY: The Minnesota Twins have recovered from a horrible start but the urgency to make up ground in the American League Central is increasing as they begin a 10-game road trip Monday against the Texas Rangers. The Twins are in fourth place and trail the first-place Tigers by seven games after losing three of four to Detroit. Texas has lost three of five after putting together a 12-game winning streak that was second longest in franchise history. The Rangers lead the Angels by three in the AL West.

TV: 8:05 p.m. ET, FSNO, FSH.

PITCHING MATCHUP: Twins RH Nick Blackburn (7-6, 3.87) vs. Rangers LH Derek Holland (8-4, 4.65).

Blackburn has given up just one earned run in 13 innings over his last two starts but took no-decisions both times. It has been a nice turnaround from a three-start stretch in which he yielded 18 earned runs and 29 hits in 13 1/3 innings. Blackburn is 1-2 with a 3.51 ERA in five career starts against Texas. He gave up four runs (two earned) and 10 hits in 7 1/3 innings in a June outing against the Rangers. Josh Hamilton is 6-for-12 with a homer against Blackburn. Holland was roughed up for a season-high seven earned runs and allowed nine hits in 5 1/3 innings against the Angels in his last outing. The performance followed back-to-back shutout victories over Oakland and Seattle. Holland is 1-2 with a 5.63 ERA in five career outings against Minnesota. He struck out a season-high 10 while allowing four runs and eight hits against the Twins in June. Delmon Young is 5-for-10 with two homers against Holland.

ABOUT THE RANGERS (58-44): High-scoring Texas has been blanked in two of the last four games after being shut out just three times over its first 98. Toronto’s Brett Cecil tossed a four-hit shutout Sunday, and the Rangers went scoreless against Los Angeles on Thursday. Michael Young played his fifth game of the season at third base Sunday and went 1-for-4. Young is batting .377 in July. Hamilton has gone hitless in three of the last four games. Texas has won the opener of each of its last 10 series, a franchise record. The Rangers are 33-19 at home and had a nine-game home winning streak snapped Sunday.

ABOUT THE TWINS (47-54): Minnesota ended up 6-6 on a crucial 12-game homestand. The Twins are just 21-29 on the road. Danny Valencia and Young each had two hits in Sunday’s loss. Valencia is batting .333 during an eight-game hitting streak. Young has a .327 career average against the Rangers. Michael Cuddyer was hitless Sunday but is batting. 346 in July. Closer Joe Nathan has converted four consecutive save opportunities and has 253 during his seven seasons with the Twins. His next save will match Rick Aguilera’s franchise record.

FINAL PITCH: Prior to back-to-back shutouts earlier this month, Holland lasted just two-thirds of an inning while getting pummeled by the Florida Marlins. Then the shaky outing against the Angels followed the shutouts. “I don’t want it to keep being a roller-coaster,” Holland told reporters Sunday. “I want to keep it as consistent as possible and show I can go out there every five days and have the same results.”