Cleveland @ Minnesota preview

Last Meeting ( Jul 18, 2011 ) Cleveland 5, Minnesota 2

THE STORY: If the Minnesota Twins hope to make a real push over the last few months, doing some damage this week is a must. The Twins, who owned the worst record in the major leagues through much of the first two months, have coming storming back in the American League Central and now sit just five games behind the Cleveland Indians and the Detroit Tigers. The Indians have paced the Central for much of the season but are now just barely hanging on. Minnesota will be looking to put a big dent in their deficit when they open a four-game series against the Indians with a day-night double header at Target Field on Monday.

TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, STO, FSNO

GAME 2 PITCHING MATCHUP: Twins RH Anthony Swarzak (2-2, 3.38 ERA) vs. Indians RH Fausto Carmona (4-10, 5.78 ERA).

Normally the long reliever for the Twins, Swarzak has stepped up to make four starts this season, going 2-1 with a 2.84 ERA in the role. He took Baker’s place at Chicago on July 10 and earned the win, allowing one run on four hits in six innings. Swarzak faced the Indians twice in his 2009 rookie campaign, getting knocked around for 11 runs in eight total innings.

Carmona is expected to be activated from the disabled list for the nightcap. The struggling righthander injured his right quadriceps running the bases in an interleague game at Cincinnati on July 2. Carmona is just 1-7 with an 8.20 ERA in his last nine starts. He was lit up for six runs in five innings to suffer a loss at Target Field on April 23 and is just 4-9 with a 5.13 ERA in his career against Minnesota.

ABOUT THE TWINS (44-49): One of the hottest teams in the majors for the better part of the last seven weeks, Minnesota opened up the second half by taking three of four from the Kansas City Royals. The series was significant in that it highlighted the re-emergence of Joe Mauer, who had four RBIs and lifted his batting average to .260 - its highest point of the season. The Twins also made a switch at closer during the series, pushing Joe Nathan back into the role and being rewarded with saves both Saturday and Sunday from the veteran righthander. Jim Thome hit his 596th homer run on Sunday, blasting a slider 490 feet for the longest home run in Target Field history. Minnesota plays four games apiece against Cleveland and Detroit this week - all at home.

ABOUT THE INDIANS (49-44): After dropping three straight heading into the All-Star break, Cleveland came out and split a four-game set at Baltimore, allowing one of the worst hitting teams in the league to average just under six runs per game. Indians pitchers have allowed four runs or more in each of the last eight games and 10 of the last 12. Adding injury to insult, Grady Sizemore had to be removed in the first inning of Sunday’s 8-3 loss after suffering a right knee contusion - the same type of injury that sent him to the disabled list in May.

FINAL PITCH: Twins manager Ron Gardenhire and Japanese infielder Tsuyoshi Nishioka made a friendly wager on Sunday’s FIFA Women’s World Cup final, with the loser having to wear a T-shirt of the winner’s choosing. Japan won the final on penalty kicks.