Minnesota @ Los Angeles preview

Last Meeting ( May 29, 2011 ) LA Angels 6, Minnesota 5

THE STORY: Ervin Santana tossed the Los Angeles Angels’ first complete-game no-hitter in 27 years in his last outing. He returns to the mound Tuesday when the Angels open a three-game series against the visiting Minnesota Twins. Santana no-hit the Cleveland Indians on Wednesday to become the first Angels pitcher with a nine-inning no-hitter since Mike Witt pitched a perfect game in 1984. Mark Langston (seven innings) and Witt (two) pitched a combined no-hitter in 1990. Santana struck out a season-high 10 batters during his gem. The Angels are two games behind Texas in the American League West. Minnesota is striving to stay in the AL Central race, but trails the first-place Detroit Tigers by seven games.

TV: 10:05 p.m. ET, FS North (Minnesota), KCOP (Los Angeles)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Twins LH Brian Duensing (8-8, 4.35 ERA) vs. Angels RH Ervin Santana (6-8, 3.47).

Duensing has won four of his last five decisions. He defeated Texas on Wednesday when he gave up one run and seven hits in 6 2/3 innings. This is his second career start against the Angels. He defeated Los Angeles last season when he gave up one run over eight innings. Overall, he has a 2.03 ERA in five career appearances against the Angels. Howie Kendrick is 4-for-6 against Duensing. Santana, the co-American League Player of the Week, has won three straight decisions and hasn’t lost since June 21. He has struck out 42 and walked only eight in 50 2/3 innings over his last seven starts. Santana is 2-3 with a 5.24 ERA in eight career starts against Minnesota. Joe Mauer is batting .579 with four doubles, a homer and seven RBIs in 19 career at-bats against Santana.

ABOUT THE ANGELS (59-50): Los Angeles is 8-4 over its last 12 games. Maicer Izturis had the lone hit - a run-scoring single - against Justin Verlander in Sunday’s loss to the Detroit Tigers. Izturis is batting .375 during his six-game hitting streak. He is hitting only .225 in 30 career games against Minnesota. Torii Hunter struck out three times in four at-bats and batted only .209 in July. Vernon Wells is 3-for-29 over his last seven games. First baseman Mark Trumbo has 11 RBIs in his last eight games and has a team-leading 55 RBIs. The Angels returned top prospect Mike Trout to Double A Arkansas on Monday. The 19-year-old center fielder has seen his playing time cut with the return of Peter Bourjos from the disabled list. Trout struggled in his first taste of the big leagues, batting .163 (7-for-43) with one home run and six RBIs.

ABOUT THE TWINS (50-58): Minnesota has lost three of its last four games. Veteran slugger Jim Thome is three homers away from becoming the eighth player with 600 career homers after hitting No. 597 in Sunday’s loss to Oakland. Thome had three hits and also recorded his 1,752nd RBI to tie Tony Perez for 27th on the all-time list. Thome is 7-for-12 over his last three games and is batting .480 during a seven-game hitting streak. Mauer also had three hits. Center fielder Denard Span was to be activated prior to Tuesday’s game. Span (concussion) is batting .294. Michael Cuddyer batted .336 with six homers and 25 RBIs in July.

FINAL PITCH: “You think about it because a lot of people talk about it. It’s very similar to when I was going toward 500. You get close to that number, and it does get talked about, so you try not to think about it - but you do. I think going through the journey of it is tough. Home runs are not easy to hit. And you certainly don't want to try to hit them.” – Thome.