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Twins-Cubs Preview

Jun 13, 2009 - 10:51 PM By ALAN FERGUSON STATS Writer

Minnesota (31-32) at Chicago (29-29), 2:20 p.m. EDT

Entering this weekend's three-game series at Wrigley Field, the Minnesota Twins had two wins in nine road games all-time against the Chicago Cubs. They've matched that total in two days.

The Twins will search to sweep the struggling Cubs for the second straight time when this Interleague series concludes Sunday.

With 125 interleague wins, the Twins are one of only three teams with 120 or more. Though they'd had subpar results at Wrigley before this weekend, they also swept Chicago in the teams' last meeting - June 23-25, 2006, at the Metrodome.

Minnesota (32-32) clinched no worse than a 5-5 record on its 10-game road trip with Saturday's 2-0 victory at Wrigley - its fourth in five games after opening the trip 1-3. Jason Kubel's solo home run in the second and Joe Mauer's RBI single an inning later provided all the offense rookie starter Anthony Swarzak would need.

The Twins will try to help Scott Baker (4-6, 5.59 ERA) earn his third victory in a row and fourth in five outings. The right-hander, who has never faced the Cubs, has gotten 10 runs of support in each of his last two outings. He limited Oakland to three runs and four hits over eight innings of a 10-5 victory Tuesday.

Minnesota is winning despite an injury-plagued outfield. Michael Cuddyer sat out Saturday's game because of an inflamed right index finger, and is expected to see a hand specialist Monday. Denard Span is sidelined with an inner ear disorder.

Those injuries meant the Twins needed to send Swarzak, who allowed four hits over seven innings, to Triple-A Rochester to bring up catcher Jose Morales to give the team another hitter. Without the outfielders, the Twins managed five hits Saturday.

"I've got no doubts he can pitch in the big leagues and he proved that today," Minnesota manager Ron Gardenhire said of Swarzak. "But it has to be done. We need a player here. I've got too many injuries."

Gardenhire's team will next try to get past the Cubs' most consistent starter this season, Ted Lilly (7-4, 3.00). The left-hander, who spent seven seasons in the AL, is 3-1 with a 3.52 ERA in six career starts versus Minnesota.

Lilly has an 0.87 ERA in his last three starts and threw 6 2-3 scoreless innings in Tuesday night's 7-1 victory in Houston, but whether he wins a third straight decision might depend on if the Cubs' slumbering bats awaken.

Chicago (29-30) has scored six total runs during a four-game losing streak, and couldn't push across a run in the ninth Saturday despite getting two runners on base with no outs against Twins closer Joe Nathan.

After Andres Blanco's sacrifice bunt, Kosuke Fukudome struck out, and Ryan Theriot flied out to right field to end the game.

"I've never seen anything like I'm seeing right now," said outfielder Alfonso Soriano, whose team has batted .174 during its slide. "We're a very good hitting team. I don't know what's happening now, but it's not looking good."

While trying to fend off a fifth straight loss, the Cubs will also attempt to avoid falling two games below .500 for the first time since the fourth game of 2008.