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Twins-Rangers Preview

Jul 17, 2009 - 1:14 AM By MATT BEARDMORE STATS Writer

Minnesota (45-44) at Texas (48-39), 8:05 p.m. EDT

Despite stumbling into the All-Star break, the Texas Rangers had a solid first half. With 13 of their next 16 games at home, they look to make a strong push toward their first playoff appearance in a decade.

Texas opens the second half of the season Friday night at Rangers Ballpark where it begins a three-game set with the Minnesota Twins.

The Rangers (48-39) dropped three of four to AL West foe Seattle to end the first half, and trail the division-leading Los Angeles Angels by 1 1/2 games.

"Every part of our game needs improvement," Rangers manager Ron Washington told the teams' official Web site. "You can always get better."

Texas, which is 28-17 at home this year, hasn't experienced playoff baseball since 1999 when it lost to the New York Yankees in the AL division series.

Washington gives the ball to Vicente Padilla (7-4, 4.53 ERA) as the Rangers go for their sixth straight home win. The right-hander last started July 8 when he allowed one run and eight hits over six-plus innings in an 8-1 win over Angels.

Padilla tried to grab a ground ball and had to leave in the seventh with a bruised right palm.

"It is OK," he said. "It just hurts a little."

Padilla was originally scheduled to pitch four days earlier against Tampa Bay but his start was pushed back due to inflammation in his right shoulder.

He is 3-2 with a 2.63 ERA in six starts against Minnesota.

The Twins (45-44), meanwhile, open a 10-game trip looking to continue their solid play away from the Metrodome. After losing 19 of its first 26 on the road, Minnesota has won 10 of its last 15 away games.

The Twins, however, haven't won more than four consecutive contests this season and haven't been more than three games over .500.

"I think we definitely have better baseball ahead of us," said closer Joe Nathan, who is among the majors' saves leaders with 23. "We haven't played very well, and yet, we don't sit that far back in the division."

The Twins are one-half game behind the Chicago White Sox and four in back of AL Central-leading Detroit.

Left-hander Glen Perkins (4-5, 4.71) takes the mound looking for his third straight win over Texas. He was 2-0 with a 1.46 ERA in two starts against the Rangers in 2008 when Minnesota and Texas split 10 meetings.

After his start was pushed back three days due to a fever, Perkins yielded five runs and eight hits over 4 1-3 innings in Saturday's 8-7 loss to the White Sox.

"It had nothing to do with stamina," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said of Perkins' performance.

Minnesota starters have lasted 5 1-3 innings or fewer four times in the last six games.

Twins All-Star catcher Joe Mauer opens the second half following one of his worst career games. In Sunday's 13-7 victory over the White Sox, Mauer went 0 for 5 and struck out a career-high four times.

"I think everybody should keep their ticket because they saw something that nobody will see again and that's Mauer strike out four times," White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said.

Mauer had an RBI double in the AL's 4-3 win Tuesday in the midseason classic. He leads the majors with a .373 batting average but is hitting .167 (2 for 12) lifetime against Padilla.