• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Twins-Rangers Preview

Aug 17, 2009 - 12:41 AM By MIKE LIPKA STATS Writer

Minnesota (56-60) at Texas (65-50), 8:05 p.m. EDT

The reeling Minnesota Twins keep falling further out of playoff contention, and they'll face four tough road games this week against a team brimming with confidence.

The wild card-leading Texas Rangers will try to add to their edge and win their third straight game as they open a four-game set with the Twins on Monday night, with red-hot rookie Tommy Hunter looking to build on perhaps his best start.

After blowing a ninth-inning lead to lose the opener of their key weekend series with Boston, the Rangers (66-50) responded with back-to-back victories, including a 4-3 win Sunday that gave them a half-game lead on the Red Sox in the wild-card chase.

Starting pitching continues to carry Texas one season after the club finished a distant last in the majors with a 5.37 ERA. Rangers starters allowed a combined five runs in three games against Boston.

"They're pitching really well," Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia said. "They're locating the ball. Last year, there were a lot of balls out over the plate that you could drive."

The Red Sox, though, may have missed Texas' best pitcher at the moment. Hunter (5-2, 2.26 ERA) has turned in five quality starts in his last six outings, and Wednesday's start against Cleveland was the longest of his brief career.

The right-hander didn't walk a man and gave up six hits in 7 2-3 innings of a 5-0 victory, striking out five for his fourth win five starts since the All-Star break.

"Tommy was tough," Texas manager Ron Washington said. "He had everything going, a good changeup, fastball, and was spotting it."

The Twins are hoping Francisco Liriano's latest outing was a breakthrough for the embattled left-hander, who has had command problems all season and struggled to recapture his dominating 2006 form.

But Liriano (5-11, 5.39) stifled Kansas City on Wednesday, allowing one run and three hits and striking out eight in seven innings of a 7-1 win. Both Liriano and pitching coach Rick Anderson said he was more relaxed than in previous starts.

"I could count on one hand how many times he fell off the mound because he overthrew," Anderson said. "Once he has success with (relaxing), hopefully it is something he'll lock in and maintain."

While Hunter will be facing the Twins for the first time, Minnesota is hoping Liriano can turn in another strong performance at Rangers Ballpark. He has a 1.13 ERA in three career appearances - two starts - in Arlington.

He allowed three runs in six innings of the Twins' 5-3, 12-inning loss there on July 19. Texas took two out of three in that series, the only time the teams have met this season. They'll play seven times in the next 14 days.

The Twins (56-61) have plenty of work to do if they hope to get back into contention in the AL Central, as they remained six games behind first-place Detroit after a 7-4 loss to Cleveland on Sunday.

Minnesota finished a six-game homestand against the two worst teams in its division at 2-4, and the Twins are 23-34 on the road. They've dropped 11 of 15 overall dating back to July 31, with a 6.16 team ERA over that span.

"I'm tired of this happening and I know the guys are tired of it," starter Nick Blackburn said. "Hopefully it gets better."