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Twins-Red Sox Preview

May 20, 2010 - 5:10 AM By MIKE LIPKA STATS Writer

Minnesota (24-15) at Boston (20-20), 7:10 p.m. EDT

The Minnesota Twins only played two games at Fenway Park last year, and Thursday night's series finale will be their second and last contest at Boston in 2010.

The AL Central leaders probably aren't complaining to the schedule makers.

The Red Sox hope an attractive matchup of left-handers results in their seventh straight home win over the Twins, who will send Francisco Liriano to the mound against Boston's Jon Lester.

Minnesota (24-16) hasn't lost consecutive games to the Red Sox at home in more than nine years, but the Twins can't seem to snap their skid at Fenway, where their last win was a 3-2 victory on Sept. 30, 2007.

They lost by that score on Wednesday, managing only six hits and two runs for the second straight game - both losses. They've dropped four of six to begin their road trip, which ends Thursday, watching their lead on second-place Detroit slip to one game.

The Red Sox (21-20) were happy to get eight-plus strong innings from Clay Buchholz, who has steadied the club's struggling rotation. Boston's starters rank 28th in the majors with a 5.08 ERA, and Josh Beckett went on the disabled list Wednesday.

"I think anybody on the staff can take the responsibility to (pick up the rotation)," Buchholz said.

Lester (3-2, 3.91 ERA) was shaky in his first three outings, including a 5-2 loss at Minnesota on April 12, but he has gone 3-0 with a 1.82 ERA in his last five starts.

The only Red Sox loss in that stretch came Saturday night at Detroit, when Lester struck out 10 but allowed four runs in seven innings of a 7-6, 12-inning defeat.

The Tigers and Twins are the only AL teams Lester has never beaten. He's 0-2 with a 5.96 ERA against Minnesota after losing the inaugural game at Target Field last month.

Liriano (4-2, 2.63) went 0-2 with a 13.50 ERA against the Red Sox last year, but he pitched seven innings in an 8-0 win over Boston on April 15. That began a three-start stretch during which Liriano tossed 23 straight shutout innings, finally showing a return to form after his 2007 elbow surgery.

The southpaw has not been able to continue that pace, losing his last two outings, but he struck out seven without a walk at Yankee Stadium on Saturday, allowing three runs in six innings of a 7-1 defeat.

"With Frankie on the mound you know you're going to get a chance to win and I thought he gave us a chance," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said.

Boston, which needs a victory to avoid its 10th .500 record of the season, is hoping to take advantage of its only two home games in a difficult 13-game stretch. After visiting Detroit and New York before this series, the Red Sox next travel to NL-leading Philadelphia and major league-best Tampa Bay.

A resurgent David Ortiz may help. The veteran designated hitter hit a two-run home run Wednesday and is 10 for 24 (.417) with four homers and 10 RBIs in his last six games to rebound from a difficult start. Ortiz is still 6 for 27 (.222) with 10 strikeouts against lefties after hitting .212 against southpaws last year.

Minnesota is batting .295 against left-handed pitching - second in the majors to the Yankees - with left-handed sluggers Joe Mauer (.390) and Justin Morneau (.382) leading the way in that category.