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Rockies-Twins Preview

Jun 16, 2010 - 4:57 AM By MATT BEARDMORE STATS Writer

Colorado (33-30) at Minnesota (36-27), 8:10 p.m. EDT

The Minnesota Twins struggled to hit the ball over the weekend, but fared much better in their last game.

Minnesota looks to win its second straight over the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday when this interleague series continues at Target Field.

After totaling five runs and 11 hits in a pair of losses against Atlanta, the AL Central-leading Twins (37-27) rebounded Tuesday with a 9-3 win over the Rockies. Minnesota's bottom third of the order, Delmon Young, Danny Valencia and Nick Punto, went 7 for 10 with three runs and three RBIs to comprise half of the Twins' 14 hits.

The outburst came despite the fact that Minnesota's best two hitters, Justin Morneau and Joe Mauer, went a combined 1 for 9. Morneau, hitting a team-high .344, is 0 for 11 in his last three games.

"The guys at the top of the order are normally the ones doing all the damage," Valencia said after going 2 for 3 with a walk. "It's nice to help out."

Young has been helping out a lot lately. He had three hits Tuesday and is batting .410 with three homers and 14 RBIs during an 11-game hitting streak.

The Twins, tied with Detroit for the best interleague record (57-22) in the majors since the beginning of 2006, give the ball to Scott Baker (5-5, 4.81 ERA), who will look to bounce back from a poor outing in Thursday's 9-8 loss to Kansas City. The right-hander went five innings, allowing five runs and eight hits, including a pair of homers when he was ahead in the count.

Five of the 11 home runs allowed by Baker this season have come with two strikes.

"You can't allow hits in those counts, it's just not acceptable," Baker told the Twins' official website. "Sometimes you try to do too much with those pitches, and that's not necessarily what you have to do. Just make a good pitch, not the perfect pitch, and I didn't do that tonight."

Baker has never faced Colorado.

The Rockies (33-31) counter with rookie Jhoulys Chacin (3-5, 4.04), who has lost three consecutive starts and is 1-5 with a 5.88 ERA in his last six outings after a promising start to the season.

The 22-year-old right-hander struck out eight in Thursday's 5-4 loss to Houston, but surrendered five runs over six innings.

After missing the Rockies' previous two games with a strained right groin muscle, shortstop Troy Tulowitzki hit a solo homer in his first at-bat Tuesday.

He is batting .333 (6 for 18) with three solo shots in five interleague games this season.

Veteran first baseman Todd Helton homered for the first time in 88 at-bats Tuesday and is hitting .400 since Jim Tracy moved him up to the second spot in the order five games ago.

"I find it, lose it, find it, lose it," said Helton, batting a career-low .255. "It's just a matter of being more consistent and slowing myself down. Basically getting confidence back and feeling comfortable at the plate."

Rockies right fielder Carlos Gonzalez, who had an RBI triple in the series opener, will try to drive in a run in a career high-tying fifth straight game.

With a win Wednesday, Minnesota can clinch its second home series win against Colorado in as many tries. The Twins took two of three at the Metrodome from June 10-12, 2003.