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Twins-Indians Preview

Sep 11, 2010 - 2:57 AM By MATT BECKER STATS Senior Writer

Minnesota (83-57) at Cleveland (57-83), 7:05 p.m. EDT

Nick Blackburn was in such a funk two months ago, the Minnesota Twins demoted him to the bullpen and then the minors.

Since being recalled, he's been instrumental in helping the club open a comfortable division lead.

Blackburn looks to win his third straight start and help the AL Central-leading Twins bounce back from their first loss in a week Saturday night against the Cleveland Indians.

Minnesota's six-game winning streak ended Friday with a 2-0 loss to the Indians in the opener of a six-game road trip. The Twins' division lead shrunk to five games over Chicago, which rallied to defeat Kansas City 4-3.

Minnesota (83-58), which averaged 6.8 runs during its winning streak, managed three hits as Cleveland starter Fausto Carmona went the distance.

The Twins were without designated hitter Jim Thome for a second straight game Friday because of a mild abdominal strain, but manager Ron Gardenhire expects the former Indians slugger to return to the lineup for this contest.

Tied with Frank Robinson for eighth place on the career home run list with 586, Thome is 5 for 6 with four homers, a double, five walks and seven RBIs in his last three games. He is also batting .474 (9 for 19) with four homers and nine RBIs in his last seven games in Cleveland.

While Thome has helped Minnesota build its cushion atop the Central, Blackburn (9-9, 5.85 ERA) has also played a key role.

After going 1-6 with a 9.88 ERA during a nine-start stretch June 1-July 18, Blackburn was moved to relief and later sent to Triple-A Rochester. The right-hander has looked like a completely different pitcher since returning to the Twins' rotation, going 2-1 with a 1.99 ERA in three starts. In Sunday's 6-5 win over Texas, he gave up two runs and six hits in seven innings.

This will be Blackburn's first start of the season against the Indians after going 2-3 with a 4.40 ERA in five outings against them last year. He'll likely be careful pitching to Matt LaPorta, who has feasted on Minnesota pitching.

LaPorta hit a solo homer in the opener and is batting .462 with three home runs and five RBIs in seven games against the Twins since the All-Star break. The first baseman is 2 for 6 with a homer off Blackburn.

The Indians (58-83), winners of three of four, counter with Carlos Carrasco (0-0, 3.38), who again looks to notch his first career victory.

Acquired in last year's trade of Cliff Lee to Philadelphia, Carrasco is making a compelling case for a spot in the Indians' 2011 rotation. After allowing three runs in 7 1-3 innings against the White Sox in his Sept. 1 season debut, the 23-year-old right-hander gave up two runs and six hits while striking out six in six innings of Cleveland's 3-2 comeback win over the Angels on Monday.

"He continues to impress with his repertoire, and I think he has the stuff to go through lineups a few times," manager Manny Acta told the Indians' official website. "It's only been two outings, but so far, so good."

The 23-year-old right-hander, who went 0-4 with an 8.87 ERA in five major league outings last season, has never faced the Twins.