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Twins, Rangers square off at Target Field

Jun 11, 2011 - 3:11 PM (Sports Network) - Already 11 games out of contention in the American League Central, the Minnesota Twins try desperately to give the hometown fans something to cheer about this afternoon as they battle the Texas Rangers in the third game of a four-game set at Target Field.

The Twins may be 7-3 over their last 10 games, but against the AL West they are still a game below .500 (7-8) and their home record is a dismal 7-16. The club has the fewest wins in the league and is tied with the Houston Astros for the fewest overall with just 24 thus far after losing to the Rangers on Friday by a score of 9-3 to snap the team's brief two-game win streak.

Texas lost all six meetings between the clubs at Target Field in 2010 and dropped the first game there this season as well on Thursday, but last night Michael Young went 3-for-5 with a run scored and three RBI to finally get the Rangers into the win column at the second-year facility. Adrian Beltre added two hits and a pair of RBI and Craig Gentry scored three times for the Rangers in the rout as well.

Texas starter C.J. Wilson allowed just three runs on eight hits over the course of seven innings for the visitors.

"[Wilson is] a real horse. He goes out there and you can look for him to be in the game in the seventh and eighth inning, and that's what you want out of a number one guy," Rangers manager Ron Washington said of his starter.

Drew Butera went 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored for the Twins as they again landed in the loss column.

Minnesota starter Brian Duensing was beaten up during his two innings on the mound, as he was touched for seven runs on seven hits, although only three of those runs were earned.

Seeking his first-ever win against the Twins, Colby Lewis is set to take the hill for Texas this afternoon. Lewis, who is 0-3 with a 7.03 ERA in four career games versus Minnesota, last pitched on Monday versus Detroit at home and suffered the 13-7 setback in the process.

Against the Tigers the right-hander was tagged for an unsightly nine runs on 10 hits, four of those being home runs, while walking one and striking out three over the course of just 3 1/3 innings. As a result, the Rangers have lost in three of the last four appearances by Lewis.

As for the Twins, they are putting their faith in righty Scott Baker as he tries to reach .500 on the season. Baker, who has a record of 3-2 with a 5.14 ERA in seven career games versus Texas, had gone a month since recording his last victory, but on Monday he was able to work his way into the win column as he and the Twins recorded a 6-4 triumph over Cleveland on the road.

In that meeting with the Tribe, Baker worked seven strong innings, permitting just three earned runs on nine hits while fanning five. Four of the last five starts for Baker have been on the road, so perhaps some home cooking will be to his liking today.

Texas hitters have been getting the job done so far this season, batting a collective .267 to rank second in the AL, with their 75 home runs trailing only the New York Yankees, who have the luxury of playing in a hitter-friendly park. At the other end of the spectrum, Minnesota is second from the bottom in home runs with just 37 and is sporting a slugging percentage of only .348 -- also second-worst in the league entering the weekend.