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Santana looks to regain Cy Young form versus Tigers

May 11, 2007 - 1:51 PM Detroit (21-12) at Minnesota (17-17) 8:10 pm EDT

MINNEAPOLIS (Ticker) -- With a big part of their offense ailing, the Minnesota Twins need Johan Santana to recapture his dominating form as soon as possible.

Santana and the Twins begin a three-game weekend series at the Metrodome on Friday against the Detroit Tigers.

Known for getting off to slow starts, Santana (4-2, 3.40 ERA), the American League Cy Young Award winner in 2004 and 2006, carries a lifetime 4.24 ERA in April and May over his eight-year career before dominating when summer comes - he owns a 2.79 ERA from June on.

With their normal No. 3 hitter Joe Mauer on the disabled list with a strained left quadriceps, the Twins have lost three of five since Mauer last played on May 4, scoring just 15 runs in that time.

Santana surrendered one run and seven hits with two walks and five strikeouts last Saturday against Boston, getting back in the win column at home after losing his last two starts at the Metrodome. He needed 98 pitches to get through five innings in the 2-1 victory.

Despite his unusual home struggles, he has won four of six decisions.

Santana faces the Tigers for the second time in three starts. He did not receive a decision in a 4-3 loss at Comerica Park on April 29 after giving up three runs and eight hits in six innings.

The Venezuelan lefthander is 10-2 with a 2.87 ERA in 16 career starts against Detroit.

To help the Twins avoid their second three-game skid in May, Santana will need to solve Magglio Ordonez, who has batted .429 (15-of-35) with four home runs in his career against him. Ordonez homered on Thursday as Detroit rebounded from its first loss in nine games with a 7-3 victory over Seattle.

Mike Maroth (2-0, 5.35) will try to record his first win in nearly a month. He had his poorest outing of the season last Saturday at Kansas City, allowing five runs and seven hits in 5 2/3 innings and remained without a decision since April 12.

Despite the high ERA, the Tigers are 6-0 this season when Maroth takes the mound. He gave up three runs and nine hits in a season-best 6 2/3 innings against Minnesota on April 29, when he last dueled Santana and the Twins.

Maroth is 3-9 with a 4.78 ERA in 17 career starts against the Twins.

Torii Hunter went 0-for-4 on Thursday to end his 23-game hitting streak - tied for fourth-best in franchise history.

Minnesota has won five of the last six meetings with Detroit.