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A pair of struggling starters match up when Nationals face Twins

Jun 10, 2007 - 3:01 PM Washington (26-36) at Minnesota (29-31), 2:10 pm EDT

MINNEAPOLIS (Ticker) -- The Minnesota Twins are in danger of falling out of the race in the American League Central. A sweep at the hands of the lowly Washington Nationals would make things even worse.

The Twins will hope to avoid that fate on Sunday when they send Boof Bonser to the mound against Mike Bacsik and the visiting Nationals.

Minnesota has dropped four of its last 10 contests to fall eight games behind division-leading Cleveland in the Central, and Bonser watched his ERA jump over half a run in his last outing.

In order to get back in the race Bonser (4-2, 4.12 ERA) will need to pitch more like the starter that reeled off four straight wins between May 13-29. Last Monday, the 25-year-old righthander yielded six runs in 5 1/3 innings to take the loss at the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

Bacsik (1-2, 4.13) made three good starts after being recalled from the minors on May 19, going 1-1 with a 2.29 ERA. But his fourth start was not quite as sharp, as the Pirates pounded the 29-year-old lefthander for six runs in 4 1/3 innings.

The Nationals have fared surprisingly well over the past month, going 17-11 since May 11.