Twins 2 - 0 Padres
Final
  for this game

Hughes tries to win fifth consecutive decision in San Diego

May 21, 2014 - 2:35 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - Phil Hughes will try to remain red-hot on the mound Wednesday night as the Minnesota Twins wrap a quick two-game interleague set with the San Diego Padres.

Hughes took a four-start winning streak into Thursday's outing versus the Boston Red Sox, but took a tough-luck no-decision in his club's eventual 4-3 win. He gave up just one run on five hits over six innings, fanning eight without a walk.

The right-hander yielded 12 runs over his first three starts of the season, but has pitched to a 1.95 earned run average over his five-start unbeaten streak. The 27-year-old has moved to 4-1 with a 3.61 ERA on the year thanks to the run.

Hughes faces San Diego for the first time in his career last Aug. 4 while with the New York Yankees and was hit hard in a loss, allowing five runs over just 2 2/3 innings.

Tyson Ross will start for the Padres and the righty has won two straight starts and three decisions in a row, improving to 5-3 with a 2.81 ERA on the year.

Ross has logged seven innings of work in three straight outings, including Thursday's 6-1 win over Cincinnati. He was charged with a run on three hits and five walks.

The 27-year-old is 0-2 versus the Twins with a 9.53 ERA in four meetings, including two starts.

The Twins have won each of their last seven games versus the Padres, sweeping three-game sets in 2008 (at San Diego) and 2011 (at Minnesota) before claiming last night's opener 5-3.

Trevor Ploufee had a pair of hits and knocked in a run, while Chris Parmelee and Kurt Suzuki had solo homers.

Suzuki's was an inside-the-park homer as his liner to left field appeared to go over the wall and land back on the field. Though the Padres outfielders reacted as if it was a homer, the umpires made no such signal and Suzuki raced around the bases.

"Well as long as we get the run, I didn't care," Minnesota manager Ron Gardenhire said. "I think the ball was in the seats, but he kept running so credit to him."

Minnesota starter Kevin Correia was perfect through four innings, but he had a hiccup in the fifth, allowing three runs on four hits. The right-hander completed his outing by pitching around a one-out walk in the sixth as the Twins won for the sixth time in eight games.

San Diego starter Ian Kennedy gave up four runs on six hits in 6 2/3 innings and threw two costly wild pitches in taking the loss.

"When you're trying to throw breaking balls down, at times if you get through them a little bit too much and you're a little aggressive with them, you have a chance to bounce them," Padres manager Bud Black said.

Jedd Gyorko finished 2-for-4 with an RBI for San Diego, which has dropped two straight and four of its last six games.






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