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Rangers hope to get off the schneid versus Twins

Jun 27, 2014 - 3:33 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - It's got to end sometime, right?

That's what the Minnesota Twins and Texas Rangers will be counting on when they get together on Friday night for the opener of a three-game weekend series at Globe Life Park.

Minnesota has lost eight consecutive road games, while the Rangers have dropped eight consecutive games at all sites -- a skid that's their longest since a nine-game streak in May-June 2003.

Texas began the season with nine home wins in 12 games, but has since won just seven of 26 dates there and hasn't won a series since defeating the Chicago White Sox in two of three games in April.

"We know we're a way better team than the way we're playing right now," shortstop Elvis Andrus said.

The Rangers were winners of three out of four last month at Minnesota, which has since swept four games from the White Sox and lost three in a row to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. The Twins lost 11 straight road games in September 2011.

Texas right-hander Nick Tepesch began the season with two wins in three starts and a sub-3.00 earned run average, but he's since gone four starts without a victory -- losing three deciions and seeing the ERA in that stretch climb to 5.79.

"I'm just trying to stick to the game plan," he said. "If I make good pitches, we can turn them into outs.''

Minnesota veteran Kevin Correia gets the call on the heels of a recently red- hot road stretch, in which he's split two decisions in three starts while allowing two earned runs in 18 innings.

"I've made some slight adjustments and I've been steadily getting a little better, but I think the ball's just kind of bouncing my way a little more than it had," Correia said.

He was a winner in his initial three career starts against the Rangers, but dropped a 7-2 verdict on May 26 after allowing four runs in seven innings.