Twins 1 - 2 Reds
Final
  for this game

Twins and Reds set for matinee affair

Jul 1, 2015 - 12:06 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - The Minnesota Twins go for a series win over the Cincinnati Reds in a matinee affair Wednesday at Great American Ball Park.

The Twins dropped an 11-7 decision on Monday, then rebounded with an 8-5 victory in the second test last night. Phil Hughes was sharp through 6 2/3 innings and allowed four runs -- two earned -- and seven hits. Hughes struck out four and walked one batter.

"It was another good performance, and he's strung a few together now," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "He's pitching aggressively and trusting his stuff."

Glen Perkins notched his MLB-leading 25th save in the ninth.

Torii Hunter went 3-for-5 with a home run, Eduardo Nunez had three hits, two runs scored and an RBI, and both Joe Mauer and Kurt Suzuki provided two hits and two runs scored for the Twins, who won for the fourth time in 10 tries.

Minnesota is 2-3 on a 10-game road trip and will visit Kansas City next for four games at Kauffman Stadium.

The Twins have lost each of Trevor May's last four starts and the right-hander gets the call Wednesday afternoon. May is 0-3 in that span and lasted only one-third of an inning in Friday's 10-4 loss at Milwaukee, charged with six runs -- five earned -- and six hits.

May pitched well in his previous start on June 20 versus the Chicago Cubs and tossed six innings of one-run ball. He is 4-6 overall with a 4.62 earned run average in 14 starts and will face Cincinnati for the first time.

Cincinnati ended a three-game slide with a win in this series opener, but fell back into the loss column shortly thereafter.

Anthony DeSclafani was hammered for six runs and 11 hits in 6 2/3 innings, and picked up seven K's and two walks.

"They do a nice job of putting the ball in play," Reds manager Bryan Price said of the Twins. "They make things happen."

The Reds rallied from a 7-1 deficit and received home runs from Marlon Byrd and Eugenio Suarez.

Cincinnati will host Milwaukee for three games this weekend.

Johnny Cueto tries to bounce back from a difficult loss when he takes the hill Wednesday for the Reds. Cueto pitched well in a 2-1 loss against the New York Mets at Citi Field on Friday and surrendered both runs in six innings of work.

Cueto allowed a home run, walked three and struck out six batters to fall to 4-5 with a 2.98 earned run average in 14 starts. The right-hander defeated the Twins the only time he faced them on June 23, 2012 and hurled seven shutout innings of three-hit ball with nine K's and one walk in a 6-0 verdict.

Cincinnati and Minnesota are meeting for the first time since 2012, when the Twins took two of three matchups in the Queen City. The Twins are 11-9 all- time against the Reds.






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