• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Hernandez, Twins hope to get back on track

Jun 17, 2008 - 2:56 PM Washington (28-42) at Minnesota (34-36), 8:10 pm EDT

MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota (Ticker) -- The Minnesota Twins' most recent road trip was ugly, since they dropped seven of the 10 games and six of the first seven while visiting the Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Indians, and Milwaukee Brewers. But Twins starter Livan Hernandez (6-4, 5.84) has been a lot shakier lately.

The former World Series MVP will try to get back on track as he takes the mound Tuesday for the Twins, who host the struggling Washington Nationals to begin a three-game set at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome.

Minnesota also kicks off a stretch where it will be home for 15 of the next 18 games.

Hernandez surrendered 10 or more hits in five of his past seven outings, and allowed more than five earned runs in five straight starts. He is 0-2 with an 11.10 ERA over that span, and was 6-1 with a 3.90 ERA to start the season.

His counterpart, John Lannan (4-7, 3.43) has been very sharp of late, but has suffered from the major league's worst run support. The 2.49 runs he has received per start have caused his low ERA and solid ratios to translate into a pedestrian record for perhaps the worst team in the National League.

Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau pace the Twins offense and they are hitting .324 and .306, respectively.

The Nationals haven't figured out a way to jumpstart their offense ever since third baseman Ryan Zimmerman suffered a potential season-ending shoulder injury in late May.

The Twins played in Washington for 60 years, while calling themselves the Nationals, before moving to Minnesota in 1961.