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Twins look to spark offense against Blue Jays

Apr 12, 2009 - 11:40 PM By Matt Becker Stats Senior Writer

Toronto (5-2) at Minnesota (3-4), 8:10 p.m. EST

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Had the Minnesota Twins managed to beat the Toronto Blue Jays just once last season, they might have been the ones winning the AL Central and going to the playoffs.

The Twins look to avoid losing their 10th straight game to the Blue Jays when they meet Monday night in the opener of a four-game series at the Metrodome.

After 162 games last season, Minnesota (3-4) and the Chicago White Sox were tied atop the AL Central. The White Sox won the one-game tiebreaker 1-0 and with it, the division. Game No. 163 could have been avoided, though, if the Twins had any success against the Blue Jays (5-2).

Minnesota lost all six games against Toronto last season, including a three-game series at Rogers Centre in September. The Twins also were swept in a three-game set in Toronto from July 23-25, 2007, and have not beaten the Blue Jays since an 8-5 home victory on June 28, 2007.

Justin Morneau and Joe Mauer were a combined 15-for-43 (.349) against the Blue Jays last season, but the rest of the Twins hit .197 (34-for-173).

With Morneau opening this season 7-for-27 (.259) and Mauer on the 15-day disabled list with a lower back injury, Minnesota's offense has gotten off to a sluggish start.

The Twins are coming off Sunday's 6-1 loss to the White Sox and have scored just once in their last two games after beating Chicago 12-5 in Friday's series opener. Minnesota has combined for 24 runs in its three victories but only two runs in its four losses.

"It was an ugly baseball game by us," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said after Sunday's loss. "We didn't play good defense and offensively we just didn't have a lot of good at-bats."

The Twins may have trouble getting their offense on track against Toronto's scheduled starter on Monday, Jesse Litsch (0-1, 7.50 ERA).

Litsch won both of his starts against the Twins last season and has posted a 1.25 ERA in winning his last three against them. In his last appearance versus Minnesota on Sept. 4, the right-hander allowed two hits in a 9-0 victory for his second career shutout.

Litsch is looking to bounce back from a rough start, as he surrendered five runs and seven hits - including three home runs - in six innings of a 5-1 loss to Detroit on Wednesday.

The Blue Jays are coming off Sunday's 8-4 loss to Cleveland, snapping a three-game winning streak.

Toronto had scored a major league-high 42 runs in its first six games but was limited to five hits Sunday, failing to complete its first three-game sweep in Cleveland since 2002.

"When you have a chance to come here, where we haven't played well in the past, and have a chance to sweep this team, that's kind of when you need to put the hammer down and go for it," Vernon Wells told the Blue Jays' official Web site. "Unfortunately, we fell short of that this series."

Toronto looks to win its third straight series opener when it faces Minnesota's Kevin Slowey (1-0, 7.50).

Slowey lost both starts against the Blue Jays last season, posting a 4.76 ERA.

In his first start of 2009, Slowey allowed five runs and nine hits - including two home runs - in six innings of a 6-5 win over Seattle on Wednesday. The right-hander recovered from a three-run fourth to retire the last seven batters he faced.