SEATTLE — A pair of All-Star righthanders square off at T-Mobile Park as the Twins and Mariners finish their four-game series this afternoon.
Pablo López (5-5, 4.24 ERA) pitches for the Twins against Seattle's George Kirby (8-8, 3.43). The game is televised on BSN at 2:40 p.m.
"I'm a big fan of George Kirby," López said. "He throws a ton of strikes. He challenges everyone with everything," López said. "If I see him on the mound [Thursday], challenging hitters and not walking anybody, I'm going to try to do the same."
Byron Buxton returns to the Twins lineup as the DH on getaway day and Matt Wallner moves from DH to right field. Buxton, in an 0-for-22 slump, has not played in the field this season and sat out the past two games. Wallner will hit cleanup, with Buxton hitting fifth.
"I'm still trying to figure it out," Buxton said of the long stretches of free time that a DH must fill between at-bats. "I don't know yet. I probably spend too much time in the [batting] cage. It's not like old-school. You've got guys that go in and play a PlayStation, guys that go in there and put on their headphones and listen to music, or whatever. So it's a little bit different.
"I mean, I'm probably overthinking it a little bit, so [a couple days off] makes sense," Buxton said. "Just trying to get back to being who I am."
Shortstop Carlos Correa gets the day off, as does Max Kepler.
The Twins have won two of the first three games in the series. They are in first place in the American League Central, 2½ games ahead of Cleveland. The Guardians are idle today.
Seattle put Jarred Kelenic on the injured list because of a left foot fracture suffered in Wednesday's game.
TWINS LINEUP
Edouard Julien, 2B
Alex Kirilloff, 1B
Donovan Solano, 3B
Matt Wallner, RF
Byron Buxton, DH
Willi Castro, CF
Joey Gallo, LF
Kyle Farmer, SS
Christian Vázquez, C
MARINERS LINEUP
J.P. Crawford, SS
Julio Rodríguez, CF
Eugenio Suárez, 3B
Mike Ford, DH
Teoscar Hernández, RF
Cal Raleigh, C
Ty France, 1B
Cade Marlowe, LF
José Caballero, 2B
