Twins

Division leaders Twins, Atlanta to meet

The Twins will be playing the Braves in Atlanta for only the fourth time, but they will be playing in their third ballpark there.

By Joel Rippel

June 25, 2023 at 11:30PM

Atlanta’s Truist Park earlier this month. (Hakim Wright Sr., Associated Press/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

THREE-GAME SERIES AT TRUIST PARK

All games on BSN, 830-AM and 102.9-FM

Monday, 6:20 p.m.: RHP Sonny Gray (4-1, 2.56 ERA) vs. RHP Spencer Strider (8-2, 3.93)

Tuesday, 6:20 p.m.: RHP Joe Ryan (8-4, 2.98) vs. RHP Bryce Elder (5-1, 2.40)

Wednesday, 11:20 a.m.: RHP Kenta Maeda (1-4, 6.86 ERA) vs. RHP A.J. Smith-Shawver (1-0, 4.32)

TWINS UPDATE

After winning two of three games from the Tigers in Detroit, the American League Central-leading Twins (40-39) continue their nine-game road trip. It is only their fourth visit to Atlanta, but their first at Truist Park, which opened in 2017. The Twins went 0-3 at Fulton County Stadium in the 1991 World Series, then 0-3 in 2013 and 2-0 in 2016 at Turner Field. The Braves took two of three at Target Field in 2019, when the teams last met. ... The Twins are 10-10 this season in interleague games. ... Maeda is 2-0 with 20 strikeouts in 18 innings and a 2.00 ERA in three career starts against Atlanta, all while with the Dodgers. ... Gray was 0-2 with a 3.23 ERA in five starts against Atlanta while he was with Cincinnati. ... The Twins are 16-20 in road games this season.

ATLANTA UPDATE

The NL East-leading Braves (50-27) return home after winning two of three from the Reds in Cincinnati. They held on for a 7-6 victory Sunday, their 10th in 11 games. They have scored 89 runs and hit 30 home runs in that stretch. ... On the season, the Braves have hit 139 home runs, the most in the majors. 1B Matt Olson hit his NL-leading 25th home run on Sunday and leads the National League in RBI (60). ... OF Ronald Acuña Jr. is second in the NL in batting average (.328) and leads the NL in stolen bases (35). He has 16 home runs and 47 RBI. ... C Sean Murphy went 2-for-4 Sunday in his first start since June 17, when he strained his right hamstring. ... Strider leads the majors with 137 strikeouts, while the Twins have struck out 807 times, the most in the majors. ... The Braves are 13-13 in interleague games this season.