J.A. Happ faces ex-teammates as Twins try to salvage series finale against Yankees

J.A. Happ pitched for the Yankees last season, then signed with the Twins during the offseason and is 3-2 with a 5.61 ERA. He'll start against his former team tonight at scorching Target Field (7:10 p.m., BSN) as the Twins try to salvage the finale of a three-game series.

A transaction-free day for the Twins — so far — after a 9-6 loss on Wednesday amid the Josh Donaldson-Gerrit Cole controversy. Giancarlo Stanton's month-long slump came to a decided end as hit a pair of homers off Randy Dobnak.

Michael King (0-3, 3.62) starts for the Bombers after pitching into the sixth inning in Friday's loss to the Red Sox. He's in his fourth stint with the team this season after appearing in one playoff game in 2020. King attended the same high school (Bishop Hendricken in Warwick, R.I.) as Twins manager Rocco Baldelli.

Happ pitched for the Yankees from 2018-20, going 21-10 with a 4.13 ERA in 51 games (50 starts).

The Twins have lost seven in a row to the Yankees, and are 4-14 in their past 18 regular season meetings, and 8-25 in their past 33.

YANKEES LINEUP

D.J. LeMahieu, 2B

Aaron Judge, CF

Gleyber Torres, SS

Giancarlo Stanton, DH

Gio Ushela, 3B

Gary Sanchez, C

Miguel Andujar, LF

Chris Gittens, 1B

Clint Frazier, LF

TWINS LINEUP

Jorge Polanco, 2B

Josh Donaldson, 3B

Alex Kirilloff, RF

Nelson Cruz, DH

Trevor Larnach, LF

Miguel Sano, 1B

Ben Rortvedt, C

Andrelton Simmons, SS

Gilberto Celestino, CF