As if the upcoming week isn't hard enough -- the Twins have seven road games against first-place teams directly ahead -- they first must deal with Cy Young winner Max Scherzer today in the finale of a four-game series with Detroit. Minnesota has gone 4-6 on this 11-game homestand at Target Field, but the bats have come to life this weekend; the Twins have outscored the Tigers 38-18 in the first three games, winning two.
Scherzer is a different matter, of course, at least when he's at his best. He's thrown a quality start in nine of his last 11 outings, he's second in the league in strikeouts, he's won four straight games against the Twins, and in his last appearance at Target Field, he picked up the victory in the All-Star Game.
Kyle Gibson, who pitched seven shutout innings the last time he faced Detroit, will oppose Scherzer, and the righthander gets a bit of a break. Miguel Cabrera tweaked his right ankle during last night's game, and Tigers manager Brad Ausmus has decided to give the two-time MVP an extra day off, to go with the one the Tigers get tomorrow.
The Twins' lineup is the same one that manager Ron Gardenhire has used, mostly, for the past two weeks.
TIGERS
Davis CF
Kinsler 1B
Hunter RF
