Twins-Angels series preview: Second-place Twins stay in L.A.

Shohei Ohtani is not scheduled to pitch, but the Twins will still have to deal with his bat.

August 12, 2022 at 11:51AM
Michael Fulmer watched Chris Taylor’s home run leave the park on Wednesday night at Dodger Stadium. The Twins lost 8-5, dropping them out of first place in the AL Central. (Mark J. Terrill, Associated Press/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

THREE-GAME SERIES AT ANGEL STADIUM

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

Friday, 8:38 p.m.: RHP Tyler Mahle (5-7, 4.49 ERA) vs. LHP Patrick Sandoval (3-7, 4.31)

Saturday, 8:07 p.m.: RHP Dylan Bundy (6-5, 5.01 ERA) vs. LHP Reid Detmers (4-3, 3.44)

Sunday, 3:07 p.m.: RHP Chris Archer (2-5, 4.02 ERA) vs. LHP Tucker Davidson (1-3, 7.91)

TWINS UPDATE

The Twins (57-53, 1.5 games behind Cleveland) fell out of first place in the AL Central on Wednesday night. They had held at least a share of first for all but one day since April 24. ... After going 0-2 in their first visit to Dodger Stadium since 2017, the Twins make the 30-mile drive down I-5 for their first meeting of the season with the Angels. The Twins went 2-5 against the Angels last season. ... Mahle will be facing the Angels for just the second time in his six-year career. On June 25, 2019, he allowed four earned runs in five innings and was the losing pitcher as the Angels defeated Cincinnati 5-1 in Anaheim. ... Byron Buxton's last four starts have come as the DH. After sitting out against the Dodgers on Wednesday and a day off on Thursday, the Twins hope to start Buxton in center field on Friday. Buxton has started 76 games this season — 46 in center and 30 as the designated hitter.

ANGELS UPDATE

The Angels (49-63), who are in fourth place in the AL West, were idle on Thursday. They are 6-4 in August after going 6-18 in July and return home after a 5-2 road trip. On Wednesday, the Angels completed a three-game sweep of the Athletics in Oakland with a 5-4 victory in 12 innings. ... Shohei Ohtani is 10-7 with a 2.68 ERA and is hitting .256 with 25 home runs. He is the first player to win 10 games and hit 10 home runs in the same MLB season since Babe Ruth in 1918. On Tuesday, he became the first AL pitcher in 50 years to pitch six or more scoreless innings and hit a home run in the same game. ... Detmers, the Angels' first-round pick in the 2020 draft, has a 1.16 ERA with 38 strikeouts in 31 innings in his last five starts. ... CF Mike Trout (back spasms, left rib cage irritation) hasn't played since July 13. He has resumed activities and the Angels hope he will return this month.

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about the writer

Joel Rippel

News Assistant

Joel Rippel writes about sports for the Star Tribune.

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