Atlanta @ Minnesota preview
Target Field
Last Meeting ( Jun 11, 2010 ) Atlanta 1, Minnesota 2
It’s the first year of the brand new stadium and the Minnesota Twins absolutely love it.
Minnesota owns the third-best home record in the American League with a 21-10 mark, and they plan look to build on it as they take on the Atlanta Braves on Saturday night.
The Twins (36-25) are hitting .291 as a team at home, which puts them fourth in the majors. They are also eighth in the majors in runs at home - in large part because leadoff hitter Denard Span is hitting .388 at Target Field. All-Stars Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau are also big fans of the home cooking, hitting .326 and .366, respectively.
Minnesota’s offense is more divided this year. The Twins finished last year hitting .278 in their last season at the Metrodome. They were also more balanced, hitting .271 on the road. This year, the Twins are only hitting .252 on the road, where Span is hitting a paltry .172.
The Twins also have a home ERA of 3.23, more than a run lower than when on the road. Minnesota is 7-3 in its last 10 home games.
The Twins’ superior play at home is not a good sign for Atlanta starter Derek Lowe (8-5, 5.04 ERA). Lowe is among the National League leaders with eight wins, but he has a 1.45 WHIP and a 1.37 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
Lowe has struggled on the road, posting a 3-3 record while yielding 39 hits in 31 innings and a gaudy 6.82 ERA.
Lowe’s struggles also act as a microcosm of Atlanta’s troubles on the road. The Braves are 16-20 away from Turner Field this season and are hitting .250. Atlanta slugger Chipper Jones is the primary culprit, hitting .207 with no home runs and nine RBIs in 82 at-bats on the road this season.
The Braves look to reverse their woes against Minnesota starter Nick Blackburn (6-3, 5.21 ERA), who has given up a whopping 93 hits and only struck out 17 in 67 1/3 innings pitched. His numbers are better at home, where he sports a 3.31 ERA, but the lack of strikeouts should help ignite the Atlanta offense.
Atlanta also looks to do better than the .500 ball it has been playing, as the Braves are just 5-5 in their last 10.
They’ll look to Yunel Escobar, who has been the Braves’ hottest hitter since June. He’s been on base more than half the time and will need to continue his hot bat while Jones gets out of his recent struggles and Nate McLouth tries to turn around a disastrous season.
Atlanta infielder Omar Infante left the first game of the series in the sixth inning when he fouled a ball off his left foot. His status for Saturday’s game has not been determined.