Cleveland @ Minnesota preview
Target Field
Last Meeting ( Jul 19, 2010 ) Cleveland 10, Minnesota 4
After getting sand kicked in their faces for almost four months, the Cleveland Indians are finally doing a little kicking of their own.
Cleveland goes into Tuesday's contest against the Minnesota Twins with a five-game winning streak. For a team that has struggled as much as the Indians, that would be impressive under any circumstances - but the current stretch looks even better considering the opposition.
The Indians came out of the All-Star break and swept four games from the Detroit Tigers. They followed that up with a 10-4 win over Minnesota on Monday night, collecting a season-high 20 hits and tying their longest winning streak of 2010.
The Tigers and Twins are pushing the Chicago White Sox for the lead in the AL Central. The Indians have outscored them, 31-12, in the streak and are 5-0 after the break for the first time in club history.
The Twins could use a good outing from Kevin Slowey, especially considering the way the Indians have been swinging the bats.
It would be an understatement to say the right-hander hasn't been getting the job done lately. Slowey has one win in his last six starts when he defeated Detroit on June 30. Other than that, he has been ineffective and hasn't given his team enough innings.
Slowey has pitched into the seventh inning once in this stretch and has pitched less than five innings three times. He has totaled only 27 2/3 innings, allowing 45 earned runs, 28 hits and eight home runs.
Slowey's first start out of the All-Star break was another bad one. He was pulled without retiring a batter in the fourth against Chicago and was knocked around for five runs and nine hits in three innings.
Slowey was brilliant in his only start against the Indians this season. He held Cleveland to one run - Travis Hafner's solo homer - and struck out nine in eight innings.
Justin Masterson continues to be a mystery for the Indians.
Since winning back-to-back starts for the first time this season in early June, Masterson has one victory in his last six outings. That win was a dominating performance against the Toronto Blue Jays in July 1 when he allowed one run in 8 1/3 innings.
Masterson has pitched poorly in his last two starts, lasting only 10 1/3 innings and allowing 11 earned runs and 17 hits.
Masterson will be making his first start since the All-Star break. He was scheduled to pitch in the series against Detroit, but was pushed back a few days because of a sore left ankle.
Masterson was the losing pitcher the night Slowey beat the Indians in April. Masterson allowed five runs, five hits and five walks in four innings.