Minnesota @ Tampa Bay preview
Tropicana Field
Last Meeting ( Jul 4, 2010 ) Tampa Bay 7, Minnesota 4
The Tampa Bay Rays and Minnesota Twins are both making serious runs at a division title.
One of them will be slowed down when the red-hot clubs collide on Monday in the opener of a four-game series at Tropicana Field.
The rampaging Twins arrive in Florida riding an eight-game winning streak that has pulled them within a half-game of the Chicago White Sox for the lead in the AL Central.
It marks the start of a critical 10-game road trip for Minnesota that will also feature three-game stops at the Cleveland Indians and Chicago White Sox.
The Twins will get the chance to test their mettle right away against the surging Rays, who have won eight of nine to creep within one game of the New York Yankees atop the AL East.
Minnesota has taken advantage of a dip in its schedule, beating up on weak sisters Baltimore, Kansas City and Seattle during its eight-game run.
The Twins are hitting on all cylinders, allowing just 16 runs in the eight games while scoring 60. They capped off a three-game sweep of the Mariners on Sunday without Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau - the 2009 and 2006 MVPs, respectively - in the lineup.
Mauer, the reigning AL batting champion, will likely sit out Monday's game after receiving a cortisone shot on Saturday to alleviate tendinitis in his shoulder. Morneau has been out with a concussion since July 7 and is expected to miss the Rays series.
Their absences can’t help but somewhat ease the nerves of Rays rookie right-hander Jeremy Hellickson, who will make his major league debut on Monday.
Hellickson was 12-3 at Triple-A Durham, leading the International League in victories to go along with a sparkling 12-3 ERA. But he’ll have to contend with a lineup that has produce fewer than four runs just once in the last 11 games, during which the Twins have gone 10-1.
Carl Pavano will have the task of trying to cool off Tampa Bay, which took two of three against the Yankees over the weekend.
One of the biggest surprises of the season, Pavano (13-6) is 8-0 in his last 10 starts and has not lost since June 3 at Seattle.
One of his no-decisions during that span came against Tampa Bay on July 1, when Pavano gave up three runs – two earns – on seven hits in 6 1/3 innings of a 5-4 loss. The Rays went on to take three of four from the Twins in that series.
Pavano has had success against Evan Longoria and Carlos Pena, who are both 1-for-11 lifetime against the right-hander.
Expect left fielder Carl Crawford to try and wreak havoc on the basepaths for the Rays. He is 10-for-25 with six stolen bases when facing Pavano.
Crawford is on the verge of a historic milestone. He needs a triple to become the second player in history to register 400 steals and 100 triples before the age of 29.
The other was a pretty fair player by the name of Ty Cobb.