Minnesota @ Detroit preview

Minnesota at Detroit

Last Meeting ( May 25, 2013 ) Minnesota 3, Detroit 2

Joe Mauer drew the ire of the Detroit Tigers’ faithful by breaking up a no-hit bid Friday and added a three-hit effort one day later to help the Minnesota Twins end a 10-game losing streak. Mauer, who is hitting .415 in May, will try to help the Twins earn a series split when the teams conclude their four-game set on Sunday. Mauer homered for the first time since April 15 in Saturday’s 3-2 win while helping P.J. Walters hold baseball’s highest-scoring offense to its lowest output in six games.

Posting consecutive wins for the first time since May 8-9 figures to be a tough chore for Minnesota against Max Scherzer, however, as the right-hander is unbeaten in his last 13 outings - including the postseason. The Tigers, who lead the American League with a .304 average with runners in scoring position, went 0-for-2 in such situations Saturday after going 9-for-19 over the first two games of the series. Miguel Cabrera saw his five-game multi-RBI streak halted, but his league-leading 57 RBIs through 47 games are one off the historic pace set by Hank Greenberg in 1937.

TV: 1:08 p.m. ET, FSN North (Minnesota), FSN (Detroit)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Twins RH Mike Pelfrey (3-4, 6.69 ERA) vs. Tigers RH Max Scherzer (6-0, 3.61)

A long rain delay in Atlanta on Tuesday interrupted Pelfrey’s last outing after only two innings and 38 pitches. The 2005 first-round selection of the New York Mets still yielded two runs and four hits, turning in his seventh non-quality start in nine tries as a Twin. Pelfrey already has faced the Tigers twice this season, going 1-1 with a 3.38 ERA despite allowing 12 hits and four walks over 10 2/3 innings.

After allowing a first-inning run, Scherzer recovered to retire the final 22 batters he faced in Tuesday’s 5-1 victory at Cleveland. One of three Detroit starters averaging more than 10 strikeouts per nine innings, the 28-year-old gave up only two singles and struck out seven over eight frames – the third time in four turns he has lasted that long. Scherzer is 4-2 with a 5.29 ERA in 10 career starts against the Twins.

WALK-OFFS

1. Mauer’s 160 career hits against Detroit are his most versus any team.

2. Cabrera is one double shy of becoming the 15th active major leaguer with 400 in his career.

3. The Tigers have won a league-high 48 home games since July 4, 2012.

PREDICTION: Tigers 8, Twins 2