Minnesota @ Texas preview

Last Meeting ( Jul 9, 2016 ) Minnesota 8, Texas 6

The Minnesota Twins have the least amount of wins in the American League, but they are causing all kinds of problems for the West Division-leading Texas Rangers this season. The Twins visit Texas on Sunday in search of their fifth win in seven games against the Rangers after pounding out 47 runs in six contests during the season series, including Saturday’s 8-6 triumph.

All-Star Eduardo Nunez belted a two-run homer to key the victory on Saturday and Eddie Rosario also went deep while improving to 7-for-15 in the series for Minnesota, which has won six of its last eight contests overall. The Rangers still lead second-place Houston by 6 ½ games in the AL West despite losing eight of their last 11 contests. A.J. Griffin will attempt to give Texas' struggling starting rotation a boost when he opposes Tommy Milone on Sunday. Elvis Andrus is 5-for-11 with four RBIs in the series and has recorded multiple hits in four of his last six games for the Rangers.

TV: 3:05 p.m. ET, FSN North (Minnesota), FSN Southwest (Texas)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Twins LH Tommy Milone (1-2, 5.45 ERA) vs. Rangers RH A.J. Griffin (3-0, 3.06)

Milone is coming off his best outing of the season, a start in which he allowed one run and five hits over six innings to notch his first victory since last September. The 29-year-old USC product has struggled on the road in 2016, going 0-2 with a 6.86 ERA in five games (four starts). Adrian Beltre is 9-for-19 with a pair of homers versus Milone, who is 2-4 with a 4.62 ERA in nine career contests against Texas.

Griffin has kept the damage low in three starts since returning from the disabled list but has not completed more than five innings in any of them. The California native held Boston to two runs on seven hits and three walks over four innings last time out in a game Texas went on to win 7-2. Joe Mauer is 2-for-3 versus Griffin, who is 2-0 with a 2.77 ERA in two career starts against Minnesota.

WALK-OFFS

1. The Twins have belted 25 homers in their last 14 games and currently have hit the fourth-most in club history at the All-Star break (101).

2. Texas CF Ian Desmond registered three hits Saturday to push his total to 112 – tied for fourth in the American League.

3. Minnesota CF Byron Buxton (right knee bruise) likely will sit out until after the All-Star break.

PREDICTION: Rangers 5, Twins 3