Houston @ Minnesota preview

Last Meeting ( May 4, 2016 ) Minnesota 4, Houston 16

The pressure has been off the Minnesota Twins for a long time now, and the team is finally starting to play like it has a future. The Twins begin their quest for a fifth straight series win on Monday when they host the Houston Astros, who are feeling the pressure after a tough weekend dropped them further back in the American League West race.

Minnesota let its general manager go and sold as many pieces off as it could at the trade deadline, and the players left have been busy making sure they lock down spots in the team’s future plans. Former top prospect Miguel Sano has endured an up-and-down campaign in his first full season in the majors but led the offense with a pair of home runs in Sunday’s 6-3 victory in Tampa Bay, which marked the sixth time in the last eight games that the Twins offense exploded for six or more runs. The Astros are trending in the opposite direction, both in the standings and in the batter’s box, and fell 5-3 in 11 innings at first-place Texas on Sunday to drop 7 1/2 games back in the AL West. Houston is 3-10 in its last 13 games and is averaging just 2.4 runs in that span.

TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, ROOT (Houston), FSN North (Minnesota)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Astros RH Collin McHugh (7-8, 4.73 ERA) vs. Twins RH Tyler Duffey (6-8, 6.21)

McHugh bounced back from a terrible performance in a loss at Detroit on July 29 by striking out 10 in six frames against Toronto on Wednesday. The Illinois native also surrendered three solo home runs against the Blue Jays and absorbed the loss despite allowing three or fewer earned runs for the eighth time in nine starts. McHugh has never lost to Minnesota, owning a 3-0 record with a 3.04 ERA in four career starts.

Duffey has been on the verge of losing his spot in the rotation for the last month and allowed four or more runs in each of his last four outings. The 25-year-old Texan could not make it out of the third inning in his final two starts in July but was slightly better at Cleveland on Wednesday, when he was charged with five runs on eight hits in six innings and ended up with a win. Duffey faced Houston once in his 2015 rookie campaign and allowed two runs over 6 2/3 innings without factoring in the decision.

WALK-OFFS

1. The Twins activated 3B Trevor Plouffe (fractured rib) from the 15-day disabled list and optioned CF Byron Buxton to Triple-A.

2. Houston OF Colby Rasmus, who had been mired in a 3-for-66 slump, was placed on the DL on Sunday with a right ear issue.

3. Minnesota LF Eddie Rosario is 11-for-24 during a six-game hitting streak.

PREDICTION: Astros 6, Twins 5