Minnesota @ Cleveland preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 21, 2014 ) Cleveland 1, Minnesota 4

The Cleveland Indians hit a speed bump against the best team in baseball on Monday and look to get back to business in their quest for a playoff spot. The Indians have won 10 of their last 15 contests overall as they host the struggling Minnesota Twins on Tuesday for the first of three games. Cleveland gave up 16 hits in a 12-3 loss to the Los Angeles Angels on Monday, putting it 4 1/2 games behind Seattle for the second American League wild-card spot and keeping it five in back of first-place Kansas City in the Central Division.

Cleveland's Carlos Santana has recorded eight RBIs in eight games this month, while Lonnie Chisenhall snapped out of a mini-slump with two hits and three RBIs on Monday. The Indians have won only seven of 13 contests against the last-place Twins, who were swept in a four-game series by the Angels over the weekend. Minnesota’s Danny Santana (13-for-33) and Joe Mauer (9-for-23) have given the Indians problems all season.

TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, FSN North (Minnesota), SportsTime Ohio (Cleveland)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Twins RH Trevor May (1-4, 9.38 ERA) vs. Indians RH Trevor Bauer (5-7, 4.10)

May recorded his first major-league victory on Wednesday, allowing three runs and six hits over five innings while striking out six. The 24-year-old rookie is 0-2 and has given up 15 runs in nine frames on the road, and opponents are batting .350 against him overall. May, who has struck out 18 and walked two in his last three outings, was 8-6 with a 2.84 ERA in 18 starts with Triple-A Rochester.

Bauer is unbeaten in his last five starts, but Minnesota posted five runs against him over 4 2/3 innings in a no-decision on Aug. 19. The 23-year-old UCLA product is 4-2 with a 3.32 ERA at home as opposed to 1-5 and 5.20 marks on the road. Oswaldo Arcia is 3-for-5 with a pair of homers versus Bauer, who has registered 124 strikeouts in 129 2/3 frames this season – 32 in his last 30 innings.

WALK-OFFS

1. Cleveland LF Michael Brantley is 20-for-50 with seven RBIs during his 12-game hitting streak.

2. The Twins have given up the most hits (1,405) and third-most runs (691 runs) in the majors.

3. Indians C Yan Gomes is 11-for-36 with four homers, nine runs scored and nine RBIs against Minnesota in 2014.

PREDICTION: Indians 7, Twins 3