Cleveland @ Minnesota preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 25, 2013 ) Minnesota 1, Cleveland 3

The Cleveland Indians are taking full advantage of a weak schedule down the stretch to draw closer to a wild-card spot. The Indians hope to continue that trend against another sub-.500 team when they visit the Minnesota Twins for the opener of a four-game, regular season-closing series. Cleveland is a game up on the Texas Rangers for the American League's second wild card and one behind the Tampa Bay Rays for the top spot.

The Indians are winners of six straight and 11 of their last 13, with all but one of those victories coming against last-place teams like the Chicago White Sox and Houston Astros. The Twins (66-92) are just slightly better than Chicago and Houston but played the American League Central-leading Detroit Tigers tough in a three-game series this week. Minnesota won the first of the three-game set in extra innings before dropping the next two by a combined three runs.

TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, SportsTime Ohio (Cleveland), FSN North (Minnesota)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Indians RH Zach McAllister (9-9, 3.88 ERA) vs. Twins LH Andrew Albers (2-4, 3.98)

McAllister posted his second straight win in a rain-shortened affair against Houston on Friday, allowing one run in five frames. The 25-year-old last made it through seven innings against Minnesota on Aug. 24, when he yielded two runs on four hits in 7 1/3 frames to pick up a win. McAllister is 2-3 with a 4.43 ERA in five career starts against the Twins.

Albers is attempting to snap a seven-start winless streak and make it through five innings for only the second time in his last five turns. The Canada native did not allow a run over 17 1/3 innings in his first two major-league starts but fell off that pace quickly and was knocked around for eight runs (three earned) in 4 2/3 innings at Oakland last Friday. Albers shut out the Indians on two hits in his second career start on Aug. 12.

WALK-OFFS

1. The Indians are saving RHP Ubaldo Jimenez for the wild-card playoff, unless the final game of the regular season turns out to be a must-win.

2. Twins OF Oswaldo Arcia (knee) underwent an MRI on Wednesday that showed no structural damage. He is listed as day-to-day.

3. Cleveland is 17-6 in September and 9-6 against Minnesota this season.

PREDICTION: Indians 8, Twins 4