Minnesota @ Cleveland preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 9, 2018 ) Minnesota 4, Cleveland 5

The Cleveland Indians have plenty of breathing room in the American League Central due in large part to their sheer dominance versus the division rivals, against whom they've posted a 38-19 mark. The Minnesota Twins (61-69), however, have hung tough by splitting the first 16 contests with the Indians (74-56) heading into Tuesday's opener of a three-game series at Progressive Field in Cleveland.

Struggling Jason Kipnis showed a rare positive in what has been a disastrous season, recording an inside-the-park homer to highlight a four-hit performance in Sunday's 12-5 victory versus Kansas City. "It (the four-hit game) gives me a breath of fresh air. I'm excited to see where it goes from here," said the 31-year-old Kipnis, who is 13-for-31 in his career against Tuesday starter Kyle Gibson. Minnesota's Tyler Austin posted his third multi-homer performance this season - and first since May 20 - in Sunday's 6-2 setback to Oakland and is 14-for-42 with six blasts and nine RBIs since Aug. 11. Joe Mauer is 7-for-21 during a five-game hitting streak heading into a tilt with Tuesday starter Carlos Carrasco, against whom he is 14-for-39 in his career.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, FS North (Minnesota), STO (Cleveland)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Twins RH Kyle Gibson (7-10, 3.63 ERA) vs. Indians RH Carlos Carrasco (15-7, 3.55)

Gibson is headed into his fifth start this season versus Cleveland, against which he owns a 1-2 mark with a 3.80 ERA to fall to 3-8 with a 5.28 ERA in 17 career encounters. The 30-year-old was taken deep twice in his last matchup versus the Indians - a 10-0 setback on Aug. 6 - and surrendered three homers over 4 2/3 innings of a 7-3 setback at the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday. Those two outings were sandwiched around a pair of sterling seven-inning efforts as Gibson owns a 2-2 record with a 4.56 ERA this month.

Carrasco will one-up Gibson as he will make his sixth start of the season versus Minnesota, against which he has posted a 1-3 record with a 4.56 ERA this year to drop to 6-9 with a 4.00 ERA in 22 career appearances. The 31-year-old Venezuelan answered a 10-strikeout performance over 7 1/3 frames of a 2-0 win over the Twins on Aug. 1 with a three-run, 10-hit effort six days later in a 3-2 setback. Like Mauer, Logan Forsythe (6-for-15) and Eddie Rosario (8-for-21) have flustered Carrasco throughout the years.

WALK-OFFS

1. Cleveland DH Edwin Encarnacion has three homers, six RBIs and four runs scored during his last five games.

2. Minnesota SS Jorge Polanco has reached base safely in 41 of 49 starts this season.

3. Indians C Yan Gomes is 9-for-15 in his last four games.

PREDICTION: Indians 5, Twins 2