Tampa Bay @ Minnesota preview

Last Meeting ( Apr 22, 2018 ) Minnesota 6, Tampa Bay 8

The Tampa Bay Rays have won five in a row and are a season-high four games over .500 as they head to Minnesota to open a four-game series against the Twins on Thursday night. The Rays will look to make it six straight behind ace Blake Snell, who could have some extra motivation after he was snubbed for the American League All-Star team.

Snell, who beat the Twins with seven innings of one-run ball on April 21, was a stunning omission in the All-Star balloting -- the left-hander is second in the AL in both ERA (2.09) and wins (12). C.J. Cron hit a three-run homer Wednesday as Tampa Bay completed a three-game home sweep of Detroit to improve to 14-4 over its last 18. Minnesota kicked off its 11-game homestand by sweeping four from majors-worst Baltimore before taking two of three from another last-place club in Kansas City. Twins second baseman Brian Dozier has gone deep in back-to-back days and has three homers and eight RBIs during a six-game hitting streak.

TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, MLB Network, FS Sun (Tampa Bay), FS North (Minnesota)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rays LH Blake Snell (12-4, 2.09 ERA) vs. Twins RH Kyle Gibson (3-6, 3.59)

Snell blanked the New York Mets on six hits over 7 1/3 innings last time out to extend his winning streak to four straight starts -- a span in which he has permitted only two runs and 14 hits while striking out 35 in 28 2/3 innings. He is 8-1 over his last 10 starts and has allowed two runs or fewer in nine of those outings. Dozier, linked to trade rumors, is 4-for-8 with a home run against Snell.

Gibson halted a three-start winless drought by giving up three runs on four hits over a season high-tying seven innings versus Baltimore on Saturday. Although he has won only twice since his season debut on March 31, he has permitted three earned runs or fewer in eight of his last nine starts. Gibson fell to 1-5 with a 6.81 ERA versus the Rays after a 10-1 loss to Snell in April.

WALK-OFFS

1. Tampa Bay is 12-3 against AL Central foes.

2. Twins 1B/DH Joe Mauer is 10-for-22 during a five-game hitting streak and needs one double to become the franchise's all-time leader.

3. Rays OF Kevin Kiermaier went 3-for-5 on Wednesday to run his hitting streak to five games.

PREDICTION: Rays 4, Twins 2