The Minnesota Twins were an early season favorite in the AL Central, but they haven-t quite lived up to expectations so far. The Twins have been unable to get more than two games above the .500 mark.
Texas, meanwhile, was not expected to be a threat in the AL West but is right there with the Angels after leading the division most of the season. The Rangers haven-t made the postseason since 1999, when they won the AL West.
Thus we have two teams with playoff dreams but work to be done as this three-game series begins tonight in Arlington, with the Rangers -128 WagerWeb.com favorites for the opener.
Minnesota was just 17-24 on the road, but the Twins- road record improved significantly when they went 6-3 on their final trip of the first half, so that might bode well.
Left-hander Glen Perkins (4-5, 4.71) takes the mound looking for his third straight win over Texas. He was 2-0 with a 1.46 ERA in two starts against the Rangers in 2008 when Minnesota and Texas split 10 meetings. The Twins are 4-0 in Perkins- last 4 Friday starts.
He will have his work cut out for him against a tough Texas lineup that leads the major leagues in home runs. Leading the way for the Rangers have been Nelson Cruz-s 21 homers and 20 from Ian Kinsler.
If the Twins lead tonight after the eighth inning, forget about it: They are 40-2 when leading after eight innings, thanks mainly to Joe Nathan, who is tied for second in the majors with 23 saves.
Texas starts Vicente Padilla (7-4, 4.53). Padilla will be making his first start since July 8, when he allowed one run and eight hits over six-plus innings in an 8-1 win over the Angels. The right-hander is 3-2 lifetime against Minnesota with a 2.63 ERA.
When Texas has Josh Hamilton healthy, it is a different club, going 24-13 with him in the lineup. The Rangers are 10-1 in their last 11 Friday games.
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